Alert device having notification-based customizable settings

1. An alert device, comprising:

a light configured to controllably activate and deactivate;

a speaker configured to controllably activate and deactivate;

a communication system having at least one receiver configured to receive an alert notification containing at least digitally encoded instructions for at least one pattern and duration of activation of the light, digitally encoded instructions for at least one pattern and duration of activation of the speaker, and digitally encoded instructions for an overall duration of the alert notification; and

a controller communicatively coupled with the light, the speaker, and the communication system, wherein the controller is configured to:

monitor the communication system for the alert notification;

decode the alert notification to determine the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the light, the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the speaker, and the overall duration of the alert notification;

activate the light for the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the light;

activate the speaker for the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the speaker; and

deactivate the light and the speaker after the overall duration of the alert notification substantially elapses.

2. The alert device of claim 1 , further including a display communicatively coupled with the controller.

3. The alert device of claim 2 , wherein:

the alert notification further includes digitally encoded instructions for a text message; and

the controller is further configured to:

decode the alert notification to determine the text message;

display the text message on the display; and

stop displaying the text message on the display when the overall duration of the alert notification substantially elapses.

4. The alert device of claim 1 , wherein:

the alert notification is a first alert notification;

the communication system is further configured to receive a second alert notification, where the second alert notification is different from the first alert notification; and

the controller is further configured to:

monitor the communication system for the second alert notification; and

deactivate the at least one light and the at least one speaker substantially when the second alert notification is received.

5. The alert device of claim 1 , wherein the receiver includes at least one of an FM receiving circuit, a wireless network transceiver, and a local area network adaptor.

6. The alert device of claim 1 , further including a peripheral interface communicatively coupled with the controller and an external peripheral, wherein the controller is further configured to:

generate a peripheral signal to control the external peripheral; and

send the peripheral signal to the peripheral interface.

7. The alert device of claim 6 , wherein:

the alert notification further includes digitally encoded instructions for controlling the external peripheral;

the controller is further configured to decode the alert notification to determine the instructions for controlling the external peripheral; and

the peripheral signal is generated based on the instructions for controlling the external peripheral.

8. The alert device of claim 6 , wherein the peripheral interface includes at least a serial port.

9. The alert device of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one light includes:

a first pattern of activation of the light;

a second pattern of activation of the light;

a first duration of activation of the light; and

a second duration of activation of the light; and

the controller is further configured to:

activate the light according to the first pattern of activation of the light for at least the first duration of activation of the light; and

activate the light according to the second pattern of activation of the light for at least the second duration of activation of the light.

10. The alert device of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one speaker includes:

a first pattern of activation of the speaker;

a second pattern of activation of the speaker;

a first duration of activation of the speaker; and

a second duration of activation of the speaker; and

the controller is further configured to:

activate the speaker according to the first pattern of activation of the speaker for at least the first duration of activation of the speaker; and

activate the speaker according to the second pattern of activation of the speaker for at least the second duration of activation of the speaker.

11. The alert device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one receiver is further configured to receive instructions for at least one of configuring the alert device to recognize at least one external peripheral communicatively coupled with the alert the device, configuring the alert device to identify itself as being indoors, configuring the alert device to identify itself as being outdoors, configuring the alert device to identify itself as being a member of at least one group of alert devices, and configuring the alert device to store a location of the alert device.

12. The alert device of claim 1 , wherein the alert notification is received via an alert notification broadcast.

13. The alert device of claim 1 , wherein:

the receiver is a transceiver configured to transmit a plurality of polling messages to an alert notification system; and

the alert notification is received via a response to at least one of the plurality of polling messages.

14. A method of controlling an alert device having at least one light and at least one speaker, the method comprising:

receiving an alert notification including instructions for at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one light, instructions for at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one speaker, and instructions for an overall duration of the alert notification;

decoding the alert notification to determine the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one light, the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one speaker, and the overall duration of the alert notification;

activating the at least one light for the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one light;

activating the at least one speaker for the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one speaker; and

deactivating the at least one light and the at least one speaker after the overall duration of the alert notification substantially elapses.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the alert notification further includes instructions for a text message, the method further including:

decoding the alert notification to determine the text message;

displaying the text message; and

ceasing to display the text message when the overall duration of the alert notification substantially elapses.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the alert notification is a first alert notification, and the method further includes:

receiving a second alert notification, where the second alert notification is different from the first alert notification; and

deactivating the at least one light and the at least one speaker substantially when the second alert notification is received.

