Methods and systems for threat assessment, safety management, and monitoring of individuals and groups

• US 8,630,820 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Strider, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Strider, Inc.
• Inventors: Amis, David
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, TOAN M
• Application Number:
  US12/862,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 702/186, 702181-183, 702/188, 4554041-4042, 455/403, 455/410, 455/550.1, 705/325, 709/217, 709/219, 342/357.25
• US Class Current: 702/186
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations

Abstract

The disclosure generally relates to methods and systems anticipating a potentially threatening or dangerous incident, and providing varying levels of response to a user. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides varying levels of assistance to a user prior to, during, and after a threatening incident occurs. By providing assistance prior to a threatening incident occurring, the system may be able to thwart potential attacks, bodily harm, robberies, break-ins, and other criminal or dangerous activity. The assistance can be, for example, in the form of deterrents, alerting first responders to go to the scene, sending security personnel to the scene, remotely monitoring the scene, remotely interacting with the scene, providing information and advice to the user.

Claims

1. A method of determining a security assessment and providing appropriate preventative responses, comprising:

receiving at a server, a first data signal from a first database;

receiving at the server, a second data signal from a user device or a third-party mobile device, the second signal containing image data or video data;

receiving at the server, a third data signal from a second database, the third data signal containing historical user routine data;

analyzing, by the server, the first data signal, the second data signal, and the third data signal;

determining, by the server, a security assessment based on the first data signal, the second data signal, and the third data signal; and

transmitting, by the server, a response signal based on the security assessment to at least one of the user device and a first responder, the response signal requiring a check-in from the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first database is a law enforcement database, a military database, or a federal agency database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data signal includes information regarding criminal activity and crime statistics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device or the third-party mobile device is a cellular phone or a portable device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data signal comprises an image obtained by a camera on the user device or on the third-party mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data signal comprises video obtained by a camera on the user device or on the third-party mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the response signal is selected from a group consisting of a telephone call, a SMS (short message service) message, and an electronic mail message.

8. A method of predicting a probability of harm and providing appropriate preventative responses, comprising:

receiving, at a server, a plurality of data signals from a plurality of data sources;

receiving, at the server, image or video data from a user device or a third-party mobile device;

receiving, at the server, past location history from the user device;

receiving, at the server, user routine data from the user device or a remote server;

analyzing, at the server, the data signals, image or video data, user routine data, and the past location history to predict an occurrence of a potentially dangerous incident;

determining, by the server, an appropriate response to affect an outcome of the potentially dangerous incident; and

transmitting, by the server, a check-in request to the user device requiring a check-in from a user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data sources are selected from a group consisting of a remote user device;

a government agency database, a military database, a law enforcement database, a weather database, and a security-provider database.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the past location history is data, regarding the prior movement of the user device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the appropriate response is selected from a group consisting of alerting first responders, remotely controlling a remote user device by the server, alerting security personnel, providing advice, and conducting research related to the potentially dangerous incident.

12. A system for remotely monitoring an individual and providing varying levels of security assistance, consisting of:

a remote monitoring center communicatively coupled to a safety network;

a first safety device coupled to the safety network, wherein the safety device is configured to transmit data to the remote monitoring center;

a server communicatively coupled to the safety network and to the remote monitoring center, wherein the server is configured to receive a plurality of data signals from a plurality of data sources, the server further configured to receive past location history from a user device, the server further configured to receive past user routine data from the user device, and the server further configured to predict an occurrence of a potentially dangerous incident using the past location history and the past user routine data; and

a transmitter coupled to the server, the transmitter configured to transmit a check-in request to the user device requiring a check-in from a user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote monitoring center is communicatively coupled a first responder alerting system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote monitoring center is configured to transmit a signal to the first safety device based on the potentially dangerous incident predicted by the server.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote monitoring center is configured to send a signal to a 911 call center based on the potentially dangerous incident predicted by the server.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote monitoring center is configured to transmit a signal to a first responder alerting system based on the potentially dangerous incident predicted by the server.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote monitoring center is configured to send a signal to second safety device based on the potentially dangerous incident predicted by the server, wherein the second safety device is communicatively coupled to the safety network.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first safety device has a touch-sensitive display screen.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the first safety device has image and video recording means.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the past location history is data, regarding the prior movement of the user device.