EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM

• US 20180075720A1
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Outsmart Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Overview Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Davies, Christopher Paul, Davies, Scott Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 10,854,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

The present invention relates to an emergency alert system that triggers a distress event that is automatically managed by a community security system. The emergency alert system is activated through users'"'"' mobile devices and initiates communication with the community security system. Management by the community security system includes receiving the GPS location of the mobile device, recording a continuous stream of audio and video from the panic user'"'"'s mobile application, notifying potential responders or groups of responders in the vicinity of the panic alert and, among other things, activating localized visual and audible deterrents present in surrounding private security systems, intelligently directing community CCTV cameras to record the distress event and issuing notifications to the closest community members for immediate responses, as well as other responders or group notification members.

Claims

1. A method for triggering a panic or emergency alert and response by a mobile device that is registered to a user of either a private or community security system, the method comprising:

a mobile device entering a particular mode of operation and automatically performing operations comprising;

determining a current location of the mobile device; and

sending the current location of the mobile device to a server that manages either or both the private or community security system.

2. The method of claim 1 where the mobile device further automatically initiates the mobile device'"'"'s audio recording capabilities and the mobile device'"'"'s video recording capabilities.

3. The method of claim 1 where the mobile device enters the particular mode of operation upon receiving a predetermined user input command.

4. The method of claim 3 where the user input command is shaking of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 3 where the user input command is the recording of certain tactile functions performed by the user of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 2 where the mobile device further sends the audio and video recorded by the mobile device to the server.

7. The method of claim 1 where the mobile device further automatically initiates an audible warning.

8. A method for responding to a panic or emergency alert system by a community security system having users, the method comprising:

receiving input that from a user'"'"'s mobile device that a panic alert has been initiated by the user of the mobile device;

receiving the location of the mobile device;

determining the closest security system resource having sensory alerts to the mobile device;

remotely activating the sensory alerts of the closest security system; and

notifying potential responders.

9. The method of claim 8 where the community security system includes cameras and where the method further comprises determining a camera in the community security system that has a view of the area surrounding the mobile device and adjusting the camera in the direction of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving and recording video from the camera once it is adjusted in the direction of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9 where more than one camera is located and adjusted in the direction of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 8 where the potential responders are group users.

13. The method of claim 8 where the potential responders are emergency responders.

14. The method of claim 8 where the method further includes determining which members of the community security system are closest to the user'"'"'s mobile device and notifying the members of the activation of an emergency alert and the location of the user'"'"'s mobile device that activated the alert.

15. A method for responding to a panic or emergency alert system by a community security system having users, the method comprising:

receiving input that from a user'"'"'s mobile device that a panic alert has been initiated by the user of the mobile device;

receiving the location of the mobile device;

sending an alert message to group members;

notifying emergency responders; and

receiving and recording audio and visual recordings from the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15 where the community security system includes cameras and where the method further comprising determining a camera in the community security system that has a view of the area surrounding the mobile device and adjusting the camera in the direction of the mobile device and receiving and recording video from the camera once it is adjusted in the direction of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 15 where the method further includes determining which members of the community security system are closest to the user'"'"'s mobile device and notifying the members of the activation of an emergency alert and the location of the user'"'"'s mobile device that activated the alert.

18. The method of claim 15 where the method further includes determining the closest security system resource having sensory alerts to the mobile device and remotely activating the sensory alerts of the closest security system.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions on a security system server which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving input from a user'"'"'s mobile device that a panic alert has been initiated by the user of the mobile device;

receiving the location of the mobile device;

determining which members of the security system are closest to the user'"'"'s mobile device and notifying the members of the activation of an emergency alert and the location of the user'"'"'s mobile device that activated the alert; and

determining at least one sensory alert in the security system that is close to the mobile device and remotely activating the sensory alert.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 further performing the operation of receiving and recording audio and visual recordings from the mobile device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 further performing the operation of determining at least one camera in the community security that has a view of the area surrounding the mobile device, adjusting the camera in the direction of the mobile device and receiving and recording video from the camera once it is adjusted in the direction of the mobile device user.