SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING AND DISSEMINATING INTELLIGENT EVACUATION ROUTES BASED ON LOCATION AWARENESS AND INTEGRATED ANALYTICS

• US 20100136945A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Flores, Romelia, Givens, Charlet, Mathai, Shiju, Kwan, Hung Tack
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A system for providing emergency-related information. The system can include a processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions. The system can also include one or more communications devices utilized by a user, wherein the one or more communications devices is communicatively linked with a provider. Additionally, the system can include a personalized notification route engine (PNRE) configured to execute on the processor and communicatively linked with the provider. The PNRE can be configured to receive geospatial information associated with the one or more communications devices via the provider. Also, the PNRE can be configured to obtain data comprising one or more among evacuation routes, evacuation rules, demographic data, environmental conditions, external alerts, real-time traffic data, and traffic control data. The PNRE can further be configured to determine the emergency-related information based on the geospatial information and the obtained data and transmit the determined emergency-related information to the user via the provider.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for providing emergency-related information, the method comprising:

receiving at a first system geospatial information associated with a device utilized by a user, wherein the device is communicatively linked with a provider that is communicatively linked to the first system;

obtaining data from a second system, wherein the data comprises at least one among evacuation routes, evacuation rules, demographic data, environmental conditions, external alerts, real-time traffic data, and traffic control data;

determining the emergency-related information based on the geospatial information and the data obtained from the second system; and

transmitting the determined emergency-related information to the user via the provider.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to request the emergency-related information by utilizing the device to send a request to the first system via the provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the emergency-related information based on a frequency specified by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency-related information is transmitted to the user in real-time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one of a mobile communications device, a computing device, and a cellular phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency-related information comprises at least one among a route, an alert, traffic information, environmental conditions, and a mode of transportation, wherein the route comprises at least one of a primary route and an alternate route.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the alert comprises providing instructions to the user to evacuate to a safe zone without interfering with an emergency personnel.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising load balancing traffic based on the obtained data, wherein the load balancing is utilized to minimize congestion on the determined routes.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining an impact of the determined emergency-related information based on at least one of the external alerts, additional data from the second system, a quantity of requests received, a quantity of routes determined, and a frequency of the routes transmitted to the user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing guidance on the emergency-related information based on the determined impact.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining and transmitting another route to the user if the route the user selects is congested.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an emergency region based on at least one of the external alert and the geospatial information and determining if the user is in the emergency region based on the geospatial information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the obtaining of the data, determining of the emergency-related information, and transmitting of the emergency-related information are only performed if the user is determined to be in the emergency region.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising integrating an application with the first system by utilizing an integration technology.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising integrating the provider with the first system by utilizing a broker.

16. A computer-based system for providing emergency-related information, the system comprising:

a processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions;

at least one communications device utilized by a user, wherein the at least one communications device is communicatively linked with a provider;

a personalized notification route engine (PNRE) configured to execute on the processor and communicatively linked with the provider, wherein the PNRE is configured to;

receive geospatial information associated with the at least one communications device via the provider;

obtain data comprising at least one among evacuation routes, evacuation rules, demographic data, environmental conditions, external alerts, real-time traffic data, and traffic control data;

determine the emergency-related information based on the geospatial information and the obtained data; and

transmit the determined emergency-related information to the at least one communications device via the provider.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an alerting engine configured to execute on the processor, wherein the alerting engine is communicatively linked to the PNRE and the at least one communications device via the provider.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the alerting engine 114 can is configured to convey at least one of a broadcast emergency message and a specific message containing the emergency-related information based on at least one of the geospatial information, the obtained data, and the external alerts.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the alerting engine is configured to receive a request for the emergency-related information from the user via the at least one communications device and notify the PNRE to determine the emergency-related information.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the alerting engine is configured to receive a request to update the emergency-related information based on a frequency specified by the user and notify the PNRE, and wherein the PNRE is configured to update the emergency-related information and transmit the updated emergency-related information at the frequency specified to the at least one communications device via the alerting engine and the provider.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the emergency-related information to the user in real-time.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one communications device comprises at least one of a mobile device, a computing device, and a cellular phone.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the emergency-related information comprises at least one among a route, an alert, traffic information, environmental conditions, and a mode of transportation, wherein the route comprises at least one of a primary route and an alternate route.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the alert comprises providing instructions to the user to evacuate to a safe zone without interfering with an emergency personnel.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the PNRE is configured to load balance traffic based on the obtained data, wherein the load balancing is utilized to minimize congestion on the determined routes.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising an impact analytics engine (IAE) configured to execute on the processor and communicatively linked to the PNRE, wherein the IAE is configured to determine an impact of the determined emergency-related information based on at least one of the external alerts, additional data, a quantity of requests received, a quantity of the routes determined, and a frequency of the routes transmitted to the user.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the IAE is configured to provide guidance on the emergency-related information to the user based on the determined impact.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to determine and transmit another route to the user if the route the user selects is congested.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to determine an emergency region based on at least one of the external alert and the geospatial information and determine if the user is in the emergency region based on the geospatial information.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the obtaining of the data, determining of the emergency-related information, and transmitting the emergency-related information are only performed if the user is determined to be in the emergency region.

31. The system of claim 16, further comprising integrating an application with the PNRE by utilizing an integration technology.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising integrating the provider with the PNRE by utilizing a broker.

33. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein computer-readable instructions, which, when loaded in and executed by a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of:

receiving at a first system geospatial information associated with a device utilized by a user, wherein the device is communicatively linked with a provider that is communicatively linked to the first system;

obtaining data from a second system, wherein the data comprises at least one among evacuation routes, evacuation rules, demographic data, environmental conditions, external alerts, real-time traffic data, and traffic control data;

determining emergency-related information based on the geospatial information and the data obtained from the second system; and

transmitting the determined emergency-related information to the user via the provider.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising computer-readable code for causing the computer to enable the user to request the emergency-related information by utilizing the device to send a request to the first system via the provider.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising computer-readable code for causing the computer to update the emergency-related information based on a frequency specified by the user.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the emergency-related information is transmitted to the user in real-time.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the device comprises at least one of a mobile communications device, a computing device, and a cellular phone.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the emergency-related information comprises at least one among a route, an alert, traffic information, environmental conditions, and a mode of transportation, wherein the route comprises at least one of a primary route and an alternate route.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the alert comprises providing instructions to the user to evacuate to a safe zone without interfering with an emergency personnel.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38, further comprising computer-readable code for causing the computer to load balance traffic based on the obtained data wherein the load balancing is utilized to minimize congestion on the determined routes.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38, further comprising computer-readable code for causing the computer to determine an impact of the determined emergency-related information based on at least one of the external alerts, additional data from the second system, a quantity of requests received, a quantity of the routes determined, and a frequency of the routes transmitted to the user.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 41, further comprising computer-readable code for causing the computer to provide guidance on the emergency-related information to the user based on the determined impact.

43. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38, further comprising computer-readable code for causing the computer to determine and transmit another route to the user if the route the user selects is congested.

44. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising computer-readable code for causing the computer to determine an emergency region based on at least one of the external alert and the geospatial information and determining if the user is in the emergency region based on the geospatial information.

45. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 44, wherein the obtaining of the data, determining of the emergency-related information, and transmitting of the emergency-related information are only performed if the user is determined to be in the emergency region.

46. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising integrating an application with the first system by utilizing an integration technology.

47. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 46, further comprising integrating the provider with the first system by utilizing a broker.