US 2011/0299403 A1 · Method and Apparatus for Efficient and Deterministic Group Alerting

Abstract

A system and method are provided for reliable, wireless group alerting in a system having a database, switch, wireless network, and a plurality of intelligent mobile receivers, and preferably employing a modified two-way paging based on ReFLEX™ protocol information service (IS) messages and a novel ALOHA command for multicast acknowledgement from mobile receivers. An encrypted message is broadcast to a group address and received by a selected number of the mobile receivers. The network replies to the sender with detailed information about the individual members in the alert group. Each of the mobile receivers in the group then acknowledges the common message back to the system, decrypts the message, displays it to the user, and allows the user to respond. The system employs centralized management to simplify the roles of the mobile users and administrators, minimizing configuration and operational human errors that would otherwise result in confusion or lost messages.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of alerting a group of recipients over a wireless network and providing acknowledged group messaging, each recipient comprising a mobile device capable of transmitting and receiving data, the method comprising the steps of:

storing data relating to recipients, groups and group members, in a memory device, the data comprising a device-specific identifying address for each of a plurality of recipients, one or more group-specific addresses corresponding to each of respective groups of recipients, the groups each comprising selected ones of the plurality of recipients, and group membership data comprising the device-specific identifying addresses of the selected recipients corresponding to each of the group-specific addresses;
providing the mobile device corresponding to each of the plurality of recipients with at least a subset of the data stored in the memory device, the at least a subset of the data being stored in the mobile device and comprising its corresponding device-specific identifying address and the group-specific address of each group to which that recipient belongs as a group member;
wirelessly broadcasting a group message addressed to a selected one of the group addresses, each of the mobile devices being configured to receive the broadcast group message, to analyze a group-specific address provided with the group message, and send a response when the group-specific address in the group message is determined to be for a group to which that mobile device belongs;
monitoring for responses to the group message from the group members of the group identified by a group-specific address provided in the group message;
and
storing acknowledgement data in the memory device for each of the group members, the acknowledgement data comprising a listing of each of the group members and an indication of response for each of the group members, the indication of response comprising at least one of an indication of no response when that group member has not yet responded to the group message, and an indication of response when a response sent by the mobile device of that group member has been received.

3 more elements

A deterministic group messaging system providing acknowledged group messaging comprising:

a memory device configured to store
a device-specific identifying address for each of a plurality of responder devices,
a group-specific address corresponding to each of respective groups of responder devices, the groups of responder devices each comprising selected ones of the plurality of responder devices, and
group membership data comprising the device-specific identifying addresses of the selected responder devices to each of the group-specific addresses
wherein each of the plurality of responder devices is provided with at least a subset of the data stored in the memory device, the at least a subset of data being stored in the responder device and comprising its corresponding device-specific identifying address and the group-specific address of each group to which that responder device belongs as a group member;
and
a control module comprising a processing device that is configured to access the memory device and is programmed to
wirelessly broadcast a group message addressed to a selected one of the group addresses, each of the responder devices being configured to receive the broadcast group message, to analyze a group-specific address provided with the group message, and send a response when the group-specific address in the group message is determined to be for a group to which that responder device belongs,
monitor for responses to the group message from the group members of the group identified by a group-specific address provided in the group message, and
store acknowledgement data in the memory device for each of the group members, the acknowledgement data comprising a listing of each of the group members and an indication of response for each of the group members, the indication of response comprising at least one of an indication of no response when that group member has not yet responded to the group message, and an indication of response when a response sent by the responder device of that group member has been received.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and Apparatus for Efficient and Deterministic Group Alerting

Life of this patent

Method and Apparatus for Efficient and Deterministic Group Alerting

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21