Providing status of a user device during an adverse condition

• US 10,154,373 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safety Network Partnership
• Original Assignee: Evan Edward Quisenberry, Gary W. Grube, John Edward Buchalo
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W., Quisenberry, Evan Edward, Buchalo, John Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US15/831,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20180103344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A method begins by a processing module identifying a geographic area of an adverse condition and identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices potentially associated with the identified geographic area. The method continues with the processing module issuing a safety notification to the user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the identified geographic area and a safety status request. The method continues with the processing module receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, where the safety status response includes location information associated with a safe location. The method continues with the processing module indicating the location information to at least some of the plurality of user devices.

Claims

1. A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices, the method comprises:

identifying a geographic area associated with an adverse condition;

identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices potentially associated with the identified geographic area;

issuing a safety notification to the user device, wherein the safety notification includes one or more of the identified geographic area and a safety status request;

receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, wherein the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device and wherein the safety status level includes a safe location indicator associated with the corresponding location information of a safe location; and

indicating the location information associated with the safe location to at least some of the plurality of user devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the geographic area associated with the adverse condition comprises at least one of:

interpreting a location from an emergency management phase plan to produce the identified geographic area;

interpreting communications associated with an active emergency management phase to produce the identified geographic area; and

when at least some of the plurality of user devices are associated with a social network;

detecting that greater than a high threshold number of social network communications per unit of time are associated with the adverse condition; and

identifying an area common to the social network communications associated with the adverse condition to produce the identified geographic area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the user device of the plurality of user devices associated with the identified geographic area comprises at least one of:

indicating that the user device is associated with the identified geographic area based on a lookup of the user device, wherein the lookup produces a current location of the user device that is within a proximal location of the identified geographic area;

indicating that the user device is associated with the identified geographic area based on the lookup of the user device, wherein the lookup produces a last known street address location of the user device that is within the proximal location of the identified geographic area;

indicating that the user device is associated with the identified geographic area when Internet access of the user device is within another proximal location of the identified geographic area; and

indicating that the user device is associated with the identified geographic area when an identified wireless location network of the user device is within yet another proximal location of the identified geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

location information associated with the user device;

location information associated with another user device of the plurality of user devices, wherein a group affiliation relationship exists between the user device and the other user device;

an indication that the user device is outside of the identified geographic area; and

another indication that the other user device is outside of the identified geographic area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety status level comprises at least one of:

a safety status level text string generated by the user device;

a safety status text string generated by the user device;

location information generated by the user device;

a timestamp corresponding to when a social network server received the safety status response;

another timestamp corresponding to when the user device generated the safety status response; and

yet another timestamp corresponding to when the safety status response was received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating the safety status level comprises at least one of:

identifying the safety status level of the safety status response when the user device is associated with the identified geographic area;

interpreting the safety status level to produce a safety status condition;

modifying the safety status condition to indicate where to go based on the location information associated with the safety status level, wherein the safety status level includes the safe location indicator;

facilitating displaying of one or more of the safety status level, the safety status condition, a safety status level text string, the location information, and a timestamp; and

sending the safety status level to one or more user devices of the plurality of user devices.

7. A computing device of one or more computing devices comprises:

an interface;

memory; and

a processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that, when executed by the processing module, causes the computing device to;

identify a geographic area associated with an adverse condition;

identify a user device of a plurality of user devices potentially associated with the identified geographic area;

issue, via the interface, a safety notification to the user device, wherein the safety notification includes one or more of the identified geographic area and a safety status request;

receive, via the interface from the user device, a safety status response, wherein the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device and wherein the safety status level includes a safe location indicator associated with the corresponding location information of a safe location; and

indicate the location information associated with the safe location to at least some of the plurality of user devices.

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein the processing module functions to identify the geographic area of the adverse condition by at least one of:

interpreting a location from an emergency management phase plan to produce the identified geographic area;

interpreting communications associated with an active emergency management phase to produce the identified geographic area; and

when at least some of the plurality of user devices are associated with a social network;

detecting that greater than a high threshold number of social network communications per unit of time are associated with the adverse condition; and

identifying an area common to the social network communications associated with the adverse condition to produce the identified geographic area.

9. The computer of claim 7, wherein the processing module functions to identify the user device of the plurality of user devices associated with the identified geographic area by at least one of:

indicating that the user device is associated with the identified geographic area based on a lookup of the user device, wherein the lookup produces a current location of the user device that is within a proximal location of the identified geographic area;

indicating that the user device is associated with the identified geographic area based on the lookup of the user device, wherein the lookup produces a last known street address location of the user device that is within the proximal location of the identified geographic area;

indicating that the user device is associated with the identified geographic area when Internet access of the user device is within another proximal location of the identified geographic area; and

indicating that the user device is associated with the identified geographic area when an identified wireless location network of the user device is within yet another proximal location of the identified geographic area.

10. The computer of claim 7, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

location information associated with the user device;

location information associated with another user device of the plurality of user devices, wherein a group affiliation relationship exists between the user device and the other user device;

an indication that the user device is outside of the identified geographic area; and

another indication that the other user device is outside of the identified geographic area.

11. The computer of claim 7, wherein the safety status level comprises at least one of:

a safety status level text string generated by the user device;

a safety status text string generated by the user device;

location information generated by the user device;

a timestamp corresponding to when a social network server received the safety status response;

another timestamp corresponding to when the user device generated the safety status response; and

yet another timestamp corresponding to when the safety status response was received.

12. The computer of claim 7, wherein the processing module functions to indicate the safety status level by at least one of:

identifying the safety status level of the safety status response when the user device is associated with the identified geographic area;

interpreting the safety status level to produce a safety status condition;

modifying the safety status condition to indicate where to go based on the location information associated with the safety status level, wherein the safety status level includes the safe location indicator;

facilitating displaying of one or more of the safety status level, the safety status condition, a safety status level text string, the location information, and a timestamp; and

sending, via the interface, the safety status level to one or more user devices of the plurality of user devices.