Method, network and device for information provision by using paging and cell broadcast services

Abstract

Informing a number of users about an emergency or other situation of public interest is accomplished using a broadcast service. A specific identifier is used in a paging message for activating broadcast service in terminals. A terminal checks a received paging message with regard to the presence of the specific identifier and when detecting the specific identifier, switches to a broadcast mode for receiving broadcast content. The received broadcast emergency content is notified and/or displayed to the users of the terminals.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of communicating with a terminal, comprising:
 storing, at the terminal, a predefined specific identifier common to all terminals supporting an emergency warning;   checking, by the terminal, whether a received paging message includes the specific identifier; and   switching directly, by the terminal, to a broadcast mode for receiving broadcast content upon detection of the specific identifier.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal attached to a mobile network, and the broadcast mode is a Global System for Mobile Communications cell-broadcast mode. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the terminal at least one of notifies and displays received broadcast content to a user of the terminal. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein said storing includes storing several specific identifiers, and   wherein said switching is performed differently by the terminal switching to the broadcast mode for an infinite time, or only for a limited duration, or only when the terminal is assigned to a group specified by one of the specific identifiers, depending on which of the specific identifiers is detected by said checking.   
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein the specific identifier is a temporary subscriber mobile identity and is assigned to and stored in several terminals. 
     
     
         6 . A terminal operating in a communication system having a plurality of terminals, comprising:
 storage means for storing a predefined specific identifier common to all of the terminals supporting an emergency warning;   checking means for checking whether a received paging message includes the specific identifier; and   switch means for switching directly to a broadcast mode for receiving broadcast content upon detection of the specific identifier.   
     
     
         7 . A terminal according to  claim 6 , wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal, the communication system includes a mobile network via which the mobile terminal communicates, and the broadcast mode is a Global System for Mobile Communications cell-broadcast mode. 
     
     
         8 . A terminal according to  claim 7 , further comprising at least one of acoustical means for notifying received content to a user of the terminal; and display means for displaying received content to a user of the terminal. 
     
     
         9 . A terminal according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein said storage means stores several specific identifiers, and   wherein said switch means reacts differently by switching to the broadcast mode for an infinite time, or only for a limited duration, or only when the terminal is assigned to a group specified by one or the specific identifiers, depending on which of the specific identifiers is detected by said checking means.   
     
     
         10 . A network communicating with terminals and adapted to implement a cell broadcast service and a paging mode, comprising:
 a transmitter broadcasting content and transmitting at least one paging message to all of the terminals in a cell, the at least one paging message including a predefined specific identifier for directly switching, upon detection of the specific identifier, the terminals receiving the paging message to a broadcast support mode for receiving the broadcast content.