Method and apparatus for wireless emergency alerts

1. A method at a mobile device comprising:

receiving, at the mobile device, a wireless emergency alert message from a base station, including location coordinates, and a range of a disaster area, the wireless emergency alert message including a response flag to indicate whether a response is required, and a wireless network sets the response flag;

computing by the mobile device a proximity to the disaster area;

determining by the mobile device from the response flag in the wireless emergency alert message that a response is required to the emergency alert message;

determining from the wireless emergency alert message a radio resource allocated to the mobile device; and

sending the response to the base station, on the radio resource allocated in the wireless emergency alert message, when the proximity computed by the mobile device is within the disaster area.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including determining from the wireless emergency alert message whether event conditions are to be determined by the mobile device, the event conditions being specified in the received wireless emergency alert message.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining further comprises checking whether the determined event conditions in the wireless emergency alert message are satisfied.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the event conditions include a location area, and wherein the event conditions are satisfied if the mobile device is within the location area.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response includes a location of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising prompting a user prior to the sending the response.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising transmitting an emergency beacon from the mobile device if no user interaction is detected after a threshold number of prompts.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the emergency beacon is a narrow band signal on a subcarrier.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a signal tone modulates a unique identifier for the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the mobile device further shuts down all functionality apart from the functionality required for the emergency beacon.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless emergency alert message includes a mapping for an identifier of the mobile device and an uplink resource to use for the response.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the identifier is a cell radio network temporary identifier for connected mobile devices.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the identifier is a shortened system architecture evolution temporary mobile station identifier (S-TMSI) for an idle mode mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the response includes an identifier for the mobile device.

15. A mobile device comprising a processor, wherein the mobile device is configured to:

receive a wireless emergency alert message from a base station, including location coordinates and a range of a disaster area, the wireless emergency alert message including a response flag to indicate whether a response is required, and a wireless network sets the response flag;

compute by the mobile device a proximity to the disaster area;

determine by the mobile device from the response flag in the wireless emergency alert message that a response is required to the wireless emergency alert message;

determine from the wireless emergency alert message a radio resource allocated to the mobile device; and

send the response to the base station, on the radio resource allocated in the wireless emergency alert message, when the proximity computed by the mobile device is within the disaster area.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to determine from the wireless emergency alert message whether event conditions are to be determined by the mobile device, the event conditions being specified in the received wireless emergency alert message.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to determine by checking whether the determined event conditions in the wireless emergency alert message are satisfied.

18. The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the event conditions include a location area, and wherein the event conditions are satisfied if the mobile device is within the location area.

19. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the response includes a location of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to prompt a user prior to the sending the response.

21. The mobile device of claim 20 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to transmit an emergency beacon if no user interaction is detected after a threshold number of prompts.

22. The mobile device of claim 21 , wherein the emergency beacon is a narrow band signal on a subcarrier.

23. The mobile device of claim 22 , wherein a signal tone modulates a unique identifier for the mobile device.

24. The mobile device of claim 21 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to shut down all functionality apart from the functionality required for the emergency beacon.

25. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless emergency alert message includes a mapping for an identifier of the mobile device and an uplink resource to use for the response.

26. The mobile device of claim 25 , wherein the identifier is a cell radio network temporary identifier for connected mobile devices.

27. The mobile device of claim 25 , wherein the identifier is a shortened system architecture evolution temporary mobile station identifier (S-TMSI) for an idle mode mobile device.

28. The mobile device of claim 27 , wherein the response includes an identifier for the mobile device.