Storm alert for emergencies

• US 5,121,430 A
• Filed: 02/19/1991
• Issued: 06/09/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quad Dimension Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quad Dimension Inc.
• Inventors: Ganzer, Larry R., Fessler, Michael A., Laughlin, Daric G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAIN, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US07/657,502
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 380/48, 380/50, 455/33, 455/58
• US Class Current: 380/258
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/081 the additional information signals being transmitted by means of a subcarrier

Abstract

A geographically specific emergency alert system includes a code generator unit in which geographic areas to be alerted and types of severity of alerts are selected and code strings generated to represent the affected areas and alert types selected. The code strings are broadcast by modulating the audio carrier of a television signal and received on receiver units positioned in areas within the broadcast market of a television station providing the alerting service. Location codes or entered into the receiver units by the users according to the areas in which the receiver units are used. When an alert is broadcast, each receiver unit decodes a location code string in the signal. If it matches that set on the receiver, an alert code string is decoded to activate a alarm devices connected to the receiver, such as an audible alarm generator, LED, etc., in accordance with the type or severity of alert that was broadcast.

Claims

1. A geographically specific signal communication system comprising:

(a) location encoding means operable to select at least one of a plurality of geographic areas and to generate a location code signal component;

(b) communication signal means operable to generate a communication signal component;

(c) broadcast means having said location encoding means and said communication signal means coupled thereto and generating a broadcast signal including said location code signal component and said communication signal component;

(d) receiver means positioned in one of said geographic areas and configured to receive said broadcast signal and extract said location code signal component and said communication signal component therefrom;

(e) communication signal processor means coupled to said receiver means and operable, when activated, to process said communication signal component;

(f) location code set means coupled to said receiver means and enabling user entry of a location code corresponding to one of said geographic areas; and

(g) location decode means coupled to said receiver means and cooperating with said code set means to process said location code signal component to determine if it corresponds to the user entered location code and, if so, activating said communication processor means to process said communication signal component.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said communication signal means is operative to generate an alert code string; and

(b) said communication signal processor means is operative to generate an alarm signal when activated.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1 and including:

(a) encryption means coupling said location encoding means and said communication signal means to said broadcast means and operative to encrypt said location code signal and communication signal components; and

(b) de-encryption means coupling said receiver means to said communication signal processor means and said location decode means and operative to de-encrypt said location code signal and communication signal components.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said broadcast means includes audio channel circuitry of a standard television transmitter circuit; and

(b) said receiver means includes standard television receiver circuitry with television audio signal demodulation capability.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 and including:

(a) slave transmitter means coupled to said communication signal processor means and activated to transmit a slave communication signal upon said communication signal processor mean being activated; and

(b) slave receiver means positioned remote from said slave transmitter means and including slave communication signal processor means which is activated upon said slave receiver means receiving said slave communication signal.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1 and including:

(a) said location encoding means including means for graphically selecting at least one of said geographic areas; and

(b) said communication signal means including means for graphically selecting a type of communication signal for broadcast.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said geographic areas comprise postal delivery zones;

(b) said location encoding means generates said location code signal component which incorporates a postal delivery zone code number corresponding to a selected area; and

(c) said location code set means is configured to enable user entry of a postal delivery zone code number thereinto.

8. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said location encoding means, said communication signal means, and said broadcast means form a first signal source broadcasting a first broadcast signal on a first broadcast frequency;

(b) said system includes a second signal source substantially similar to said first signal source and operating at a second broadcast frequency;

(c) said receiver means includes tuner means tunable at least to said first and second broadcast frequencies;

(d) said receiver means includes carrier detect means connected to said tuner means and outputting a carrier detect signal upon detecting said first broadcast signal; and

(e) said receiver means includes automatic tuner control means connected to said carrier detect means and said tuner means;

said control means normally causing said tuner means to be tuned to said first broadcast frequency and, upon failing to receive said carrier detect signal, causing said tuner means to be tuned to said second broadcast frequency.

9. An emergency warning system comprising:

(a) location select means operable to select at least one of a plurality of geographic areas;

(b) alert select means operable to select a type of alert condition;

(c) code generator means having said location select means and said alert select means coupled thereto combining a location code string corresponding to the geographic area selected by said location select means and an alert code string corresponding to the type of alert condition selected by said alert select means;

(d) broadcast means having said code generator means coupled thereto and broadcasting a broadcast signal incorporating said composite code string;

(e) at least one alert receiver means positioned in one of said geographic areas and operative to receive said broadcast signal and extract said composite code string therefrom;

(f) alarm means coupled to said receiver means and operative, when activated, to process said alert code string and generate an alarm signal;

(g) said receiver means including location code set means enabling use entry of a location code corresponding to one of said geographic areas; and

(h) location decode means coupling said alarm means to said receiver means and having said location code set means coupled thereto, said location decode means being operative to compare said location code string in the received composite code string with the user entered location and, upon matching, activating said alarm means to generate said alarm signal.

