Emergency alert system distribution to mobile wireless towers

• US 7,907,930 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grevers, Theodore R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Application Number:
  US11/778,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20090023418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining an object associated with a host server and determining if the object includes an indication that identifies a first zone. The method also includes identifying a message contained in the object if the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone, and creating a formatted notification if the object includes the indication. The formatted notification includes a representation of the message. Finally, the method includes broadcasting the formatted notification within a network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining an object associated with a host server, the object being obtained by a distribution arrangement;

determining if the object includes an indication that identifies a first zone, the first zone being associated with the distribution arrangement;

identifying a message contained in the object if it is determined that the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone;

creating a formatted notification if the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone, wherein the formatted notification includes a representation of the message; and

broadcasting the formatted notification from the distribution arrangement within only the first zone, the first zone being included in a network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the message includes determining if the message is an emergency alert system (EAS) message, and wherein creating the formatted notification includes creating the formatted notification if the message is the EAS message.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein broadcasting the formatted notification includes broadcasting the formatted notification to substantially all available wireless mobile devices located in the first zone.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the representation of the message is a representation of an EAS state of emergency contained in the EAS message, and broadcasting the formatted notification within the network includes broadcasting the representation of the EAS state of emergency.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein polling the host server to obtain the object includes sending a TCP/IP request to the host server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the message includes parsing the object.

5. A method comprising:

obtaining an object associated with a host server, wherein obtaining the object associated with the host server includes polling the host server to obtain the object;

determining if the object includes an indication that identifies a first zone in a network;

identifying a message contained in the object if the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone

creating a formatted notification if the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone, wherein the formatted notification includes a representation of the message; and

broadcasting the formatted notification within the first zone in the network.

8. Logic embodied on non-transitory computer-readable media that, when executed, is operable to:

obtain an object associated with a host server, the object being obtained by a distribution arrangement;

determine if the object includes an indication that identifies a first zone, the first zone being associated with the distribution arrangement;

identify a message contained in the object if it is determined that the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone;

create a formatted notification if the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone, wherein the formatted notification includes a representation of the message; and

broadcast the formatted notification from the distribution arrangement within only the first zone, the first zone being included in a network.

9. The logic of claim 8 wherein the logic operable to identify the message is further operable to determine if the message is an emergency alert system (EAS) message, and the logic operable to create the formatted notification is further operable to create the formatted notification if the message is the EAS message.

10. The logic of claim 9 wherein the logic operable to broadcast the formatted notification is further operable to broadcast the formatted notification to substantially all available wireless mobile devices located in the first zone.

11. The logic of claim 9 wherein the representation of the message is a representation of an EAS state of emergency contained in the EAS message, and the logic operable to broadcast the formatted notification within the network is further operable to broadcast the representation of the EAS state of emergency.

12. The logic of claim 8 wherein the logic operable to obtain the object associated with the host server is further operable to poll the host server to obtain the object.

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining an object associated with a host server, the object being obtained by a distribution arrangement;

means for determining if the object includes an indication that identifies a first zone, the first zone being associated with the distribution arrangement;

means for identifying a message contained in the object if it is determined that the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone;

means for creating a formatted notification if the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone, wherein the formatted notification includes a representation of the message; and

means for broadcasting the formatted notification from the distribution arrangement within only the first zone, the first zone being included in a network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the means for identifying the message include means for determining if the message is an emergency alert system (EAS) message, and wherein the means for creating the formatted notification include means for creating the formatted notification if the message is the EAS message.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for broadcasting the formatted notification include means for broadcasting the formatted notification to substantially all available wireless mobile devices located in the first zone.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the representation of the message is a representation of an EAS state of emergency contained in the EAS message, and the means for broadcasting the formatted notification within the network include means for broadcasting the representation of the EAS state of emergency.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the means for obtaining the object associated with the host server include means for polling the host server to obtain the object.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a network infrastructure arrangement;

logic, the logic being arranged to obtain an object associated with a host server through the network infrastructure arrangement, the logic further being arranged to identify a message contained in the object and to create a representation of the message, the logic still further being arranged to determine if the object includes an indication that identifies a first zone, and to identify the message contained in the object if the object includes the indication that identifies the first zone; and

a transmitter, the transmitter being arranged to transmit the representation of the message through the first zone.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the apparatus is a mobile wireless tower.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the network infrastructure arrangement is associated with a TCP/IP enabled network infrastructure arrangement.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the logic further arranged to identify the message contained in the object is further arranged to determine if the message is an emergency alert system (EAS) message.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein if the message is determined to be the EAS message, the representation of the message identifies an EAS state of emergency.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the transmitter is arranged to transmit the representation of the message to available wireless mobile devices within a range associated with the apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the transmitter is arranged to transmit the representation of the message to all available wireless mobile devices within the range.