System and method for semi-distributed event warning notification for individual entities, and computer program product therefor

• US 7,283,045 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America), United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture The Washington DC
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Manz, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk; Samuel J.
• Application Number:
  US11/489,806
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/516, 340/517, 719/318
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

An information system, method, and computer program product is provided for the semi-distributed warning of existing or developing significant events and/or threats to all network bridges in the system, and then to affected users carrying a user warning and positioning device, while reporting the location of all user'"'"'s carrying the user warning and positioning devices of the system to existing command and control systems. The present invention'"'"'s future event warning capabilities permit those same users to be warned of impending events in enough time for the users to take positive actions in response to these events and/or address those events. The system of the present invention includes a pager-like user warning and positioning device, worn by or carried by the individual user, or mounted in a vehicle or vessel, having a geographical positioning means therein, which periodically transmits the geographical location of the individual user, vehicle or vessel to local network bridges, and listens for warning/notification event messages transmitted by the local network bridge. When an event/threat warning is received by an affected user warning and positioning device, the pager-like user warning and positioning alerts the user via indicia relative to the event/situation, including audible spoken warnings and instructions on how to react, and may retransmit the event/threat warning to other user warning and positioning devices in the network, provided the threat has not occurred and the event/threat warning has not been previously relayed.

Claims

1. A network event warning system enabling distribution of event warning messages to one or more affected individual entities within the network information system is provided comprising:

(a) one or more situational awareness workstation and threat warning gateways capable of receiving event warnings from linked and/or remote sensors, and/or other externally generated event warning messages, each of said situation awareness workstation and threat warning gateways comprising;

a gateway wireless communications means capable of receiving and transmitting data; and

situational awareness workstation computing means in communication with the situational awareness workstation and threat warning gateway and wireless communication means, said situational awareness workstation computing means;

(b) one or more network bridges in communication with the situational awareness workstation and threat warning gateway, each network bridge defining a local node, said network bridges providing a communications interface between individual user warning and positioning devices and the situational awareness workstation and threat warning gateway, each of said network bridges comprising;

(i) a network bridge wireless communications means capable of receiving and transmitting data; and

(ii) network bridge computer processing means in communication with the network bridge and network wireless communications means, individual user warning and positioning devices, sensors, and command and control systems; and

(iii) a local data storage means in communication with the network bridge computer processing means, for storage of location/geographical position data received from the individual user warning and positioning devices;

(c) one or more user warning and positioning devices, each user warning and positioning device defining an individual node, each of said devices comprising;

(i) a warning device computer processing means;

(ii) a global positioning system (GPS) means capable of calculating the location of the user warning device, said GPS in communication with the warning device computer processing means;

(iii) a wireless communications means in communication with the warning device computer processing means; and

(iv) one or more sensory notification means;

(d) network situational awareness workstation application program code embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on the situational awareness workstation and threat gateway computer processing means capable of authenticating event warning messages, processing and analyzing the event warning messages via an event prediction determination process to produce predicted future event warning messages, and distributing future event warning messages to the network bridges comprising;

(i) application program code operable to decode and authenticate a valid event warning message, input directly or indirectly into the situational awareness workstation and threat warning gateway, by verifying the digital signature of the event warning message;

(ii) application program code operable to input and authenticate an event warning message into an event prediction determination process, thereby analyzing the event warning message to predict a corresponding future event with associated relevant information including predicted event type, location, area impacted, start time, and duration;

(iii) application program code operable to distribute the predicted future event and associated relevant information to all network bridges within the information network, without regard to whether a specific local or individual node will be affected by the predicted future event; and

(iv) application program code operable to convert the format of the predicted future event information, in terms of electronic format and content, to alternative electronic formats, before distribution;

(e) bridge application program code embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on the network bridge computer processing means for processing event warning messages received from the situational awareness workstation and threat warning gateway, and other external sources, determining which user warning and positioning devices in communication with the local node will be affected by the future event, and distributing an authenticated event warning message of an event to occur in the future to all affected user warning and positioning devices, said bridge application program code comprising;

