METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR ASSISTING A COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH CENTER OPERATOR WITH DISPATCHING AND/OR LOCATING PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL

• US 20150100233A1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: METKE, ANTHONY R., PACHOLSKI, DANIEL J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,395,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/205 Building evacuation

Abstract

A computer aided dispatch (CAD) center operator can view a displayed location indicator indicative of a last location of a public safety (PS) device on a geographic information system (GIS) map, together with a displayed confidence indicator indicative of the likelihood that the displayed last location of the PS device is accurate, for use in dispatching a PS person to an incident scene, or locating the PS person.

Claims

1. A method of assisting an operator at a computer aided dispatch (CAD) center of a public safety (PS) network with field dispatching or locating a PS person operating a mobile PS device having a global positioning satellite (GPS) sensor, the method comprising:

visually displaying a location indicator indicative of a last location of the PS device on a geographic information system (GIS) map to the operator at the CAD center based on a GPS signal received from the GPS sensor on the PS device;

visually displaying on the map a timestamp indicator indicative of a last time that the GPS signal was received for the displayed last location;

determining a likelihood that the displayed last location of the PS device is accurate; and

visually displaying on the map a confidence indicator indicative of the determined likelihood that the displayed last location of the PS device on the map is accurate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed by measuring how much time has elapsed since the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, and successively receiving the GPS signal in successive update time periods, and wherein the determining is performed by measuring how many update time periods have elapsed since the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator.

4. The method of claim 1, and successively receiving the GPS signal in successive update time periods, and wherein the determining is performed by measuring an average update time for a number of update time periods that occurred prior to the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator, by measuring how much time has elapsed since the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator, and by comparing the elapsed time since the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator with the average update time.

5. The method of claim 1, and creating a customized chronology of known locations on the map at which a location update is expected to not be received, and wherein the determining is performed by comparing the displayed last location with the known locations in the chronology.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed by recognizing a type of the PS device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the confidence indicator is performed by displaying one of an icon, an icon color, an icon size, an icon shadow color, an icon border color, an icon translucency, an alphanumeric text, an alphanumeric text color, a halo color, an indicator adjacent an icon, an indicator different in size from an adjacent icon, and an indicator different in color from an adjacent icon.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying of the confidence indicator is performed by displaying different confidence indicators in dependence on different levels of the determined likelihood.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the confidence indicator is performed by a manual action by the operator.

10. A method of assisting an operator at a computer aided dispatch (CAD) center of a public safety (PS) network with field dispatching or locating at least one PS person operating a mobile PS device having a global positioning satellite (GPS) sensor, the method comprising:

visually displaying successive location indicators indicative of successive locations of the PS device on a geographic information system (GIS) map to the operator at the CAD center based on successive GPS signals received from the GPS sensor on the PS device;

visually displaying on the map, in response to a manual action performed by the operator, a timestamp indicator indicative of a last time that the GPS signal was received from a displayed last location of the PS device;

determining a likelihood that the displayed last location of the PS device on the map is accurate; and

visually displaying on the map, in response to the manual action performed by the operator, a confidence indicator indicative of the determined likelihood that the displayed last location of the PS device on the map is accurate.

11. A system for assisting an operator at a computer aided dispatch (CAD) center of a public safety (PS) network with field dispatching or locating a PS person operating a mobile PS device having a global positioning satellite (GPS) sensor, the system comprising:

a PS server operative for visually displaying a location indicator indicative of a last location of the PS device on a geographic information system (GIS) map to the operator at the CAD center based on a GPS signal received from the GPS sensor on the PS device;

the PS server being further operative for visually displaying on the map a timestamp indicator indicative of a last time that the GPS signal was received for the displayed last location;

the PS server being further operative for determining a likelihood that the displayed last location of the PS device on the map is accurate; and

the PS server being further operative for visually displaying on the map a confidence indicator indicative of the determined likelihood that the displayed last location of the PS device on the map is accurate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS server is further operative for measuring how much time has elapsed since the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS server is further operative for successively receiving the GPS signal in successive update time periods, and for measuring how many update time periods have elapsed since the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS server is further operative for successively receiving the GPS signal in successive update time periods, for measuring an average update time for a number of update time periods that occurred prior to the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator, for measuring how much time has elapsed since the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator, and for comparing the elapsed time since the last time indicated by the timestamp indicator with the average update time.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS server is further operative for recognizing a type of the PS device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS server is further operative for creating a customized chronology of known locations on the map at which a location update is expected to not be received, and for comparing the displayed last location with the known locations in the chronology.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS server is further operative for displaying one of an icon, an icon color, an icon size, an icon shadow color, an icon border color, an icon translucency, an alphanumeric text, an alphanumeric text color, a halo color, an indicator adjacent an icon, an indicator different in size from an adjacent icon, and an indicator different in color from an adjacent icon.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS server is further operative for displaying different confidence indicators in dependence on different levels of the determined likelihood.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS server is further operative for displaying the confidence indicator in response to a manual action performed by the operator.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the PS device is one of a handheld land mobile radio and a vehicular radio.