US006112075A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`6,112,075
`Aug. 29, 2000
`
`5,272,465 12/1993 Meares, Jr. ............................ .. 340/539
`5,278,539
`1/1994 Lauterbach et al.
`340/539
`groglper ----------- --
`i
`7/1996 Sammugam .......................... .. 425/426
`
`an erman
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`,
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`5,533,094
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`Ulllted States Patent [19]
`Weiser
`
`[54] METHOD OF COMMUNICATING
`EMERGENCY WARNINGS THROUGH AN
`EXISTING CELLULAR COMMUNICATION
`NETWORK’ AND SYSTEM FOR
`COMMUNICATING SUCH WARNINGS
`
`Inventor: Douglas Diedrich Weiser, 623
`LakevieW Rd., Lake St. Louis, Mo.
`63367
`
`Appl. No.: 09/002,522
`Filed:
`Jan. 2, 1998
`
`Related US. Application Data
`
`Continuation of application No. 08/335,150, Nov. 7, 1994,
`abandoned.
`
`Int. Cl.7 ..................................................... .. H04Q 7/20
`US. Cl. ........................ .. 455/404; 455/521; 455/556;
`455/557; 455/228; 340/539
`Field of Search ................................... .. 455/404, 466,
`455/521, 38.1, 38.2, 31.2, 556, 557, 525,
`227, 228, 344, 567; 340/825.44, 825.54,
`539, 709, 601; 379/37, 39
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`3,701,024 10/1972 Knowles et al. .
`
`455/526
`
`4,415,771 11/1983 Martinez . . . . . . . . . .
`
`. . . . .. 379/43
`
`4,435,843
`
`3/1984 Eilers et al. ...................... .. 455/228 X
`
`Primary Examiner—Fan Tsang
`Assistant Examiner—Philip J. Sobutka
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—HoWell & Haferkamp, LC
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Amethod of communicating emergency Warnings to persons
`Within a selected in a region served by a cellular commu
`nication system that comprises a plurality of transmission
`stations, includes providing persons in the area With Warning
`devices that generate an emergency Warning in response to
`a predetermined signal; identifying at least one transmission
`station in the communication system to transmit the prede
`termined signal to Warning devices in the selected area; and
`transmitting the predetermined signal from the identi?ed
`transmission station to cause Warning devices in the selected
`area to generate emergency Warnings. The system for imple
`menting this method includes a plurality of Warning devices
`disbursed throughout the area, and a device for identifying
`one or more signal transmission stations in the cellular
`communication network appropriate to transmit the prede
`termined signal to Warning devices in the selected area, and
`causing the transmission stations identi?ed to transmit the
`predetermined signal to cause Warning devices in the
`selected geographic area to generate emergency Warnings.
`
`13 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
`
`IOENT IFY EMERGENCY
`SITUATION
`
`IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE
`GEOGRAPHIC AREA FOR
`EMERGENCY WARNING
`
`IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE
`SIGNAL TRANSMISSION APPROVAL
`SITUATION TO REACH GEOGRAPHIC ZONE
`
`TRANSMI T PREOETERMINEO
`SIGNAL
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 29,2000
`
`Sheet 1 of2
`
`6,112,075
`
`IDENTIFY EMERGENCY
`SITUATION
`
`IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE
`GEOGRAPHIC AREA FOR
`EMERGENCY WARNING
`
`IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE
`SIGNAL TRANSM
`ION APPROVAL
`SITUATION TO REA
`GEOGRAPHIC ZONE
`
`TRANSMIT PREDETERMINEO
`SIGNAL
`
`FIG.l
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 29, 2000
`
`Sheet2 0f2
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`
`1
`METHOD OF COMMUNICATING
`EMERGENCY WARNINGS THROUGH AN
`EXISTING CELLULAR COMMUNICATION
`NETWORK, AND SYSTEM FOR
`COMMUNICATING SUCH WARNINGS
`
`This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
`08/335,150, ?led on Nov. 7, 1994, and noW abandoned.
`
`BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`This invention relates to a method of communicating
`emergency Warnings utilizing an existing cellular commu
`nication netWork, and a system for communicating such
`emergency Warnings.
