CMAS alert procedures over Wi-Fi for low power devices

• US 10,517,042 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Belghoul, Farouk, Rivera-Barreto, Rafael L., Kiss, Krisztian, Malthankar, Rohan C., Tabet, Tarik, Perez, Cesar
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bokhari, Syed M
• Application Number:
  US15/380,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20170171814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 370311, 4554042, 4554122
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Distributing indications of emergency messages via Wi-Fi. A cellular device may temporarily disable its cellular modem. The cellular device may receive an indication over Wi-Fi that an emergency message has been broadcast. In response, the cellular device may activate its cellular modem and retrieve the emergency message via a cellular network.

Claims

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

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

a cellular modem operably coupled to the cellular radio; and

a processing element operably coupled to the cellular radio;

wherein the cellular radio and the processing element are configured to;

during registration with a cellular network, provide an indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi;

turn off the cellular radio after registration with the cellular network and after providing the indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi;

receive, over a Wi-Fi network, an indication of an emergency alert, wherein the indication of the emergency alert is received over the Wi-Fi network while the cellular radio is turned off;

in response to receiving the indication of the emergency alert over the Wi-Fi network while the cellular radio is turned off, activate the cellular radio to retrieve the emergency alert over the cellular network; and

retrieve a message via the cellular radio over the cellular network, wherein the message comprises the emergency alert.

2. The wireless UE device of claim 1, wherein the indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi comprises a feature tag in a REGISTER request sent from the wireless UE device to an IP-SM-GW.

3. The wireless UE device of claim 2, wherein the feature tag in the REGISTER request is an additional parameter indicating support for receiving a CMAS notification short message service (SMS).

4. The wireless UE device of claim 1, wherein the indication of an emergency alert over the Wi-Fi network comprises a SIP MESSAGE comprising a CMAS notification.

5. The wireless UE device of claim 1, wherein the indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi comprises a short message service (SMS) message.

6. The wireless UE device of claim 1, wherein the indication of the emergency alert is a SIP NOTIFY request and wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to turn on the cellular modem responsive to receiving the SIP NOTIFY request over Wi-Fi.

7. The wireless UE device of claim 1, wherein the indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi comprises a SIP Subscribe message.

8. A method of providing indications of emergency alerts over Wi-Fi, the method comprising a wireless user equipment (UE) device performing:

during registration of the wireless UE device with a cellular network, providing an indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi;

powering off a cellular radio of the wireless UE device after registration with the cellular network and after providing the indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi;

receiving an indication of an emergency alert over a Wi-Fi network, wherein the indication is received over the Wi-Fi network while the cellular radio is powered off;

in response to receiving an indication of the indication of the emergency alert over the Wi-Fi network while the cellular radio is powered off, activating the cellular radio of the wireless UE device to retrieve the emergency alert via the cellular network using the cellular radio; and

retrieving the emergency alert via the cellular radio over the cellular network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises the wireless UE device powering off the cellular radio after retrieving the emergency alert via the cellular radio over the cellular network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises the wireless UE device triggering, responsive to retrieving the emergency alert, a notification indicating receipt of the emergency alert.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi includes a SIP Subscribe message.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi includes a feature tag included in a REGISTER request.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the feature tag is appended to an IMS registration message sent by the wireless UE device to a gateway of the cellular network.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the indication of support is provided to an an IP-SM-GW.

15. An apparatus comprising a processing element, the apparatus configured to cause a wireless user equipment (UE) device to:

during registration of the wireless UE device with a cellular network, provide an indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi;

power down a cellular radio of the wireless UE device after providing the indication of support and after registration with the cellular network;

receive, over a Wi-Fi network, an indication of an emergency alert, wherein the indication of the emergency alert is received over the Wi-Fi network while the cellular radio is powered down;

in response to receiving the indication of the emergency alert over the Wi-Fi network while the cellular radio is powered down, activate the cellular radio of the wireless UE device; and

retrieve the emergency alert via the cellular radio over the cellular network.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the wireless UE device to power down the cellular radio after retrieving the emergency alert via the cellular radio over the cellular network.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication of the emergency alert is a SIP NOTIFY request and wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the wireless UE device to turn on a cellular modem responsive to receiving the SIP NOTIFY request over Wi-Fi.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication of support for receiving indications of emergency alerts via Wi-Fi includes a SIP Subscribe message.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication of the emergency alert comprises a short message service (SMS) message.