Method and apparatus for efficient and deterministic group alerting

• US 8,199,740 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CRITICAL HOLDINGS, INC.
• Original Assignee: Critical Response Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Dabbs, III, James M., Claise, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US13/154,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/410, 455/519, 370/349, 370/310, 370/390, 340/7.46, 340/539.1, 340/442, 340/441, 340/445, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method are provided for reliable, wireless group alerting in a system having a database, switch, wireless network, and a plurality of intelligent mobile receivers, and preferably employing a modified two-way paging based on ReFLEX™ protocol information service (IS) messages and a novel ALOHA command for multicast acknowledgement from mobile receivers. An encrypted message is broadcast to a group address and received by a selected number of the mobile receivers. The network replies to the sender with detailed information about the individual members in the alert group. Each of the mobile receivers in the group then acknowledges the common message back to the system, decrypts the message, displays it to the user, and allows the user to respond. The system employs centralized management to simplify the roles of the mobile users and administrators, minimizing configuration and operational human errors that would otherwise result in confusion or lost messages.

Claims

1. A method of alerting a group of recipients over a wireless network and providing acknowledged group messaging, each recipient comprising a mobile device capable of transmitting and receiving data, the method comprising the steps of:

storing data relating to recipients, groups and group members, in a memory device, the data comprising a device-specific identifying address for each of a plurality of recipients, one or more group-specific addresses corresponding to each of respective groups of recipients, the groups each comprising selected ones of the plurality of recipients, and group membership data comprising the device-specific identifying addresses of the selected recipients corresponding to each of the group-specific addresses;

providing the mobile device corresponding to each of the plurality of recipients with at least a subset of the data stored in the memory device, the at least a subset of the data being stored in the mobile device and comprising its corresponding device-specific identifying address and the group-specific address of each group to which that recipient belongs as a group member;

wirelessly broadcasting a group message addressed to a selected one of the group addresses, each of the mobile devices being configured to receive the broadcast group message, to analyze a group-specific address provided with the group message, and send a response when the group-specific address in the group message is determined to be for a group to which that mobile device belongs;

monitoring for responses to the group message from the group members of the group identified by a group-specific address provided in the group message; and

storing acknowledgement data in the memory device for each of the group members, the acknowledgement data comprising a listing of each of the group members and an indication of response for each of the group members, the indication of response comprising at least one of an indication of no response when that group member has not yet responded to the group message, and an indication of response when a response sent by the mobile device of that group member has been received.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of providing and synchronizing are performed using wireless communication to the mobile devices.

3. A method as claimed in 1, wherein the mobile devices transmit their responses wirelessly.

4. A method as claimed in 1, wherein the group message is sent using at least one of paging communications, cellular communications, two-way radio communications, wireless local-area network employing IEEE 802.11 standard for “

Wi Fi”

, wireless metropolitan-area network employing IEEE 802.16 standard for “

WiMAX”

, wireless area network employing IEEE 802 standard communications, wireless broadband network, and wireless network.

5. A method as claimed in 1, wherein the responses are sent using at least one of paging communications, cellular communications, two-way radio communications, wireless local-area network employing IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless metropolitan-area network employing IEEE 802.16 standard for “

WiMAX”

, wireless area network employing IEEE 802 standard communications, wireless broadband network, and wireless network.

6. A method as claimed in 1, wherein the group message has a message identifier and the responses comprise the message identifier to facilitate associating responses to corresponding group message.

7. A method as claimed in 1, wherein the response comprises at least one of message received indicator, message read indicator, a reply selected from among multiple choice options, and an alphanumeric text reply entered by the recipient via the mobile device.

8. A method as claimed in 1, wherein at least one of the recipients is a group member of the group identified in the broadcast group message and has a carbon copy flag, and further comprising sending a response when the carbon copy flag is set to false.

9. A method as claimed in 1, wherein at least one of the recipients is a group member of the group identified in the broadcast group message and has a carbon copy flag set to true, further comprising displaying the message and not sending a response.

10. A method as claimed in 1, further comprising:

updating at least one of the device-specific identifying addresses, the group-specific addresses and the group membership data stored in the memory device whenever a recipient, group or group member is added or deleted; and

synchronizing data stored in each mobile device with the data stored in the memory device.

11. A deterministic group messaging system providing acknowledged group messaging comprising:

a memory device configured to store

a device-specific identifying address for each of a plurality of responder devices,

a group-specific address corresponding to each of respective groups of responder devices, the groups of responder devices each comprising selected ones of the plurality of responder devices, and

group membership data comprising the device-specific identifying addresses of the selected responder devices to each of the group-specific addresses

wherein each of the plurality of responder devices is provided with at least a subset of the data stored in the memory device, the at least a subset of data being stored in the responder device and comprising its corresponding device-specific identifying address and the group-specific address of each group to which that responder device belongs as a group member; and

a control module comprising a processing device that is configured to access the memory device and is programmed to

wirelessly broadcast a group message addressed to a selected one of the group addresses, each of the responder devices being configured to receive the broadcast group message, to analyze a group-specific address provided with the group message, and send a response when the group-specific address in the group message is determined to be for a group to which that responder device belongs,

monitor for responses to the group message from the group members of the group identified by a group-specific address provided in the group message, and

store acknowledgement data in the memory device for each of the group members, the acknowledgement data comprising a listing of each of the group members and an indication of response for each of the group members, the indication of response comprising at least one of an indication of no response when that group member has not yet responded to the group message, and an indication of response when a response sent by the responder device of that group member has been received.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control module is configured to provide each of the plurality of responder devices with at least a subset of the data stored in the memory device using wireless communication to the responder devices.

13. A system as claimed in 11, wherein the responder devices transmit their responses wirelessly.

14. A system as claimed in 11, wherein the group message is sent using at least one of paging communications, cellular communications, two-way radio communications, wireless local-area network employing IEEE 802.11 standard for “

Wi Fi”

, wireless metropolitan-area network employing IEEE 802.16 standard for “

WiMAX”

, wireless area network employing IEEE 802 standard communications, wireless broadband network, and a wireless network.

15. A system as claimed in 11, wherein the responses are sent using at least one of paging communications, cellular communications, two-way radio communications, wireless local-area network employing IEEE 802.11 standard for “

Wi Fi”

, wireless metropolitan-area network employing IEEE 802.16 standard for “

WiMAX”

, wireless area network employing IEEE 802 standard communications, wireless broadband network, and wireless network.

16. A system as claimed in 11, wherein the group message has a message identifier and the responses comprise the message identifier to facilitate associating responses to corresponding group message.

17. A system as claimed in 11, wherein the response comprises at least one of message received indicator, message read indicator, a reply selected from among multiple choice options, and an alphanumeric text message entered by a user of the responder device.

18. A system as claimed in 11, wherein at least one of the responder devices is a group member of the group identified in the broadcast group message and has a carbon copy flag, and further comprising sending a response when the carbon copy flag is set to false.

19. A system as claimed in 11, wherein at least one of the responder devices is a group member of the group identified in the broadcast group message and has a carbon copy flag set to true, further comprising displaying the message and not sending a response.

20. A system as claimed in 11, wherein the control module is further configured to

update at least one of the device-specific identifying addresses, the group-specific addresses and the group membership data stored in the memory device whenever a recipient, group or group member is added or deleted, and

synchronize data stored in each responder with the data stored in the memory device.

21. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the control module is configured to synchronize data stored in each responder with the data stored in the memory device using wireless communication to the responder devices.