Interoperability and collaboration system with emergency interception monitoring

• US 8,155,619 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STA Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Barave, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HAI V
• Application Number:
  US11/756,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20080299940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for automatically connecting an emergency caller with appropriate responders within an interoperability and collaboration system. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includes obtaining a request for a response, and identifying a first location from which the request originated. The request is obtained from a source that utilizes a phone and is located at the first location. The method also includes identifying at least one potential responder that may be capable or appropriate for providing the response. Finally, the method also includes creating a virtual talk group that includes the source and the potential responder. The potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications from the source within the virtual talk group using a land mobile radio.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a request for a response, the request being obtained from a source that utilizes a phone to make the request;

identifying a first location from which the request originated, wherein the source is located at the first location;

identifying at least one potential responder, wherein the at least one potential responder may provide the response; and

creating a virtual talk group, the virtual talk group including the source and the at least one potential responder, wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications from the source using a land mobile radio, and wherein creating the virtual talk group including the source and the at least one potential responder includes creating the virtual talk group such that the source communicates using the phone and the at least one potential responder communicates using the land mobile radio;

wherein the virtual talk group is automatically created by an Internet Protocol policy engine and creating the virtual talk group includes creating the virtual talk group to include the source, the at least one potential responder, and a dispatcher.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications between the source and the dispatcher.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the source is a caller, and creating the virtual talk group includes automatically creating the virtual talk group by an Internet Protocol policy engine to include the caller, the at least one potential responder, and a dispatcher.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications between the source and the dispatcher.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the at least one potential responder includes identifying a first potential responder from a plurality of potential responders, and also includes automatically identifying a second location at which the first potential responder is located and automatically determining if the second location is within a predetermined vicinity of the first location.

6. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving an indication from the at least one potential responder that the at least one potential responder has taken ownership for providing the response; and

automatically configuring the virtual talk group to indicate that the at least one potential responder has taken ownership for providing the response, wherein an Internet Protocol policy engine automatically configures the virtual talk group.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the source is a caller, the method further including:

maintaining a connection with the caller;

determining when the connection is prematurely terminated;

reestablishing the connection with the caller; and

automatically recreating the virtual talk group to include the at least one potential responder and the source, wherein an Internet Protocol policy engine determines when the connection is prematurely terminated, reestablishes the connection with the caller, and recreates the virtual talk group.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein reestablishing the connection with the caller includes placing an outbound call to the phone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first location is identified using location information transmitted as part of a media stream associated with the request.

10. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

obtain a request for a response, the request being obtained from a caller that utilizes a phone to make the request;

identify a first location from which the request originated, wherein the caller is located at the first location;

identify at least one potential responder, wherein the at least one potential responder may provide the response; and

create a virtual talk group, the virtual talk group including the caller and the at least one potential responder, wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications from the caller using a land mobile radio, and wherein the logic operable to create the virtual talk group including the source and the at least one potential responder is further operable to create the virtual talk group such that the source communicates using the phone and the at least one potential responder communicates using the land mobile radio;

wherein the virtual talk group is automatically created by an Internet Protocol policy engine, and the logic when executed that is operable to create the virtual talk group is further operable to create the virtual talk group to include the caller, the at least one potential responder, and a dispatcher.

11. The logic of claim 10 wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications between the caller and the dispatcher.

12. The logic of claim 10 wherein the logic when executed that is operable to create the virtual talk group is further operable to create the virtual talk group using an Internet Protocol policy engine to include the caller, the at least one potential responder, and a dispatcher.

13. The logic of claim 12 wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications between the caller and the dispatcher.

14. The logic of claim 10 wherein the logic when executed that is operable to identify the at least one potential responder is further operable to identify a first potential responder from a plurality of potential responders and also to identify a second location at which the first responder is located and to automatically determine if the second location is within a predetermined vicinity of the first location.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a request for a response, the request being obtained from a caller;

means for identifying a first location from which the request originated, wherein the caller is located at the first location;

means for identifying at least one potential responder, wherein the at least one potential responder may provide the response; and

means for creating a virtual talk group, the virtual talk group including the caller and the at least one potential responder, wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications from the caller, and wherein the means for creating the virtual talk group including the source and the at least one potential responder include means for creating the virtual talk group such that the source communicates using the phone and the at least one potential responder communicates using the land mobile radio;

wherein the virtual talk group is automatically created by an Internet Protocol policy engine and the means for creating the virtual talk group include means for creating the virtual talk group to include the source, the at least one potential responder, and a dispatcher.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications between the source and the dispatcher.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the source is a caller, and the means for creating the virtual talk group includes means for automatically creating the virtual talk group by an Internet Protocol policy engine to include the caller, the at least one potential responder, and a dispatcher.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the at least one potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications between the source and the dispatcher.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the means for identifying the at least one potential responder include means for identifying a first potential responder from a plurality of potential responders, and also includes means for automatically identifying a second location at which the first potential responder is located and means for automatically determining if the second location is within a predetermined vicinity of the first location.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 further including:

means for receiving an indication from the at least one potential responder that the at least one potential responder has taken ownership for providing the response; and

means for automatically configuring the virtual talk group to indicate that the at least one potential responder has taken ownership for providing the response, wherein an Internet Protocol policy engine automatically configures the virtual talk group.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the source is a caller, the apparatus further including:

means for maintaining a connection with the caller;

means for determining when the connection is prematurely terminated;

means for reestablishing the connection with the caller; and

means for automatically recreating the virtual talk group to include the at least one potential responder and the source, wherein an Internet Protocol policy engine determines when the connection is prematurely terminated, reestablishes the connection with the caller, and recreates the virtual talk group.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a port, the port being arranged to obtain communications from a caller, wherein the communications indicate a request for a response; and

an Internet Protocol policy engine, the Internet Protocol policy engine including a virtual talk group creator that is arranged to identify at least one potential responder that may provide the response and to create a virtual talk group that includes the caller and the at least one potential responder such that the at least one potential responder may listen to the communications obtained from the caller, wherein the caller communicates using the phone and the at least one potential responder listens to the communications obtained from the caller using the land mobile radio;

wherein the Internet Protocol engine includes a radio connector, the radio connector being arranged to communicably connect a first phone associated with the caller, a first radio associated with the at least one potential responder, and a second radio associated with a dispatcher such that the at least one potential responder may listen to the communications from the caller and communicate substantially directly with the caller.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the Internet Protocol policy engine includes a locator, the locator being arranged to identify the at least one potential responder by identifying a location associated with the caller and determining if the at least one potential responder is within a predetermined vicinity around the location.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the Internet Protocol policy engine is arranged to determine if the at least one potential responder has taken ownership for providing the response and the virtual talk group creator is arranged to configure the virtual talk group to indicate that the at least one potential responder has taken ownership for providing the response.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the Internet Protocol policy engine is arranged to determine if the communications with the caller have been terminated, to reestablish the communications with the caller, and to recreate the virtual talk group to include the caller and the at least one potential responder after the communications with the caller are reestablished.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the at least one potential responder is one selected from the group including an enterprise emergency response team (ERT), mobile security personnel, and a loss prevention team (LPT).