Apparatus and Methods for Distributing and Displaying Emergency Communications

• US 20110169634A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thinxtream Technologies Pte. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Thinxtream Technologies Pte. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shet, Sanjiv, Raj, Ranga, Bhat, Laxman
• Granted Patent: US 8,917,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for event management, allowing authorized users or authorities to distribute and display emergency communications on digital displays. In one aspect, an emergency management communications system receives event data sent by an emergency detections system comprised of a network of sensors. The emergency management communications system processes the event data to determine an event perimeter, and then selects one or more digital displays based upon the event data or the determined event perimeter. Next, the emergency management communications system authors one or more emergency communications corresponding to the one or more digital displays and sends said one or more emergency communications to said one or more digital display, thereby allowing the one or more digital displays to display the corresponding one or more emergency communications to the affected populations.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing emergency communications to affected populations via digital interfaces, the method comprising:

receiving event data sent by an emergency detection system;

processing the event data to determine an event perimeter;

selecting one or more interfaces based upon the event data or the determined event perimeter;

authoring one or more emergency communications corresponding to the one or more interfaces; and

sending the one or more emergency communications to the one or more corresponding interfaces;

thereby allowing the one or more interfaces to display the corresponding one or more emergency communications to the affected populations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interfaces comprise digital displays, digital signage systems, OOH digital signage systems, monitors, or access devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

queuing one or more of the emergency communications; and

receiving approval for one or more of the emergency communications;

thereby allowing an authority to review one or more of the emergency communications prior to dissemination.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the event perimeter, the one or more selected interfaces, and the one or more emergency communications to an emergency message distribution system, wherein the emergency message distribution system sends the one or more emergency communications to the one or more corresponding interfaces;

thereby allowing the one or more interfaces to display the corresponding one or more emergency communications to the affected populations.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the event perimeter, the one or more selected interfaces, and the one or more emergency communications to one or more advertising network operators, wherein the one or more advertising network operators sends the one or more emergency communications to the one or more corresponding interfaces for display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the event perimeter based on environmental conditions, situational awareness data, or event data;

selecting or de-selecting one or more interfaces based upon the adjusted event perimeter; and

sending the one or more emergency communications to the one or more corresponding selected interfaces;

thereby allowing the one or more emergency communications to reach an optimal number of the affected population.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

editing the one or more emergency communications based on environmental conditions, situational awareness data, or event data; and

sending the one or more edited emergency communications to the one or more corresponding interfaces.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency detection system comprises a network of sensors, alert feeds, or data sources.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the network of sensors, alert feeds, or data sources further comprise fire alarms, biosensors, chemical sensors, thermal sensors, electromagnetic sensors, mechanical sensors, optical sensors, ionizing sensors, acoustic sensors, photoelectric sensors, biological sensors, biohazard sensors, radiological sensors, geodetic sensors, surveillance cameras, seismometers, microphones, phone taps, microphones, cameras, weather sensors, or radio-frequency identification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interfaces comprise metadata.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the metadata further comprises location data, venue type, interface format, interface size, geo-spatial data, time of day, or time of year.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more emergency communications comprises web feed, text crawl, email, instant message, video data, or audio data.

13. A method for displaying emergency communications on digital interfaces, the method comprising:

receiving an event perimeter and one or more emergency communications from a dissemination engine;

processing the event perimeter to determine interfaces within the event perimeter; and

displaying the one or more emergency communications on the determined interfaces.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determined interfaces comprise digital displays, digital signage systems, OOH digital signage systems, monitors, or access devices.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an adjusted event perimeter from the dissemination engine, the adjusted event perimeter based on environmental conditions, situational awareness data, or event data;

processing the adjusted event perimeter to determine interfaces within the adjusted event perimeter; and

displaying the one or more emergency communications on the determined interfaces.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving one or more edited emergency communications from the dissemination engine, the one or more edited emergency communications based on environmental conditions, situational awareness data, or event data; and

displaying the one or more edited emergency communications on the determined interfaces.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the interfaces comprise metadata.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the metadata further comprises location data, venue type, interface format, interface size, geo-spatial data, time of day, or time of year.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more emergency communications comprises web feed, text crawl, email, instant message, video data, or audio data.

20. A console implemented method for allowing authorities to manage an event via digital interfaces, the method comprising:

monitoring current event data;

adjusting a previously determined event perimeter based on the current event data; and

sending the adjusted event perimeter to an emergency management communications system;

wherein the emergency management communications system selects one or more interfaces based upon the adjusted event perimeter.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more interfaces comprise digital displays, digital signage systems, OOH digital signage systems, monitors, or access devices.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

authoring one or more emergency communications corresponding to the one or more interfaces; and

sending the one or more emergency communications to an emergency management communications system for distribution to the one or more interfaces.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more emergency communications comprises web feed, text crawl, email, instant message, video data, or audio data.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sending authentication data to the emergency management communications system, the authentication data allowing the emergency management communications system to authenticate the authority for security purposes.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the authentication data comprises a login, password, phone number, or a device ID.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more interfaces comprise metadata.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the metadata further comprises location data, venue type, interface format, interface size, geo-spatial data, time of day, or time of year.

28. A emergency management communications computing device configured to provide communications to affected populations via digital interfaces, the system comprising:

a processor and a memory configured to;

receive event data sent by an emergency detection system;

process the event data to determine an event perimeter;

select one or more interfaces based upon the event data or the determined event perimeter;

author one or more communications corresponding to the one or more interfaces; and

send the one or more communications to the one or more corresponding interfaces;

thereby allowing the one or more interfaces to display the corresponding one or more communications to the affected populations.

29. A system for providing communications, the system comprising:

emergency detection means for detecting event data;

emergency management communications means for receiving the event data, the

emergency management communications means having processor means for determining an event perimeter based on the event data and authoring one or more communications; and

display means based on the event perimeter for displaying the one or more communications.