Method and system for providing tactical information during crisis situations

• US 20030058283A1
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TSG Solutions, Inc. (NV5 Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TSG Solutions, Inc. (NV5 Global, Inc.)
• Inventors: Larsen, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 7,134,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/003 for military purposes and tactics

Abstract

A computer-based method and system for storing and retrieving tactical information pertaining to a site during crisis situations. The method and system provides a graphical user interface comprising a computer screen display and a selection device wherein a user may select from a plurality of options to receive desired tactical information pertaining to a particular site in a plurality of different data formats (e.g, text, graphic images, video, etc.).

Claims

1. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a computer screen display and a selection device, a method of providing tactical information pertaining to a site, the method comprising:

providing a first window on said computer screen display, said first window displaying a menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information;

receiving a user selection of one of said categories of information;

retrieving tactical information corresponding to said selected category, wherein said tactical information is retrieved from a computer readable medium; and

providing a second window on said computer screen display, said second window displaying said retrieved tactical information corresponding to said selected category.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a third window on said computer screen display for displaying a layout diagram of a floor of a building located on said site, said layout diagram illustrating the location and layout of a plurality of rooms on said floor;

providing a plurality of links in said layout diagram, wherein each link corresponds to one of said plurality of rooms;

detecting when a user has selected one of said plurality of links; and

displaying in said second window an image of one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said image comprises a 360-degree spherical image stored in said computer-readable medium, wherein said user may navigate in said image, to obtain different perspectives of said one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link, by using a cursor of said selection device to select a desired navigational direction.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said spherical image further comprises at least one embedded pop-up message, wherein, when said cursor is positioned on an object within said image, said pop-up message appears in said third window so as to provide further information pertaining to said object.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said second window further comprises a sub-window for displaying further information pertaining to said one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a map category; and

said second window displays at least one map illustrating a geographic, location of said site when said map category is selected by said user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an aerial view category; and

said second window displays an aerial view of said site when said aerial view category is selected by said user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an aerial animation category; and

said second window displays an aerial animation of said site when said aerial animation category is selected by said user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a site map category; and

said second window displays a site map of said site when said site map category is selected by said user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an ingress video category; and

said second window displays an ingress video illustrating an ingress route to said site when said ingress video category is selected by said user.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a third window on said computer screen display, wherein said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a critical information category and said second window displays a plurality of critical information subcategories upon selection of said critical information category from said menu;

receiving a user selection of one of said plurality of critical information subcategories; and

displaying information corresponding to said selected critical information subcategory in said third window.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said critical information subcategories comprise administrative personnel contact information and emergency utility shut-off information.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

detecting when said emergency utility shut-off information category is selected from said second window;

providing, in said third window, utility shut-off information pertaining to said site and at least one link corresponding to a utility shut-off mechanism when said emergency utility shut-off information subcategory is selected from said second window;

detecting when said at least one link is selected by a user; and

displaying, in said second window, an image of said utility shut-off mechanism when said at least one link is selected by said user.

14. A system for providing tactical information pertaining to a site, comprising:

means for providing a first window on said computer screen display, said first window displaying a menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information;

means for receiving a user selection of one of said categories of information;

means for retrieving tactical information corresponding to said selected category, wherein said tactical information is retrieved from a computer readable medium; and

means for providing a second window on said computer screen display, said second window displaying said retrieved tactical information corresponding to said selected category.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

means for providing a third window on said computer screen display for displaying a layout diagram of a floor of a building located on said site, said layout diagram illustrating the location and layout of a plurality of rooms on said floor;

means for providing a plurality of links in said layout diagram, wherein each link corresponds to one of said plurality of rooms;

means for detecting when a user has selected one of said plurality of links; and

means for displaying in said second window an image of one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said image comprises a 360-degree spherical image stored in said computer-readable medium, wherein said user may navigate in said image, to obtain different perspectives of said one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link, by using a cursor of a selection device to select a desired navigational direction.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said spherical image further comprises at least one embedded pop-up message, wherein, when said cursor is positioned on an object within said image, said pop-up message appears in said third window so as to provide further information pertaining to said object.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said second window further comprises a sub-window for displaying further information pertaining to said one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a map category; and

said second window displays at least one map illustrating a geographic location of said site when said map category is selected by said user.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an aerial view category; and

said second window displays an aerial view of said site when said aerial view category is selected by said user.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an aerial animation category; and

said second window displays an aerial animation of said site when said aerial animation category is selected by said user.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a site map category; and

said second window displays a site map of said site when said site map category is selected by said user.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an ingress video category; and

said second window displays an ingress video illustrating an ingress route to said site when said ingress video category is selected by said user.

24. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

means for providing a third window on said computer screen display, wherein said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a critical information category and said second window displays a plurality of critical information subcategories upon selection of said critical information category from said menu;

means for receiving a user selection of one of said plurality of critical information subcategories; and

means for displaying information corresponding to said selected critical information subcategory in said third window.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said critical information subcategories comprise administrative personnel contact information and emergency utility shut-off information.

26. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for detecting when said emergency utility shut-off information category is selected from said second window;

means for providing, in said third window, utility shut-off information pertaining to said site and at least one link corresponding to a utility shut-off mechanism when said emergency utility shut-off information subcategory is selected from said second window;

means for detecting when said at least one link is selected by a user; and

means for displaying, in said second window, an image of said utility shut-off mechanism when said at least one link is selected by said user.

27. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer system perform a method of providing tactical information pertaining to a site, the method comprising:

providing a first window on said computer screen display, said first window displaying a menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information;

receiving a user selection of one of said categories of information;

retrieving tactical information corresponding to said selected category, wherein said tactical information is retrieved from a computer readable medium; and

providing a second window on said computer screen display, said second window displaying said retrieved tactical information corresponding to said selected category.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein said method further comprises:

providing a third window on said computer screen display for displaying a layout diagram of a floor of a building located on said site, said layout diagram illustrating the location and layout of a plurality of rooms on said floor;

providing a plurality of links in said layout diagram, wherein each link corresponds to one of said plurality of rooms;

detecting when a user has selected one of said plurality of links; and

displaying in said second window an image of one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein said image comprises a 360-degree spherical image stored in said computer-readable medium, wherein said user may navigate in said image, to obtain different perspectives of said one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link, by using a cursor of a selection device to select a desired navigational direction.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein said spherical image further comprises at least one embedded pop-up message, wherein, when said cursor is positioned on an object within said image, said pop-up message appears in said third window so as to provide further information pertaining to said object.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein said second window further comprises a sub-window for displaying further information pertaining to said one of said plurality of rooms corresponding to said selected link.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a map category; and

said second window displays at least one map illustrating a geographic location of said site when said map category is selected by said user.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an aerial view category; and

said second window displays an aerial view of said site when said aerial view category is selected by said user.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an aerial animation category; and

said second window displays an aerial animation of said site when said aerial animation category is selected by said user.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a site map category; and

said second window displays a site map of said site when said site map category is selected by said user.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein:

said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises an ingress video category; and

said second window displays an ingress video illustrating an ingress route to said site when said ingress video category is selected by said user.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein said method further comprises:

providing a third window on said computer screen display, wherein said menu of user-selectable categories of tactical information comprises a critical information category and said second window displays a plurality of critical information subcategories upon selection of said critical information category from said menu;

receiving a user selection of one of said plurality of critical information subcategories; and

displaying information corresponding to said selected critical information subcategory in said third window.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein said critical information subcategories comprise administrative personnel contact information and emergency utility shut-off information.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38 wherein said method further comprises:

detecting when said emergency utility shut-off information category is selected from said second window;

providing, in said third window, utility shut-off information pertaining to said site and at least one link corresponding to a utility shut-off mechanism when said emergency utility shut-off information subcategory is selected from said second window;

detecting when said at least one link is selected by a user; and

displaying, in said second window, an image of said utility shut-off mechanism when said at least one link is selected by said user.

40. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a first set of data representing a plurality of user-selectable categories of tactical information pertaining to a site;

a second set of data representing tactical information corresponding to said plurality of user-selectable categories;

a third set of data representing a layout diagram of a floor of a building located on said site, said layout diagram illustrating the location and layout of a plurality of rooms on said floor;

a fourth set of data representing a plurality of links in said layout diagram, wherein each link corresponds to one of said plurality of rooms; and

a fifth set of data representing a plurality of images each corresponding to one of said plurality of links.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein said plurality of images comprise a plurality of 360-degree spherical images, wherein a user may navigate in said spherical images by using a cursor of a selection device to select a desired navigational direction.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41 wherein at least one of said plurality of spherical images further comprises at least one embedded pop-up message, wherein, when said cursor is positioned on an object within said spherical image, said pop-up message provides further information pertaining to said object.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 further comprising a sixth set of data representing text information pertaining to respective ones of said plurality of rooms.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein:

said plurality of user-selectable categories comprises a map category; and

said tactical information comprises data for generating at least one map that graphically illustrates a geographic location of said site.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein:

said plurality of user-selectable categories comprises an aerial view category; and

said tactical information comprises data for generating an aerial view of said site.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein:

said plurality of user-selectable categories comprises an aerial animation category; and

said tactical information comprises data for generating an aerial animation of said site.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein:

said plurality of user-selectable categories comprises a site map category; and

said tactical information comprises data for generating a site map of said site.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein:

said plurality of user-selectable categories comprises an ingress video category; and

said tactical information comprises data for generating a video of an ingress route to said site.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein said plurality of user-selectable categories comprise a critical information category and wherein said data structure further comprises:

a sixth set of data representing a plurality of critical information subcategories; and

a seventh set of data representing critical information corresponding to said plurality of critical information subcategories.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 49 wherein said critical information subcategories comprise administrative personnel contact information and emergency utility shut-off information.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50 wherein said critical information comprises data for generating at least one image of a utility shut-off mechanism.