(i) application program code operable to automatically verify the authenticity of an event warning message reporting an event to occur in the future, by examining its digital signature, so as to produce either an invalid or valid event warning message;

(ii) application program code operable to input a valid event warning message into an event prediction process, wherein the predicted time of the event is compared with the local time, to determine whether the event will occur at some future time;

(iii) application program code operable to track the status of each user warning and positioning devices with which the network bridge is in communication, by receiving periodic location reports from each user warning and positioning device, and storing said location report in the local data storage means;

(iv) application program code operable to automatically compare the locale to be affected by an authenticated event warning message of an event to occur in the future within the locale of the local node, to determine the affected area;

(v) application program code operable to identify all user warning and positioning devices in communication with the local node which are in the affected area, by comparing the most recent location data contained in the location reports of each user warning and positioning device with location data of the affected area, so as to determine all affected user warning and positioning devices;

(v) application program code operable to send notification to all affected user warning and positioning devices of an authenticated event warning message of an event predicted to occur in the future;

(vi) application program code operable to log off and discard all invalid and elapsed event warning messages;

(vii) application program code operable to input and translate authenticated event warning messages from individual user warning and positioning devices into other message formats utilized by other different command and control systems;

(viii) application program code operable to filter event warning messages that should not be sent from one network to the other;

(ix) application program code operable to enable the network bridges to communicate with sensors, individual user warning and positioning devices, and command and control systems, using different networks and protocols; and

(x) application program code operable to issue keys acting as the root certificate authority for all nodes in the network, thereby permitting the network bridges and user warning and positioning devices to authenticate each other;

(f) user warning and positioning device application program code embodied on a computer-readable medium for execution on the user warning device computer processing means in conjunction with the bridge application program code and the situational awareness workstation program code, said user warning device application program code being capable of decoding messages, validating received event warning messages, and then issuing a notification of an event predicted to occur in the future in the locale of the user warning device, said user warning device application program code comprising;

(i) application program code operable to authenticate received event warning messages by verifying the digital signature of the event warning messages;

(ii) application program code operable to decode incoming coded messages;

(iii) application program code operable to query a local cache of messages to determine whether an event warning message has already been relayed;

(iv) application program code operable to relay event warning messages concerning an event that has not as yet happened and has not as yet been relayed;

(v) application program code operable to notify local nodes within the affected area of the predicted future event, and activate user warning and positioning devices based upon the time remaining until the predicted event; and

(vi) application program code operable to activate one or more of the sensory notification means in the user warning devices when a valid event warning message is received.

2. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to selectively disable or alter individual user warning and positioning devices that appear to have been compromised or lost.

3. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to reconfigure any parameters in the individual user warning and positioning devices, and application program code therein.

4. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to interface one or more of the network bridges with an optional laptop computer running on an operating system.

5. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to revoke the certificate of a user warning and positioning device.

6. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the user warning and positioning device application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to convert event warning messages to human voice warnings, said human voice warnings comprising instructions on what subsequent action to take in response to the future event.

7. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the user warning and positioning device application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to encrypt outgoing messages.

8. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to encrypt outgoing messages.

9. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the user warning and positioning device application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to utilize spread-spectrum technology to prevent basic triangulation efforts to locate the user warning and positioning device.

10. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the user warning and positioning devices are capable of communicating over wired or wireless systems to the network bridges and other user warning and positioning devices.

11. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the user warning and positioning device application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to reconfigure the files stored in the user warning and positioning device.

12. The network event warning system of claim 1, wherein the bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to connect user warning and positioning devices to command and control systems and sensor systems.

