Mobile telephone network-based system for detection and location of hazardous agents

• US 20060079208A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kiswe Mobile Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jeong Kim, Yung-Lung Ho
• Inventors: Kim, Jeong, Ho, Yung-Lung
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A system for detecting hazardous agents is based on cellular telephone networks. The cellular telephones in public circulation have at least one detector for detecting at least one hazardous agent and broadcast alarm packets upon detecting the hazardous agent. A computer or computer network interconnected with telephones by the cellular telephone network processes the alarm packets and sets an alarm condition for the hazardous agent in a vicinity of the cellular telephone by calculations based upon alarm packets from other telephones with detectors for the hazardous agent in the vicinity. A map of the contaminated area is also created.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone network-based system for detecting hazardous agents, said cellular telephone network capable of locating cellular telephones in said network, said system comprising:

a plurality of cellular telephones in public circulation, each cellular telephone having at least one detector for detecting at least one hazardous agent, said cellular telephone broadcasting over said cellular telephone network at least one alarm packet upon detecting said hazardous agent; and

at least one computer interconnected with said plurality of telephones by said cellular telephone network for processing said alarm packet and setting an alarm condition for said hazardous agent in a vicinity of said cellular telephone by calculations based upon alarm packets from other telephones with detectors for said hazardous agent in said vicinity.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said calculations include determination of a level of contamination of said hazardous agent in said vicinity and integration over said level of contamination of said hazardous agent over said vicinity to determine whether a result of integration exceeds an alarm threshold.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said calculations include adjusting for the number of telephones broadcasting alarm packets for said hazardous agent in said vicinity with respect to the total number of telephones capable of detecting said hazardous agent in said vicinity.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said calculations include adjusting for the age of said at least one detector of said cellular telephone in alarm.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said calculations include adjusting for the reliability of said at least one detector of said cellular telephone in alarm.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said calculations include compensating for the number of telephones broadcasting alarm packets for said hazardous agent in said vicinity with respect to the total number of telephones capable of detecting said hazardous agent in said vicinity.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer further creates a map of area contaminated by said hazardous agent.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said computer further determines a likely origin of said hazardous agent.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said computer determines said likely origin of said hazardous agent from wind velocity data.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said computer further predicts spread of said hazardous agent from said wind velocity data.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said hazardous agent comprises biological, chemical or radioactive material.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said calculations include compensating for any uncertainty in telephone locations.

13. In a system based on a cellular telephone network having a plurality of cellular telephones in public circulation, each cellular telephone capable of detecting one or more hazardous agents and being located by said cellular telephone network, a method comprising:

receiving an alarm packet from any of said cellular telephones responsive to detection of a hazardous agent, said alarm packet including data identifying said hazardous agent and a cellular telephone base station in communication with said telephone;

determining a level of contamination of said hazardous agent in said vicinity;

integrating said level of contamination over said vicinity; and

determining whether a resulting integration value exceeds a threshold to determine whether an alarm condition for said hazardous agent in said vicinity exists.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

adjusting said level of contamination for the number of telephones broadcasting alarm packets for said hazardous agent in said vicinity with respect to the total number of telephones capable of detecting said hazardous agent in said vicinity.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said determining step includes accounting for the age of a detector in a cellular telephone in alarm.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said determining step includes accounting for the reliability of a detector in a cellular telephone in alarm.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising creating a map of area contaminated by said hazardous agent.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining a likely origin of said hazardous agent.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said likely origin determining step includes using wind velocity data.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising predicting spread of said hazardous agent from said wind velocity data.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein said hazardous agent comprises biological, chemical or radioactive material.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein said contamination level determining step includes compensating for any uncertainty in telephone locations.