System and methods for tasking, collecting, and dispatching information reports

• US 8,682,888 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Smith
• Original Assignee: Joseph Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Joseph C
• Primary Examiner(s): REYES, MARIELA D
• Application Number:
  US13/325,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 707/724, 707/728, 707/733
• US Class Current: 707/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system for tasking, collecting, storing, and dispatching time-sensitive location-based information reports via an electronics communication network, comprising a central relational database management system, multiple computer-implemented services, and applications residing on computer-based mobile communication devices. The system provides: methods to convey the value of specific types of geospatial time-sensitive information from a world-wide population of information consumers to a world wide population of “eye witness” reporters (i.e. suppliers); methods to collect payment from the consumers and, in turn, pay the suppliers of valid information reports that satisfy a consumers'"'"' specific criteria; methods to distribute streams of geospatial-based information reports to geospatial viewing applications; methods to aggregate information demand from multiple information-tasking subscriptions; methods to subscribe and receive alerts with regards to tasking subscriptions; and methods to validate and score information reports.

Claims

1. A system for tasking, collecting, and dispatching information reports via an electronic communications network, comprising:

a. a computer-implemented central relational database system for storing information reports that are time tagged, geospatially tagged, and characterized with domain unique descriptive metadata that may include text, pictures, video, and audio;

b. a computer-implemented central relational database system for storing various information tasking subscriptions comprised of time-based constraints, geospatial constraints and other domain unique criteria constraints;

c. computer-implemented services that generate information tasking subscriptions based on information tasking subscription criteria from subscribers;

d. computer-implemented services for receiving incoming information reports from information reporters who may provide those reports electronically via electronic communication device through which information reporters document and transmit observations;

e. computer-implemented services that compare the information tasking subscription criteria with incoming information reports, determine whether a report of the incoming information reports satisfies the information tasking subscription criteria, and dispatch the reports over a communications network to devices as designated by the information tasking subscriptions;

f. computer-implemented services that dispatch information reports according to the information tasking subscription criteria when aggregate subscription demand, as indicated by a time-based geospatial aggregate bounty, exceeds specified payout minimum thresholds attributed to the information report;

g. computer-implemented services that compute the time-based geospatial aggregate bounty threshold based on aggregate demand of information tasking subscriptions by;

i) calculating geospatial areas as geospatial combinations of overlapping areas from the information tasking subscriptions with matching criteria; and

ii) computing and assigning demand values to the geospatial areas by summing the demand values of the respective subscriptions that were used to form the geospatial area;

h. computer-implemented services that display the geospatial areas and aggregate subscription demand associated with information subscriptions having similar criteria for the geospatial areas;

i. computer-implemented services that distribute geospatial information reports, based on the incoming information reports, to geospatial viewing computer applications residing on subscriber devices.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

computer-implemented services that display aggregate report information in a geospatial and time-based context.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

computer-implemented services that score incoming information reports based on a weighted formula.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein geospatial information reports are distributed to subscribers electronically in various formats including, but not limited to, text messages, emails, computer to computer communications, phone calls, and broadcast satellite subscription service feeds.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

computer-implemented services for communicating to users over an electronic communications network the demand levels of desired information reports based on aggregate subscription demand using domain, sub-domain, metadata criteria, specified geographic bounds, applicable time range, and economic value.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

computer-implemented services for reporters to subscribe and receive alerts with regards to information tasking, with capabilities;

a. that communicate individual and aggregate information tasking subscription demand in a geospatial and time based context;

b. that enable a reporter to filter information tasking based on domain and sub-domain metadata criteria, specific geographic bounds, applicable time range, and payout values; and

c. that enable a reporter to subscribe to and proved filter criteria of information tasking based on their dynamic location.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

computer-implemented services for reporters to specify minimum payouts for an information report that restricts dispatch of the report to information subscribers until information tasking demands equal or exceed the specified minimum payout.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

computer-implemented services to collect fees for information subscription tasking, attributes the fee to the subscription, aggregates fees based on matching subscription criteria, and electronically pays information reporters for satisfaction of supplied information reports.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein time and geospatial information in an information report is vetted with electronic signature parameters of the communications device, to include, but not limited to, built in GPS parameters, latitude and longitude via embedded location look up services, built in time stamps, phone number, cellular tower metadata, cellular handset identifiers (e.g. IMSI, IMEI, MSN), network MAC address, network IP address, and built in biometric signatures.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the information report may be vetted to include, but not limited to, using image processing of attached pictures, video processing of attached video, and audio processing of audio included with a report.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the information report is submitted to the system in voice, transformed to text, and content extracted for relational storage in the central relational database system.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the information report documents:

a) the domain of nature and wildlife (e.g. flora and fauna), to include, but not limited to, bird sightings, fish catches, fish schools, whale observations, unique and/or exotic species sightings, legally targeted species for hunting, animal species for safari sightings, active migrations, unusual animal sightings, unique animal behavior, tracked and/or tagged animals, unusual animal behavior sightings, rabid animal sightings, dangerous animal sightings, predatory animal sightings, missing animal or pet sightings, flora budding and blossoming events;

