On-demand emergency notification system using GPS-equipped devices

• US 8,145,183 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of South Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of South Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Barbeau, Sean J., Winters, Philip L., Perez, Rafael, Labrador, Miguel, Georggi, Nevine, Dos Santos, Sasha
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US11/534,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,010 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/455, 455/456.3, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements

Abstract

Provided is an emergency locator system adapted for GPS-enabled wireless devices. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is and Location Based Services (LBS) are used to determine the exact location of a user and communicate information relating to the emergency status of that location. The user initiates the locator application via a wireless device and their physical location information is automatically transferred to a server. The server then compares the user'"'"'s location with Geographic Information System (GIS) maps to identify the emergency status associated with their location. Once the server has calculated the current emergency status, the information is automatically returned to the user, along with emergency instructions.

Claims

1. A computer system for communicating evacuation zone information to a mobile device, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory module communicatively coupled to the processor; and

software instructions loaded in to the memory module that cause the computer system to;

receive a request from the mobile device for a static evacuation zone identifier, the request including the global positioning system (GPS) coordinates for a current location of the mobile device,

determine the static evacuation zone identifier associated with the GPS coordinates received from the mobile device,

transmit the static evacuation zone identifier and a current evacuation zone status for the static evacuation zone identifier to the mobile device,

wherein the request is received and the evacuation zone identifier and current evacuation zone status are transmitted without maintaining an open data connection with the user.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the request for a static evacuation zone identifier is transmitted through a data connection initiated by the mobile device.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the data connection from the mobile device is made using a wireless device.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the request for a static evacuation zone identifier is transmitted through a multimedia messaging service.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the evacuation zone identifier and the current evacuation zone status is transmitted to the mobile device through a multimedia messaging service.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the evacuation zone identifier and the current evacuation zone status are sent in the format selected from the group consisting of text, audio, images, video and a combination thereof.

7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the current evacuation zone status is selected from the group consisting of severe weather warnings, evacuation directions, instructions to seek shelter and instructions to receive more information.