`There are a number of situations Where it is desirable to
`issue Warnings to a broad audience in a selected geographic
`area. For example, in the case of severe Weather, such as a
`tornado, it is desirable to Warn persons in the areas affected
`so that they can seek shelter. In some areas, audible alarm
`systems are provided to Warn residents of such Weather
`emergencies. HoWever, not everyone in the area can hear
`these Warnings. Moreover, it is expensive to establish and
`maintain this elaborate system just for occasional use.
`Another example of a situation Where it is desirable to issue
`an emergency Warning to a broad audience in a selected
`geographic area is in the case of a nuclear poWer plant or a
`toxic Waste handing site. In these situations, special radio
`receivers have been provided to persons in areas likely to be
`affected, and special transmitters provided to transmit Warn
`ings to those special receivers. Again, it is expensive to
`establish and maintain this type of elaborate system just for
`occasional use. Moreover, these systems are local by nature,
`and do not provide Warnings to persons just passing through
`the area.
`The present invention provides a method and system for
`communicating emergency Warnings through an existing
`cellular communication netWork. Cellular communication
`networks, and in particular cellular telephone netWorks, noW
`cover large portions of the United States. These netWorks
`comprise a plurality signal transmission stations distributed
`across a geographic region. The primary function of these
`netWorks is to facilitate communication by cellular
`telephones, and the systems are maintained for that purpose.
`Thus, the cost of establishing and maintaining a major
`portion of the system is already ?nanced. The method of the
`present invention utiliZes this established cellular commu
`nication netWork to communicate emergency Warnings to a
`selected geographic area Within the geographic region
`served by the netWork. According to this method, persons
`Within the area are provided With Warning devices that
`generate an emergency Warning in response to a predeter
`mined signal transmitted from one of the signal transmission
`stations in the cellular communication netWork. When an
`emergency situation occurs, at least one signal transmission
`station in the cellular communication netWork, appropriate
`to transmit the predetermined signal to Warning devices in
`the affected geographic area, is selected. Then the predeter
`mined signal is transmitted from the selected transmission
`station to cause Warning devices in the selected geographic
`area to generate emergency Warnings.
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`The emergency Warning is thus selectively transmitted to
`those Warning devices Within a certain proximity of the
`selected transmission stations. By utiliZing a preexisting
`cellular communication netWork, the only additional cost of
`implementing the method and system is the provision of
`Warning devices, Which can be relatively simple and inex
`pensive. By making these devices universal (Which is only
`possible by using selected transmission stations), the cost
`can be reduced and the method and system can function to
`provide emergency Warnings to persons merely passing
`through the geographic area affected by the emergency.
`The method and system of the present invention improve
`the ability of emergency management agencies to reach the
`population. The method and system operate independently
`of regular telephone and electrical service, Which can be
`compromised in emergency situations. The method and
`system reaches persons inside buildings Where sirens might
`be difficult to hear and Where televisions and radios may not
`be in operation.
`The system is simple in construction and operation. The
`Warning units are triggered by a common predetermined
`signal, and geographical selectivity is achieved by proximity
`to particular cellular transmission stations. This eliminates
`the need for geographic encoding of the Warning devices, or
`programming units for speci?c locations.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a How chart of the method of the present
`invention;
`FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the embodiment of a
`system for implementing the method of this invention; and
`FIG. 3 is a map of a geographic region served by cellular
`communication netWork of the type utiliZed by the present
`invention, illustrating the operation of the method of this
`invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`
`According to the method of the present invention, persons
`Within the geographic region to Whom it Would be desirable
`to communicate emergency Warnings are provided With a
`Warning device. In the case of Weather Warnings, the Warn
`ing device might be provided to everyone in the region. In
`the case of nuclear poWer plants or toxic Waste handling
`sites, the Warning devices might only be provided to those
`persons in the region likely to be affected- by an emergency
`at such plants or sites.
`The Warning device is preferably a simple, inexpensive
`device that generates a emergency Warning in response to
`receiving a predetermined signal. The emergency Warning
`can be an audible alarm, a recorded or generated spoken
`Warning, a visible Warning, such as a ?ashing light, a tactile
`Warning, such as a vibration or any combination thereof. The
`devices can all be made to be responsive to the same
`predetermined signal, and preferably are responsive to the
`same signal, the geographic selectivity of the emergency
`Warning is controlled by controlling the transmission of the
`preselected signal. If all of the devices are responsive to the
`same signal, then a device can be used to receive signals in
`any area Where the signal may be given. Thus, for example
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`if an automobile, truck, or train is carrying such a Warning
`device, and traverses a geographic area Where a Warning is
`being communicated, then the persons in the automobile,
`truck, or on the train Will likewise receive the emergency
`Warning via the Warning device.
