Granted Patent B2

US 7,558,558 · App. 10/862,742 · Granted Jul 7, 2009

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A system for distributing a warning message to at least one mobile device user in a cellular network, the system comprising:

an automated calling system having a mapping device operable to define a geographic message distribution area of the warning message, the automated calling system further operable to send the warning message;

at least one cell tower having a plurality of sectors for transmitting information between the automated calling system and one or more mobile devices about the geographic message distribution area and the warning message;

at least one processor operable to determine which individual cellular tower sectors encompass at least a portion of the geographic message distribution area, said at least one processor being further operable to identify at least one of the mobile devices in communication with at least one of said individual cellular tower sectors and to send the warning message and geographic information defining the message distribution area to only the at least one of the mobile devices in communication with the identified cellular tower sectors;

wherein the at least one mobile device is operable to:

receive the warning message and the geographic information defining the message distribution area,

determine if the location of the at least one mobile device is within the geographic message distribution area,

and wherein the at least one mobile device is further operable to present the warning message to the at least one mobile device user if the at least one mobile device determines that the location of the at least one mobile device is within the geographic message distribution area.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile device is further operable to determine if trend information for the mobile device indicates that the mobile device will enter the message distribution area.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the automated calling system periodically retransmits over the at least one cell tower the information about the message distribution area and the message.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile device is operable to transmit a reply in response to the information about the message distribution area, the reply indicating whether or not the at least one mobile device is in the message distribution area.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the reply indicates whether the mobile device user is in need of assistance.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the message is a situation-specific message.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the message distribution area is an emergency area, and the message is an emergency message.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile device uses global positioning information to determine if the mobile device is located within the message distribution area.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one cell tower transmits the information about the message distribution area by individually contacting active mobile devices in the transmission range of the cell tower.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one mobile device is operable to transmit a reply in response to the information about the message distribution area, the reply indicating whether or not the at least one mobile device is in the message distribution area.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one cell tower transmits the message by individually contacting each mobile device that transmits a reply indicating that the mobile device is in the message distribution area.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more mobile devices is further operable to send a distress transmission upon receipt of the message.

13. A method of distributing a warning message to a plurality of mobile devices in a cellular network having a plurality of transmission towers with each tower distributing the message to receivers located within at least one individual sector, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a geographic distribution area for a warning message to be distributed by an automated calling system;

determining which of the individual sectors of the transmission towers are included sectors such that they encompassed at least a portion of the geographic distribution area of the message;

identifying one or more mobile device in communication with a transmitter associated with at least one of the included sectors;

transmitting the warning message and geographic information about the distribution area of the message from the automated calling system through one or more of the plurality of transmission sectors to the one or more mobile device identified to be in communication with a transmitter associated with at least one of the included sectors;

receiving the warning message and geographic information about the distribution area of the message on at least one or more of the identified mobile devices;

using global positioning information received by the at least one of the mobile devices to determine if the at least one of the one or more of the mobile devices identified to be in communication with at least one of the included sectors is a target device such that it is located within the geographic message distribution area; and

presenting the warning message based on the determination that the at least one of the devices is a target device.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of periodically retransmitting the message and the information about the message distribution area.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of transmitting a reply from one or more of the plurality of mobile devices in response to the information about the message distribution area, the reply indicating whether or not the one or more of the plurality of mobile device is in the message distribution area.

16. The method claim 13 wherein the reply indicates whether the mobile device user is in need of assistance.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the message is a situation-specific message.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the message distribution area is an emergency area, and the message is an emergency message.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of transmitting information about the message distribution area to the plurality of mobile devices is achieved by contacting each individual mobile device that is active within the transmission range of the one or more of the plurality of transmission towers.

20. A method of distributing a warning message to one or more identified mobile devices in a cellular network, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a geographic message distribution area of the warning message using an automated calling system, the automated calling system comprising a mapping device;

identifying specific transmission sectors within the cellular network that contain any portion of the geographic message distribution area by comparing the message distribution area with the location of the cellular network transmission sectors;

identifying mobile devices in communication with the transmission sectors wherein said identifying of said mobile devices is accomplished by a remote agent which queries a visitor location register to identify said mobile devices within the message distribution area which are not in a home area and which queries a home location register for identifying said mobile devices within the geographic message distribution area which are in a home area, said remote agent being a telecommunications interface between the automated calling system and the cellular network;

transmitting at least one message and geographic information about the distribution area of the message to the at least one mobile device, said at least one mobile device including global positioning system circuitry and software;

verifying by the one or more identified mobile devices, whether the one or more identified mobile devices identified to be in communication with at least one of the included sectors is a target device such that it is located within the geographic message distribution area;

transmitting a message from the one or more identified mobile devices acknowledging that it is located within the geographic message distribution area; and

transmitting one or more warning messages and geographic information about the message distribution area to the one or more active mobile devices.

21. A method of distributing warning messages to one or more identified mobile devices in a cellular network, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a geographic distribution area for a warning message to be distributed by an automated calling system, the automated calling system comprising a mapping device;

identifying specific transmission sectors within the cellular network that contain any portion of the geographic distribution area of the message by comparing the geographic distribution area of the message with the location of the cellular network transmission sectors;

identifying mobile devices in communication with the transmission sectors whereby said identifying of said mobile devices is accomplished by a remote agent which queries a visitor location register to identify said mobile devices within the message distribution area which are not in a home area and which queries a home location register for identifying said mobile devices within the message distribution area which are in a home area, said remote agent being a telecommunications interface between the automated calling system and the cellular network;

transmitting at least one warning message and geographic information about the message distribution area to the one or more identified mobile devices, said one or more identified mobile devices including global positioning system circuitry and software;

verifying by the one or more identified mobile devices, whether the one or more identified mobile devices identified to be in communication with at least one of the included sectors is a target device such that it is located within the geographic message distribution area;

displaying the warning message on the one or more identified mobile devices.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of determining, by the one or more mobile devices, whether it is likely to enter the message distribution area.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the reply that the message was received comprises a distress signal including the location of the mobile device from each mobile device receiving the message.

Assignments (12)