Notifying a user of an event

• US 8,285,305 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Cornett, Alan, Becker, Robert C., Drexler, Jerome P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US12/880,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 455/521, 455/435.1, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 340/601, 340/539.11, 340/691.5, 340/539.1, 340/531, 340/539.13, 707/E17.11, 709/224, 379/37, 719/318, 702/3
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• 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: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Devices, methods, and systems for notifying a user of an event are described herein. One or more embodiments include a computing device for notifying a user of an event. The computing device includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to determine a location of a user based on location information received from a personal device of the user, receive information regarding a predicted path or range of an event, determine, based on the location of the user and the information regarding the predicted path or range of the event, if the user is located within the predicted path or range of the event, and send a notification of the event to the user if the user is located within the predicted path or range of the event.

Claims

1. A computing device for notifying a user of an event, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to;

determine a location of a user based on location information received from a personal device of the user;

receive information regarding a predicted path and range of an event;

determine, based on the location of the user and the information regarding the predicted path and range of the event, if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the event, wherein determining if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the event includes;

determining a probability of whether the user is located within the predicted path and range of the event based on the location of the user and the information regarding the predicted path and range of the event; and

determining if the probability is greater than a predetermined probability, wherein the user is located within the predicted path and range of the event if the probability is greater than the predetermined probability;

send a notification of the event and advice on how to deal with the event to the user if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the event, wherein the advice on how to deal with the event includes;

one or more locations for the user to go to during or after the event; and

one or more locations for the user to avoid during or after the event; and

determine if the user has arrived at one of the one or more locations for the user to go to during or after the event.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the personal device of the user is a cellular telephone.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the location of the user is determined based on a triangulation of the cellular telephone.

4. The computing device of claim 2, wherein:

the cellular telephone includes geolocation capability; and

the location of the user is determined based on geolocation information received from the cellular telephone.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the location of the user is a location within a building.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the event is a severe weather event.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the event is a natural disaster.

8. A computer implemented method for notifying a user of an event, comprising:

determining if a user is located within a predicted path and range of an event, wherein;

the determination is based on;

the predicted path and range of the event; and

a location of a personal device of the user; and

the determination includes;

determining a probability of whether the user is located within the predicted path and range of the event based on the predicted path and range of the event and the location of the personal device of the user; and

determining if the probability is greater than a predetermined probability, wherein the user is located within the predicated path and range of the event if the probability is greater than the predetermined probability;

sending, if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the event, a notification of the event and advice on how to deal with the event to the user, wherein the advice on how to deal with the event includes;

one or more locations for the user to go to during or after the event; and

one or more locations for the user to avoid during or after the event; and

determining if the user has arrived at one of the one or more locations for the user to go to during or after the event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method includes automatically sending, if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the event, the notification of the event and the advice on how to deal with the event to the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method includes sending the notification of the event and the advice on how to deal with the event to the user in response to a request from the user.

11. A system for notifying a user of an event, comprising:

a database having locations of a number of severe weather shelters; and

a computing device coupled to the database and configured to;

determine a location of a user based on location information from a personal device of the user;

receive information regarding a predicted path and range of a severe weather event;

determine, based on the location of the user and the information regarding the predicted path and range of the severe weather event, if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the severe weather event, wherein determining if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the severe weather event includes

determining a probability of whether the user is located within the predicted path and range of the severe weather event based on the location of the user and the information regarding the predicted path and range of the severe weather event; and

determining if the probability is greater than a predetermined probability, wherein the user is located with the predicted path and range of the severe weather event if the probability is greater than the predetermined probability;

send, if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the severe weather event, a notification of the severe weather event, locations of one or more of the severe weather shelters, and advice on how to deal with the severe weather event to the user, wherein the advice on how to deal with the severe weather event includes;

one or more locations for the user to go to during or after the severe weather event; and

one or more locations for the user to avoid during or after the event; and

determine if the user has arrived at one of the one or more locations for the user to go to during or after the severe weather event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is configured to send to the user, if the user is located within the predicted path and range of the severe weather event, directions to the one or more severe weather shelters sent to the user, wherein the directions are from the location of the user.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more severe weather shelters sent to the user are located within a predetermined distance from the location of the user.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the number of severe weather shelters in the database include a number of hospitals.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is configured to receive the information regarding the predicted path and range of the severe weather event from the National Weather Service or other service.