Alert broadcasting to unconfigured communications devices

摘要

Methods and systems for communicating alert messages to target communications devices in a target physical location are disclosed. The target devices may not be preconfigured to be discovered or to receive the alert message. Network sources are queried to identify accessible logical locations, which are associated with physical locations in a database. The logical locations include an intelligent network source which, having received the alert message, detects nearby devices in the target physical location. The system prepares and communicates the alert message to the target device. The intelligent network source may be configured to prepare and communicate the alert message without any intermediate system step of formulating a list of recipients. Auto-discovery and message delivery methods employ protocol packet injection, network and access point spoofing, and Bluetooth signaling. Auto-discovery and unconfigured delivery methods can be used to reveal the presence of devices in an area.

主权项

1. A method of communicating an alert message through a communications network to a target communications device in a preselected physical location, the communications network comprising a plurality of network sources and communications devices, each network source configured for providing access to the communications network, for communicating with one or more of the communications devices and for providing a specification of an associated logical location of the network source in the communications network, the network sources comprising at least one intelligent network source, the method comprising:
storing in a computer memory a plurality of specifications of logical locations, each of the logical location specifications associated with a specification of a physical location, wherein one of the logical locations is associated with the preselected physical location and the intelligent network source; subsequently receiving information for the alert message and a selection identifying the preselected physical location; subsequently retrieving from the computer memory the specification of the logical location associated with the preselected physical location based on the selection; subsequently communicating the information for the alert message to the intelligent network source based on the retrieved logical location specification; detecting at the intelligent network source the target communications device in the preselected physical location, wherein the target communications device is not preconfigured to receive the alert message, the detecting comprising receiving at the intelligent network source an intercepted message broadcast or addressed from or to the target communications device and broadcast or addressed to or from a different network source, respectively, which is not the intelligent network source and is providing to the target communications device access to the communications network; preparing at the intelligent network source a delivery message receivable by the target communications device using the information for the alert message and information of the intercepted message wherein the delivery message is configured to identify the different network source as being the source of the delivery message; communicating the delivery message from the intelligent network source to the target communications device, whereby the alert message is communicated to the target communications device; and, following the delivery of the alert message, disabling the receiving of an intercepted message from the target communications device at the intelligent network source.