Disaster recovery virtual roll call and recovery management system

• US 20030197615A1
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oak Lawn Marketing Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oak Lawn Marketing Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Reid, Scott, Roche, Robert, Hladilek, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,026,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems

Abstract

A disaster recovery virtual roll call and recovery management system and method allows any organization to locate their staff and allocate resources to their staff in the event of a disaster. User information can be stored on remote, distributed computer networks to assure that the information is available during a disaster. The computer networks can be web networks and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) networks, to provide different methods of user interaction with the system. In case of disaster, the system can contact the users over one or more communications networks, such as by email or IVR message, and request the user provide their status. The users can send user status updates to the web network using internet enabled devices, such as personal computers, telephones, or handheld portable computers, or to the IVR network using standard or wireless telephones. The system can compile the information, and generate reports on group and individual status.

Claims

1. A disaster recovery virtual roll call and recovery management system, comprising:

a plurality of computer networks, each computer network operably connected to at least one other computer network, each computer network having database storage;

a plurality of communication networks, each communication network operably connected to at least one of the plurality of computer networks;

wherein the database storage stores user contact information and user status information, at least one of the plurality of computer networks contacts the user through at least one of the plurality of communication networks according to the user contact information in case of disaster, and the user status information is updated by the user through at least one of the plurality of communication networks.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of computer networks are connected through the internet.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of computer networks comprises a first computer network and a second computer network, the first computer network remotely located from the second computer network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the user contact information on the plurality of computer networks is synchronized.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the user status information on the plurality of computer networks is synchronized.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of computer networks are selected from the group consisting of web networks and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) networks.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication networks are selected from the group consisting of telephone connections and internet connections.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the telephone connections are selected from the group consisting of standard telephones and wireless telephones.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the internet connections are selected from the group consisting of internet enabled personal computers, internet enabled wireless devices, internet enabled telephones, handheld portable computers with a wireless internet connection, and notebook portable computers with a wireless internet connection.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the internet connections includes a global positioning circuit.

11. A disaster recovery virtual roll call and recovery management method comprising:

storing personal profile information comprising user contact information and user status information on a plurality of computer networks;

sending an emergency broadcast message to users according to the user contact information over at least one communication network, the emergency broadcast message requesting the users to update their status information;

receiving updated user status information on at least one of the plurality of computer networks;

compiling the updated user status information; and

generating user status reports from the personal profile information.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising synchronizing the user contact information and the user status information on the plurality of computer networks.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of computer networks are selected from the group consisting of web networks and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) networks.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the communication network is selected from the group consisting of telephone connections and internet connections.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the telephone connections are selected from the group consisting of standard telephones and wireless telephones.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the internet connections are selected from the group consisting of internet enabled personal computers, internet enabled wireless devices, internet enabled telephones, handheld portable computers with a wireless internet connection, and notebook portable computers with a wireless internet connection.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the updated user status information includes user location information.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein sending an emergency broadcast message to users according to the user contact information over at least one communication network further comprises:

selecting an emergency broadcast message mode; and

sending the emergency broadcast message according to the emergency broadcast message mode.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the emergency broadcast message mode is selected from the group consisting of quick send mode and detailed send mode.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

storing third party notification information on at least one of the plurality of computer networks; and

sending user status information to third parties according to the third party notification information.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein generating user status reports from the personal profile information further comprises generating a transactional report when updated user status information is received.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein generating user status reports from the personal profile information further comprises generating an analytic report, the analytic report comprising a general status report and links to detailed status reports.

23. The method of claim 11 further comprising sending an information broadcast message to users according to the user contact information.

24. A disaster recovery virtual roll call and recovery management system comprising:

means for storing personal profile information comprising user contact information and user status information on a plurality of computer networks;

means for sending an emergency broadcast message to users according to the user contact information over at least one means for communicating, the emergency broadcast message requesting the users to update their status information;

means for receiving updated user status information on at least one of the plurality of computer networks;

means for compiling the updated user status information;

means for generating user status reports from the personal profile information.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for synchronizing the user contact information and the user status information on the plurality of computer networks.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein means for sending an emergency broadcast message to users according to the user contact information over at least one means for communicating further comprises:

means for selecting an emergency broadcast message mode; and

means for sending the emergency broadcast message according to the emergency broadcast message mode.

27. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for storing third party notification information on at least one of the plurality of computer networks; and

means for sending user status information to third parties according to the third party notification information.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein means for generating user status reports from the personal profile information further comprises means for generating a transactional report when updated user status information is received.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein means for generating user status reports from the personal profile information further comprises means for generating an analytic report, the analytic report comprising a general status report and links to detailed status reports.

30. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for sending an information broadcast message to users according to the user contact information.

31. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for pinpointing user location.