Title

Early warning system Technical field

The present invention pertains to a method and system adapted to an early warning through a cellular network to at least one cellular phone.

Background art

Currently people are used to drills for instance once a month regarding alarm conditions transmitted through sirens and/or radio by Morse code. A well known alarm condition is the SOS signal transmitted as three short tones, three long tones and three short tones in Morse code.

Emergency signals have been a part of the society's need to be able to tell citizens to pay attention and take urgent action to protect and secure their life. The most known and common solution is the siren sound that until today is still utilized. During the Second World War it was utilized to alarm people about flight bombers. Radio and TV broadcast and PSTN phone signals are also part of the current emergency alarms.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a more up to date method to provide alarm signals to the public.

Summary of the invention In order to provide alarm signals to the public, the present invention sets forth a method adapted to an early warning through a cellular network to at least one cellular phone. The invention thus comprises the steps of: each cellular phone connected to an early warning receiving at least one of a SIM card and a software comprising at least one of an alarm signal, voice message, text message and images providing part, the part producing an alarm message alerting the phone owner of a potential danger; and the part being activated by a broadcast signal transmitted from a central information center upon receiving information of an upcoming potential danger to at least one phone owner having at least one of the card and software comprised in the phone. In one embodiment of the present invention, the alarm signal provides special purpose ring signals each relating to a specific potential danger.

Another embodiment provides that an activation of the part is time controlled to provide an alarm signal to several cellular phones creating an illusion of a siren.

A further embodiment comprises that the distribution of an alarm activation is provided through a prioritized chain of concerned connected cellular phones such as belonging to a police force, fire-fighters, paramedics, governments, volunteers, and other like important groups, thus preparing themselves before a eventual mass activation of the part.

Yet another embodiment comprises that local persons provide information to the center through a cellular message of potential danger.

Furthermore, the present invention sets forth a system adapted to an early warning through a cellular network to at least one cellular phone. The system comprises: each cellular phone connected to an early warning are provided at least one of a SIM card and a software comprising at least one of an alarm signal, voice message, text message and images providing part, the part producing an alarm message alerting the phone owner of a potential danger; and the part is activated by a broadcast signal transmitted from a central information center upon receiving information of an upcoming potential danger to at least one phone owner having at least one of the card and software comprised in the phone.

Further attached dependent system claims adhere to the embodiments described in conjunction with the method of the present invention.

Brief description of the drawings Henceforth reference is had to the attached figure in the accompanying text of the description for a better understanding of the present invention with its embodiments and given examples, wherein:

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a system overview according to the present invention. Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The present invention regards a GLOBAL MOBILE INFO FOR EMERGENCY AND ATTENTION MESSAGES, which provides a global message solution that instantly penetrates direct info to any EAS (Early Alarm System) registered on-line cellular phone in any network utilizing a synchronized signal with sound, voice text and images providing the society early warning and security messages as well as supporting information regarding weather, traffic, fire, emergencies and the like.

Emergency signals have been a part of the society's need to be able to tell citizens to pay attention and take urgent action to protect and secure their life. The most known and common solution is the siren sound that until today is still utilized. During the Second World War it was utilized to alarm people about flight bombers.

Radio and TV broadcast and PSTN phone signals are also part of the emergency alarms. Currently, the cellular phone networks and the cellular phone itself is one of the most common devices, utilized globally by billions of people.

The cellular networks are by business nature separated in many competing networks. By all means if such a network is synchronized above any roaming boarders in accordance with the teaching of the present invention, it will become the most important security tool to build a secure sustainable society. Hereby, enabling any cellular phone to be

registered to the EAN system e.g. by sending an SMS to an EAN:s universe SMS number; register the mobile phone via an EAN:s Website; making an open call to an EAN phone- server and hang up.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the EAN system sends a special contact card to any valid EAN registered mobile phone. The card utilizes special purpose protected sounds and images displaying content to create an Early Attention Message. By accepting installation of the contact card in phone-book, the phone number is updated in an EAN multi-gateway database server. It is thus ready to be activated for receiving any valid emergency attention broadcast messages. According to the present invention, see Fig. 1 , the EAN system 10, utilized for instance to register a user 12, consist of a connection 14 to multi-gateway access servers 16, 18 through for instance routers and switches 18 allowing access to any cellular phone network using SMS, MMS and IP standard protocols. Information providers are connected to the EAN systems Information Centers 22 via for instance peer-to-peer encrypted VPN (Virtual Private Network) networks. The information to be broadcasted is passing through a series of firewalls and validation processes. A clearing of broadcast messages is provided via a sub-net of special coded authorization phones operated by info-guard managers. Each type of information providers 24 through for instance Internet 26 and messages in one embodiment of the invention are provided customized authorization rules. The EAN :s database system consist of a series of distributed servers with client profiles and network tracking data for real-time monitoring and localization of the phones point-of-presence. A database client profile allows grouping the users 12 to be categorized in levels of important and special security sub-networks. The attention software in one embodiment is utilizing ten different protected signals, utilizing the polyphone capacity of most existing mobile phones. EAN:s signals are composed to be played in simultaneous harmony with any phone in a specific geographic area.

Each user 12 is supposed to learn the major meaning of these signals. The signals are supported with text and images to fully accomplish the meaning of the messages in one embodiment of the invention. Hence, the method and system of the present invention provides; a time-saving and cost-effective implementation; "Plug and play" network solutions to the cellular phone user 12; solutions confirming identity within existing behaviour; user friendly and secure identification of cellular phones; Early Attention Messages Network that can save life's and assets to the society, which provides increased utilization to business security and supporting the guard of key personnel protection. At the same time the user also is able to feel safer because of the increased security, and this in its turn increases the volume of travel tickets.

Although, the present invention has been explained through examples and given embodiments, the present invention is not limited to those, but to what a skilled person can derive from the attached set of claims.