Event-based wireless emergency alerts
Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to event-based wireless emergency alerts (“WEAs”). According to one aspect disclosed herein, a WEA-capable device can receive an event-based wireless emergency alert that includes an event code and alert content. The WEA-capable device can parse the event code from the event-based WEA. The WEA-capable device can determine, via execution of an event-based WEA function, a WEA format based upon the event code. The WEA-capable device can then output the alert content in the WEA format. In some embodiments, the event code identifies a weather-related emergency event (e.g., a hurricane or tornado warning). In other embodiments, the event code identifies a non-weather-related emergency event (e.g., a child abduction alert). The WEA format can be an event-specific spoken language, an event-specific symbol, an event-specific haptic feedback, or a combination thereof.
1 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a wireless emergency alert-capable device comprising a processor executing an event-based wireless emergency alert function, an event-based wireless emergency alert comprising an event code and an alert content, wherein the event code specifies a nature of an event associated with the event-based wireless emergency alert;
parsing, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, the event code from the event-based wireless emergency alert;
determining, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, via the event-based wireless emergency alert function, a wireless emergency alert format for outputting the alert content of the event-based wireless emergency alert based upon the event code, wherein the wireless emergency alert format associated with the event code is defined by a user of the wireless emergency alert-capable device, wherein determining the wireless emergency alert format for outputting the alert content of the event-based wireless emergency alert based upon the event code comprises comparing the event code to a list of event codes, wherein the event codes are associated with wireless emergency alert formats, and wherein a first wireless emergency alert format of the wireless emergency alert formats comprises a first voice for outputting alert content and a second wireless emergency alert format of the wireless emergency alert formats comprises a second voice different from the first voice for outputting alert content; and
outputting, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the event code identifies a weather-related emergency event.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the event code identifies a non-weather-related emergency event.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific spoken language, and wherein outputting, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, the alert content in the event-specific spoken language via a speaker.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific symbol, and wherein outputting, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, the alert content as the event-specific symbol via a display.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific haptic feedback, and wherein outputting, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting, by the wireless emergency alert-capable device, the alert content as the event-specific haptic feedback via a haptic component.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each event code of the list of event codes is associated with a different one of the wireless emergency alert formats.
8 . A wireless emergency alert-capable device comprising:
a processor; and
a memory comprising instructions for an event-based wireless emergency alert function that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising
receiving an event-based wireless emergency alert comprising an event code and an alert content, wherein the event code specifies a nature of an event associated with the event-based wireless emergency alert,
parsing the event code from the event-based wireless emergency alert,
determining, via the event-based wireless emergency alert function, a wireless emergency alert format for outputting the alert content of the event-based wireless emergency alert based upon the event code, wherein the wireless emergency alert format associated with the event code is defined by a user of the wireless emergency alert-capable device, wherein determining the wireless emergency alert format for outputting the alert content of the event-based wireless emergency alert based upon the event code comprises comparing the event code to a list of event codes, wherein the event codes are associated with wireless emergency alert formats, and wherein a first wireless emergency alert format of the wireless emergency alert formats comprises a first voice for outputting alert content and a second wireless emergency alert format of the wireless emergency alert formats comprises a second voice different from the first voice for outputting alert content, and
outputting the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format.
9 . The wireless emergency alert-capable device of claim 8 , wherein the event code identifies a weather-related emergency event.
10 . The wireless emergency alert-capable device of claim 8 , wherein the event code identifies a non-weather-related emergency event.
11 . The wireless emergency alert-capable device of claim 8 , further comprising a speaker, wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific spoken language, and wherein outputting the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting the alert content in the event-specific spoken language via the speaker.
12 . The wireless emergency alert-capable device of claim 8 , further comprising a display, wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific symbol, and wherein outputting the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting the alert content as the event-specific symbol via the display.
13 . The wireless emergency alert-capable device of claim 8 , further comprising a haptic component, wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific haptic feedback, and wherein outputting the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting the alert content as the event-specific haptic feedback via the haptic component.
14 . The wireless emergency alert-capable device of claim 8 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions for an operating system, and wherein the operating system comprises the event-based wireless emergency alert function.
15 . The wireless emergency alert-capable device of claim 8 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions for an application, and wherein the application comprises the event-based wireless emergency alert function.
16 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for an event-based wireless emergency alert function that, when executed by a processor of a wireless emergency alert-capable device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving an event-based wireless emergency alert comprising an event code and an alert content, wherein the event code specifies a nature of an event associated with the event-based wireless emergency alert;
parsing the event code from the event-based wireless emergency alert;
determining a wireless emergency alert format for outputting the alert content of the event-based wireless emergency alert based upon the event code, wherein the wireless emergency alert format associated with the event code is defined by a user of the wireless emergency alert-capable device, wherein determining the wireless emergency alert format for outputting the alert content of the event-based wireless emergency alert based upon the event code comprises comparing the event code to a list of event codes, wherein the event codes are associated with wireless emergency alert formats, and wherein a first wireless emergency alert format of the wireless emergency alert formats comprises a first voice for outputting alert content and a second wireless emergency alert format of the wireless emergency alert formats comprises a second voice different from the first voice for outputting alert content; and
outputting the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format.
17 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific spoken language, and wherein outputting the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting the alert content in the event-specific spoken language via a speaker.
18 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific symbol, and wherein outputting the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting the alert content as the event-specific symbol via a display.
19 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the wireless emergency alert format comprises an event-specific haptic feedback, and wherein outputting the alert content in the wireless emergency alert format comprises outputting the alert content as the event-specific haptic feedback via a haptic component.