System and method for employee notification and evidence gathering during a robbery

• US 20040140901A1
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rebecca M. Marsh
• Original Assignee: Rebecca M. Marsh
• Inventors: Marsh, Rebecca M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,992,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/574
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0297 Robbery alarms, e.g. hold-up alarms, bag snatching alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/229 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for

Abstract

A security monitor receives an indication of a robbery from a security system. In response, an alert generator sends an alert to a plurality of employee terminals, where the alert causes each of the employee terminals to preemptively display a notification of the robbery and prompt for and record an employee'"'"'s observations.

Claims

1. A system for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

a security monitor to receive an indication of a robbery from a security system; and

an alert generator to send an alert to a plurality of employee terminals, wherein the alert is to cause each of the employee terminals to preemptively display a notification of the robbery.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification specifies a particular employee who is being robbed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification specifies an approximate time of the robbery.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises a set of instructions for a receiving employee to carry out during the robbery.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one set of instructions is specific to a particular employee.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises a pop-up window.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises a ticker.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one employee is a teller at a financial institution.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one employee terminal comprises:

an alert reception module to receive the alert; and

a notification agent to preemptively display the notification message.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one employee terminal comprises:

an observation recorder to prompt an employee for and record any observations during the robbery.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an evidence compiler for retrieving stored employee observations from the plurality of employee terminals.

12. A system for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

a security monitor for receiving an indication of a robbery from a security system; and

an alert generator to send an alert to a plurality of employee terminals through a network, wherein the alert is to cause each of the employee terminals to preemptively display a notification of the robbery and prompt an employee for an observation during the robbery.

13. An apparatus for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

an alert detector to receive an alert indicating that a robbery is in progress;

a notification agent to preemptively display a notification of the robbery on a display screen; and

an observation recorder to prompt an employee for and record any observations during the robbery.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein an observation comprises a text description.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein an observation comprises a vocal description.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the notification agent is to prevent the notification from being removed from the display screen until after the robbery.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the notification specifies a particular employee who is being robbed.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the notification specifies an approximate time of the robbery.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

an instruction module for displaying with the notification a set of instructions for a receiving employee to carry out during the robbery.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions is specific to a particular employee.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the notification comprises a pop-up window.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the notification comprises a ticker.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one employee is a teller at a financial institution.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the alert is received through a network.

25. An apparatus for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

an alert detector to receive an alert that a robbery is in progress;

a notification agent to preemptively display a notification of the robbery on a display screen; and

an instruction module to instruct a receiving employee to carry out a set of instructions during the robbery.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the set of instructions is specific to a particular employee.

27. A system for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

means for receiving an indication of a robbery from a security system; and

means for sending an alert to a plurality of employee terminals, wherein the alert is to cause each of the employee terminals to preemptively display a notification of the robbery.

28. An apparatus for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

means for receiving an alert that a robbery is in progress;

means for preemptively displaying a notification of the robbery on a display screen; and

means for prompting an employee for and recording any observations during the robbery.

29. A computer program product comprising program code for performing a method for alerting employees to a robbery, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a robbery from a security system; and

sending an alert to a plurality of employee terminals, wherein the alert is to cause each of the employee terminals to preemptively display a notification of the robbery.

30. A computer program product comprising program code for performing a method for alerting employees to a robbery, the method comprising:

receiving an alert indicating that a robbery is in progress;

preemptively displaying a notification of the robbery on a display screen; and

prompting an employee for and recording any observations during the robbery.

31. A method for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

receiving an indication of a robbery from a security system; and

sending an alert to a plurality of employee terminals, wherein-the alert is to cause each of the employee terminals to preemptively display a notification of the robbery.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the notification specifies a particular employee who is being robbed.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the notification specifies an approximate time of the robbery.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the notification comprises a set of instructions for a receiving employee to carry out during the robbery.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein at least one set of instructions is specific to a particular employee.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the notification comprises a pop-up window.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the notification comprises a ticker.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein at least one employee is a teller at a financial institution.

39. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

within an employee terminal;

receiving the alert; and

preemptively displaying the notification message.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

within an employee terminal;

prompting an employee for an observation during the robbery; and

recording the observation.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

retrieving observations stored by the plurality of employee terminals.

42. A method for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

receiving an indication of a robbery from a security system; and

sending an alert to a plurality of employee terminals through a network, wherein the alert is to cause an employee terminal to preemptively display a notification of the robbery and to prompt an employee for an observation during the robbery.

43. A method for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

receiving an alert indicating that a robbery is in progress;

preemptively displaying a notification of the robbery on a display screen; and

prompting an employee for and recording any observations during the robbery.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein an observation comprises a text description.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein an observation comprises a vocal description.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

preventing the notification from being removed from the display screen until after the robbery.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein preemptively displaying a notification comprises specifying a particular employee who is being robbed.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein preemptively displaying a notification comprises specifying an approximate time of the robbery.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

displaying with the notification a set of instructions for a receiving employee to carry out during the robbery.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the set of instructions is specific to a particular employee.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein preemptively displaying a notification comprises showing the notification as a pop-up window.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein preemptively displaying a notification comprises showing the notification as a ticker.

53. The method of claim 43, wherein at least one employee is a teller at a financial institution.

54. The method of claim 43, wherein receiving comprises receiving an alert through a network.

55. A method for alerting employees to a robbery comprising:

receiving an alert indicating that a robbery is in progress;

preemptively displaying a notification of the robbery on a display screen; and

instructing an employee to carry out a set of instructions during the robbery.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the set of instructions is specific to a particular employee.

57. A user interface for alerting employees to a robbery, the user interface comprising:

a notification area for notifying an employee about a robbery; and

an observation area to prompt for and provide an interface for receiving an observation of an employee during the robbery.

58. The user interface of claim 57, wherein the notification area specifies a particular employee who is being robbed.

59. The user interface of claim 57, wherein the observation area comprises a text entry area.

60. The user interface of claim 57, wherein the observation area comprises a control for recording a vocal description by the employee.

61. The user interface of claim 57, further comprising:

an instruction area for providing a set of instructions for the employee to carry out during the robbery.

62. The user interface of claim 61, wherein the set of instructions is specific to the particular employee.

63. The user interface of claim 61, wherein the notification area includes an approximate time of the robbery.