System and Method for Establishing an Incident Communications Network

• US 20130331139A1
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mutualink, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mutualink, Inc.
• Inventors: MILLS, Donald C., BOUCHER, Joseph, MAZZARELLA, Joseph R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for establishing incident communications networks. In an embodiment, the system includes an incident controller, a communications resource database that stores communications resources information and a marshalling rules module that stores a set of marshalling rules. A marshalling rule identifies how to select the communications resources to be marshaled into the incident communications network based on an incident trigger. Upon receipt of an incident trigger, the incident controller is configured to establish the incident communications network by obtaining a marshalling rule based on the incident trigger. The incident controller marshals communications resources based on the marshalling rule and the communications resources determined to be available. Information sources can either provide an incident trigger (e.g., a hurricane warning) or provide data to be analyzed to determine an incident trigger. In an embodiment, an incident communications network includes one or more mobile interoperability workstation.

Claims

1. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, execution of which by a processing device causes the processing device to perform operations for establishing an incident communications network that enables interoperable communications among communications resources controlled by multiple parties during an incident, wherein each communications resource is controlled by an administrator within an organization or an individual, comprising:

determining an incident trigger;

determining communications resources to be marshalled into the incident communications network based on the incident trigger; and

establishing the incident communications network among the communications resources to be marshalled into the incident communications network.

2. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising receiving incident information and analyzing the incident information to determine the incident trigger.

3. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking communications resource activity;

rating communications resources contributions to the incident communications network; and

modifying one or more rules to determine communications resources that should be marshalled into future incident communications networks.

4. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising registering communications resources within a communications resources database.

5. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, further comprising assigning privilege defaults to communications resource that control access to communications resources within the incident communications network.

6. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, further comprising monitoring communications resources to determine communications resource status and location.

7. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 further comprising receiving status and location information from mobile communications resources.

8. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising upon determining an incident trigger displaying a geographical display of communications resources within a specified geographical area around the incident.

9. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising displaying whether each of the communications resources will be marshalled into the incident communications network.

10. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining an incident trigger includes analyzing received information sources to determine the incident trigger.

11. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the information sources information sources include traffic reports, transportation reports, police reports, fire reports, missing person reports, security alarms, national weather service alerts, 911 call information, gunshot alerts, video surveillance video streams, video analytics system reports, communications resources alert messages, law enforcement and public safety intelligence reports, damage assessment reports, medical assessment and capacity reports, equipment availability status, public danger alerts, Internet social media feeds, RFID sensors alerts, and geographic location or position reports, hazardous material reports, border or trip sensor reports, environmental monitor reports, mechanical or electromechanical system status reports, human and/or machine based pattern recognition or detection system reports, keyword or concept mined reports derived from other source documents or data, personnel life support systems reports and physiological sensor reports.

12. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising creating sessions within the incident communications network based upon the classification status of the information source and a security classification of administrators and communications resources.

13. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein establishing the incident communications network includes:

establishing an incident identifier associated with the incident;

transmitting an electronic message to invite one or more individuals and one or more administrators to be electronically coupled to the incident communications network, wherein an administrator controls a set of communication resources within an organization and an individual controls a personal communications resource;

establishing communications among individuals and administrators that accept the invitation to be electronically coupled to the incident communications network;

establishing communications among communications resources controlled by administrators and individuals that accept the invitation to be electronically coupled to the incident communications network, wherein communications among administrators, individuals and communications resources are exchanged on one or more communications channels associated with the incident identifier; and

granting communication rights to communications resources, wherein the rights granted for a communications resource are determined by an administrator that controls the communications resource or by communications rights stored in a database, wherein an administrator retains control of communications resources that were under the control of the administrator prior to the start of the incident, wherein control is the ability to determine the capabilities of the communications resource that are made available to other organizations within the incident communications network.

14. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, execution of which by a processing device causes the processing device to perform operations for serving as a mobile interoperability workstation controller within an incident communications network, the operations comprising:

coupling the mobile interoperability workstation controller to a mobile device;

coupling the mobile interoperability workstation controller to an incident communications network; and

providing mobile interoperability workstation functionality adapted to the type of wireless mobile device and the characteristics of an incident communications network.

15. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein providing mobile interoperability workstation functionality adapted to the type of wireless mobile device and the characteristics of an incident communications network includes adapting a series of graphical user interfaces to enable a user to control interoperability workstation functions to unique operating characteristics of the mobile device.

16. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein coupling the mobile interoperability workstation controller to a mobile device includes determines capabilities of the wireless mobile device, and wherein coupling the mobile interoperability workstation controller to an incident communications network includes transmitting the capabilities of the wireless mobile device to the smartphone IWS gateway.

17. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein coupling the mobile interoperability workstation controller to an incident communications network includes establishing one or more communications conduits to the incident communications network, wherein a conduit comprises a dedicated communications channel for audio, video, messaging or data communications between the wireless mobile device and the incident communications network.

18. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein coupling the mobile interoperability workstation controller to an incident communications network includes providing video streaming of video captured by the mobile device to the incident communications network.

19. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the video stream identifies the geographical location of the video, wherein the geographical location of the video stream is provided by capturing position information from GPS capabilities of the mobile device.

20. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein providing mobile interoperability workstation functionality adapted to the type of wireless mobile device and the characteristics of an incident communications network includes associating a video stream with meta data identifying one or more of location information, members present at the time of the video stream, tags to messages occurring simultaneously, and tags to events occurring simultaneously.