13. A computer program product for tactical distributed event warning over a network event warning system, comprising:

(a) network situational awareness workstation application program code embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a situational awareness workstation and threat gateway computer processing means capable of authenticating event warning messages, processing and analyzing the event warning messages via an event prediction determination process to produce predicted future event warning messages, and distributing future event warning messages to one or more network bridges comprising;

(i) application program code operable to decode and authenticate a valid event warning message, input directly or indirectly into the situational awareness workstation and threat warning gateway, by verifying the digital signature of the event warning message;

(ii) application program code operable to input and authenticate an event warning message into an event prediction determination process, thereby analyzing the event warning message to predict a corresponding future event with associated relevant information including predicted event type, location, area impacted, start time, and duration;

(iii) application program code operable to distribute the predicted future event and associated relevant information to all network bridges within the information network, without regard to whether a specific local or individual node will be affected by the predicted future event; and

(iv) application program code operable to convert the format of the predicted future event information, in terms of electronic format and content, to alternative electronic formats, before distribution;

(b) bridge application program code embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a network bridge computer processing means for processing event warning messages received from the situational awareness workstation and threat warning gateway, and other external sources, so as to determine which user warning and positioning devices in communication with the network bridge will be affected by the future event, and distribute an authenticated event warning message of an event to occur in the future to all affected user warning and positioning devices, said bridge application program code comprising;

(i) application program code operable to automatically verify the authenticity of an event warning message reporting an event to occur in the future, by examining its digital signature, so as to produce either an invalid or valid event warning message;

(ii) application program code operable to input a valid event warning message into an event prediction process, wherein the predicted time of the event is compared with the local time, to determine whether the event will occur at some future time;

(iii) application program code operable to track the status of user warning and positioning devices with which the network bridge is in communication, by receiving periodic location reports from each user warning and positioning device, and storing said location report in a local data storage means;

(iv) application program code operable to automatically compare the locale to be affected by an authenticated event warning message of an event to occur in the future within the locale of the network bridge, to determine the affected area;

(v) application program code operable to identify all user warning and positioning devices in communication with the network bridge which are in the affected area, by comparing most recent location data contained in location reports received from each user warning and positioning device in communication with the network bridge with location data of the affected area, so as to determine all affected user warning and positioning devices;

(vi) application program code operable to send notification to all affected user warning and positioning devices of an authenticated event warning message of an event predicted to occur in the future;

(vii) application program code operable to log off and discard all invalid and elapsed event warning messages;

(viii) application program code operable to input and translate authenticated event warning messages from individual user warning and positioning devices into other message formats utilized by other different command and control systems;

(ix) application program code operable to filter event warning messages that should not be sent from one network to the other;

(x) application program code operable to enable the network bridges to communicate with sensors, individual user warning and positioning devices, and command and control systems, using different networks and protocols; and

(xi) application program code operable to issue keys acting as the root certificate authority for all nodes in the network, thereby permitting the network bridges and user warning and positioning devices to authenticate each other; and

(c) user warning and positioning device application program code embodied on a computer-readable medium for execution on the user warning device computer processing means in conjunction with the bridge application program code and the situational awareness workstation program code, said user warning device application program code being capable of decoding messages, validating received event warning messages, and then issuing a notification of an event predicted to occur in the future in the locale of the user warning device, said user warning device application program code comprising;

(i) application program code operable to authenticate received event warning messages by verifying the digital signature of the event warning messages;

(ii) application program code operable to decode incoming coded messages;

(iii) application program code operable to query a local cache of messages to determine whether an event warning message has already been relayed;

(iv) application program code operable to relay event warning messages concerning an event that has not as yet happened and has not as yet been relayed;

(v) application program code operable to notify local nodes within the affected area of the predicted future event, and activate user warning and positioning devices based upon the time remaining until the predicted event; and

(vi) application program code operable to activate one or more of the sensory notification means in the user warning and positioning devices when a valid event warning message is received.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the network bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to selectively disable or alter individual user warning and positioning devices that appear to have been compromised or lost.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the network bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to reconfigure any parameters in the individual user warning and positioning devices, and application program code therein.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the network bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to interface one or more network bridges with an optional laptop computer running on a conventional operating system.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the network bridge application program code further comprises:

application program code operable to revoke the certificate of a user warning and positioning device.

