Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
  • H04W4/06—Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W12/00—Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
  • H04W12/06—Authentication
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W76/00—Connection management
  • H04W76/40—Connection management for selective distribution or broadcast
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/72—Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection
  • H04M1/724—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
  • H04M1/72403—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
  • H04M1/7243—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality with interactive means for internal management of messages
  • H04M1/72436—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality with interactive means for internal management of messages for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
  • H04W4/12—Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
  • H04W88/18—Service support devices; Network management devices
  • H04W88/184—Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Definitions

• the invention relates to apparatus and a method of cell broadcasting.
• it relates to apparatus and a method of cell broadcasting to rapidly convey emergency messages .
• CB Cell broadcasting
• cell broadcasting provides a one-to-many broadcast of a message to all subscriber mobile communication devices (e.g. mobile phones) within a given geographical area, from a single cell to an entire country.
• subscriber mobile communication devices e.g. mobile phones
• a Typical cell broadcast system 100 is administered by an operator 102 of a cell broadcast entity' 104 (e.g., see http: //www. emtel . etsi.org/Workshop/Session%203/Emergency% 20broadcast%20ETSI.ppt, http: //www. logicacmg. com/telecoms/pdf/LogicaCMG Factsheet CBS.pdf or the official CB website) .
• the cell broadcast entity (CBE) 104 is typically a central computer, which is linked to a cell broadcast centre (CBC) 106.
• CBC cell broadcast centre
• the operator determines the message to send and the geographical area to be covered by it using the CBE.
• the CBE then sends a formatted message to the CBC, which acts as a message server sending the message to the relevant cells 108, where it is broadcast and received by any suitably equipped mobile communication device 110 subscribing to the network.
• CB system may be ideal for advertisers and providers of local information
• access to a CB operator may be difficult to obtain or too slow to be of use, and valuable time may be wasted accurately explaining to a second party the nature and location of a sudden hazard, or indeed persuading the operator that it is not a hoax.
• the purpose of the present invention is to address the above problem.
• the present invention provides a method of conveying a message to service subscribers of a communication network within a specific geographical area.
• the method is characterised by a communication device such as a mobile station calling a reserved number, and the communication network verifying that said mobile station is listed on a cellular broadcast authorisation list.
• the mobile station transmits a message for broadcast to the aforesaid called number, and if the mobile station is verified as authorised, the communication network broadcasts the message via a cell broadcast system.
• the present invention aims to provide a trusted cell broadcasting system (as only messages from authorised mobile stations are used) that circumvents the delays caused by a human operator.
• the present invention provides a method of conveying a message to service subscribers of a communication network within a specific geographical area, as claimed in claim 1.
• the present invention provides a mobile station, as claimed in claim 12
• the present invention provides a mobile station, as claimed in claim 13
• the present invention provides a mobile switching centre, as claimed in claim 17
• the present invention provides a home location register, as claimed in claim 20
• FIG. 1 Illustrates a prior art cell broadcasting system.
• FIG. 2 Is a schematic diagram of a method of cell broadcasting in accordance with the present invention.
• a method of conveying a message to service subscribers of a communication network within a specific geographical area is disclosed.
• a communication device such as a mobile station (MS) 210 calls a number reserved for cell broadcasting.
• the communication network verifies that the MS 210 is listed on a cellular broadcast authorisation list:
• a mobile switching centre (MSC) 230 serving the call recognises the reserved number, and interrogates a home location register (HLR) 240 serving the MSC 230.
• the MSC 230 requests verification that a given identifying number of the MS 210 matches one listed by the HLR 240 as corresponding to ah MS authorised to send a broadcast message .
• a message can be sent for broadcast, which is routed via the MSC 230 to the cell broadcast centre (CBC) 250, thus bypassing the process of contacting and instructing the operator 102 of the cell broadcast entity 104.
• CBC cell broadcast centre