`Of course it is possible to make the Warning device
`responsive to more than one preselected signal, and to have
`the Warning device generate different speci?c emergency
`Warnings in response to differing preselected signals. Thus it
`is possible to use this method and system to Warn of varying
`degrees of emergency, or to Warn of several different types
`of emergencies. For eXample, the method and system could
`be used to send an emergency Warning of a severe Weather
`alert, a severe Weather Watch, and a severe Weather Warning.
`In the preferred embodiment the Warning device has a 110
`VAC standard grounded male three-prong plug ?ush
`mounted to the back of the device for Wall mounting. The
`device Would include a receiving antenna tuned to cellular
`frequencies. The antenna is preferably ?exible and/or
`retractable. The device preferably includes a DC poWer
`supply to maintain a rechargeable back-up battery circuit.
`In the preferred embodiment the Warning device has an
`audible signal, similar to that in many home smoke alarms.
`HoWever, the Warning device should have a distinctive
`signal so that the Warning signal is not confused With some
`other type of alarm. The Warning device has suitable
`circuitry, Whose design is Well Within the ability of a person
`of ordinary skill in the art, that recogniZes a preselected
`“MINS” cellular signal, transmitted from one or more
`selected transmission stations in the cellular communication
`netWork. The device also has suitable circuitry, also Within
`the ability of a person of ordinary skill in the art, responsive
`to recognition of the “MINS” cellular signals to generate the
`emergency Warning.
`When an emergency occurs, or is about to occur, affecting
`a particular geographic area, one or more transmission
`stations Within the cellular communication net Work are
`identi?ed as appropriate to transmit the predetermined signal
`to Warning devices in the selected geographic area. As a
`general rule, the identi?ed transmission stations Will be
`those closest to the selected geographic area. The prese
`lected signal is then transmitted from the identi?ed signal
`transmission station(s) to cause Warning devices in the
`selected geographic area to generate emergency Warnings.
`Emergency management agencies or other authorities
`responsible for issuing emergency Warnings can activate
`speci?c transmission stations, for eXample by ground line
`telephone and computer links. The system of this invention
`is readily adaptable to automation, for eXample, When a
`Weather monitoring system identi?es an emergency in a
`particular geographic area, a computer can automatically
`identify the cellular transmission stations appropriate for
`that particular geographic area, and automatically cause the
`appropriate transmission stations to transmit the preselected
`signal.
`One embodiment of the method of the present invention
`is represented schematically in FIG. 1. In the ?rst step, an
`emergency situation is identi?ed. In the second step, the
`appropriate geographic area for the emergency Warning is
`identi?ed. In the third step, the appropriate signal transmis
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`sion stations to reach the geographic area are identi?ed. This
`can be done With a manual or automated look-up table, or
`geographically on a map, or otherWise. In the fourth step, the
`predetermined signal is transmitted from the identi?ed trans
`mission stations, thereby activating the Warning devices in
`the vicinity of the identi?ed transmission stations, and
`providing a Warning to persons in proximity to the Warning,
`device.
`One possible implementation of the system of this inven
`tion is illustrated schematically in FIG. 2. The system 100
`comprises a device 102 for automatically identifying a
`geographic area Where an emergency situation eXists. The
`system also comprises a plurality of Warning devices 104
`disbursed in the region. The Warning devices 104 generate
`an emergency Warning in response to a predetermined signal
`from a signal transmission station (TS) in a cellular com
`munication netWork (CCN). The system also includes a
`device 106 that automatically identi?es one or more of the
`signal transmission stations (TS) appropriate to transmit the
`predetermined signal and causes the identi?ed signal trans
`mission station to transmit the predetermined signal. The
`Warning devices 104 Within the transmission range of the
`signal transmission station are activated by the predeter
`mined signal and provide an emergency Warning to those
`persons in the vicinity of the Warning devices. For eXample,
`if device 102 identi?ed an emergency situation in area 108,
`the device 106 Would identify the signal transmission station
`(TS) 110 as appropriate to reach area 108, and cause the
`signal transmission station 110 to send the predetermined
`signal. This actuates the Warning devices 104 in the area
`108, but not the other Warning devices, Which are too remote
`from station 110 to react to the predetermined signals.
