System for providing reliable and effective disaster relief

• US 6,516,424 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Masaaki, Seki, Taku, Satomi, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce P.
• Application Number:
  US10/005,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/5, 714/26, 714/48
• US Class Current: 714/4.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

When communication networks are damaged or communication is restricted due to the occurrence of a disaster, etc., information required for disaster relief is rapidly and effectively obtained. The system has a plurality of server apparatus 2, a plurality of portable terminal equipment 1, and communication networks 20, 30 of different types to which both the portable terminal equipment 1 and the server apparatus 2 can be connected. The portable terminal equipment 1 accesses an available server apparatus 2 over an available communication network and obtains disaster relief information and resource information corresponding to damaged resources to thereby create or update a disaster relief plan file 5 and a resource information file 6. The server apparatus 2, in response to an inquiry from the portable terminal equipment 1, extracts the necessary information from the disaster relief information DB 3 and the resource information DB 4 and transmits the same to the portable terminal equipment 1.

Claims

1. A system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, wherein each of said plurality of portable terminal equipment comprises:

a connector which connects the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

a first transmitter which transmits information about damaged resources to the server apparatus; and

a receiver which receives and stores information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage; and

wherein

each of said plurality of server apparatus comprises;

a storage which stores information about the relief plan;

a second transmitter which, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, transmits information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein each of said server apparatus refers to a disaster relief information database and a resource information database to obtain information about the relief plan in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment; and

wherein the disaster relief information database includes a list of items that are to be dealt with, a department that is in charge of dealing with each item, and at least one damage status for each item.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the resource information database includes a list of resources that are likely to be damaged, a number indicating how many of each resource are possessed and when and how the resource can be repaired.

2. A system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, wherein each of said plurality of portable terminal equipment comprises:

a connector which connects the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

a first transmitter which transmits information about damaged resources to the server apparatus; and

a receiver which receives and stores information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage; and

wherein

each of said plurality of server apparatus comprises;

a storage which stores information about the relief plan;

a second transmitter which, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, transmits information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein each of said server apparatus refers to a disaster relief information database and a resource information database to obtain information about the relief plan in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment; and

wherein the resource information database includes a list of resources that are likely to be damaged, a number indicating how many of each resource are possessed and when and how the resource can be repaired.

4. A system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, wherein each of said plurality of portable terminal equipment comprises:

a connector which connects the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

a first transmitter which transmits information about damaged resources to the server apparatus; and

a receiver which receives and stores information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage; and

wherein

each of said plurality of server apparatus comprises;

a storage which stores information about the relief plan; and

a second transmitter which, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, transmits information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein the relief plan received by the portable terminal equipment is incorporated into its own disaster relief plan file and resource information file.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the disaster relief plan file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of which department is responsible for providing relief, a number of persons needed, and an amount of time needed.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein the resource information file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of how many of each resource that is damaged are possessed and when and how each such resource can be repaired.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein the resource information file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of how many of each resource that is damaged are possessed and when and how each such resource can be repaired.

8. In a system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, a method comprising the steps of:

connecting the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

transmitting information about damaged resources to the server apparatus;

receiving and storing information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage;

storing information about the relief plan; and

transmitting, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein each of said server apparatus refers to a disaster relief information database and a resource information database to obtain information about the relief plan in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment; and

wherein the disaster relief information database includes a list of items that are to be dealt with, a department that is in charge of dealing with each item, and at least one damage status for each item.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the resource information database includes a list of resources that are likely to be damaged, a number indicating how many of each resource are possessed and when and how the resource can be repaired.

9. In a system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, a method comprising the steps of:

connecting the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

transmitting information about damaged resources to the server apparatus;

receiving and storing information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage;

storing information about the relief plan; and

transmitting, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein each of said server apparatus refers to a disaster relief information database and a resource information database to obtain information about the relief plan in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment; and

wherein the resource information database includes a list of resources that are likely to be damaged, a number indicating how many of each resource are possessed and when and how the resource can be repaired.

11. In a system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, a method comprising the steps of:

connecting the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

transmitting information about damaged resources to the server apparatus;

receiving and storing information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage;

storing information about the relief plan; and

transmitting, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein the relief plan received by the portable terminal equipment is incorporated into its own disaster relief plan file and resource information file.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the disaster relief plan file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of which department is responsible for providing relief, a number of persons needed, and an amount of time needed.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the resource information file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of how many of each resource that is damaged are possessed and when and how each such resource can be repaired.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the resource information file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of how many of each resource that is damaged are possessed and when and how each such resource can be repaired.