17. The method of claim 14 , further including monitoring at least one of an FM radio frequency, an AM radio frequency, a wireless network traffic, and a local area network traffic, wherein the alert notification is received via at least one of the monitored FM radio frequency, AM radio frequency, wireless network traffic, and local area network traffic.

18. The method of claim 14 , further including:

generating a peripheral signal to control an external peripheral; and

delivering the peripheral signal to the external peripheral.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the alert notification further includes instructions for controlling the external peripheral, and the method further includes:

decoding the alert notification to determine the instructions for controlling the external peripheral, wherein the peripheral signal is generated based on the instructions for controlling the external peripheral.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one light includes:

a first pattern of activation of the at least one light;

a second pattern of activation of the at least one light;

a first duration of activation of the at least one light; and

a second duration of activation of the at least one light; and

the method further includes:

activating the at least one light according to the first pattern of activation of the at least one light for at least the first duration of activation of the at least one light; and

activating the at least one light according to the second pattern of activation of the at least one light for at least the second duration of activation of the at least one light.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one speaker includes:

a first pattern of activation of the at least one speaker;

a second pattern of activation of the at least one speaker;

a first duration of activation of the at least one speaker; and

a second duration of activation of the at least one speaker; and

the method further includes:

activating the at least one speaker according to the first pattern of activation of the at least one speaker for at least the first duration of activation of the at least one speaker; and

activating the at least one speaker according to the second pattern of activation of the at least one speaker for at least the second duration of activation of the at least one speaker.

22. The method of claim 14 , further including receiving instructions for at least one of configuring the alert device to recognize at least one external peripheral communicatively coupled with the alert the device, configuring the alert device to identify itself as being indoors, configuring the alert device to identify itself as being outdoors, configuring the alert device to identify itself as being a member of at least one group of alert devices, and configuring the alert device to store a location of the alert device.

23. An alert device, comprising:

at least one light configured to controllably activate and deactivate;

at least one speaker configured to controllably activate and deactivate;

a communication system having at least one receiver configured to receive an alert notification; and

a controller communicatively coupled with the at least one light, the at least one speaker, and the communication system, wherein the controller is configured to:

monitor the communication system for the alert notification;

activate the at least one light according to a first pattern of activation of the at least one light for at least a first duration of activation of the at least one light;

activate the at least one light according to a second pattern of activation of the at least one light for at least a second duration of activation of the at least one light;

activate the at least one speaker according to a first pattern of activation of the at least one speaker for at least a first duration of activation of the at least one speaker; and

activate the at least one speaker according to a second pattern of activation of the at least one speaker for at least a second duration of activation of the at least one speaker.

24. A method of controlling an alert device having at least one light and at least one speaker, the method comprising:

receiving an alert notification;

activating the at least one light according to a first pattern of activation of the at least one light for at least a first duration of activation of the at least one light;

activating the at least one light according to a second pattern of activation of the at least one light for at least a second duration of activation of the at least one light;

activating the at least one speaker according to a first pattern of activation of the at least one speaker for at least a first duration of activation of the at least one speaker; and

activating the at least one speaker according to a second pattern of activation of the at least one speaker for at least a second duration of activation of the at least one speaker.

25. An alert device, comprising:

a display;

at least one light configured to controllably activate and deactivate;

at least one speaker configured to controllably activate and deactivate;

a serial port communicatively coupled with an external peripheral;

a communication system having at least one receiver configured to receive:

a first alert notification containing at least digitally encoded instructions for a text message, digitally encoded instructions for at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one light, digitally encoded instructions for at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one speaker, digitally encoded instructions for controlling the external peripheral, and digitally encoded instructions for an overall duration of the alert notification; and

a second alert notification; and

a controller communicatively coupled with the display, the at least one light, the at least one speaker, the serial port, and the communication system, wherein the controller is configured to:

monitor the communication system for the first alert notification;

monitor the communication system for the second alert notification;

decode the first alert notification to determine the text message, the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one light, the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one speaker, the instructions for controlling the external peripheral, and the overall duration of the alert notification;

display the text message on the display;

activate the at least one light for the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one light;

activate the at least one speaker for the at least one pattern and duration of activation of the at least one speaker;

generate a peripheral signal to control the external peripheral, wherein the peripheral signal is based on the instructions for controlling the external peripheral;

deliver the peripheral signal to the serial port;

deactivate the display, the at least one light, and the at least one speaker when the overall duration of the alert notification substantially elapses; and

deactivate the display, the at least one light, and the at least one speaker when the second alert notification is substantially received.

26. The alert device of claim 25 , wherein the at least one light includes a plurality of lights arranged circumferentially about the display.