US9271135B2 - Local network alert system for mobile devices using an IMS session and Wi-Fi access point - Google Patents

Abstract

A wireless emergency alert system (also known as a wireless emergency alert system, or “WEA,” and formerly known as a commercial mobile alert system, or “CMAS”) receives a geotargeted federal alert that is to be delivered to mobile devices within a defined geographic region. A database of locations of access points is utilized by the system to identify those access points that are likely present in the defined region. The system identifies mobile devices that have an ongoing connection (e.g. IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) session) with the identified access points, in part by maintaining and accessing a look-up table containing location information for the access point and connected mobile devices. In addition, the system tracks mobile devices that no longer have an ongoing session and deregisters the appropriate mobile devices in the look-up table. For mobile devices that have an ongoing session, the system delivers the received alert to the mobile devices in the targeted region via the identified access points.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/801,200, entitled “LOCAL NETWORK ALERT SYSTEM FOR MOBILE DEVICES USING AN IMS SESSION AND WI-FI ACCESS POINT,” filed Mar. 15, 2013.

BACKGROUND

Mobile devices, such as wireless and cordless phones, handheld computers, smartphones, and media players, among others, have become ubiquitous. Most mobile devices, if not all, have messaging capabilities, such as text messaging via SMS (Short Message Service) and multimedia messaging via MMS (Multimedia Message Service). SMS and MMS have become popular modes of transmitting information to mobile device users. In addition, some fixed devices now share mobile device platforms and services. In particular, Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) devices, which may be fixed and replicate traditional “landline” operate on both cellular and IP-based networks.

In an emergency situation, such as a terror attack or a natural disaster (e.g., hurricane, tornado, and earthquake), it may be desirable to alert members of the public located in the particular area of the emergency such that they may have sufficient warning or receive instructions for responding to the emergency. Alternatively, it may be desirable to alert members of the public within a specific geographical area of a commercial offering that is available at a nearby retail location.

Current systems are designed to send alert messages to mobile users by identifying traditional cellular base stations that are located in a target area for a given alert. The alert is sent to each cellular base station in the target area, each base station then forwards the alert to each mobile phone that is connected to the respective base station. However, these traditional alert systems do not offer the ability to reach mobile devices that use a WiFi access point (rather than a traditional base station) to connect to a telecommunications network such as an IP for Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. Therefore, a need exists for an alert system that tracks the physical location of WiFi access points and forwards alert messages to devices (such as mobile devices or other IMS-enabled devices) that are connected to the WiFi access points that are situated in a target region. Overall, the examples herein of some prior or related systems and their associated limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the following Detailed Description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a system level schematic illustration of an alert system operable to implement aspects of the invention. Hereinafter,FIGS. 1A and 1B will collectively be referred to asFIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates a look-up table200 that operates in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for targeted broadcasting of alert messages.

FIG. 4 is a geographic illustration of a target area covering portions of several counties having devices located throughout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A wireless emergency alert system (“WEA,” and formerly known as a commercial mobile alert system, or “CMAS”) receives a geotargeted federal alert that is to be delivered to mobile devices within a defined geographic region. A database of locations of WiFi access points is utilized by the system to identify those access points that are likely present in the defined region. The system identifies mobile devices that have an ongoing IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) session with the identified WiFi access points, in part by maintaining and accessing a look-up table containing location information for the WiFi access point and connected mobile devices. In addition, the system tracks mobile devices that no longer have an ongoing IMS session and deregisters the appropriate mobile devices in the look-up table. For mobile devices that have an ongoing IMS session, the system delivers the received alert to the mobile devices in the targeted region via the identified Wi-Fi access points.

Various examples of the invention will now be described. The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding and enabling description of these examples. One skilled in the relevant art will understand, however, that the invention may be practiced without many of these details. Likewise, one skilled in the relevant art will also understand that the invention incorporates many other obvious features not described in detail herein. Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail below, so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant description.

The terminology used below is to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific examples of the invention. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will, however, be overly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section.

System Description

FIG. 1 shows a system level schematic illustration of analert system100, for example a Wireless Emergency Alert System (WEA). Thealert system100 comprises an alerting network102 (including an alert gateway105) coupled to abroadcasting network104 operable to transmit targeted alerts to one or moremobile devices110 located within aWiFi coverage area170. The one or moremobile devices110 may be coupled to thebroadcasting network104 through an access point180, such as a wireless router. Thealerting network102 is operable to send an alert message fromalert gateway105 to thebroadcasting network104 for transmission to one or moremobile devices110 positioned in a specificgeographic target area108, such as a FIPS code, ZIP code, Census Code, or other region, as described in more detail below.Alert gateway105 transmits alert messages issued by an agency such as a federal government. For example, under WEA,alert gateway105 may transmit alerts issued by the President of the United States, alerts involving imminent threats to safety or life, and/or AMBER alerts. Themobile devices110 may be any of a variety of mobile devices, such as wireless phones, Unlicensed Mobile Access or UMA-enabled devices (also known as Generic Access Network (GAN) devices), handheld computers, smartphones, media players, and the like that are enabled for use within at least thetarget area108. In addition to specifying one or more target areas, an alert message may also include various instructions for responding to an emergency. For example, an alert message may warn residents of an approaching tornado or hurricane and direct residents to available storm shelters.

