Remote evacuation reporting interface for first responder duty optimization in the field

• US 8,760,288 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cynthia Sue Lamon, Donald Robert Martin Boys, Susan Araiza Boys Family Trust
• Original Assignee: Donald Robert Martin Boys, Susan Araiza-Boys
• Inventors: Araiza-Boys, Susan, Boys, Donald Robert Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US13/454,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/539.18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast

Abstract

A first responder task-optimization system includes a network-connected server having at least one processor and data repository, software running on the at least one processor from a non-transitory medium, the software providing a first function for receiving evacuation-success notification information from persons evacuating from pre-specified locations in the path of the progression of a disaster, a second function for associating the received evacuation-success notification information to the pre-specified locations on at least one digitally rendered geographic representation of the area in the path of the disaster, and a third function for serving the at least one geographic representation including the associated notification information to first responders in the field.

Claims

1. A first responder task-optimization system comprising:

a network-connected server having at least one processor and data repository;

software running on the at least one processor from a non-transitory medium, the software providing;

a first function mapping fixed geographic locations housing fixed electronic devices having interfaces connected to fixed alarm systems at the geographic locations;

a second function receiving evacuation-success notification information manually sent from persons interacting with the electronic devices evacuating from the geographic locations in the path of the progression of a disaster;

a third function for visually associating the received evacuation-success notification information to the geographic locations visually represented on at least one digitally rendered geographic representation of the area in the path of the disaster, the evacuation-success notification indicating that the persons are no longer present at the location; and

a fourth function for serving the at least one geographic representation including the associated notification information to first responders in the field.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-specified locations are one or a combination of residences, workplaces, or institutions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation-success notification information is received from mobile communications appliances associated with persons, in turn, associated with the alarm systems at the geographic locations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic representations are digital maps illustrating the geographic locations.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second function associates the received notification information to the-geographic locations in one or more digital overlays of the geographic representations.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the association is visual indicia overlaid one-to-one over the geographic locations on the geographic representations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation-success notification information is received in response to a mandatory or voluntary evacuation warning issued via the fixed electronic device during the progression of the disaster.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the evacuation-success notification information includes at least the number of persons evacuated from a geographic location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the evacuation-success notification information further includes location information specifying locations and or areas to which the persons evacuated that are remote from the geographic locations housing the electronic devices.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic locations are pre-mapped by global positioning service (GPS) coordinates prior to the disaster, wherein the GPS coordinates are implicitly observed or inferred through association of the location to one or a combination of telephone number, zip code, physical address, unit number, or the alarm system location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b), the evacuation-success notification information is received from mobile communications appliances associated with persons, in turn, associated with the alarm systems at the geographic locations.

11. A method for optimizing search and recovery efforts for first responders to a geographic area in the wake of a disaster comprising the steps:

(a) mapping geographic locations housing fixed electronic devices having interfaces connected to fixed alarm systems at the geographic locations;

(b) receiving evacuation-success notification information manually sent from persons operating the interface, at a network-connected server having at least one processor and data repository, said persons evacuating from the geographic locations in the path of the progression of a disaster;

(c) associating the received evacuation-success notification to the geographic locations visually represented on at least one digitally rendered geographic representation of the area in the path of the disaster, wherein the received evacuation-success notification indicates persons no longer present at the geographic location; and

(d) serving the at least one digitally rendered geographic representation of the area in the path of the disaster, the representation including the associated evacuation-success notification information to at least one network-connected computing appliances operated by first responders in the area affected by the disaster.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in step (a), the geographic locations are one or a combination of residences, workplaces, or institutions.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein in step (a), the mapping includes at least one geographic representation is a digital map illustrating individual ones of the geographic locations.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein in step (c), the received evacuation-success notification information is associated one-to-one to the geographic locations in one or more digital overlays of the at least one geographic representation.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein in step (c), the association is visual indicia overlaid one-to-one over the geographic locations on the at least on geographic representation.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein in step (b), the evacuation-success notification information further includes location information specifying locations and or areas to which the persons evacuated.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein in step (a), the geographic locations are mapped by global positioning service (GPS) coordinates, wherein the GPS coordinates are implicitly observed or inferred through association of the location to one or a combination of telephone number, zip code, physical address, unit number, or the alarm system location.