Information Collecting and Decision Making Via Tiered Information Network Systems

• US 20080258880A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Decision Sciences International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Decision Sciences International Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Richard A., Sharp, Steven K., Marcelino, Joe T., Vineyard, David C., McGinn, Tim D., Scoggins, Gary E., Warren, Richard G., Loesberg, Lance D., Klugh, David C., Rosti, Peter T., Colthart, James M., Ramage, Michael D., Stephenson, James M., Livingston, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/286.02
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• 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: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Techniques, apparatus and systems for information collecting and decision making based on networks of sensors and communication nodes for security monitoring and warning, disaster warning, counter-terrorism, and other applications associated with information collecting and decision making.

Claims

1. A network system for collecting information from sensors, comprising:

a plurality of different tier networks in communication with one another, each tier network comprising a plurality of network nodes one of which is configured as a command center of the tier network to collect data from other network nodes within the tier network and to direct the collected data to a center node of a superordinate tier network, the different tier networks configured to perform different and tier-specific data collection and data processing tasks and at least one tier network being located within a superordinate tier network; and

a plurality of sensors spatially distributed in the different tier networks to perform sensing measurements, each sensor in communication with a respective network node to direct data of sensing measurements to the respective network node.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

the different tier networks comprise;

a plurality of subordinate tier networks at different geographic regions, respectively;

a first tier network that is superordinate to the plurality of subordinate tier networks and encompasses at least a first subordinate tier network in the plurality of subordinate tier networks; and

a second tier network of a same tier ranking with the first higher tier network to encompass at least a second subordinate tier network in the plurality of subordinate tier networks.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein:

the different tier networks comprise a third tier network that is superordinate to and encompasses the first and the second tier networks, the third tier network comprising a third command center in communication with a first command center in the first tier network and a second command center in the second tier network.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

the different tier networks comprise;

a plurality of subordinate tier networks are differentiated from one another based on non-geographic network attributes.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein:

one of the plurality of subordinate tier networks is a network of credit card computer servers or a network of other financial record computer database network.

6. The system as in claim 4, wherein:

one of the plurality of subordinate tier networks is a network of automatic teller machines.

7. The system as in claim 4, wherein:

one of the plurality of subordinate tier networks is a wireless mobile communication network.

8. The system as in claim 4, wherein:

one of the plurality of subordinate tier networks is an on-line service computer server network.

9. The system as in claim 1, comprising:

two different tier networks share one or more common network nodes while other network nodes in the two different tier networks are different.

10. The system as in claim 1, comprising:

a processing mechanism to distribute data processing to the plurality of different tier networks and to produce a response based on the distributed data processing.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein:

the processing mechanism is adaptive to a history of responses of the system.

12. The system as in claim 10, wherein:

the processing mechanism comprises a neural network processing logic.

13. The system as in claim 10, wherein:

the processing mechanism comprises a fuzzy logic processing mechanism.

14. The system as in claim 10, wherein:

the sensors include sensors to detect a security threat and the processing mechanism produces a response to a confirmed security threat.

15. The system as in claim 14, wherein:

one or more tier networks in the plurality of different tier networks include network nodes at roadway intersections;

the sensors include automatic license plate recognition sensors to obtain data on vehicle license plates; and

the response produced by the processing mechanism includes controlling traffic controllers to alter traffic routes at one or more locations.

16. The system as in claim 14, wherein:

one or more tier networks in the plurality of different tier networks include network nodes at locations different from roadway intersections.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein:

one or more tier networks in the plurality of different tier networks include network nodes at border checkpoints.

18. The system as in claim 16, wherein:

one or more tier networks in the plurality of different tier networks include network nodes at airport security checkpoints.

19. The system as in claim 16, wherein:

one or more tier networks in the plurality of different tier networks include network nodes at building or facility security checkpoints.

20. The system as in claim 16, wherein:

one or more tier networks in the plurality of different tier networks include network nodes at waterway security checkpoints.

21. The system as in claim 16, wherein:

one or more tier networks in the plurality of different tier networks include network nodes at railroad security checkpoints.

22. The system as in claim 10, comprising:

an artificial episodic memory mechanism in storing data in the plurality of different tier networks, and

wherein the processing mechanism is configured to perform data processing based on the artificial episodic memory mechanism.

23. The system as in claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of different tier networks includes databases that store historic event scenarios, and

the processing mechanism is configured to perform data processing in part based on the stored historic event scenarios.

24. The system as in claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of different tier networks includes databases that store event scenario simulation data, and

the processing mechanism is configured to perform data processing in part based on the stored event scenario simulation data.

25. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

the sensors include at least one or more sensors that detect at least one of a target chemical material, a target biological material, a target radiological material, a target nuclear material, and a target explosive material.

26. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

each command center in a tier network comprises a database to store data in the tier network, a situation awareness module to provide event detection, event forecasting, assessment and response, a analytic module to analyze data characteristics, and a communication module to provide communications with adjacent subordinate and superordinate tier networks.

27. The system as in claim 26, wherein:

the communication module in each command center in a tier network comprises a communication mechanism to link the command center to one or more databases or systems outside the system to retrieve information outside the system into the system for data collection and processing.

28. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

each command center in a tier network comprises an user interface to allow a person to interact with the system.

29. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of different tier networks is configured to operate independently and autonomously with respect to one or more other tier networks that are subordinate or equal in tier ranking.

30. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

a command center in each of the plurality of different tier networks is configured to directly communicate with a node in the respective tier network and in one or more other tier networks that are subordinate in tier ranking to the respective tier network.

31. A network system for collecting information from sensors, comprising:

a plurality of sensors spatially distributed in a region of interest to perform sensing measurements;

a plurality of sensor communication nodes, each sensor communication node in communication with at least one of the sensors to receive data from the at least one sensor;

communication links that link the sensor communication nodes into a plurality of tier networks of sensor communication nodes based on geographic location attributes and non-geographic location attributes, the plurality of tier networks being configured to perform different data collection and data processing tasks based on the tier network attributes; and

a processing mechanism to distribute data processing to the plurality of tier networks and to produce a response based on the distributed data processing.

32. The system as in claim 31, wherein:

the processing mechanism is adaptive to a history of responses of the system.

33. The system as in claim 31, wherein:

the processing mechanism comprises a neural network processing logic.

34. The system as in claim 31, wherein:

the processing mechanism comprises a fuzzy logic processing mechanism.

35. The system as in claim 31, wherein:

the sensors include sensors to detect a security threat and the processing mechanism produces a response to a confirmed security threat.

36. The system as in claim 31, comprising:

an artificial episodic memory mechanism in storing data in the plurality of tier networks, and

wherein the processing mechanism is configured to perform data processing based on the artificial episodic memory mechanism.

37. The system as in claim 31, wherein:

the plurality of tier networks includes databases that store historic event scenarios, and

the processing mechanism is configured to perform data processing in part based on the stored historic event scenarios.

38. The system as in claim 31, wherein:

the plurality of different tier networks includes databases that store event scenario simulation data, and

the processing mechanism is configured to perform data processing in part based on the stored event scenario simulation data.

39. The system as in claim 31, wherein:

the sensors include at least one or more sensors that detect at least one of a target chemical material, a target biological material, a target radiological material, a target nuclear material, and a target explosive material.

40. The system as in claim 31, wherein:

the tier networks in the plurality of tier networks are configured as in a subordinate-superordinate relationship with one another, and

each tier network comprises a node as a tier command center which comprises;

a database to store data in the tier network,

a situation awareness module to provide event detection, event forecasting, assessment and response,

a analytic module to analyze data characteristics, and

a communication module to provide communications with adjacent subordinate and superordinate tier networks.

41. The system as in claim 40, wherein:

the communication module in each command center in a tier network comprises a communication mechanism to link the command center to one or more databases or systems outside the system to retrieve information outside the system into the system for data collection and processing.

42. The system as in claim 40, wherein:

each command center in a tier network comprises an user interface to allow a person to interact with the system.

43. The system as in claim 40, wherein:

each of the plurality of different tier networks is configured to operate independently and autonomously with respect to one or more other tier networks that are subordinate or equal in tier ranking.

44. The system as in claim 40, wherein:

a command center in each of the plurality of different tier networks is configured to directly communicate with a node in the respective tier network and in one or more other tier networks that are subordinate in tier ranking to the respective tier network.

45. A method for using a security network, comprising

embedding threat detection software in a plurality of roadway traffic signal controllers;

coupling at least one threat detection sensor to a corresponding roadway traffic signal controller; and

monitoring output of the at least one threat detection sensor by the corresponding roadway traffic signal controller.

46. The method as in claim 45, comprising:

providing sensor nodes each comprising at least one threat detection sensor at locations separate from roadway traffic signal controllers; and

processing data from the roadway traffic signal controllers and the sensor nodes to determine a threat condition in the security network.

47. A security network, comprising

a plurality of second tier networks,

a plurality of third tier networks;

and

a plurality of fourth tier networks,

wherein at least one of the second tier networks comprises a plurality of fourth tier networks, and

wherein each network is assigned tasks corresponding to the tier.

48. The network as in claim 47, comprising:

sensors distributed in the second, third and fourth tier networks within the security network to perform sensing measurements each indicative of a security condition at a location of a respective sensor, wherein the second, third and fourth tier networks collaborate to process data from the sensors and to perform analysis of processed data to generate a threat status in the security network.