Target area108 may include one or more IP-based networks, particularly WiFi networks (or “hotspots”) featuring a WiFi access point such as a wireless router for sending and receiving data over unlicensed spectrum. A WiFi network allows multiple WiFi enabled devices, such as mobile phones and personal computers, to communicate over various public or private communications networks, such as the Internet. A WiFi access point within a WiFi network typically provides Internet access to multiple user devices within a limited geographic area. For example,FIG. 1 includesWiFi access point180awhich resides within the WiFi network and provides Internet access to multiple users located inside of a coffee shop. Similarly,access point180bresides the withinWiFi network170band provides Internet access to multiple users within a residential home,access point180cresides within theWiFi network170cand provides Internet access to multiple users within a school building,access point180dresides within theWiFi network170cand provides Internet access to multiple users within a school building, andaccess point180eresides within theWiFi network170eand provides Internet access to multiple user located on a bus.

Thealerting network102 may send a target area signal to broadcastingnetwork104, the target signal including geographic location information corresponding totarget area108. Alternatively, thealert gateway105 may embed the geographic location information in the alert message. The geographic location information may include place name information such as, for example, Potomac River Valley or the like. In other embodiments, the geographic location information may take the form of a FIPS code, ZIP code, or GPS coordinates. Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) codes, like Census Codes, are used by the U.S. government to standardize the identification of different entities, such as states and counties. These codes are issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. For example, each county in the United States is assigned a FIPS code. ZIP codes on the other hand designate quadrants or locations within a county. Thebroadcasting network104 determines one or more access point identifiers (e.g., an IP address or MAC address) associated with one or more access points located at least partially withintarget area108.

Thebroadcasting network104 may calculate a shape (e.g., a polygon) from the geographic location information (e.g., FIPS, ZIP, or GPS coordinates) included in the target area signal (or alert message) that represents thetarget area108. In some embodiments, the geographic location information may already be in the form of a shape (e.g., a 5-mile radius with a center at a defined coordinate, or a polygon) that represents thetarget area108. Thebroadcasting network104 determines an adjustedtarget area114 that substantially estimates thetarget area108. In other words, the adjustedtarget area114 may enclose or overlay thetarget area108. Thebroadcasting network104 may then determine the mobile devices that are connected to theaccess points180a(coffee shop),180b(home),180c(school), and/or180d(library) and forward the alert message to only those mobile devices without substantially broadcasting the alert message to mobile devices connected to accesspoint180e(bus), which lies outside of the adjustedtarget area114. In the example ofFIG. 1, the alert message would be transmitted tomobile devices110aand110b(connected to accesspoint180a),mobile devices110cand110d(connected to accesspoint180b), andmobile devices110e,110f, and110g(connected to accesspoint180c). Further, in the example ofFIG. 1, the alert message would not be transmitted tomobile devices110hand110i(connected to accesspoint180e).

An alert message may be in a variety of formats, including the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) format. The CAP is an XML-based data format for exchanging public warnings and emergencies between alerting technologies. CAP allows a warning message to be consistently disseminated simultaneously over many warning systems to many applications. Thealert gateway105 may receive an alert message (e.g., alert message in CAP format) from the alertingnetwork102 and convert the alert message into a format supported by the broadcasting network104 (e.g., a text profile base Commercial Mobile Alert Message (CMAM) format). Thealert gateway105 sends the converted alert message, hereinafter CMAM, to thebroadcasting network104.

Thebroadcasting network104 comprises multiple components common to IMS networks. The broadcasting network includes a location/application server140 and location information databases145a-145d. Additionally, thebroadcasting network104 includes a look-uptable database150 operable to track access points serving mobile devices registered to the IMS network, as described in more detail below. The location information databases contain various types of information that the location/application server140 may use to determine the location (such as GPS coordinates) of one or more access points180 that are connected to thebroadcasting network104. For example,database145amay contain MAC address information,database145bmay contain GSM WCDMA information,database145cmay contain customer address information, and/ordatabase145dmay contain public IP information. TheCBC130 receives the CMAM from thealert gateway105. The CMAM may include the geographic location information of thetarget area108 embedded in the CMAM. Alternatively, according to one embodiment, theCBC130 may receive the target area signal from the alertingnetwork102, wherein the target area signal provides the geographic location information of thetarget area108. In such embodiment, the target area signal is sent in addition to the CMAM (i.e., alert message). This target area signal having the geographic location information may also be converted into text profile based CMAM format. TheCBC130 may run a validation test on the CMAM and send an error response to thealerting network102 if the CMAM fails validation. Such may result in the CMAM not being broadcast.