10. A system as set forth in claim 9 and including:

(a) encryption means coupling said code generator means to said broadcast means and operative to encrypt said composite code string; and

(b) de-encryption means coupling said receiver means to said location decode means and operative to de-encrypt said composite code string.

11. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein:

(a) said broadcast means includes audio channel circuitry of a standard television transmitter circuit; and

(b) said receiver means includes standard television receiver circuitry with television audio signal demodulation capability.

12. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein:

(a) said broadcast means includes frequency modulation means to frequency modulate a broadcast carrier signal using said composite code string; and

(b) said receiver means includes frequency demodulation means to recover said composite code string from said broadcast signal.

13. A system as set forth in claim 9 and including:

(a) slave transmitter means coupled to said alarm means and activated to transmit a slave communication signal upon said alarm means being activated; and

(b) slave receiver means positioned remote from said slave transmitter means and including slave alarm means which is activated upon said slave receiver means receiving said slave communication signal.

14. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein:

(a) said location select means includes means to graphically select one of said geographic areas; and

(b) said alert select means includes means to graphically select said type of alert condition.

15. A system as set forth in claim 14 and including:

(a) alert computer means interfaced to said code generator means;

(b) a digitizer pad interfaced to said computer means and including a two dimensional array of activatable digitizer regions, each digitizer region having unique two dimensional coordinates associated therewith, said computer means detecting said coordinates upon said digitizer region being activated;

(c) a location map overlaid on said pad, said map displaying geographic map areas corresponding to said geographic areas and alert indicia representing a plurality of types of alerts;

(d) said location select means including digitizer regions overlaid respectively by said geographic map areas; and

(e) said alert select means including digitizer regions overlaid respectively by said alert indicia.

16. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein:

(a) said geographic areas comprise postal delivery zones;

(b) said location select means causes said code generator means to generate said location code representing a postal delivery zone code number corresponding to a selected area; and

(c) said location code set means is configured to enable user entry of a postal delivery zone code number thereinto.

17. A system as set forth in claim 9 wherein:

(a) said location select means, said alert select means, said code generator means, and said broadcast means form a first signal source broadcasting a first broadcast signal on a first broadcast frequency;

(b) said system includes a second source substantially similar to said first signal source and operating at a second broadcast frequency;

(c) said receiver means includes tuner means tunable at least to said first and second broadcast frequencies;

(d) said receiver means includes carrier detect means connected to said tuner means and outputting a carrier detect signal upon detecting said first broadcast signal; and

(e) said receiver means includes automatic tuner control means connected to said carrier detect means and said tuner means;

said control means normally causing said tuner means to be tuned to said first broadcast frequency and, upon failing to receive said carrier detect signal, causing said tuner means to be tuned to said second broadcast frequency.

18. An emergency warning receiver unit for receiving broadcast signal incorporating a composite code string including a location code string representing one of a plurality of geographic areas and an alert code string representing a type of alert, said receiver comprising:

(a) broadcast signal demodulation means operative to receive said broadcast signal and extract said composite code string therefrom;

(b) alarm means coupled to said demodulation means and operative, when activated, to process said alert code string and generate an alarm signal;

(c) location code set means coupled to said demodulation means and enabling user entry of a location code corresponding to one of said geographic areas; and

(d) location decode means coupled with said demodulation means and said location code set means and operative to compare said location code string in the received composite code string with the user entered location code and, upon matching, activating said alarm means to generate said alarm signal.

19. A unit as set forth in claim 18 wherein said composite code string is encrypted prior to broadcasting, and including:

(a) de-encryption means coupling said receiver means to said location decode means and operative to de-encrypt said composite code string.

20. A system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said broadcast signal is an audio portion of a standard television broadcast signal and wherein:

(a) said demodulation means includes standard television receiver circuitry with television audio signal demodulation capability.

21. A system as set forth in claim 18 and including:

(a) slave transmitter means coupled to said alarm means and activated to transmit a slave communication signal upon said alarm means being activated; and

(b) slave receiver means positioned remote from said slave transmitter means and including slave alarm means which is activated upon said slave receiver means receiving said slave communication signal.

22. A system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said geographic areas comprise postal delivery zones and said location code represents a postal delivery zone code number corresponding to a selected area, and wherein:

(a) said location code set means is configured to enable user entry of a postal delivery zone code number thereinto.

23. A system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said broadcast signal includes a first broadcast signal at a first broadcast frequency and an independent second broadcast signal at a second broadcast frequency, and including:

(a) tuner means tunable at least to said first and second broadcast frequencies;

(b) carrier detect means connected to said tuner means and outputting a carrier detect signal upon detecting said first broadcast signal; and

(c) automatic tuner control means connected to said carrier detect means and said tuner means;

said control means normally causing said tuner means to be tuned to said first broadcast frequency and, upon failing to receive said carrier detect signal, causing said tuner means to be tuned to said second broadcast frequency.