b) the domain of human activity, culture, politics, religion, and sports, to include, but not limited to, movie star sightings, sports star sightings, VIP sightings, errant spouse sightings, missing person sightings, lost child sightings, status of ongoing sport'"'"'s game, results of a sport'"'"'s game, restaurant menu offerings, available tables at a restaurant, status of available swim lanes, status of available golf tee times, status of available public tennis court, status of a ski lift line, status of ski slope conditions, show times, disease outbreak, and political events;

c) the domain of criminal behavior, to include, but not limited to, suspicious or criminal behavior, kidnapping, illegal poaching, illegal immigrant sightings, drunk driver sightings, driver illegally texting, car jacking, pirating, airline hijackings, pedophile sightings, graffiti markings, illegal drug use, illegal drug dealing, illegal drug crops, trespassing, illegal deforestation, criminal escapee sightings, deadbeat father and/or mother sightings, stolen artwork, shoplifting, stolen automobile, water usage violations, and suspicious gun discharges;

d) the domain of natural phenomenon, to include, but not limited to, weather events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, first snow flakes, snow depths, rain gauge readings, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, water spouts, mud slides, thunderstorms, lightning strikes, forest fires, geyser eruptions, volcanoes, shooting stars, comets, aurora borealis (aka northern lights), aurora australis (aka southern lights), solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, tidal water levels;

stream, lake, and reservoir levels;

ocean surf conditions, water quality, river flows, glacier movement, coral reef health, and lava flows;

e) the domain of transportation, to include, but not limited to, automobile traffic events, unique automobile sightings, particular airplane/aircraft sighting, train car sighting, ship sighting;

any watercraft sighting to include ships, sailboats, small watercraft, arrival events, departure events, in transit events, baggage events, and delay events;

f) the domain of commerce, to include, but not limited to, yard and/or garage sales, flea markets, unique items of interest for sale found at public places of commerce, and new product availability;

g) the domain of industry and agriculture, to include, but not limited to, observed plantings, harvestings, pollutant discharges, deforestation, livestock locations, lost farm animals, and crop status;

h) national and international security threat domain events, to include, but not limited to, terrorist attacks, IED sightings, military movements, car bombings, naval movements, military transportation sightings, missile launches, genocide, human trafficking, illegal border crossings, civil unrest, protests, strikes, weapons proliferation, and weapons of mass destruction activities;

i) the domain of man made disasters, to include, but not limited to oil spill slick locations, oil spill deposits on beaches and shorelines, nuclear fallout readings, oil spill seepage in a river or stream, pollutant discharges, algae blooms, and unusual gas smells;

j) the infrastructure domain, to include, but not limited to location of power outages, road erosion, bridge erosion, roadway pot holes, inclement road conditions, roadway blockages, road closures, checkpoints, speed traps, gas leaks, water pipe bursts, water main breaks, tower (electrical, telecommunications, water) damage, bridge damage, dam or spillway damage, gas and oil pipelines, railway infrastructure, building damages, tower locations, and tower installations, and construction progress.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the aggregate subscription demand can be displayed via the following geospatial techniques, but not limited to, value based contour maps, Venn diagrams, color gradient maps, and pattern based maps.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein aggregate subscription demand can be displayed via a value based contour map with the capability to display the contours based on, but not limited to, information criteria filters, contour resolution, specified pre-defined geospatial regions, specified custom geospatial bounds, and currency.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer-implemented services can compute and display aggregate average subscription bounty value over a user specified geospatial area.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein computer-implemented services can function as a market making system, providing tunable features that fill the financial gap between aggregate subscription demand and minimum report payout criteria.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein computer-implemented services can compute aggregate subscription demand by factoring in dynamic geographical areas prescribed in a subscription based on the dynamic location of the subscriber.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein information reports and the absence of submitted reports against outstanding information subscriptions are used in combination with other data, to include, but not limited to, tides, currents, winds, weather, and other natural phenomena, in order to provide predictive analytics of future events for fixed and mobile information subscribers.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein computer-implemented services can make pro-rated payouts from aggregate subscription demand to reporters based on a computed quality score that factors the timeliness of the submitted report as compared with other reports also satisfying the same information subscription criteria.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein computer-implemented applications on external computer-based communication devices that provide methods for reporters to document their observations and transmit them to the system over an electronic communications network.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein computer-implemented applications on external computer-based communication devices that provide methods for subscribers to enroll information tasking subscription criteria and transmit subscriptions to the system over an electronic communications network.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein computer-implemented services provide the ability to compute and display Venn diagram like geographic areas resulting from the intersection of geographic areas associated with information subscriptions having similar criteria based on user selectable filter criteria to include, but not limited to applicable time range.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein computer-implemented services possessing the capability to hide the identity of an information reporter from information tasking subscribers as requested by the reporter providing the information report.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein computer-implemented services possessing the capability to hide the identity of information tasking subscribers from external users of the system as requested by the information tasking subscriber.