The location/application server140 receives the geographic location information of thetarget area108 from theCBC130. AlthoughFIG. 1 illustrates the location/application server140 as a separate component from theCBC130, in some embodiments the location/application server140 may be embedded within theCBC130, such as operating on the same server. The geographic location information may, for example, be in the form of FIPS, ZIP, GPS coordinates, or a defined shape. If the geographic location information is received in the form of FIPS, ZIP, or GPS coordinates, the location/application server140 transforms the geographic location information into the shape (e.g., a polygon) representing thetarget area108. Otherwise, the geographic location information received from theCBC130 is already in a form of the shape representative of thetarget area108. The transformation into the representative shape (e.g., a polygon) of thetarget area108 may occur in real-time or near real-time to provide a more accurate alert and respond to changes that may occur periodically, such as daily changes or hourly changes. For example, daily changes may be in the form of changes in the boundaries of thetarget area108 in response to changes in the emergency conditions. For example, path changes of a hurricane or twister, wind shifts during forest fires, or updated intelligence on an imminent terror attack may reflect a change in the boundaries of thetarget area108. In some embodiments, the alertingnetwork102 provides theCBC130 with external data, e.g., meteorological data and/or updated intelligence data, to show changes in hurricane or twister path or other natural disaster, and/or changes to a potential terror area. The external data can be used by components of thebroadcasting network104 to alter the boundaries of thetarget area108 in real-time. In some embodiments, the alertingnetwork102 provides theCBC130 with a link to external data such as an Internet Web site to retrieve information (e.g., location, threat nature, threat severity, threat duration, etc.) regarding an alert message.

The location/application server140 has access to one or more databases145a-145dand150 including identification, location, and/or geographic coverage information for access points180a-180eand/or areas served by access points180a-180e. AlthoughFIG. 1 illustrates the database(s)145a-145dand150 as separate from, but directly connected with, location/application server140, in some embodiments one or more of the databases may be distributed anywhere in thebroadcasting network104. For example, location/application server140 may be capable of accessing databases145a-145dand150, which may store IP addresses, MAC addresses or other identifiers for access points180a-180cthat are included in thetarget area108.

In an embodiment, the location/application server140 implements a point-in-polygon search to determine the identifiers (e.g., IP addresses, MAC addresses and other relevant identifiers) for access points180a-180cthat are situated within thetarget area108. For example, this can be done by determining the latitude and longitude extent of the target area108 (e.g., a polygon), identifying those access points180a-180cthat are situated within thetarget area108, and obtaining the identifiers associated with such access points180a-180c. Alternatively or additionally, the location/application server140 may determine the latitude and longitude extent of the target area108 (e.g., a polygon), determine whether all or any portion of the access points180a-180c(e.g., using point-in-polygon search) extend into an area outside thetarget area108, and obtain identifiers associated with those access points180a-180c. Details on techniques for implementing the point-in-polygon search may, for example, be found in an article by Bourke, Paul, entitled “Determining If A Point Lies On The Interior Of A Polygon,” November 1987, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,693. The polygon-in-polygon search technique may, for example, be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,693.

The obtained access point information may include, in addition to relevant identifiers, location coordinates such as coverage areas of the provided WiFi service, and/or the latitude and longitude of the access points180a-180c, similar to the CGI information provided for 911 services in a location center. The location/application server140 may forward a list of the determined identifiers (e.g., IP addresses, MAC addresses and/or other identifiers) to theCBC130.

Alternatively or additionally, the location/application server140 may determine the adjusted target area (e.g., a rectangle, square, or circle)114 that substantially estimates the representative shape of thetarget area108 using one of any known best-fit algorithms. For example, the location/application server140 may define a center of thetarget area108 and a radius defining the adjusted target area114 (i.e., a circle) that forms a best-fit circle encircling or just within thetarget area108. Alternatively, the adjustedtarget area114 may be a “best-fit” rectangle that fits around or within the boundary of thetarget area108. Some best-fit algorithms may include a determination of first and second best-fit areas, and if the first best-fit area minus thetarget area108 is greater than the second best-fit area minus thetarget area108, the algorithm selects the second best-fit area as the adjustedtarget area114. AlthoughFIG. 1 shows arectangular target area108 inside of a circular adjustedtarget area114, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a circular target area may lie inside of a rectangular adjusted target area.

The location/application server140 may calculate location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of opposite corners of the adjustedtarget area114. Alternatively, the location/application server140 may calculate a location coordinate of the center of the adjustedtarget area114 and the radius, which define the adjustedtarget area114. Although reference will herein be made to the opposite corners defining the adjustedtarget area114, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that defining the adjustedtarget area114 by determining various other coordinates such as the center coordinate and the associated radius is also within the scope of aspects of the invention. The location coordinates of the opposite corners may be forwarded to theCBC130 for validation. The location/application server140 then, or coincidentally with the calculation of the adjustedtarget area114, obtains identifiers as described above. Further details regarding defining the boundary are provided below, e.g. with reference toFIG. 4.

