Wireless Emergency-Reporting System

• US 20070040895A1
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of South Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of South Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Labrador, Miguel, Perez, Rafael, Winters, Philip, Barbeau, Sean, Greorggi, Nevine
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.10
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A method of providing emergency related information to and from a centralized location over a wireless network. The method utilizes cellular phones in emergency communications and entails two embodiments that employ location-aware technologies, in portable form, in security applications. One embodiment serves as a modern high-tech “neighborhood watch,” enabling law enforcement access to the many “eyes and ears” of the public simultaneously via available cell phones. Cell phones with embedded digital cameras allow the instant capture and remote submission of suspicious circumstances to law enforcement through pictures or video.

Claims

1. A method of coordinating information received over a network comprising the steps of:

establishing a client module having at least one wireless device and wireless messaging application adapted to transmit information having location data and video data;

transmitting the information having location data and message data to a server module responsive to a command from the at least one wireless device;

parsing the video data from the location data;

storing the video data and location data;

initiating an action, responsive to a command from the server module, selected from the group consisting of transmitting information to the client module and forwarding the video and location data to an emergency service agency.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the location data comprises GPS coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of establishing a location server adapted to aggregate position information for a plurality of wireless devices in the client module.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of plotting the location data from the at least one wireless device on graphic user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of initiating communication with at least one wireless device in the client module responsive to selecting the plot on the graphic user interface correlating to the location data of the at least one wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the communication is initiated via a voice-over-Internet-protocol.

2. The method of claim further comprising the step of transmitting information having a location data and video data from a plurality of wireless devices.

8. A method of transmitting information over a network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a client module having at least one wireless device and wireless messaging application adapted to transmit location data;

establishing a predetermined geographic area;

transmitting information to at least one wireless device in the predetermined geographic responsive to a predetermined event.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the predetermined event is selected from the group consisting of a emergency event and a request from the at least one wireless device.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the information comprises public safety information.