Event alert system and method

• US 7,634,361 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karon, Richard T., Levesque, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US11/126,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 702/73, 702/78, 702/79, 702/179, 702/182, 702/185, 702/186, 702/188, 709/202, 709/203, 709/224, 706/46, 706/12, 706/14, 455/9, 455/11.1, 340/3.1, 340/310.11, 340/310.14, 340/500, 340/989, 340/293, 713/200, 701/117, 701/207, 701/210
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance

Abstract

An event alert system and method provide event detection modules that communicate detected events with a central command center. The central command center combines the detected events with related data to provide an intelligent response signal, and communicates the intelligent response signal to event responders. The event alert system also provides an event detection module having event sensors able to detect a variety of types of events.

Claims

1. A system for event alert, comprising:

a plurality of event modules configured to detect an event and configured to generate at least one event signal associated with the event; and

a command center configured to receive the at least one event signal and configured to generate an intelligent response signal associated with the event, wherein the intelligent response signal includes a response instruction associated with the event and related data associated with the event, wherein the command center is also configured to communicate the intelligent response signal to at least one of a national first responder, a regional first responder, or a local first responder selected from among a plurality of local responders, each one of the plurality of local responders associated with a different respective location at which the event may have been detected, and wherein the response instruction comprises an instruction indicative of how one or more people should respond or how one or more people should not respond in order to mitigate harm that could be caused by the event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the response instruction associated with the event or the related data associated with the event includes a location of the event, a type of the event detected from among a plurality of potential types of events, and one or more actions associated with the event to be taken by one or more people, and wherein the related data associated with the event further includes at least one of a correlation to another event, a type of help, a quantity of help, a national point of contact, a regional point of contact, or a local point of contact selected from among a plurality of local points of contact, each one of the plurality of local points of contact associated with a different respective location at which the event may have been detected.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the event includes at least one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, an explosion event, or a naturally occurring event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes a validation processor configured to receive the at least one event signal and configured to receive at least one respective validation signal associated with the event from a remote location and configured to compare the at least one event signal with the at least one respective validation signal in order to generate a validated at least one event signal, wherein the intelligent response signal is generated in response to the validated at least one event signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the command center comprises a central command center configured to also generate a secondary intelligent response signal, wherein the system further comprises at least one of:

a regional command center coupled to receive the secondary intelligent response signal from the central command center, or

a local command center coupled to receive the secondary intelligent response signal from at least one of the central command center or the regional command center, wherein the at least one of the regional command center or the local command center is configured to provide the validation signal in response to the secondary intelligent response signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes an event analysis processor configured to determine a characteristic of the event.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes a data normalization processor configured to normalize first information associated with a first event signal with second information associated with a second event signal so that the first and second information can be compared.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes an event correlation processor configured to correlate a first event signal with one or more other event signals.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes:

a database fusion processor; and

at least one database having the related data therein, the at least one database comprising at least one of;

an infrastructure capacity database, an emergency response capabilities database, a local point of contact database having a plurality of local points of contact associated with a plurality of different respective locations at which the event may have been detected, a regional point of contact database, or a national point of contact database, wherein the database fusion processor is configured to identify a relationship between the at least one event signal and the related data.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one event signal is a wireless event signal and the command center is configured to receive the wireless event signal.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of event modules includes at least one mobile event module operational within a moving vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of event modules is configured to detect more than one different one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, an explosion event, and an explosive event.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the central command center is relocatable such that at least one of the regional command center or the local command center can perform functions of the central command center.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the regional command center or the local command center is configured to generate a response signal for communication to at least one of the regional first responder or the local first responder, respectively.

15. A method of alerting associated with an event, comprising:

receiving at least one event signal associated with the event;

generating an intelligent response signal associated with the event, wherein the intelligent response signal includes a response instruction associated with the event and related data associated with the event and

communicating the intelligent response signal to at least one of a national first responder, a regional first responder, or a local first responder selected from among a plurality of local responders, each one of the plurality of local responders associated with a different respective location at which the event may have been detected, wherein the response instruction comprises an instruction indicative of how one or more people should respond or how one or more people should not respond in order to mitigate harm that could be caused by the event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the response instruction associated with the event or the related data associated with the event includes a location of the event, a type of event detected from among a plurality of potential types of events, and one or more action associated with the event to be taken by one or more people wherein the related data associated with the event also includes at least one of a correlation to another event, a type of needed help, a quantity of needed help, a national point of contact, a regional point of contact, or a local point of contact selected from among a plurality of local points of contact, each one of the plurality of local points of contact associated with a different respective location at which the event may have been detected.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the event includes at least one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, an explosion event, and a naturally occurring event.

18. The method of claim 15, further including:

receiving at least one validation signal associated with the event from a remote location; and

combining the at least one event signal and the at least one validation signal in order to generate a validated at least one event signal, wherein the intelligent response signal is generated in response to the validated at least one event signal.

19. The method of claim 15, further including:

analyzing the at least one event signal to determine a characteristic of the event.

20. The method of claim 15, further including normalizing first information associated with a first event signal with second information associated with a second event signal so that the first and second information can be compared.

21. The method of claim 15, further including correlating a first event signal with one or more other event signals.

22. The method of claim 15, further including:

acquiring the related data associated with the, wherein the related data includes at least one of;

infrastructure capacity data, emergency response capabilities data, local point of contact data having a plurality of local points of contact associated with a plurality of respective different locations at which the event may have been detected, regional point of contact data or national point of contact data; and

data fusing to identify a relationship between the at least one event signal and the related data.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the at least one event signal is a wireless event signal.

24. A system for event alert, comprising:

a plurality of event modules configured to detect an event and configured to generate at least one event signal associated with the event, wherein the event includes at least one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, an explosion event, or a naturally occurring event; and

a command center configured to receive the at least one event signal and configured to generate an intelligent response signal associated with the event, wherein the intelligent response signal includes at least one of a response instruction associated with the event or related data associated with the event, wherein the command center is also configured to communicate the intelligent response signal to at least one of a national first responder, a regional first responder, or a local first responder selected from among a plurality of local responders, each one of the plurality of local responders associated with a different respective location at which the event may have been detected, wherein the response instruction comprises an instruction indicative of how one or more people should respond or how one or more people should not respond in order to mitigate harm that could be caused by the event, and wherein the command center includes at least one of;

a validation processor configured to receive the at least one event signal and configured to receive a respective at least one validation signal associated with the event and configured to compare the at least one event signal with the at least one respective validation signal in order to generate a validated at least one event signal, wherein the intelligent response signal is generated in response to the validated at least one event signal,

an event analysis processor configured to determine a characteristic of the event,

a data normalization processor configured to normalize first information associated with a first event signal with second information associated with a second event signal so that the first and second information can be compared, or

an event correlation processor configured to correlate the first event signal with one or more other event signals,

at least one database having the related data therein, the at least one database comprising at least one of;

an infrastructure capacity database, an emergency response capabilities database, a local point of contact database, a regional point of contact database, or a national point of contact database; and

a database fusion processor configured to identify a relationship between the at least one event signal and the related data.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the command center is relocatable to another location such that the other locations can perform functions of the central command center.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein at least one of the regional command center or the local command center is configured to generate a response signal for communication to at least one of the regional first responder or the local first responder, respectively.