Alternatively or additionally, the location/application server140 may adjust the boundaries of the “best fit” adjusted target area to accommodate or ensure maximum broadcast coverage in thetarget area108, using a “best coverage” algorithm. For example, a “best fit” adjustedtarget area114 may include all access points180a-180cwithin its borders, but may not capture all of the relevant coverage area within the adjustedtarget area114 because some percentage of coverage within the adjustedtarget area114 is provided byaccess point180dlocated outside the adjustedtarget area114. For example, anaccess point180dmay be located outside of the adjustedtarget area114 but its associated coverage area may intersect with a portion of the adjustedtarget area114 to provide service tomobile device110j. In such a case, a “best coverage” algorithm may be executed to extend the outward borders of the adjustedtarget area114 to ensure that the broadcast alert is broadcast to accesspoint180dto ensure maximum coverage of the adjustedtarget area114. The location coordinates of the opposite corners of the adjustedtarget area114 may be forwarded to theCBC130 for validation.

Access point180e, which is located outside of adjustedtarget area114 and which does not overlap with adjustedtarget area114, does not receive the broadcasted alert.Access point180eis located on a moving bus. Whileaccess point180emay not initially be located inside of the adjustedtarget area114, theaccess point180emay move into the adjustedtarget area114 as the bus travels to a destination. In such cases, the location/application server may continually monitor thetarget area108 and the adjustedtarget area114. The location/application server then may update the stored location information accordingly to ensure that alerts are broadcast to all access points in a designated target area.

The access points180a-180dare registered as part of the relevant network. Geographic location information associated with access points180a-180dare known to the location/application server140. For example, the location/application server140 may have access to thedatabase150 containing a look-up table of registered access points and their associated location information, as described in more detail below. The location information can be geographic coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the access points used to route communications between the access point and the connected mobile devices. Alternatively, the location information can be the street address of the access point, which may be converted into latitude and longitude coordinates. For example, when an access point is initially registered with the network, the user may be required to input a street address for the location of the access point. The system may then obtain and store in a database the latitude and longitude coordinates for the access point. Details on techniques for locating access points may be found in PCT App. No. PCT/US07/82156, System And Method For Determining A Subscriber's Zone Information, Oct. 22, 2007; PCT App. No. PCT/US07/82133, Two Stage Mobile Device Geographic Location Determination, Oct. 22, 2007; PCT App. No. PCT/US07/82136, System And Method For Utilizing IP-Based Wireless Telecommunications Client Location Data, Oct. 22, 2007; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/089,905, System And Method For Determining Device Location In An IP-Based Wireless Telecommunications Network, Apr. 10, 2008; and PCT App. No. PCT/US07/66579, Mobile Computing Device Geographic Location Determination, Apr. 12, 2007.

Thebroadcast network104 receives the CMAM (i.e., converted alert message) and the location coordinates of the opposite corners of therectangular shape108 from theCBC130. The location/application server performs a lookup of the registered devices in thedatabase150 to identify those devices that are within therectangular shape108. In other words, the location/application serer compares the coordinates associated with the registered devices to the location coordinates of the opposite corners of therectangular shape108, to select those registered devices that are within therectangular shape108 for broadcasting. Based on such determination, thebroadcast network104 broadcasts the CMAM to the devices that are within the target area without substantially broadcasting the CMAM to devices located outside the target area.

FIG. 2 illustrates a look-up table200 that operates in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein. Look-up table200 can be used to track the locations of access points and the locations of registered devices that connect to the IMS network through the access points. The lookup table may be stored in one or more databases inbroadcast network104. For example, the look-up table200 may be stored indatabase150, which is accessible by the location/application server140. Although not shown, thedatabase150 also may be accessible via theCBC130, thereby allowing theCBC130 to access the contents of the look-up table200. The look-up table200 contains a variety of rows and columns to facilitate tracking the locations of access points and registered devices, as well as tracking the status of alert messages.

An “Access Point ID”column205 contains an identification number for each access point that is connected to a registered device. As discussed above, the identification number for each access point may be an IP address, a MAC address, or any other identification number operable to distinguish one access point from other access points in the look-up table. A “Device Identifier”column220 contains an identification number for each registered device (also referred to as a “user equipment identification” or “UE ID”). The identification number for a registered device may be any number that is operable to distinguish the device from other devices in the look-up table200. For example, the Device Identifier may be an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), a serial number (SN), a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network-Number (MSISDN), or a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). A “Location Information”column210 contains the physical location of each access point that serves a registered device. As discussed above, the location information may be any information that provides a geographic location of the access point, including a FIPS code, a ZIP code, or GPS coordinates. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional types of geographic location information may be included in the look-up table210, including place names (e.g., Potomac River Valley), street addresses (e.g., 211 Main St.), street intersections (e.g., Main St. & 1st Ave.), or neighborhoods (e.g., Hell's Kitchen).