`
`OPERATION
`The operation of the method and system of the presents
`invention are best understood With reference to the FIG. 3
`map. FIG. 3 is a map of a geographic region served by a
`cellular communication netWork comprising a plurality of
`signal transmission stations identi?ed With one or tWo-digit
`numbers. According to the method of this invention, if a
`storm Was identi?ed at S1, the signal transmission station 21
`Would be identi?ed as appropriate to generate the predeter
`mined signal to Warning devices in areas affected by the
`storm. The predetermined signal Would then be transmitted
`from signal transmission station 21, causing Warning
`devices in the vicinity of the station and in the vicinity of the
`storm at S1, to generate emergency Warnings. Similarly, if a
`storm Were identi?ed at S2, the signal transmission stations
`8 and 52 might be identi?ed as appropriate to generate the
`predetermined signal to Warning devices in areas affected by
`the storm. The predetermined signal Would then be trans
`mitted from signal transmission stations 8 and 52, causing
`Warning devices in the vicinity of those stations and the
`vicinity of the storm at 52 to generate an emergency Warn
`ing.
`The method and system of the invention can also be
`coupled With radio broadcast technology. For eXample, a
`Warning device can be incorporated into a car, and coupled
`to the car radio such that When the Warning device is
`triggered by the predetermined signal, the Warning device
`tunes the radio, or if the radio is not on it turns on and tunes
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`the radio to an appropriate station. It is presently known to
`incorporate station identifying signals in radio broadcasts,
`an it is further knoWn to provide radios capable of identi
`fying these station identifying signals and automatically tune
`to stations With particular identifying signals.
`Thus, the Warning device could cause the car radio to tune
`to a radio station With particular identi?ers Which station
`broadcasts appropriate Warning messages. While this can be
`adopted for home or institutional use, it is particularly
`appropriate for use in vehicles, because the persons in
`vehicles are likely to be strangers to the area, and may not
`otherWise knoW What to do if just a simple alarm is given.
`What is claimed is:
`1. A method of communicating emergency Warnings to
`persons Within a selected geographic area Within a geo
`graphic region served by an eXisting cellular communication
`system that comprises a plurality of signal transmission
`stations, the method comprising:
`providing a plurality of Warning devices Within the geo
`graphic region;
`identifying one or more, but less than all, of the plurality
`of transmission stations in the cellular communication
`system appropriate to activate Warning devices in the
`geographic area; and
`transmitting a predetermined signal from the identi?ed
`transmission station or stations to activate all the active
`Warning devices in the geographic area of the geo
`graphic region, Which Warning devices generate emer
`gency Warnings in response to the predetermined sig
`nal.
`2. The method of communicating emergency Warnings
`according to claim 1, Wherein the method comprises trans
`mitting one of several predetermined signals, and Wherein
`the Warning devices generate different Warnings depending
`upon What predetermined signal is transmitted.
`3. The method of communicating emergency Warnings
`according to claim 1 Wherein the Warning devices are
`coupled With a radio receiver, and automatically tune the
`radio receiver to a radio station in response to the predeter
`mined signal.
`4. A method of communicating emergency Warnings to
`persons Within a selected geographic area Within a geo
`graphic region served by an eXisting cellular communication
`system that comprises a plurality of signal transmission
`stations, the method comprising:
`providing a plurality of Warning devices in the geographic
`region, Which Warning devices generate an emergency
`Warning in response to a predetermined signal trans
`mitted from one of the signal transmission stations;
`identifying at least one signal transmission station in the
`cellular communication system, but less than all of the
`transmission stations of the plurality of signal trans
`mission stations in the cellular communication system,
`appropriate to transmit the predetermined signal to the
`Warning devices in the selected geographic area;
`transmitting the predetermined signal only from the iden
`ti?ed signal transmission station or stations to cause all
`the active Warning devices in the selected geographic
`area to generate emergency Warnings.