21. The method for receiving and tactically distributing event warnings of claim 17, further comprising converting valid event warning messages to human voice warnings with instructions on what subsequent action to take.

18. A method for receiving and tactically semi-distributing event warnings comprising the steps of:

(1) electronically receiving an event warning message, having a digital signature, at a situational awareness workstation;

(2) examining the digital signature of the event warning message to authenticate the event warning message;

(3) decoding the authenticated event warning message into a readable format;

(4) analyzing the authenticated event warning message so as to generate corresponding predicted event and associated relevant information, said predicted event and associated relevant information including event type, event location, area impacted, event start time, and event duration, so as to define an event warning message;

(5) converting the event warning message to an electronic format and content readable by a network bridge (local node) and a user warning and positioning device (individual node);

(6) distributing the event warning message by transmission of same from the situational awareness workstation to all network bridges in communication with the situational awareness workstation, without regard to whether a specific local or individual node will be affected by the predicted event;

(7) receipt of the event warning message in one or more network bridges, and verifying, in the network bridges, the validity of the event warning message received from the situational awareness workstation, so as to authenticate same;

(8) comparing, in the network bridges, the predicted time of the predicted event in the authenticated event warning message with the local time, to determine whether the event has already occurred, and if the predicted event has not occurred, generate a future authenticated event warning message;

(9) filtering out event warning messages, at the network bridges, that should not be sent from one network to another, due to lack of validity or authenticity;

(10) tracking the status of user warning and positioning devices in communication with the network bridge, to determine active or inactive status thereof, by receiving period location reports containing location data from each user warning and positioning device in communication with a network bridge, and storing the location reports in a local storage means in communication with the network bridge;

(11) comparing the locale to be affected by the valid and authenticated event warning message with the local data for each user warning and positioning device, so as to determine user warning and positioning devices to be affected by the future event;

(12) translating the future authenticated event warning messages at the network bridge into other message formats utilized by other different command and control systems and user warning and positioning devices;

(13) issuing, at the network bridges, keys acting as the root certificate authority for all nodes in the network information system, permitting the network bridges and user warning and positioning devices to authenticate each other;

(14) distributing the valid, converted and authenticated event warning message from the network bridges to all affected active user warning and positioning devices in communication with the network bridge;

(15) receiving the valid, converted and authenticated event warning message at the affected user warning and positioning devices,

(16) examining, in the user warning and positioning devices, the digital signature of the incoming event warning message to verify its authenticity;

(17) discarding all invalid and elapsed warning messages at the user warning and positioning devices;

(18) comparing in the user warning and positioning devices the time of the predicted event or threat in the event warning message to the local time, to determine whether the event will occur at some future time and, if it will, authenticating the message;

(19) decoding, in the user warning and positioning devices, incoming coded event warning messages; and

(20) activating one or more notification mechanisms in the user warning and positioning devices, including sensory mechanisms, a user notification concerning the received event warning message.

19. The method for receiving and tactically distributing event warnings of claim 18, further comprising the step of establishing and maintaining communication between the network bridge, sensors, user warning and positioning devices, and command and control systems, using different networks and protocols.

20. The method for receiving and tactically distributing event warnings of claim 18, further comprising:

sending a query from the user warning and positioning devices to a local cache of messages to determine whether the event warning message has already been relayed; and

relaying, from the user warning and positioning devices to other nodes in the network information system, the event warning message concerning an event that has not as yet happened and has not as yet been relayed.

22. The method for receiving and tactically distributing event warnings of claim 18, further comprising sending messages from one or more of the network bridges to one or more of user warning and positioning devices, to either alter, reconfigure, or disable one or more of the user warning and positioning devices.