Detecting and Responding to Incidents

• US 20110195685A1
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IG Partners, LLC
• Original Assignee: IG Partners, LLC
• Inventors: Austin, Michael, Bridges, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/700,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20110195685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for detecting and responding to incidents. In at least one computing device, it is determined that an incident associated with a personal communication device has occurred. A conference including a plurality of conference participants is initiated. An escalation decision is obtained from at least one of the conference participants.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device; and

an incident management application executable in the at least one computing device, the incident management application comprising;

logic that determines that an incident associated with a personal communication device has occurred;

logic that initiates a conference including a plurality of conference participants; and

logic that obtains an escalation decision from at least one of the conference participants.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the conference participants are selected from a list of contacts defined by a user associated with the personal communication device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the list of contacts includes the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the conference enables voice communication between each of the conference participants.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic that initiates the conference further comprises logic that places a telephone call to a telephone number associated with each of the conference participants.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic that initiates a conference further comprises logic that sends an electronic communication to each of the conference participants.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising logic that provides information regarding the incident to the conference.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the information includes a location associated with the personal communication device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the logic that provides information further comprises logic that sends a map to the conference participants, the map including a plurality of locations associated with the personal communication device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the information includes a predefined message created by a user associated with the personal communication device.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising logic that communicates the predefined message to the conference when a new conference participant joins the conference.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising logic that communicates the predefined message to the conference when requested by at least one of the conference participants.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic that determines that an incident associated with a personal communication device has occurred further comprises logic that obtains a distress indication from the personal communication device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic that determines that an incident associated with a personal communication device has occurred further comprises:

logic that sends a status confirmation request to the personal communication device; and

logic that determines that the incident has occurred when no status confirmation is obtained from the personal communication device for a predetermined time after sending the status confirmation request.

15. A method, comprising:

determining, in at least one computing device, that an incident associated with a personal communication device has occurred;

initiating, in the at least one computing device, a conference including a plurality of conference participants; and

obtaining, in the at least one computing device, an escalation decision from at least one of the conference participants.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining that an incident associated with a personal communication device has occurred further comprises the steps of:

sending a status confirmation request to the personal communication device according to a predefined schedule; and

determining that the incident has occurred when no status confirmation is obtained from the personal communication device for a predetermined time after sending the status confirmation request.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the conference participants are joined to the conference according to a list of contacts defined by a user associated with the personal communication device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the list of contacts includes the user, and the method further comprises the step of terminating the conference responsive to a termination request obtained from the user.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of performing an escalation action in response to the escalation decision.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the escalation action comprises notifying at least one emergency responder.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the escalation decision selects the escalation action from a list of escalation actions defined by a user associated with the personal communication device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the list of escalation actions is selected from a plurality of lists of escalation actions according to a current mode configured by the user.

23. A system, comprising:

means for determining, in at least one computing device, that an incident associated with a personal communication device has occurred;

means for initiating, in the at least one computing device, a conference including a plurality of conference participants; and

means for obtaining, in the at least one computing device, an escalation decision from at least one of the conference participants.