A “Session State”column215 contains an indication of the registration status of each device that is currently in the look-up table200, where the registration status reflects whether a respective device is currently registered on the IMS network (i.e., active session) or is not currently registered on the IMS network (i.e., inactive session). A device such as a mobile phone or smartphone may register with the IMS network using well-known registration procedures involving commonly understood IMS network components, including interrogating or serving call session control function (I/S-CSCF)160, proxy call session control function (P-CSCF)162, home subscriber server (HSS)166, and access session border controller (A-SBC)164. Further details on the IMS network components and registration procedures may be found in commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/856,519 Title ENHANCED REGISTRATION MESSAGES IN INTERNET PROTOCOL MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEMS, filingdate 13 Aug. 2010, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The IMS architecture typically does not provide for explicit deregistration of devices that are no longer operatively connected to the IMS network. For example, when a user enters acoffee shop170a, the user'smobile phone110bmay register for IMS services throughaccess point180a. However, when the user leaves thecoffee shop170aand travels to an area that is not served byaccess point180aor a different access point, themobile phone110btypically may not send a deregistration message to inform the IMS network that themobile phone110bis no longer within a range serviceable by theaccess point180a. As a result, the IMS databases may lack an up-to-date listing that accurately reflects the connected devices. The present technology therefore enables the accurate gathering of information regarding the registration and deregistration of devices on the IMS network via the look-up table200.

The system may obtain deregistration status in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the system automatically deregisters a user device after a predetermined amount of time. For example, each time a device registers on the IMS network, the location/application server (or other component of the system) sets the “Session State” to a value (e.g., “Active,” “communicating,” or ‘Y’) that indicates an active registration status for the newly registered device. In addition, the location/application server (or other component of the system) may start a timer that expires after a predetermined amount of time. When the timer expires after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed, the location/application server automatically deregisters the user device from the IMS network and indicates a deregistered status by assigning an appropriate value (e.g., “Inactive,” “not communicating,” or ‘N’) in the look-up table for the deregistered device. If a deregistered device remains within the coverage area of an access point through which it may connect to the IMS network, the deregistered device simply repeats the registration process to re-establish access to the IMS network. In such case, the look-up table is then updated to again indicate a registered status for the device.

In another embodiment, the system performs periodic refreshes of one or more user devices in look-up table200 in order to determine registration status. For example, the location/application server140 may send a status request message (such as an Internet ping request) to each registered device at a predetermined, fixed or variable interval. If the queried device responds, then the registration status of the device remains active in the look-up table200. If, however, a response is not received from the queried device, then the registration status is set to inactive in the look-up table200. Although tracking registration and deregistration of devices is described with respect to the location/application server140, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that one or more additional components in thebroadcast network104 may carry out the tracking functionality (e.g., the CBC130).

An “Alert Message”portion225 of the table contains three columns that track the identity and status of multiple alert messages. A “Message ID”column226 uniquely identifies each message received by the system on a per-device basis. The Message ID may be any value operable to distinguish one alert message from other alert messages in the look-up table. A “Message Sent” column227 contains an indication of whether a particular alert (i.e., Message ID) has been sent to a particular device (i.e., device identifier) that lies within a determined target area, as described above. When thebroadcast network104 sends an alert message to a particular registered device, the system updates the corresponding entry in the look-up table200, for example by indicating a ‘Y’ in column227. In addition, a “Confirmation Received”column228 contains an indication of whether the particular registered device returns an acknowledgement of the particular alert message. The system will assign a default value of ‘N’ in the “Confirmation Received”column228 when the alert message is sent. If an acknowledgement is received, the system will update the look-table200 to reflect a value of ‘Y’ in the “Confirmation Received”column228.

A person of ordinary skill will appreciate that look-up table200 may be used to track the identity and status of multiple alert messages on a per-UE or per-device identifier level. For example, look-up table200 may be used to track the status of a first alert message (Message ID D5546) to reflect that the system has sent Alert Message D5546 to a first registered device (Device Identifier 548785463215465) but has not yet received a confirmation from the first registered device; the system has not sent the first Alert Message D5546 to a second registered device (Device Identifier 588745445189336) and accordingly has not yet received a confirmation from the second registered device; and so on.

Similarly, look-up table200 may be used to track the status of a second alert message (Message ID BBTGD) to reflect that the system has sent Alert Message BBTGD to a first registered device (Device Identifier 548785463215465) but has not yet received a confirmation from the first registered device; the system has sent the second Alert Message BBTGD to a second registered device (Device Identifier 588745445189336) and has received a confirmation from the second registered device; the system has sent the second Alert Message BBTGD to a third registered device (Device Identifier GGFUHDS) and has received a confirmation from the third registered device; and so on.

