Special needs digital notification and response system

• US 7,418,085 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TechRadium, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TechRadium, Inc.
• Inventors: Rodkey, Ryan Scott, Rodkey, Jr., John Frank, Hickey, David Lynn, Ramsey, Ronald F., Ross, Darren Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/522,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 379/37, 379/88.12, 379/88.23, 379/252, 704/235, 705/52, 709/204, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/045 using recorded signals, e.g. speech

Abstract

A digital notification and response system utilizes an administrator interface to transmit a message from an administrator to a special needs contact device and responders contact devices. The system comprises a dynamic information database that includes member contact data, priority information, response data, and grouping information. The administrator initiates distribution of the message based upon grouping information, priority information, and the priority order. The message is transmitted through at least two industry standard protocols simultaneously to groups of contact devices based upon priority information. Once the message is received by the contact device, the contact device transmits a response through the industry standard protocol back to the dynamic information database.

Claims

1. A digital notification and response system, comprising:

A. an administrator interface for preparing and transmitting a message from an administrator to a special needs network using at least one processor, wherein each member of the special needs network has at least one member contact device;

B. a dynamic information database for use in preparing the message, comprising;

i. special needs user data comprising;

a. member medical record data;

b. member contact device information; and

c. priority information;

ii. grouping information comprising;

a type of special needs member;

iii. response data comprising;

a. member response information that indicates the at least one member contact device has received the message,

b. “

error in response”

information that indicates insufficient contact device information existed to contact the at least one member contact device;

wherein the administrator initiates distribution of the message to the special needs network using the grouping information and the special needs user data, and the message is transmitted through at least two industry standard protocols simultaneously to the special needs network, and the message is received by the at least one member contact device and at least one responder with at least one responder contact device, and the at least one member contact device and at least one responder contact device transmits a response through the at least two industry standard protocols to the dynamic information database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator is a member of the group consisting of:

a government special needs agency, a person responsible for special needs coordination, a computer associated with a special needs database, an other digital notification and response system, an analog emergency notification system, and combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic information database further comprises:

(a) vendor data;

(b) care facility data;

(c) emergency contact data; and

(d) first responder data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the special needs network is comprised of a member of the group consisting of:

(a) a vendor for special needs member, (b) a care facility equipped to handle special needs member, (c) a special needs member, (d) an emergency contact for special needs member, (e) a first responder for special needs member, (f) and combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two industry standard protocols are selected from the group consisting of a Megaco/H.248 protocol, simple message transfer protocol (SMTP), a short message service (SMS) protocol, a multimedia message service (MMS) protocol, an enhanced message service (EMS) protocol, a media gateway control protocol (MGCP), a SIP protocol, a H.323 protocol, an ISDN protocol, a PSTN protocol and combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic information database further comprises:

computer instructions enabling administrators to cancel messages in progress and for administrators to cancel messages scheduled for delivery at a future date and time.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions for notifying the administrator when all messages have been delivered to the contact devices.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions for broadcasting the message:

to users at periodic intervals, to users in a defined geographic area , to users in a designated disaster zone, or to users at specific dates and times.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the message enables at least one member of the special needs network to reserve the conference room.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator interface controls security access to the administrator interface using a member selected from the group:

a barcode reader, a radio frequency identification device “

RFID”

reader, a scannable badge reader, a security token, a biometric reader, a magnetic card reader, a smart card reader, or combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator interface comprises a “

call me”

feature enabling an administrator to compose a message to send out to members and responders of the special needs network for alerting the designated user or groups of users using the message.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is an audio file, an image file, a video file, a text file, or a combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the administrator interface further comprises a responder module comprising:

a receiver function for receiving responses from the user which replies to the message.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one member contact device further receives an RSS/XML feed.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a responder module for members, responders, or groups of to indicate continued participation comprising an opt-in feature, an opt-out feature, or combinations thereof.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the response from a special needs user of the special needs network is an audio file, a TTY communication, TTD communication, or a dual-tone-multi-frequency “

DTMF”

tone.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reporting system using responses to the message for messaging reports to groups in the special needs network, wherein the reports indicate a need for:

(i) specific equipment, (ii) special care handlers, (iii) assisted evacuations , or (iv) combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the reporting system comprises computer instructions to request a second response from members of the special needs network if a member can not accommodate requirements of special needs users identified in the report.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the reporting system comprises computer instructions to provide an additional message to vendors of the special needs network to deliver materials to at least one care facility.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the response data further comprises responder response information that indicates at least one responder contact device has received the message.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the administrator interface further comprises a responder module with a storage function for recording received responses in dual-tone multi-frequency “

DTMF”

or interactive voice response “

IVR”

format in the dynamic information database.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the administrator interface further comprises responder module a reporting function for creating reports using the received responses.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the audio files are transmitted by email, phone, a link on a website, or combinations thereof.

24. The system of claim 12, wherein the audio file comprises an MP3 file, MP4 file, WAV file, AIFF file, AVI file , ACC file, or combinations thereof.

25. The system of claim 12 wherein the video file comprises an H.264 Mpeg.

26. The system of claim 6, wherein dynamic information data base further comprises computer instructions enabling administrators to transmit a “

disregard message”

notification for users that received the message while administrators cancel messages in progress.

27. The system of claim 1, further comprising a text-to-sound file converter for translating the message from text to a sound file.