`5. The method of communicating emergency Warnings
`according to claim 4 Wherein the Warning devices generate
`different Warning signals in response to different predeter
`mined signal transmitted from one of the signal transmission
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`stations; and Wherein the step of transmitting the predeter
`mined signal comprises selecting from several predeter
`mined signals, a predetermined signal that Will cause the
`Warning devices to generate an appropriate Warning signal.
`6. The method of communicating emergency Warnings
`according to claim 4 Wherein the Warning devices are
`coupled With a radio receiver, and automatically tune the
`radio receiver to a radio station in response to the predeter
`mined signal.
`7. A method of communicating emergency Warnings to
`persons Within a selected geographic area Within a geo
`graphic region served by an eXisting cellular communication
`system that comprises a plurality of signal transmission
`stations, the method comprising:
`providing a plurality of Warning devices in the geographic
`region, Which Warning devices generate an emergency
`Warning in response to a predetermined signal trans
`mitted from one of the signal transmission stations;
`identifying a selected geographic area Where an emer
`gency Warning should be communicated to the persons
`in the area;
`identifying at least one signal transmission station in the
`cellular communication system, but less than all of the
`transmission stations of the plurality of signal trans
`mission stations in the communication system, appro
`priate to transmit the predetermined signal to the Warn
`ing devices in the selected geographic area;
`transmitting the predetermined signal only from the iden
`ti?ed signal transmission station to cause all the active
`Warning devices in the selected geographic area to
`generate emergency Warnings.
`8. The method of communicating emergency Warnings
`according to claim 7 Wherein the Warning devices generate
`different Warning signals in response to different predeter
`mined signal transmitted from one of the signal transmission
`stations; and Wherein the step of transmitting the predeter
`mined signal comprises selecting from several predeter
`mined signals, a predetermined signal that Will cause the
`Warning devices to generate an appropriate Warning signal.
`9. The method of communicating emergency Warnings
`according to claim 7 Wherein the Warning devices are
`coupled With a radio receiver, and automatically tune the
`radio receiver to a radio station in response to the predeter
`mined signal.
`10. A system for communicating emergency Warnings to
`persons Within a selected geographic area Within a geo
`graphic region served by an eXisting cellular communication
`system that comprises a plurality of signal transmission
`stations, the system comprising:
`a plurality of Warning devices in the possession of persons
`Within the geographic region, the Warning devices
`generating an emergency Warning in response to a
`predetermined signal transmitted from a signal trans
`mission station in a cellular communication netWork;
`a device for identifying one or more signal transmission
`stations in the cellular communication system, but less
`than all of the plurality of signal transmissions stations
`in the cellular communication system, appropriate to
`transmit the predetermined signal to the Warning
`devices located Within the selected geographic area,
`and causing the transmission stations identi?ed to
`transmit the predetermined signal to cause all the active
`Warning devices in the selected geographic area to
`generate emergency Warnings.
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`11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the Warning
`devices are coupled With a radio receiver, and automatically
`tune the radio receiver to a radio station in response to the
`predetermined signal.
`12. A system for automatically identifying emergency
`situations and communicating emergency Warnings to per
`sons Within a selected geographic area Within a geographic
`region served by an eXisting cellular communication system
`that comprises a plurality of signal transmission stations, the
`system comprising:
`a device for automatically identifying a geographic area
`Where an emergency situation exists;
`a plurality of Warning devices in the possession of persons
`Within the geographic region, the Warning devices
`generating an emergency Warning in response to a
`predetermined signal transmitted from a signal trans
`mission station in a cellular communication system;
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`5
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`a device for automatically identifying one or more signal
`transmission stations in the cellular communication
`system, but less than all of the plurality of signal
`transmission stations system in the cellular communi
`cation system, appropriate to transmit the predeter
`mined signal to all the Warning devices in the selected
`geographic area, and causing only the transmission
`stations identi?ed to transmit the predetermined signal
`from the identi?ed signal transmission station to cause
`the active Warning devices in the selected geographic
`area to generate emergency Warnings.
`13. The system according to claim 12 Wherein the Warn
`ing devices are coupled With a radio receiver, and automati
`15 cally tune the radio receiver to a radio station in response to
`the predetermined signal.
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