A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that look-up table200 may omit any of the columns depicted inFIG. 2 and/or may add additional columns to track a variety of additional information, including but not limited to a time that a device is registered on the IMS network or a time that a device registration is refreshed on the IMS network (i.e., a registration time field), a time that a device registration fails to refresh on the IMS network, a time that a device is explicitly deregistered from the IMS network, a time that a message is sent, a time that a confirmation is received, and information regarding the nature and target area of the message.

Example Process/Call Flow

FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a method for targeted broadcasting of alert messages, as described above. Atstep1, thealert gateway105 sends the CMAM to theCBC130. TheCBC130 receives the CMAM from thealert gateway105, including the geographic location information (hereinafter “GLI”) of thetarget area108. TheCBC130 validates the CMAM that is received from thealert gateway105. If the CMAM is determined to be invalid, theCBC130 may ignore the CMAM. Otherwise, if the CMAM is determined to be valid, processing continues atstep3. Atstep3, theCBC130 sends an acknowledgment to thealert gateway105 notifying thealerting network102 that a valid CMAM was received. Atstep4, theCBC130 sends a CAP request to thealert gateway105. Atstep5, thealert gateway105 responds with a CAP alert.

Atstep6, theCBC130 transmits the GLI and queries the application/location server140 to determine the access points180 within thetarget area108 to be used for target broadcasting. Alternatively or additionally, theCBC130 queries the application/location server140 to obtain the shape (e.g., geographic shape) that represents thetarget area108 for target broadcasting. The representative shape may, for example, take a form of a polygon, square, rectangle, circle or any shape that sufficiently represents thetarget area108, as noted above. Both the determination of the one ormore access points108 within thetarget area108 and the representative shape are based on the received GLI. The GLI may, for example, be selected from a Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The GNIS is a database that includes name and locative information regarding physical and cultural features located throughout the United States and its territories. The GNIS is part of a system that includes topographic map names and bibliographic references. Alternatively or additionally, the GLI of thetarget area108 may be received in terms of a particular code, such as a FIPS code or ZIP code.

Atstep7, the application/location server140 sends an acceptance message to theCBC130. At step8, the application/location server140 transforms the GLI (e.g., GNIS, FIPS code, ZIP code, or GPS coordinates) into the shape that represents thetarget area108. The representative shape may be an approximate geographic representation that best estimates thetarget area108. The application/location server140 may have access to one or more processors operable to approximate the representative shape of thetarget area108 based on the GLI. Alternatively, the GLI is received in terms of the representative shape (e.g., 5 mile radius having a center at a defined coordinate). Using the look-up table200, the application/location server140 identifies the access points and registered devices located within the target area, as described above.

The location/application server140 then transmits the alert message through the IMS network to each registered device within the target area. For example, the location/application server140 transmits the alert to one or more session controllers161 (step9). The one or more session controllers transmits the alert message to a border controller165 (step10). Theborder controller165 transmits the alert message to access point170 (step11). Theaccess point170 then transmits the alert message to a registered device110 (step12).

Atstep13, the registered device (e.g., a mobile device) performs behavior for an alert message. Such behavior may include providing an audible or visual alert on the mobile device in accordance with the content of the alert. For example, in the case of an AMBER Alert, the registered device may display an image of an abducted child, the alleged abductor, and information regarding the vehicle being driven by the alleged abductor. For an environmental emergency, the alert may provide instructions as to where to go (e.g. routes to take for a hurricane evacuation).

The registered device sends to the location/application server140 an acknowledgement that the alert was received. Atstep14, the registered device sends an acknowledge message to accesspoint170. Atstep15,access point170 sends the acknowledge message toborder controller165. At step16, theborder controller165 sends the acknowledge message to the one ormore session controllers161. At step17, the one ormore session controllers161 send the acknowledge message to the location/application server140. Atstep18, the location/application server140 sends the acknowledge message to theCBC130.

FIG. 4 shows a geographic illustration ofseveral counties442 having devices located throughout. As illustrated inFIG. 4, atarget area408 includes portions of three of thesecounties442. In contrast, a representation of thetarget area408 by FIPS code alone would define thetarget area408 as encompassing the entire threecounties442, instead of only the select portions of these threecounties442. Such would unnecessarily alert device users outside of the intendedtarget area408.

For target broadcasting, the location/application server140 accesses the lookup-table200 indatabase150 to identify access points located within thetarget area408. The location/application server140 may perform a point-in-polygon search, polygon-in-polygon search or similar search to identify the identifiers within thetarget area408. The location/application server140 creates a list of identifiers for access points located in thetarget area408 for forwarding to the CBC.

Additionally or alternatively, the location/application server140 calculates the adjustedtarget area414 that substantially approximates thetarget area408. The adjustedtarget area414 approximation of thetarget area408 allows for a two-point determination of the adjustedtarget area414. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 4, two opposite points of the adjustedtarget area414 may define a rectangular shape. The two points may comprise a first latitude/longitude coordinate (lat.sub.1, long.sub.1) and a second latitude/longitude coordinate (lat.sub.2, long.sub.2). The boundary of the adjustedtarget area414 is thus readily defined by an area between the first and second latitudes, and between the first and second longitudes. The location/application server140 determines these two opposite points (lat.sub.1, long.sub.1), (lat.sub.2, long.sub.2) for forwarding to theCBC130. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other methods for defining the adjustedtarget area414 are within the scope of the invention described herein. For example, the adjustedtarget area414 may be a circle defined by a center coordinate and a radius.

