Wireless communication system and method for communicating disaster information

• US 8,786,430 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kagawa, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US12/413,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/539.26, 340/286.02, 340/539.17, 340/506, 455/404, 455/567, 725/33, 725/35, 379/37, 379/45, 709/200
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/00 in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus and technology operable to display disaster information is disclosed. The system receives information on a disaster such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, rain, or snow, and content can be displayed based on the type and severity of the disaster.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver module operable to receive disaster information concerning a disaster that is external to the wireless communication device;

a detector module operable to detect a degree of severity of a disaster from the disaster information; and

a controller module operable to set a control content corresponding to the degree of severity of the disaster, wherein the controller module is further operable to set the wireless communication system in a power saving mode if the degree of severity of the disaster is higher than a predetermined degree, and set the wireless communication system in a power supply off mode if the degree of severity of the disaster is lower than the predetermined degree.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the controller module is further operable to determine a priority order for informing a user of the disaster information based on the degree of the disaster.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the controller module is further operable to acquire positional information of the wireless communication system when the degree of the disaster is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 3, wherein the controller module is further operable to control a display to display the positional information on a disaster map.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the controller module is further operable to determine whether the wireless communication system is in a predetermined building when the degree of the disaster is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 5, wherein the controller module is further operable to control a display to display an evacuation route of the building, if the wireless communication device is located in the predetermined building.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 5, wherein the controller module is further operable to control a display to display a disaster map, if the wireless communication device is not located in the predetermined building.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 3, further comprising a transmitter module operable to transmit the positional information to an external device.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 8, further comprising a data compression module operable to compress the positional information to obtain compressed positional information, wherein the transmitter module is further operable to transmit the compressed positional information to an external device.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 8, wherein the controller module is further operable to re-execute an acquiring process in response to failing to acquire the positional information.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 8, wherein the transmitter module is further operable to re-execute a transmitting process in response to failing to transmit the positional information.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the controller module is further operable to start a television software application when the degree of severity of the disaster is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.

13. The wireless communication device according to claim 12, wherein the television software application comprises a plurality of channels and the controller module is further operable to select a predetermined channel when starting the television software application.

14. A method of controlling a wireless communication apparatus comprising:

receiving disaster information concerning a disaster external to the wireless communication apparatus;

detecting a degree of severity of a disaster based on the disaster information; and

setting a control content corresponding to the degree of severity of the disaster, wherein the wireless communication apparatus is set to a power saving mode if the degree of severity of the disaster is higher than a predetermined degree, and the wireless communication apparatus is set to a power supply off mode if the degree of severity of the disaster is lower than the predetermined degree.

15. The method of controlling a wireless communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control content comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a video, a voice message, and a text message.

16. A non-transient computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor, perform a method of controlling a wireless communication apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving disaster information concerning a disaster external to the wireless communication apparatus;

detecting a degree of severity of a disaster based on the disaster information; and

setting a control content corresponding to the degree of severity of the disaster, wherein the wireless communication apparatus is set to a power saving mode if the degree of severity of the disaster is higher than a predetermined degree, and the wireless communication apparatus is set to a power supply off mode if the degree of severity of the disaster is lower than the predetermined degree.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the control content comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a video, a voice message, and a text message.