Systems And Methods For Using A Network Identifier To Determine Emergency Alert Information

• US 20100112975A1
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• 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 mobile device may be activated and/or updated to receive alert messages from a network. For example, the mobile device may initiate a registration request with a network. Upon initiating the registration request, the mobile device may receive a network identifier from the network. The mobile device may then access information associated with alert messages for a location of the network based on the network identifier such that the mobile device may be activated to receive an alert message from the network based on the accessed information.

Claims

1. A method of receiving an emergency alert message on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a network identifier from a network that is indicative of a network provider associated with the network;

accessing information associated with an alert based on the network identifier; and

configuring the mobile device to receive the alert based on the accessed information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the received network identifier with an alert profile, wherein the alert profile stores alert information for one or more networks.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information associated with the alert for the location of the network is accessed if, based on the comparison, the network identifier matches an identifier in the alert profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of the following:

a channel to monitor for an alert message, a first identification of an alert message capable of being disabled, a second identification of a channel capable of being disabled, a third identification of an alert message incapable of being disabled, a fourth identification of a channel incapable of being disabled, and an indication of a language of an alert message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a registration request to the network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network identifier is received from the network in response to the registration request.

7. A mobile device, the mobile device comprising:

a communication component for providing communication between the mobile device and a network;

a memory component for storing program code and a profile;

a processor in operative communication with the communication component and the memory component, wherein the processor executes the program code, and wherein the program code directs the mobile device to;

receive, via the communication component, a network identifier indicative of a network provider operating the network;

determine whether the network identifier is associated with alert information in the profile; and

load the alert information if, based on the determination, the network identifier is associated with the alert information in the profile.

8. The mobile device in of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the network identifier is associated with alert information in the profile by comparing the network identifier to one or more identifiers in the profile.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the alert information is loaded if, based on the comparison, the network identifier matches one of the one or more identifiers in the profile.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to activate the mobile device to receive an alert message from the network based on the loaded alert information.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the alert information comprises at least one of the following:

a channel to monitor for an alert message, a first identification of an alert message capable of being disabled, a second identification of a channel capable of being disabled, a third identification of an alert message incapable of being disabled, a fourth identification of a channel incapable of being disabled, and an indication of a language of an alert message.

12. The mobile device in of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to receive an alert message, via the communication component, based on the loaded alert information.

13. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to receive, via the communication component, the alert information from the network;

and store, via the memory component, the alert information in the profile.

14. The mobile device of claim 7, the processor is further configured to provide, via the communication component, a registration request to the network.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to receive the network identifier in response to the registration request.

16. A method of providing emergency alert information to a mobile device from a network, the method comprising:

receiving a registration request from the mobile device;

determining whether the mobile device has permission to access the network based on the received registration request; and

providing alert information to the mobile device if, based on the determination, the mobile device has permission to access the network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether the mobile device has permission to access the network based on the received registration request comprises determining whether an agreement exists between the network and a home network of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing alert information to the mobile device if, based on the determination, the mobile device has permission to access the network comprises providing emergency alert information to the mobile device if, based on the determination, the agreement exists between the network and the home network of the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the alert information comprises at least one of the following:

a channel to monitor for an alert message, a first identification of an alert message capable of being disabled, a second identification of a channel capable of being disabled, a third identification of an alert message incapable of being disabled, a fourth identification of a channel incapable of being disabled, and an indication of a language of an alert message.

20. A mobile device, the mobile device comprising:

a communication component for providing communication between the mobile device and a network;

a memory component for storing program code;

a processor in operative communication with the communication component and the memory component, wherein the processor executes the program code, and wherein the program code directs the mobile device to;

receive, via the communication component, alert information associated with an alert message capable of being broadcast from the network; and

configure the mobile device to operate in accordance with the received alert information.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the program code further directs the mobile device to:

create a profile that includes the received alert information; and

store, via the memory component, the created profile.