DETERMINING WIRELESS SYSTEM AVAILABILITY USING EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM MESSAGING

• US 20090227224A1
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhen, Li-Xin, Aftelak, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method and information processing system transmit emergency alert system messages to wireless devices. An EAS alert message (302) is transmitted to at least one wireless device (106) using one or more access channels (306) associated with a coverage area. An acknowledgement message (200) is received from the wireless device (106). The acknowledgement message (200) includes at least one of a location associated with the wireless device (106) and an identifier associated with each access channel over which the wireless device (106) received the EAS alert message (302). At least one of a first set of information indicating locations within the coverage area that have successfully received the EAS alert message (302) and a second set of information indicating which access channels have successfully transmitted the EAS alert message (302) to the wireless devices (106) within the coverage area are stored based on receiving the acknowledgement message.

Claims

1. A method with a wireless communication system for transmitting emergency alert system messages to wireless devices, the method comprising:

receiving an emergency alert system alert message for delivery to one or more wireless devices in a coverage area of a wireless communication system;

transmitting the emergency alert system alert message to the one or more wireless devices using one or more access channels associated with the coverage area;

receiving an acknowledgement message from at least one of the one or more wireless devices comprising at least one of a location associated with the wireless device and an identifier associated with each access channel in the one or more access channels over which the wireless device received the emergency alert system alert message; and

storing, based on receiving the acknowledgement message, at least one of

a first set of information indicating locations within the coverage area that have successfully received the emergency alert system alert message, and

a second set of information indicating which access channel in the one or more access channels has successfully transmitted the emergency alert system alert message to the at least one wireless device within the coverage area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more access channels include at least one of:

a packet data channel; and

a circuit services channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency alert system alert message is at least one of

specifically addressed to the one or more wireless devices;

and

broadcasted to the coverage area and being destined for reception by all wireless devices within the coverage area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in response to storing, at least one location within the coverage area where the one or more wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

notifying, in response to the determining, that at least one location within the coverage area is where one or more wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in response to storing, at least one access channel in the one or more access channels that has failed to successfully deliver the emergency alert system alert message to the one or more wireless devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of

one or more locations within the coverage area where one or more wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message, and

at least one access channel in the one or more access channels that has failed to successfully deliver the emergency alert system alert message;

generating a representation of a map of the coverage area; and

displaying visual indicators in the representation of a map indicating at least one of

the one or more locations where one or more wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message, and

the at least one access channel in the one or more access channels that has failed to successfully deliver the emergency alert system alert message.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

notifying, in response to the determining, that at least one access channel in the one or more access channels has failed to successfully deliver the emergency alert system alert message.

9. A method with a wireless device for receiving emergency alert system messages, the method comprising:

receiving at least one emergency alert system alert message from a wireless communication system over at least one access channel;

determining, in response to receiving the emergency alert system message, a current location in, and an identity of the at least one access channel over, which the emergency alert system alert message was received; and

transmitting a response message to the wireless communication, in response to receiving the emergency alert system alert message, the response message system comprising at least one of

an identifier associated with the current location that has been determined, and

an identifier that has been determined for each of the at least one access channel through which the emergency alert system alert message was received.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one access channel includes at least one of:

a packet data channel; and

a circuit services channel.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the response message over the at least one access channel over which the emergency alert system alert message was received.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the response message over a plurality of access channels, including transmitting the response message over at least one access channel that is different from the at least one access channel from which the emergency alert system alert message was received.

13. An information processing system, for transmitting emergency alert system alert messages to wireless devices, comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

an emergency message controller, communicatively coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein the emergency message controller is adapted to;

receive an emergency alert system alert message for delivery to one or more wireless devices in a coverage area of a wireless communication system;

transmit the emergency alert system alert message to the one or more wireless devices using one or more access channels associated with the coverage area;

receive an acknowledgement message from at least one of the one or more wireless devices comprising at least one of a location associated with the wireless device and an identifier associated with each access channel in the one or more access channels over which the wireless device received the emergency alert system alert message; and

store, based on the acknowledgement message being received, at least one of

a first set of information indicating locations within the coverage area that have successfully received the emergency alert system alert message, and

a second set of information indicating which access channel in the one or more of access channels has successfully transmitted the emergency alert system alert message to the at least one of the one or more wireless devices within the coverage area.

14. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the one or more access channels include at least one of:

a packet data channel; and

a circuit services channel.

15. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the emergency message controller is further adapted to:

determine, in response to the first set of information and the second set of information being stored, at least one location within the coverage area where the one or more wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message.

16. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein the emergency message controller is further adapted to:

notify, in response to at least one location being determined within the coverage area where wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message, that at least one location within the coverage area is where one or more wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message.

17. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the emergency message controller is further adapted to:

determine, in response to the first set of information and the second set of information being stored, at least one access channel in the one or more access channels that has failed to successfully deliver the emergency alert system alert message to the one or more wireless devices.

18. The information processing system of claim 17, wherein the emergency message controller is further adapted to:

notify, in response to at least one location being determined within the coverage area where wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message, that at least one access channel in the one or more access channels has failed to successfully deliver the emergency alert system alert message.

19. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the emergency message controller is further adapted to:

determine at least one of

one or more locations within the coverage area where one or more wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message, and

at least one access channel in the one or more access channels that has failed to successfully deliver the emergency alert system alert message;

generate a representation of a map of the coverage area; and

display visual indicators in the representation of a map indicating at least one of

the one or more locations where one or more wireless devices have failed to successfully receive the emergency alert system alert message, and

the at least one access channel in the one or more access channels that has failed to successfully deliver the emergency alert system alert message.

20. The information processing system of claim 13, wherein the emergency alert system alert message is at least one of

specifically addressed to the one or more wireless devices;

and

broadcasted to the coverage area being destined for reception by all wireless devices within the coverage area.