Cellular broadcast message forwarding

• US 9,615,217 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cha, Hyun Joon, Lee, Chang Kee, Baek, Sang Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lafontant, Gary
• Application Number:
  US13/865,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20140315511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412, 4554041, 455566, 455574, 455 411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

Distributing messages received by a cellular device via cellular broadcast to additional electronic devices. The cellular device may receive a first message via a cellular broadcast technique. The cellular device may discover another electronic device. The cellular device may provide an indication of the first message to other electronic device. The indication of the first message may cause the other electronic device to provide a user alert at the other electronic device.

Claims

1. A wireless user equipment (UE) device, comprising:

a radio, comprising one or more antennas configured for wireless communication;

a processing element operably coupled to the radio;

wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to;

receive a first message via a cellular broadcast communication technique;

discover at least one device via a network;

configure a policy for distributing indications of cellular broadcast messages to the at least one discovered device, wherein the policy applies only to broadcast messages and includes a user-configurable option for whether or not to distribute the indications of cellular broadcast messages to the at least one discovered device; and

determine whether to provide an indication of the first message to the at least one device via the network based on receiving the first message and discovering the at least one device via the network, wherein the indication of the first message is provided in accordance with the policy for distributing indications of cellular broadcast messages;

wherein the wireless UE device is a portable device carried by a user.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein discovering the at least one device comprises one or more of:

determining a device type of the at least one device;

or

determining one or more services provided by the at least one device;

wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to select an indication type of the indication of the first message from a plurality of possible indication types based at least in part on one or more of the determined device type or the determined one or more services.

3. The UE of claim 1,

wherein the radio and the processing element are further configured to provide content of the first message to the at least one device via the network as part of the indication of the first message.

4. The UE of claim 1,

wherein the indication of the first message is configured to interrupt or modify one or more activities of the at least one device.

5. The UE of claim 1,

wherein the policy indicates whether or not to wake the at least one device to provide the indications of the cellular broadcast messages.

6. The UE of claim 1,

wherein the first message is a multi-part message,

wherein the cellular broadcast communication technique is Short Message Service-Cell Broadcast (SMS-CB),

wherein receiving the first message comprises receiving a plurality of SMS-CB transmissions, each transmission comprising a portion of the first message.

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein the antenna and the processing element are further configured to:

receive user input, wherein the user input indicates whether or not to wake the at least one device to provide indications of cellular broadcast messages if the at least one device is in a sleeping state.

8. A method for a portable cellular device to distribute messages received via cellular broadcast, the method comprising:

receiving at the portable cellular device a first message via a cellular broadcast communication technique;

discovering a non-cellular device via non-cellular communication;

configuring a policy for distributing indications of cellular broadcast messages to the discovered non-cellular device, wherein the policy applies only to cellular broadcast messages and includes a user-configurable option for whether or not to distribute the indications of cellular broadcast messages to the discovered non-cellular device; and

determining whether to provide an indication of the first message to the non-cellular device via non-cellular communication based on receiving the first message and discovering the non-cellular device,

wherein the indication of the first message is provided in accordance with the policy for distributing indications of cellular broadcast messages to the non-cellular device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the policy indicates one or more of:

a type of indication to be provided to the non-cellular device for cellular broadcast messages;

or

whether or not to wake the non-cellular device to provide indications of cellular broadcast messages if the non-cellular device is in a sleeping state.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the policy indicates one or more of:

whether or not to provide indications of each of a plurality of types of cellular broadcast messages to the non-cellular device;

a type of indication to be provided to the non-cellular device for each of a plurality of types of cellular broadcast messages;

or

whether or not to wake the non-cellular device to provide indications of each of a plurality of types of cellular broadcast messages if the non-cellular device is in a sleeping state.

11. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising:

discovering a plurality of non-cellular devices,

configuring a policy for distributing indications of cellular broadcast messages to each respective non-cellular device of the plurality of non-cellular devices; and

providing different indications of the first message to at least some of the plurality of non-cellular devices based on their respective policies.

12. The method of claim 8,

wherein discovering the non-cellular device is performed via one or more of Bonjour or Universal Plug and Play (UPnP).

13. The method of claim 8,

wherein discovering the non-cellular device is performed over a wireless local area network (WLAN).

14. The method of claim 8,

wherein discovering the non-cellular device is performed over a wide area network,

wherein discovering the non-cellular device and configuring the policy for distributing indications of cellular broadcast messages to the non-cellular device comprises receiving user input indicating an internet protocol (IP) address of the non-cellular device and receiving user input requesting distribution of cellular broadcast messages received at the cellular device to the non-cellular device.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna configured for wireless communication;

a processing element operably coupled to the antenna;

wherein the antenna and the processing element are configured to;

discover a wireless user equipment (UE) device via wireless communication;

receive user input configuring a policy for reacting to indications of cellular broadcast messages, wherein the policy for reacting to indications of cellular broadcast messages applies only to cellular broadcast messages and includes a user-configurable option for whether or not to distribute the indications of cellular broadcast messages to the discovered wireless UE device;

receive an indication of a first message from the UE via wireless communication, wherein the first message is received by the UE via a cellular broadcast communication technique; and

determine whether to provide a user alert in response to receiving the indication of the first message, wherein the user alert is provided according to the policy for reacting to indications of cellular broadcast messages;

wherein the electronic device is a handheld device carried by a user.

16. The electronic device of claim 15,

wherein the indication of the first message includes the first message,

wherein providing the user alert comprises providing the first message via a user interface.

17. The electronic device of claim 15,

wherein the user input configuring the policy for reacting to indications of cellular broadcast messages is received via a user interface provided by the electronic device.

18. The electronic device of claim 15,

wherein the user input configuring the policy for reacting to indications of cellular broadcast messages is received by the electronic device from the UE via wireless communication.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the user alert comprises one or more of:

muting or adjusting a volume of audio currently playing on the electronic device;

providing an audible alert sound associated with the first message;

pausing or modifying an image or video currently displayed on a display of the electronic device;

displaying an indication that the first message has been received by the UE;

displaying the first message;

or

printing the first message.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the antenna and the processing element are further configured to:

wake from a sleeping state in response to receiving the indication of the first message.