• the content of the message itself will either be input by the user, selected by the user from a pre- stored set, or in the case of a sensor system be predefined.
• supplementary parameter data may be added to the message.
• This data can include: i. A message identifier, giving the message source and type (for example ⁇ police/Warning' ) ; ii. Identification of any data coding scheme used in the message (for example, if a scrambled message were to be broadcast to riot police in a given area) ; iii. Geographical area information (for example, where to broadcast the message, defined either in terms of cells, co-ordinates, place names, or by other means such as a binary code corresponding to an area, depending on the facilities of the cell broadcast system) ; and iv. Frequency and/or number of broadcast repetitions.
• these parameters may be predetermined, selected by the user from a pre-stored set, or input by the user.
• parameters may be added by a component of the network (for example the MSC 230) based on information provided by the HLR 240 such as the type of user.
• parameters may be added by a component of the network (for example the MSC 230) based on what number was called, if more than one number is available (for example, a dedicated police emergency number would imply the required message identifier information) .
• the content of the message and any supplementary parameters may be coded in extended markup language (XML) , but it is within the contemplation of the present invention that any suitable format may be used, depending on the facilities of the cell broadcast system.
• XML extended markup language
• the message itself is typically an SMS text, but it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the message may comprise any or all of text, video and audio, depending on the facilities of the cell broadcast system.
• the MSC 230 takes the message and any supplementary parameter data provided by the MS 210, and optionally any data obtained or inferred from other sources such as the HLR 240 and the reserved number, and then sends to the CBC a complete message in a format compatible with the CBC.
• any supplementary parameter data in the message corresponds to a geographical area, it is used by the MSC 230 to determine from which base station or stations 260 the message is to be broadcast.
• the MSC 230 may select the geographical area as the cell covered by base station at which the originating call was. received 220, and update the message accordingly to inform the CBC 250. In this case, optionally all base stations whose cells neighbour or overlap the initially selected base station are also selected for broadcast.
• Urgent cell broadcast messages can be sent without the need to find, inform or convince a cell broadcast operator; ii. Who may send a cell broadcast message is controlled by an authorisation list, so reducing the risk of hoaxes; iii. Cell broadcast messages may be sent automatically if a hazard is detected (for example, a chemical leak or reactor overheat) ;
• the present invention also provides a mobile station (MS) 210;
• the MS 210 is a mobile phone, PDA or other mobile communication device capable of sending a message over the cellular system
• the MS 210 is embedded within a sensor or sensor system, and is capable of automatically dialling the reserved number upon detection of a hazard by the sensor.
• the MS may comprise an application facilitating any or all of; i. input of a message for cell broadcast; ii. selection of a message for cell broadcast; iii. input of supplementary parameter values for a cell broadcast message; and iv. selection of supplementary parameter values for a cell broadcast message.
• the MS may optionally provide means for the user to define a geographical area of coverage for the message by interacting with a displayed map.
• the present invention also provides a mobile switching centre (MSC) 230;
• the MSC 230 is operable to request verification that an MS 210 calling a reserved number is listed on a cellular broadcast authorisation list.
• the MSC 230 is also operable to add supplementary parameter data to a message for cell broadcast sent by a mobile station 210, depending on information made available from disparate sources such as the HLR 240 or the number dialled.
• the MSC sends the CBC a complete message in a format compatible with the CBC.
• HLR home location register
• HLR 240 is operable to store a cellular broadcast authorisation list and to verify identifying numbers of mobile stations against said list.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

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Citations (8)

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• 2004
  • 2004-04-19 GB GB0408610A patent/GB2413459B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2005
  • 2005-03-14 CN CNA2005800115729A patent/CN101268678A/zh active Pending
  • 2005-03-14 WO PCT/US2005/008548 patent/WO2005107225A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-03-14 EP EP05727762A patent/EP1741273A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-03-14 KR KR1020067021690A patent/KR100840886B1/ko active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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