Upon determining the list of identifiers of the respective access points within thetarget area408 and/or the two opposite points (lat.sub.1, long.sub.1), (lat.sub.2, long.sub.2) of the adjustedtarget area414, the location/application server140 forwards the list of identifiers of the respective access points in thetarget area408 and/or the coordinates of the opposite points of the adjustedtarget area414 to the CBC. TheCBC130 then transmits the alert to the registered devices in thetarget area408 without substantially broadcasting outside thetarget area408.

CONCLUSION

The discussion above has provided a brief, general description of a suitable environment in which aspects of the invention can be implemented. Although not required, aspects of the invention are described herein in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as routines that may be executed by a general-purpose data processing device, e.g., a networked server computer, mobile device, etc. Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that aspects the invention can be practiced with other communications, data processing, or computer system configurations, including: Internet appliances, hand-held devices (including personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones), wearable computers, all manner of corded, landline, fixed line, cordless, cellular or mobile phones, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs, mini-computers, mainframe computers, media players, and the like. Indeed, the terms “computer,” “server,” and the like are generally used interchangeably herein, and refer to any of the above devices and systems, as well as any data processor.

While aspects of the invention, such as certain functions, are described as being performed exclusively or primarily on a single device, the invention can also be practiced in distributed environments where functions or modules are shared among disparate processing devices, which are linked through a communication network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or the Internet. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

Aspects of the invention may be stored or distributed on tangible computer-readable media, including magnetically or optically readable computer discs, hard-wired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), nanotechnology memory, biological memory, or other data storage media. Alternatively or additionally, computer implemented instructions, data structures, screen displays, and other data under aspects of the invention may be distributed over the Internet or over other networks (including wireless networks), on a propagated signal on a propagation medium (e.g., an electromagnetic wave(s), a sound wave(s), etc.) over a period of time, or they may be provided on any analog or digital network (packet switched, circuit switched, or other scheme).

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereof means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

The above Detailed Description of examples of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific examples for the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while aspects of the invention are described above with respect to capturing and routing digital images, any other digital content may likewise be managed or handled by the system provided herein, including video files, audio files, and so forth. While processes or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative implementations may perform routines having steps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed or implemented in parallel, or may be performed at different times.

The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various examples described above can be combined to provide further implementations of the invention.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further implementations of the invention.

Other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above Detailed Description. While the above description describes certain examples of the invention, and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may vary considerably in its specific implementation, while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed examples, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under the claims.

Claims (16)

We claim:

1. A method to broadcast alert messages to IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-enabled devices connected to Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11-compliant access points located in an alert target area, comprising:

maintaining a dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points and, for each access point, a device identifier and a session state of IMS-enabled devices that access the known IEEE 802.11-compliant access point;

receiving an alert message from a government agency, the alert message including geographic location information for an alert target area in which the alert message is to be broadcast;

identifying one or more IEEE 802.11-compliant access points located within the alert target area by comparing the locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points to the alert target area to identify IEEE 802.11-compliant access points that fall within the alert target area;

for each identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point located within the alert target area:

using the dataset to identify one or more IMS-enabled devices that are indicated as having an active session with the identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point; and,

for each determined IMS-enabled device indicated as having an active session, using the dataset to retrieve a device identifier associated with the IMS-enabled device; and

sending the received alert message to each IMS-enabled device indicated as having an active session; and

wherein the method further comprises one or more of the following (a), (b) or (c):

(a) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each alert message, a message identifier and an indication of whether the message has been sent to an IMS-enabled device associated with a device identifier, and

updating the dataset, upon sending the received alert message, to indicate that the alert message has been sent; or

(b) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each alert message, a message identifier and an indication of a message confirmation, the message confirmation corresponding to the receipt of the message by an IMS-enabled device to which the message was sent, and

updating the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, upon receiving the message confirmation, to indicate that the alert message has been received by the IMS-enabled device to which the message was sent; or

(c) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each device identifier, an indication of an amount of time that has elapsed since the device identifier was last registered on an IMS network, wherein the alert message is broadcast over an IMS network, and

if the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, updating the session state to indicate that the device is inactive.

2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the alert message is an AMBER Alert, a Presidential Alert, or an alert corresponding to an imminent threat related to a weather condition.

3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the geographic location information for an alert target area is a shape selected from a circle or polygon.

4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the geographic location information for an alert target area is a set of Geographic Positioning System (GPS) coordinates or Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) data.

5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the geographic location information for an alert target area is a Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code or a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code.

6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the IMS-enabled device is a mobile phone.

