All hazards information distribution method and system, and method of maintaining privacy of distributed all-hazards information

• US 8,463,943 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Brabec, Frantisek, Ingraham, Edward E. II, Park, Daniel D., Drescher, David Robert Monroe
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US12/684,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An information distribution method includes: gathering all-hazards information into an information exchange from a first information source; gathering all-hazards information into the information exchange from a second information source; distributing the all-hazards information from the information exchange to a first independently-controlled alert network; distributing the all-hazards information from the information exchange to a second independently-controlled alert network.

Claims

1. An information distribution method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of different formats of all-hazards information from a plurality of information sources, wherein the receiving comprises retrieving all-hazards information through polling one or more of the information sources;

processing the different formats of all-hazards information into normalized all-hazards information; and

electronically distributing a plurality of all-hazards messages corresponding to the normalized all-hazards information to a plurality of entities, wherein the plurality of the all-hazards messages are distributed in a second plurality of different formats with substantially the same content, and wherein the plurality of the normalized all-hazards messages in the second plurality of different formats are distributed automatically to the plurality of entities,

wherein the all-hazards information, the normalized all-hazards information, and the plurality of all-hazards messages each comprise at least one selected from a group consisting of weather information, traffic information, earthquake information, and epidemic information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the all-hazards information is received in real time during an occurrence of an all-hazards event corresponding to the all-hazards information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a plurality of different formats of pushed all-hazards information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintai ling polling parameters for the one or more information sources.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising accepting the polling parameters from one or more information source providers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the different formats of all-hazards information into normalized information comprises reducing the number of different formats of all-hazards information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the different formats of all-hazards information into normalized information comprises reducing the different formats to a standard format of all-hazards information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing comprises extracting payloads from the received information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the processing comprises assigning one or more feeds to the payloads.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the processing comprises identifying pieces of information included in the payloads of each assigned feed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising enhancing the content of the received information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the enhancing comprises expanding abbreviations, translating, and attaching timestamps to the received information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the enhancing comprises adding visual or audio information to a text-based received information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the enhancing comprises geolocating affected areas of the received information and providing visual displays of the affected areas to the entities.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering the normalized information into one or more databases.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating all-hazards messages from the normalized information.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising analyzing the normalized information across multiple entries and initiating an all-hazards message resulting from the analysis.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the distributing comprises identifying the entities that are subscribed to receive the initiated all-hazards messages.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising maintaining subscription parameters for the entities.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising accepting the subscription parameters provided by the entity.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the distributing comprises composing one or more all-hazards messages corresponding to each initiated all-hazards message.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the distributing comprises pushing the one or more all-hazards messages to the identified entities.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the distributing comprises composing a plurality of all-hazards messages in different formats with substantially the same content.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a response to an all-hazards message.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising identifying the all-hazards message corresponding to the response.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising identifying the information source corresponding to the all-hazards message.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising pushing the response to a provider of the information source.

28. An information exchange, comprising:

one or more information receiving handlers capable of receiving a plurality of all-hazards information formats;

one or more processors capable of converting different all-hazards information formats into normalized all-hazards information, wherein the one or more processors are connected to the one or more information receiving handlers, wherein the one or more processors comprise one or more poller daemons configured to retrieve the plurality of all-hazards information formats; and

one or more information distributing handlers connected to the one or more processors capable of electronically distributing one or more all-hazards messages corresponding to the normalized all-hazards information in a second plurality of information formats, wherein the one or more information handlers automatically distribute the one or more all-hazards messages in different formats,

wherein the plurality of all-hazards information, the normalized all-hazards information, and the one or more all-hazards messages each comprise at least one selected from a group consisting of weather information, traffic information, earthquake information, and epidemic information.

29. The exchange of claim 28, wherein the one or more information receiving handlers comprise a plurality of push handlers.

30. The exchange of claim 28, further comprising one or more information source managers connected to the one or more poller daemons.

31. The exchange of claim 30, further comprising one or more information source application programming interfaces (API) connected to the one or more information source managers.

32. The exchange of claim 28, wherein the one or more processors comprise one or more content extractors connected to the one or more information receiving handlers.

33. The exchange of claim 32, wherein the one or more processors comprise one or more feed parsers connected to the one or more content extractors.

34. The exchange of claim 33, wherein the one or more processors comprise one or more information enhancers connected to the one or more feed parsers.

35. The exchange of claim 34, wherein the one or more information enhancers comprise at least one of an abbreviation expander, a translator and a timestamp attacher.

36. The exchange of claim 34 wherein the one or more information enhancers add visual or audio information to a text-based received information.

37. The exchange of claim 34, wherein the one or more information enhancers geolocate affected areas of the received information and provide visual displays of the affected areas to the entities.

38. The exchange of claim 28, further comprising one or more databases connected to the one or more processors.

39. The exchange of claim 28, further comprising one or more con rollers connected to the one or more processors.

40. The exchange of claim 38, further comprising one or more controllers connected to the one or more databases.

41. The exchange of claim 39, wherein the one or more distributing handlers comprise one or more message dispatchers connected to the one or more controllers.

42. The exchange of claim 41, wherein the one or more distribution handlers comprise one or more subscription managers connected to the one or more message dispatchers.

43. The exchange of claim 42, further comprising one or more subscription management application programming interfaces connected to the one or more subscription managers.

44. The exchange of claim 41, wherein the one or more distributing handlers comprise one or more subscription handlers connected to the one or more message dispatchers.

45. The exchange of claim 28, further comprising one or more response handlers that receive a response to an all-hazards message.

46. The exchange of claim 45, further comprising a response dispatcher connected to the one or more response handlers.

47. An information distribution method, comprising:

receiving, in real time, a plurality of different formats of all-hazards information from a plurality of information sources, wherein the receiving comprises retrieving all-hazards information through polling one or more of the information sources;

processing, in real time, the different formats of all-hazards information into normalized all-hazards information, wherein the normalized all-hazards information comprises a reduction in differences between the plurality of different formats and a reduction in a number of the plurality of different formats; and

electronically distributing, in real, time, a plurality of all-hazards messages corresponding to the normalized all-hazards information to a plurality of entities, wherein the plurality of the all-hazards messages are distributed in a second plurality of different formats with substantially the same content, and wherein the plurality of the normalized all-hazards messages in second plurality of different formats are distributed automatically to the plurality of entities,

wherein the all-hazards information, the normalized all-hazards information, and the plurality of all-hazards messages each relate to communal safety.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein communal safety comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of crime information, terrorist information, flood information, school closings, natural disasters information, and biohazards information.