RESOURCE TRACKING AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20130023229A1
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Patrick Messerly
• Original Assignee: James Patrick Messerly
• Inventors: Messerly, James Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A system and method for confirming that emergency resources are available to be used at a particular location, communicating to the incident manager at that location and estimated time of arrival of the resource, and tracking the resource during transit to the location for updating the estimated time of arrival.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining a resource at an emergency site, the method comprising:

(a) an incident manager at the site using a portable communication device to notify a central party of a need for the resource;

(b) the central party determining the location of the emergency site;

(c) the central party identifying at least one resource operator who can provide the resource at the emergency site;

(d) the central party determining the location of said at least one resource operator and comparing the location of said at least one resource operator to the location of the emergency site;

(e) the central party communicating with said at least one resource operator the need for the resource using a portable communication device said at least one resource operator carries on his person;

(f) said at least one resource operator confirming that the resource is in close proximity to said at least one resource operator; and

(g) the central party communicating to the incident manager an estimated time of arrival of said at least one resource operator at the emergency site;

(h) the resource operator transporting the resource to the emergency site.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one resource operator confirming that the resource is in close proximity to said at least one resource operator further comprises said at least one resource operator coming in close proximity to the resource.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of said at least one resource operator communicating with the central party an ability to provide the resource.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the central party communicating periodic updates of the estimated time of arrival to the incident manager.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising running an application on a device on the resource operator that communicates with a computer system operated by the central party.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of said at least one resource operator confirming further comprises said at least one resource operator disposing a device that can detect radio frequency identification (RFID) devices in close proximity to a unique RFID device mounted to the resource, and the detecting device detecting the RFID mounted to the resource.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the location of said at least one resource operator to the location of the site further comprises the central party'"'"'s computer electronically comparing the location data for the site and the location data for said at least one resource operator.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the location of said at least one resource operator to the location of the site further comprises the central party viewing icons of the locations on an electronic map.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of the central party determining a second location of said at least one resource operator and the central party communicating to the incident manager a second estimated time of arrival of said at least one resource operator at the site.

10. A system for obtaining a resource at an emergency site, the system comprising:

(a) a portable communication device configured for an incident manager at the emergency site to notify a central party of a need for the resource;

(b) means for the central party to determine the location of the emergency site;

(c) means for the central party to identify at least one resource operator who can provide the resource at the emergency site;

(d) means for the central party to determine the location of said at least one resource operator and compare the location of said at least one resource operator to the location of the emergency site;

(e) a portable communication device that said at least one resource operator can carry on his person that permits the central party to communicate with said at least one

(f) means for said at least one resource operator to confirm that the resource is in close proximity to said at least one resource operator by said at least one resource operator coming into close proximity to the resource; and

(g) means for the central party to communicate to the incident manager an estimated time of arrival of said at least one resource operator at the emergency site.