Emergency location identfication using wireless devices

• US 10,325,482 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Inventors: Knas, Michal, John, Jiby
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US15/967,274
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 34053913, 34053922, 34053932, 340 81, 3405731, 3405734
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/20 Destination assistance within a business structure or complex
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/205 Building evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include an efficient and accurate method for presenting victim locations to emergency responders. The method disclosed can be used to track individuals still remaining in a building in case of an emergency. The method comprises determining a location for an individual by receiving a device identifier (e.g., combination of numbers and/or characters uniquely identifying a receiving device associated with the individual) and location information, received from one or more beacons, from the receiving device. The method comprises determining a first location associated with the receiving device based on the location information and/or the device identifier. The method comprises determining different locations associated with the individual as the individual moves and determining whether the individual is still within the building. The method comprises, displaying location information and instructions to reach the individual in case of an emergency.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a server, a location of a first mobile device by periodically receiving, by the server via the first mobile device, identification data from a plurality of beacons within a building;

receiving, by the server, from a second mobile device, a request to identify one or more mobile devices within the building; and

upon determining by the server that the location of the first mobile device is within the building based on a latest identification data received from the first mobile device, transmitting, by the server, the location of the first mobile device to the second mobile device, whereby a graphical user interface displayed on the second mobile device displays the location of the first mobile device, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises identification information associated with a user operating the first mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises one or more medical conditions associated with a user operating the first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises instructions to reach the location associated with the first mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the instructions to reach the location associated with the first mobile device comprises a fastest route to the location associated with the first mobile device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the instructions to reach the location associated with the first mobile device comprises a route comprising one or more points of interest within the building.

6. A system comprising:

a first mobile device;

a second mobile device; and

a server configured to;

monitor a location of the first mobile device by periodically receiving via the first mobile device, identification data from a plurality of beacons within a building;

receive from the second mobile device, a request to identify one or more mobile devices within the building; and

upon determining that the location of the first mobile device is within the building based on a latest identification data received from the first mobile device, transmit the location of the first mobile device to the second mobile device, whereby a graphical user interface displayed on the second mobile device displays the location of the first mobile device, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises identification information associated with a user operating the first mobile device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface is transmitted to the second mobile device through an encrypted transmission method.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a request for identification confirmation by a second user operating the second mobile device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the identification confirmation is in form of a password.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the identification confirmation is in form of biometric data.

11. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a server, location data associated with a first mobile device within a building using at least one of GPS, Wireless, or BLE process;

receiving, by the server, from a second mobile device, a request to identify one or more mobile devices within the building;

determining whether a current location associated with the first mobile device is within the building, wherein the current location of the first mobile device is associated with a location of the first mobile device at a time period that the server receives the request from the second mobile device; and

upon determining that the current location associated with the first mobile device is within the building, transmitting, by the server, the current location associated with the first mobile device to the second mobile device, whereby a graphical user interface associated with the second mobile device displays the current location associated with the first mobile device, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises identification information associated with a user operating the first mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification information comprises one or more medical conditions associated with a user operating the first mobile device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises instructions to reach the current location associated with the first mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the instructions to reach the current location associated with the first mobile device comprises a fastest route to the current location associated with the first mobile device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the instructions to reach the current location associated with the first mobile device comprises a route comprising one or more points of interest within the building.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface is transmitted to the second mobile device through an encrypted transmission method.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a request for identification confirmation by a second user operating the second mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identification confirmation is in form of a password.