Emergency notification system for a portable device

• US 7,844,286 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arevalo; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/472,078
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/404.1, 455/422.1, 455/414.1, 455/567, 455/412.1, 455/3.01, 340/286.02, 340/531, 340/539, 340/539.11, 370/532, 370/432, 709/206, 709/227, 725/51, 725/112
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing alerts to end users of networked enabled portable devices are provided so that the end users are made aware when broadcast emergency alerts are issued. In various embodiments, a portable device is enabled to receive information about an emergency alert broadcast of which the user should be aware, e.g., from the EAS, and to notify the user of the emergency alert. The user can be automatically taken to the emergency alert information by having the portable device automatically tune to the emergency broadcast information, the user can optionally retrieve the emergency information by tuning to the emergency broadcast channel, and/or the user can otherwise be presented with a reference to the emergency data, such as a link to the information.

Claims

1. A method for providing a notification, the method comprising:

storing emergency broadcast information on a network-enable portable device, the emergency broadcast information comprising at least a listing of one or more broadcast technologies that are supported by the device and one or more emergency broadcast channels associated with each supported broadcast technology;

updating the emergency broadcast information with data from a network-based emergency broadcast information database via over-the-air programming;

receiving information at the portable device via a wireless network, wherein the information is indicative of;

an occurrence of an emergency broadcast; and

a relevance of the emergency broadcast;

determining, at the portable device, in accordance with the information, whether the emergency broadcast is relevant; and

upon determining that the emergency broadcast is relevant;

retrieving a least a subset of the emergency broadcast information;

providing a notification via the portable device of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast, the notification including the at least a subset of the emergency broadcast information; and

automatically tuning the portable device to one of the one or more emergency broadcast channels identified by the subnet of the emergency broadcast information.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the receiving the information comprises receiving a short message service (SMS) message.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the receiving the information further comprises receiving emergency alert data on at least one control channel of the wireless wide area network, wherein the emergency alert data is indicative of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the receiving the information further comprises receiving emergency alert data on a data channel of the wireless wide area network, wherein the emergency alert data is indicative of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the providing the notification further comprises at least one of:

providing the notification via visible feedback of the portable device;

providing the notification via at least one display of the portable device;

providing the notification via auditory feedback of the portable device;

or

providing the notification via mechanical feedback of the portable device.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising, upon reception of the emergency broadcast, rendering the emergency broadcast via the portable device.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising receiving manual input at the portable device that initiates reception of the emergency broadcast via a broadcast processor of the portable device.

8. A portable device comprising:

a storage component configured to store emergency broadcast information, the emergency broadcast information comprising at least a listing of a broadcast technologies that are supported by the portable device and emergency broadcast channels associated with each supported broadcast technology, wherein the storage component is configured to update the emergency broadcast information with data from a network-based emergency broadcast information database via over-the-air programming;

a telephony processor configured to receive information via a wireless wide area network, wherein the information is indicative of;

an occurrence of an emergency broadcast; and

a relevance of the emergency broadcast;

means for determining, in accordance with the received information, whether the emergency broadcast is relevant;

means for retrieving a least a subset of the stored emergency broadcast information if it is determined that the emergency broadcast is relevant;

a broadcast processor that automatically tunes to the emergency broadcast upon determining that the emergency broadcast is relevant; and

a user interface that provides a notification of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast, the notification incorporating the emergency broadcast information retrieved by the means for retrieving.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the received information comprises a short message service (SMS) message.

10. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the telephony processor at least one of:

receives data on at least one control channel of the wireless wide area network that is indicative of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast;

receives at least one emergency indicator bit on the at least one control channel of the wireless wide area network, the at least on emergency indicator bit indicative of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast;

or

receives data on a data channel of the wireless wide area network, wherein the data is indicative of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast.

11. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the user interface provides the notification via at least one of:

a display of the portable device;

at least one LED of the portable device;

auditory feedback of the portable device;

or

mechanical feedback of the portable device.

12. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the user interface renders the emergency broadcast upon determining that the emergency broadcast is relevant.

13. A device in accordance with claim 8, further comprising storage for storing an indication of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast.

14. A computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for providing a notification, the computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

storing emergency broadcast information on a network-enable portable device, the emergency broadcast information comprising at least a listing of one or more broadcast technologies that are supported by the device and more emergency broadcast channels associated with each support broadcast technology;

updating the emergency broadcast information with data from a network-based emergency broadcast information database via over-the-air programming;

receiving information at the portable device via a wireless network, wherein the information is indicative of;

an occurrence of an emergency broadcast; and

a relevance of the emergency broadcast;

determining, at the portable device, in accordance with the information, whether the emergency broadcast is relevant; and

upon determining that the emergency broadcast is relevant;

retrieving a least a subset of the emergency broadcast information;

providing a notification via the portable device of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast, the notification including the at least a subset of the emergency broadcast information; and

automatically tuning the portable device to one of the one or more emergency broadcast channels identified by the subnet of the emergency broadcast information.

15. A computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14, the computer-readable medium having further computer-executable instructions for at least one of:

receiving at least one indicator bit on at least one control channel of the wireless network that is indicative of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast;

or

receiving data on a data channel of the wireless network, wherein the data is indicative of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast.

16. A computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14, the computer-readable medium having further computer-executable instructions for at least one of:

providing the notification via at least one display of the portable device;

providing the notification via at least one LED of the portable device;

providing the notification via auditory feedback of the portable device;

or

providing the notification via mechanical feedback of the portable device.

17. A computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14, the computer-readable medium having further computer-executable instructions for:

automatically tuning to one of the emergency broadcast channels identified by the at least a subset of the emergency broadcast information; and

rendering the emergency broadcast.