Viewing and streaming live cameras to users near their location as indicated on a map or automatically based on a geofence or location boundary

• US 10,484,724 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vizsafe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vizsafe, Inc.
• Inventors: Mottur, Peter A., Hanna, Brendan J., Sheer, Claude P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Michael H
• Application Number:
  US15/481,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20170295384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

The method and system described herein enables the viewing and streaming of fixed or mobile live cameras, by a user, that are proximate or nearby to their location as indicated on a map or automatically based on predefined geofences or location boundaries. Content, channels and live cameras may be assigned by an administrator using role-based permissions enabling system wide functionality and content to be visible either publicly or privately, with such settings assigned to individual users, groups or organizations within the application.

Claims

1. A method of disseminating an interactive incident report via a plurality of remote devices connected to a communications network, said remote devices proximate a predetermined location, comprising:

initiating, by a user device, a request to a web application server via said communications network, for a listing of a plurality of remote devices, each having at least one channel of incident information contained thereon relating to at least one incident proximate to a predetermined location;

receiving, from said web application server by the user device, a list of the plurality of remote devices determined to be proximate to the predetermined location and a listing of each of said at least one channel containing said incident information;

displaying, by the user device, the plurality of remote devices on a diagrammatic representation where the location of each of the remote devices is indicated relative to the user device and said listing of each of said at least one channel containing said incident information, and

receiving, from said web application server by the user device, a request for information related to an incident at a location proximate to the location of the user device,

wherein the request for information related to the incident is received by the user device at least after the user device has moved to another location at a time that is after said incident, and

wherein the user device is configured and arranged to include a “

follow me”

setting that can be toggled on and off to permit the device to receive the request for information related to the incident after the user device has moved to another location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a user may select a remote device from the display of diagrammatic representation and view media from the remote device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a camera.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the device, whether the user is proximate to the predetermined location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined location is selected from the group consisting of a postal code, a town, a city, a state, a county, a geographic region, a predefined radius around a specific geographic coordinate, and proximate to a requesting authority.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagrammatic representation is selection from the group consisting of:

maps, floorplans, and blueprints.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the media of the remote device is selected from the group consisting of photos, videos, text messages, live video streaming, audio clips, and live audio streaming.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, at least partially implemented in hardware, of a device, cause the one or more processors to disseminate an interactive incident report via a plurality of remote devices connected to a communications network, said remote devices proximate a predetermined location, by;

initiating a request to a web application server via said communications network, for a listing of a plurality of remote devices, each having at least one channel of incident information contained thereon relating to at least one incident proximate to a predetermined location;

receiving from said web application server a list of the plurality of remote devices determined to be proximate to the predetermined location and a listing of each of said at least one channel containing said incident information; and

displaying the plurality of remote devices on a diagrammatic representation where the location of each of the remote devices is indicated relative to the user device and said listing of each of said at least one channel containing said incident information,

wherein, the web application server transmits to the user device, a request for information related to an incident at a location proximate to the location of the user device,

wherein the request for information related to the incident is received by the user device at least after the user device has moved to another location at a time that is after said incident, and

wherein the user device is configured and arranged to include a “

follow me”

setting that can be toggled on and off to permit the device to receive the request for information related to the incident after the user device has moved to another location.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein a user may select a remote device displayer on the diagrammatic representation and view media from the remote device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the remote device is a camera.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein one or more instructions that, cause the one or more processors further to:

determine whether the user is proximate to the predetermined location.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the diagrammatic representation is selection from the group consisting of:

maps, floorplans, and blueprints.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the media of the remote device is selected from the group consisting of photos, videos, text messages, live video streaming, audio clips, and live audio streaming.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the predetermined location is selected from the group consisting of a postal code, a town, a city, a state, a county, a geographic region, a predefined radius around a specific geographic coordinate, and proximate to a requesting authority.

15. A system for disseminating an interactive incident report via a plurality of remote devices connected to a communications network, said remote devices proximate a predetermined location, comprising:

a server connected to said communications network, the server configured to;

receive, from a user device, a request for a plurality of remote devices, each having at least one channel of incident information contained thereon relating to at least one incident proximate to a predetermined location;

determine, from the user device, the user'"'"'s location relative to the predetermined location;

transmit, to the user device, a diagrammatic representation of each of the locations of the plurality of remote devices is indicated relative to the user device and said listing of each of said at least one channel containing said incident information, and

transmit, to the user device, a request for information related to an incident at a location proximate to the location of the user device,

wherein the request for information related to an incident is received by the user device at least after the user device has moved to another location at a time that is after said incident, and

wherein the user device is configured and arranged to include a “

follow me”

setting that can be toggled on and off to permit the device to receive the request for information related to the incident after the user device has moved to another location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from the user device, a request to view media from one of the plurality of remote devices.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote device is a camera.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the predetermined location is selected from the group consisting of a postal code, a town, a city, a state, a county, a geographic region, a predefined radius around a specific geographic coordinate, and proximate to a requesting authority.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the diagrammatic representation is selection from the group consisting of:

maps, floorplans, and blueprints.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the media of the remote device is selected from the group consisting of photos, videos, text messages, live video streaming, audio clips, and live audio streaming.