Dynamic family disaster plan

• US 8,023,621 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life360 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Life360 Incorporated
• Inventors: Hulls, Christopher R
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/623,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/45, 379/49, 379/88.25, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/434, 455/461, 709/200, 709/203, 342/357.31, 342/357.51, 342/357.52
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• 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: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/40 Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping

Abstract

A database and communications server allow for composure of a family disaster plan that is tailored to the demographic and geographic information provided by a subscriber to the disclosed system. In the event of an emergency, relevant portions of a family disaster plan are communicated to a subscriber and the family members of the subscriber. Each subscribing family member may communicate with the database, which in turn automatically distributes the message to all family members. After the disaster has ended, insurance information is relayed to the subscriber, and the subscriber'"'"'s insurance companies are notified.

Claims

1. A family disaster planning system comprising:

a) means of recording user input into a database through use of templates, wherein the templates displayed are dependent upon geographic information entered by a user of the system;

b) means of contacting subscribers;

c) means of allowing subscribers to communicate with the database during a disaster;

d) means of ascertaining if a subscriber is using a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) locator and means of contacting a GPS service provider to obtain the location of a subscriber using a GPS locator; and

e) means of notifying subscribers on the basis of a subscriber'"'"'s location, as found by a subscriber'"'"'s GPS locator.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the templates displayed depend upon the demographic information entered by the subscriber.

3. The system of claim 1 comprising means of allowing subscribers to obtain updated messages from family members during an emergency.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising means of providing subscribers with pre-determined information after an emergency.

5. The system of claim 1 comprising means of allowing third parties to access the data to provide individual assistance to subscribers.

6. A method of preparing and implementing a family disaster plan, the method comprising:

a) collecting information from subscribers, by the presentation of templates, with the templates presented being selected upon the basis of a subscriber'"'"'s entered geographic information;

b) storing information obtained from subscribers;

c) allowing subscribers to access their information during an emergency;

d) providing subscribers with relevant portions of their family disaster plan during an emergency;

e) collecting information from subscribers during an emergency and distributing the information to family members during an emergency;

f) ascertaining if a subscriber is using a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) enabled device and obtaining the location of a subscriber from a subscriber'"'"'s GPS enabled device; and

g) sending messages to subscribers, based upon a subscriber'"'"'s GPS determined location.

7. The method of claim 6 including distributing insurance information to subscribers after an emergency.

8. The method of claim 6 including contacting the insurance companies of a subscriber after an emergency.