Managing and monitoring emergency services sector resources

• US 8,315,237 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Berger, Thomas R, Denny, Joseph E., Robins, David S., Wallace, Stephen A., Gurgone, Raymond T., Koop, LaMonte Peter, Payne, Edward Allen, Twitchell, Robert W., Hilton, Rodney A., Edwards, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M.
• Application Number:
  US12/607,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20100150122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 370230-408, 455/41.2, 455/414, 455/552.1, 709220-252
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system includes one or more wireless islands, one or more incident management applications, and one or more message management and routing (MMR) systems. Each MMR systems is configured to act as an intermediary for communication between one of the wireless islands and one or more of the incident management applications. One of the wireless islands includes a radio network. The radio network includes a plurality of remote sensor nodes (RSNs), and a gateway controller. An RSN of the plurality of RSNs is worn by ESS personnel, the gateway controller is mounted to an ESS vehicle, and the RSN is configured to wirelessly communicate with the gateway controller.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

(a) a gateway comprising a location identification; and

(b) a wireless communications device;

(c) wherein the gateway is configured to

(i) broadcast a beacon signal, including the location identification, upon expiration of a beacon timer of the gateway, and

(ii) upon broadcasting the beacon signal, reset the beacon timer of the gateway based on a pre-selected maximum value;

(d) wherein the wireless communications device is configured to, when not registered with the gateway, in response to receipt of the beacon signal, attempt to register with the gateway;

(e) wherein the wireless communications device is adapted to, when registered with the gateway, utilize a beacon timer of the wireless communications device to control broadcasting of beacon signals via being configured to

(i) in response to receipt of another beacon signal which includes the location identification, reset the beacon timer of the wireless communications device based upon a randomly selected value between zero and the pre-selected maximum value,

(ii) upon expiration of the beacon timer of the wireless communications device, broadcast a device beacon signal, which device beacon signal includes the location identification, and

(iii) upon broadcasting the device beacon signal, reset the beacon timer of the wireless communications device based on the pre-selected maximum value;

(f) wherein the wireless communications device is still further configured to, when registered with the gateway,

(i) forward messages received from other wireless communications devices registered with the gateway to the gateway, and append an identification of the wireless communication device to the message,

(ii) communicate a check-in message to the gateway, upon expiration of a check-in timer of the wireless communications device, and

(iii) upon communicating the check-in message, reset the check-in timer of the wireless communications device;

(g) wherein the gateway is further configured to, in response to receipt of a message originated by one of the other wireless communications devices that was forwarded by the wireless communications device, communicate an acknowledgment message to the wireless communications device; and

(h) wherein the wireless communications device is still further configured to, in response to receiving the acknowledgment message,

(i) reset the check-in timer of the wireless communications device, and

(ii) forward the acknowledgment message to the originating one of the other wireless communications devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device comprises a remote sensor node (RSN).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the RSN is worn by a firefighter.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the RSN is attached to a police cruiser.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the RSN is attached to equipment used by emergency services sector (ESS) personnel.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein

(a) the RSN is worn by ESS personnel,

(b) the gateway is mounted to an ESS vehicle, and

(c) the RSN is configured to wirelessly communicate with the gateway.

7. The data communications network of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the wireless two-way RF data communication devices are respectively attached to assets for monitoring and tracking of such assets.

8. The data communications network of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the wireless two-way RF data communication devices are permanently affixed to a structure for monitoring and/or tracking assets that come within a proximity thereto.

9. The data communications network of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the wireless two-way RF data communication devices each comprises a wireless transceiver that includes microprocessor capabilities.

10. The system of claim 1,

(a) wherein the gateway is one of a plurality of gateways, each gateway defining a wireless island which includes any two-way RF data communication devices registered therewith,

(b) wherein the system further includes a customer application loaded on one or more electronic devices, and

(c) wherein the system further includes a message management and routing (MMR) system configured to act as an intermediary for communication between one of the wireless islands and the customer application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of wireless islands comprises a radio network, and wherein the radio network comprises a plurality of two-way RF data communications devices in the form of remote sensor nodes (RSNs).

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is attached to a fire engine.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is attached to a fire station building.

14. A system comprising:

(a) a gateway comprising an identifier; and

(b) a wireless communications device;

(c) wherein the gateway is configured to

(i) broadcast a beacon signal, including the identifier, upon expiration of a beacon timer of the gateway, and

(ii) upon broadcasting the beacon signal, reset the beacon timer of the gateway based on a maximum value;

(d) wherein the wireless communications device is configured to, when not registered with the gateway, in response to receipt of the beacon signal, attempt to register with the gateway;

(e) wherein the wireless communications device is adapted to, when registered with the gateway, utilize a beacon timer of the wireless communications device to control broadcasting of beacon signals via being configured to

(i) in response to receipt of another beacon signal which includes the identifier, reset the beacon timer of the wireless communications device based upon a randomly selected value between zero and the maximum value,

(ii) upon expiration of the beacon timer of the wireless communications device, broadcast a device beacon signal, which device beacon signal includes the identifier, and

(iii) upon broadcasting the device beacon signal, reset the beacon timer of the wireless communications device based on the maximum value;

(f) wherein the wireless communications device is still further configured to, when registered with the gateway, forward messages received from other wireless communications devices registered with the gateway to the gateway.

15. A method comprising:

(a) broadcasting, by a gateway, a beacon signal, including an identifier associated with the gateway, upon expiration of a beacon timer of the gateway;

(b) upon broadcasting the beacon signal, resetting the beacon timer of the gateway based on a maximum value;

(c) receiving, at a wireless communications device, the broadcast beacon signal including the identifier;

(d) communicating, from the wireless communications device to the gateway, a registration request;

(e) in response to the registration request, communicating, from the gateway to the wireless communications device, an acknowledgment;

(f) broadcasting, by the gateway, another beacon signal including the identifier, upon expiration of the beacon timer of the gateway;

(g) receiving, at the wireless communications device, the another beacon signal including the identifier;

(h) in response to receiving the another beacon signal which includes the identifier, setting a beacon timer of the wireless communications device based upon a randomly selected value between zero and the maximum value,

(i) upon expiration of the beacon timer of the wireless communications device, broadcasting a device beacon signal, which device beacon signal includes the identifier, and

(j) upon broadcasting the device beacon signal, setting the beacon timer of the wireless communications device based on the maximum value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless communications device comprises an RSN, and wherein the method further includes:

(a) attaching the RSN to an asset;

(b) attaching the gateway to a mobile vehicle;

(c) dispatching, to an incident, the mobile vehicle;

(d) dispatching, to an incident, the asset;

(e) and wherein the steps of communicating, from the wireless communications device to the gateway, a registration request and in response to the registration request, communicating, from the gateway to the wireless communications device, an acknowledgment are involved in forming, at the incident, a wireless network between the RSN and the gateway.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicating, by the gateway, an indication of the presence of the RSN at the incident to a customer application.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicating, by the gateway via WiFi, information associated with the RSN to a customer application.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of determining a location of the RSN utilizing hop path information.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of merging, at the incident, the wireless network with another wireless network.