All Hazards Information Distribution Method and System, and Method of Maintaining Privacy of Distributed All-Hazards Information

• US 20130275624A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Brabec, Frantisek, Drescher, David R., Ingraham, Edward E. II, Park, Daniel D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,977,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An information distribution method includes: gathering all-hazards information into an information exchange from a first information source; gathering all-hazards information into the information exchange from a second information source; distributing the all-hazards information from the information exchange to a first independently-controlled alert network; distributing the all-hazards information from the information exchange to a second independently-controlled alert network.

Claims

1. An information distribution method, comprising:

receiving polling parameters from a plurality of information sources;

receiving all-hazards information from a plurality of information sources, the all-hazards information having a first plurality of formats, wherein receiving the plurality of formats comprises retrieving the all-hazards information by polling the plurality of information sources based on the polling parameters;

processing the all-hazards information into normalized all-hazards information having a second plurality of formats; and

electronically distributing a plurality of all-hazards messages corresponding to the normalized all-hazards information to a plurality of entities, wherein the normalized all-hazards information has substantially the same content as the all-hazards information.

2. An information exchange, comprising:

one or more information receiving handlers capable of receiving polling parameters;

one or more information receiving handlers capable of receiving all-hazards information having a first plurality of formats from a plurality of information sources;

one or more processors capable of converting the all-hazards information into normalized all-hazards information having a second plurality of formats, wherein the one or more processors are connected to the one or more information receiving handlers, wherein the one or more processors comprise one or more poller daemons configured to retrieve the all-hazards information from the plurality of information sources based on the polling parameters; and

one or more information distributing handlers connected to the one or more processors capable of electronically distributing a plurality of all-hazards messages corresponding to the normalized all-hazards information to a plurality of entities.