7. A tangible computer-readable medium, excluding transitory signals, and storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network, cause the IMS network to perform a method for broadcast alert messages to IMS-enabled devices connected to Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11-compliant access points located in an alert target area, comprising:

maintaining a dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points and, for each access point, a device identifier and a session state of IMS-enabled devices that access the known IEEE 802.11-compliant access point;

receiving an alert message to be broadcast to an alert target area, the alert message including geographic location information for the alert target area in which the alert message is to be broadcast;

identifying one or more IEEE 802.11-compliant access points located within the alert target area by comparing the locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points to the alert target area to identify IEEE 802.11-compliant access points that fall within the alert target area;

for each identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point located within the alert target area:

using the dataset to identify one or more IMS-enabled devices that are indicated as being in communication with the identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point; and,

for each determined IMS-enabled device indicated as being in communication with the identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point, using the dataset to retrieve a device identifier associated with the IMS-enabled device; and

sending the received alert message to each IMS-enabled device indicated as being in communication with the identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point; and

wherein the method further comprises one or more of the following (a), (b) or (c):

(a) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each alert message, a message identifier and an indication of whether the message has been sent to an IMS-enabled device associated with a device identifier, and

updating the dataset, upon sending the received alert message, to indicate that the alert message has been sent; or

(b) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each alert message, a message identifier and an indication of a message confirmation, the message confirmation corresponding to the receipt of the message by an IMS-enabled device to which the message was sent, and

updating the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, upon receiving the message confirmation, to indicate that the alert message has been received by the IMS-enabled device to which the message was sent; or

(c) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each device identifier, an indication of an amount of time that has elapsed since the device identifier was last registered on an IMS network, wherein the alert message is broadcast over an IMS network, and

if the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, updating the session state to indicate that the device is inactive.

8. The tangible computer-readable medium ofclaim 7, wherein the alert message is an AMBER Alert, a Presidential Alert, or an alert corresponding to an imminent threat related to a weather condition.

9. The tangible computer-readable medium ofclaim 7, the method further comprising:

maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each device identifier, an indication of an amount of time that has elapsed since the IMS-enabled device was last registered on the IMS network; and

if the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, updating the session state to indicate that the IMS-enabled device is inactive.

10. The tangible computer-readable medium ofclaim 7, wherein the geographic location information for the alert target area is a set of GPS coordinates, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) data, or is a Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code or a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium ofclaim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the IMS network to convert the received geographic location information for the alert target area from a first type to a second type.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium ofclaim 7, wherein the IMS-enabled device is a mobile phone.

13. An IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network apparatus for assisting in the broadcast of alert messages to IMS-enabled devices connected to Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11-compliant access points located in an alert target area, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least memory, coupled to the processor, and storing instructions for performing a method comprising:

maintaining a dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points and, for each access point, a device identifier and a session state of IMS-enabled devices that access the known IEEE 802.11-compliant access point;

receiving an alert message to be broadcast to an alert target area, the alert message including geographic location information for the alert target area in which the alert message is to be broadcast;

identifying one or more IEEE 802.11-compliant access points located within the alert target area by comparing the locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points to the alert target area to identify IEEE 802.11-compliant access points that fall within the alert target area;

for each identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point located within the alert target area:

using the dataset to identify one or more IMS-enabled devices that are indicated as being in communication with the identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point; and,

for each determined IMS-enabled device indicated as being in communication with the identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point, using the dataset to retrieve a device identifier associated with the IMS-enabled device; and

sending the received alert message to each IMS-enabled device indicated as being in communication with the identified IEEE 802.11-compliant access point; and

wherein the method further comprises one or more of the following (a), (b) or (c):

(a) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each alert message, a message identifier and an indication of whether the message has been sent to an IMS-enabled device associated with a device identifier, and

updating the dataset, upon sending the received alert message, to indicate that the alert message has been sent; or

(b) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each alert message, a message identifier and an indication of a message confirmation, the message confirmation corresponding to the receipt of the message by an IMS-enabled device to which the message was sent, and

updating the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, upon receiving the message confirmation, to indicate that the alert message has been received by the IMS-enabled device to which the message was sent; or

(c) maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each device identifier, an indication of an amount of time that has elapsed since the device identifier was last registered on an IMS network, wherein the alert message is broadcast over an IMS network, and

if the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, updating the session state to indicate that the device is inactive.

14. The apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein the alert message is an AMBER Alert, a Presidential Alert, or an alert corresponding to an imminent threat related to a weather condition.

15. The apparatus ofclaim 13, the method further comprising:

maintaining in the dataset of locations of known IEEE 802.11-compliant access points, for each device identifier, an indication of an amount of time that has elapsed since the IMS-enabled device was last registered on the IMS network; and

if the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, updating the session state to indicate that the IMS-enabled device is inactive.

16. The apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein the geographic location information for the alert target area is a set of GPS coordinates, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) data, or is a Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code or a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code.

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