Travel plan emergency alerting system

• US 20040198315A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kwiktrac Alerting Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Kwiktrac Alerting Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Vellotti, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/817,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20040198315A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A travel plan emergency alerting system is adapted to receive, from a user, user information and trip/alert information (including at least an expected time of return from a trip and contact information for an emergency contact person). The system is adapted to determine, based at least in part upon whether alert deactivation information has been received, whether the user has returned from the trip, and, based at least in part upon the trip/alert information, whether the expected time of return has passed. The system generates and transmits to the emergency contact person an alert message if the expected time of return has passed and if the user has not returned from the trip. In some embodiments, the system also includes a telephone interface through which the alert deactivation information is received. In some embodiments, the trip/alert information and the alert message includes a recorded message in the user'"'"'s own voice.

Claims

1. A travel plan emergency alerting system comprising:

a central computing system adapted to receive, from a user, user information and trip/alert information, the trip/alert information comprising at least an expected time of return from a trip and contact information for an emergency contact person;

a telephone interface through which said central computing system is adapted to receive alert deactivation information from the user when the user returns from the trip;

an alert processing routine executing on said central computing system, said alert processing routine adapted to determine, based at least in part upon whether alert deactivation information has been received, whether the user has returned from the trip, and, based at least in part upon the trip/alert information, whether the expected time of return has passed; and

said alert processing routine generating and transmitting to the emergency contact person an alert message if the expected time of return has passed and if the user has not returned from the trip.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said central computing system is in communication with a computer network, and wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive the trip/alert information via the computer network.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive the trip/alert information via said telephone interface.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said central computing system comprises a telephony server to facilitate input of information by the user.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive from the user modifications to the trip/alert information, including modifications to the expected time of return.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive the modifications to the trip/alert information via said telephone interface.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the alert message is transmitted to the emergency contact person as at least one of an email message, a telephone message and a pager message.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the alert message comprises information concerning at least one of a users boat and equipment thereon, a user'"'"'s aircraft and equipment thereon, a user'"'"'s vehicle and equipment therein, a user'"'"'s camping gear, a time of departure, a planned route of travel, planned stops along the way, and traveling companions.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said trip/alert information comprises a recorded message in the user'"'"'s own voice, and wherein the alert message comprises the recorded message in the user'"'"'s own voice.

11. A travel plan emergency alerting system comprising:

a central computing system adapted to receive, from a user, user information and trip/alert information, the trip/alert information comprising at least an expected time of return from a trip, contact information for an emergency contact person and a recorded message in the user'"'"'s own voice;

said central computing system being further adapted to receive alert deactivation information from the user when the user returns from the trip;

an alert processing routine executing on said central computing system, said alert processing routine adapted to determine, based at least in part upon whether alert deactivation information has been received, whether the user has returned from the trip, and, based at least in part upon the trip/alert information, whether the expected time of return has passed; and

said alert processing routine generating and transmitting to the emergency contact person an alert message if the expected time of return has passed and if the user has not returned from the trip, the alert message comprising the recorded message in the user'"'"'s own voice.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said central computing system is in communication with a computer network, and wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive the trip/alert information via the computer network.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising a telephone interface, and wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive the trip/alert information via said telephone interface.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein said central computing system comprises a telephony server to facilitate input of information by the user.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive from the user modifications to the trip/alert information, including modifications to the expected time of return.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a telephone interface, and wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive the modifications to the trip/alert information via said telephone interface.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the alert message is transmitted to the emergency contact person as at least one of an email message, a telephone message and a pager message.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the alert message comprises information concerning at least one of a user'"'"'s boat and equipment thereon, a users aircraft and equipment thereon, a users vehicle and equipment therein, a user'"'"'s camping gear, a time of departure, a planned route of travel, planned stops along the way, and traveling companions.

20. The system of claim 11 further comprising a telephone interface, and wherein said central computing system is adapted to receive the alert deactivation information from the user via said telephone interface.

21. A method of generating travel plan emergency alerts comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a user, user information and trip/alert information, the trip/alert information comprising at least an expected time of return from a trip and contact information for an emergency contact person;

receiving alert deactivation information from the user when the user returns from the trip through a telephone interface;

determining, based at least in part upon whether alert deactivation information has been received, whether the user has returned from the trip, and, based at least in part upon the trip/alert information, whether the expected time of return has passed; and

generating and transmitting to the emergency contact person an alert message if the expected time of return has passed and if the user has not returned from the trip.

22. A method of generating travel plan emergency alerts comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a user, user information and trip/alert information, the trip/alert information comprising at least an expected time of return from a trip, contact information for an emergency contact person and a recorded message in the user'"'"'s own voice;

receiving alert deactivation information from the user when the user returns from the trip;

determining, based at least in part upon whether alert deactivation information has been received, whether the user has returned from the trip, and, based at least in part upon the trip/alert information, whether the expected time of return has passed; and

generating and transmitting to the emergency contact person an alert message if the expected time of return has passed and if the user has not returned from the trip, the alert message comprising the recorded message in the user'"'"'s own voice.