Wireless Emergency Alert System for WiFi and Cellular Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current alert systems fail to reach mobile devices connected to WiFi access points during emergencies, as they are designed to communicate through traditional cellular base stations rather than IP-based networks.
Innovation Solution
A wireless emergency alert system that utilizes a database of WiFi access point locations to identify and deliver alert messages to mobile devices with ongoing IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) sessions within a defined geographic region, ensuring coverage of devices connected via WiFi networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cellular base station alert systems are used, then alerts can be delivered to devices connected via cellular networks, but alerts cannot reach mobile devices connected to WiFi access points
Solution Approach 1:
The alert system is enhanced to support multiple network types (cellular and WiFi) through a unified architecture. The system maintains a database of both cellular base stations and WiFi access points, and can route alerts through appropriate networks based on device connectivity, making the system universally applicable across different network infrastructures
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary component is introduced that translates and forwards alerts from the traditional cellular alert system to WiFi access points. This mediator enables communication between devices on different network types, allowing alerts to reach WiFi-connected devices through the access points while maintaining compatibility with the existing cellular alert infrastructure
2Area of stationary object
If the alert system only uses traditional cellular base stations, then the system complexity remains low, but the coverage area is limited to cellular network regions
Solution Approach 1:
The alert delivery system is segmented into independent components: a cellular base station database, a WiFi access point database, and a routing mechanism. This segmentation allows the system to independently manage and expand coverage through additional WiFi access points without fundamentally redesigning the entire system architecture
Solution Approach 2:
A database of WiFi access point locations is pre-established and maintained before alert events occur. This preliminary action enables the system to quickly identify and route alerts to appropriate WiFi access points in the target area, expanding coverage without adding complexity during emergency operations
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless emergency alert system (also known as a wireless emergency alert system, or “WEA,” and formerly known as a commercial mobile alert system, or “CMAS”) receives a geotargeted federal alert that is to be delivered to mobile devices within a defined geographic region. A database of locations of access points is utilized by the system to identify those access points that are likely present in the defined region. The system identifies mobile devices that have an ongoing connection (e.g. IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) session) with the identified access points, in part by maintaining and accessing a look-up table containing location information for the access point and connected mobile devices. In addition, the system tracks mobile devices that no longer have an ongoing session and deregisters the appropriate mobile devices in the look-up table. For mobile devices that have an ongoing session, the system delivers the received alert to the mobile devices in the targeted region via the identified access points.