Systems and methods for travel, asset, and personnel information and risk management

• US 8,805,698 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WorldAware, Inc.
• Original Assignee: iJET International, Inc
• Inventors: Stiles, Paul W., McIndoe, Darrell Bruce, Meyer, Mark Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/827,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20100324958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A system(s) and method(s) for providing travel, asset, and personnel information accumulation, analysis, and reporting for improved risk assessment and management are disclosed. In various embodiments methods and systems may provide travel information to a consumer, by for example, acquiring information from at least one information source, characterizing the acquired information by its pertinence to travel, transforming the characterized travel information into a useable format, applying rules to this transformed travel information in connection with the consumer-specific travel profile, and delivering a report to the consumer. In various embodiments, risk assessments(s) may be provided and may include receiving intelligence from at least one intelligence source, receiving information about one or more asset(s), and generating a risk assessment report. Various embodiments may also include receiving intelligence from at least one intelligence source, receiving asset information, and generating a risk assessment report based on the intelligence and a personnel or employee profile.

Claims

1. An information retrieval and analysis system implemented, at least in part, in a computer system, and structured for use in a system for providing travel related information to a consumer having a consumer-specific profile, comprising:

a collection subsystem obtaining information from at least one data source(s);

an analysis subsystem filtering said obtained information to identify characteristics of said obtained information that will impact travel or the consumer; and

a distribution-subsystem directing said filtered data to at least one portion of said system for providing travel related information to one or more particular system user(s) based on a consumer having a consumer-specific profile, said distribution subsystem having a component for classifying said filtered data as supplemental travel content or as a travel risk alert to notify the consumer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection subsystem includes means for applying queries to obtain said information, and the information retrieval and analysis system solves and prevents travel problems.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis subsystem includes a filter pipe and an index pipe.

4. The system of claim 1, further including:

a data store for storing data including the obtained information, results from the analysis subsystem, and filtered data; and

wherein the collection subsystem includes a means for identifying one or more potential content sources that are manually identified by subject matter experts.

5. The system of claim 1, further including:

a data store for storing data including the obtained information, results from the analysis subsystem, and filtered data; and

wherein the collection subsystem includes a means for identifying one or more potential content sources that are identified by domain experts.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection subsystem includes a content robot engine that automatically identifies at least some of the one or more potential data sources and includes them in a content opportunities list.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more data source(s) are identified by a combination of (1) manually identified by subject matter experts or domain experts and (2) identified by the content robot engine with an automated process.

8. A system for providing pertinent information to a user for improving the travel experience of a traveler for travel anywhere in the world at anytime, implemented, at least in part, in a computer system, comprising:

a computer system having executable code segment(s) and layer(s);

a content acquisition segment configured to acquire information from at least one information source;

an information transformation layer configured to transform the acquired information into information pertinent to travel related activities;

a profiling system that collects information related to a traveler(s) and generates a traveler profile(s);

an information application layer including a rules engine, configured to apply said transformed travel information to said traveler profile or the rules engine applying rules to the traveler profile;

an event/alert segment for managing the receipt of at least one event corresponding to the definition of at least one alert to the user or traveler;

a means for applying keyword analysis to the event/alert segment for analyzing the received event; and

a product creation layer configured to create a product for the user, including an alert, indicative of the results of the application of the transformed travel information to the traveler profile.

9. The system of claim 8, further including:

a data store for storing data including the obtained information; and

wherein the content acquisition segment includes a means for identifying one or more potential information sources that are manually identified by subject matter experts.

10. The system of claim 8, further including:

a data store for storing data including the obtained information; and

wherein the content acquisition segment includes a means for identifying one or more potential information sources that are identified by domain experts.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the content acquisition segment includes a content robot engine that automatically identifies at least some of the one or more potential information sources and includes them in a content opportunities list.

12. An information retrieval and analysis system implemented, at least in part, in a computer system, and structured for providing travel risk related information, comprising:

a collection system obtaining information from a plurality of data source(s) for solving various risk related problems, the information including data related to world events and travel plans;

an analysis system filtering the obtained information to identify characteristics of the obtained information that will impact travel; and

a distribution system directing said filtered data to at least one portion of the system for providing travel risk related information to one or more particular system user(s) based on a consumer having a consumer-specific profile, said distribution system having a component for classifying said filtered data as useful for travel risk management, and for distribution to a particular person or entity.

13. A method for information retrieval and analysis, implemented, at least in part, in a computer system, and structured for use in a system for providing travel risk related information to a consumer having a consumer-specific profile so as to enable a system users to assist in preventing and/or solving risk or travel problems, comprising:

repeated and unending identification of one or more potential information source(s) including an initial and ongoing identification of the one or more potential information sources from which information is available that may be transformed into information pertinent to travel risk related activities for continuously updating an information source list by confirming, adding, and deleting information sources from the information source list, using a collection subsystem so as to obtain information from the at least one information source(s);

acquiring information related to travel risk from at least one previously identified information sources in the information source list and filtering obtained information using an analysis subsystem so as to identify characteristics of said obtained information that will impact travel or the consumer; and

providing travel-related information to one or more particular system user(s) based on a consumer-specific profile with a distribution-subsystem operating in, at least in part, a computer system having executable code, by directing said filtered data to at least one portion of said system for providing asset and/or travel risk related information, said distribution subsystem having a component for classifying said filtered data as supplemental content or as an alert.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

applying queries to obtain said information, wherein the collection subsystem includes a means for applying queries to obtain said information, and the information retrieval and analysis system solves and prevents travel problems, and wherein the analysis subsystem includes a filter pipe and an index pipe.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said one or more potential information sources is manually identified by subject matter experts or by domain experts.

16. The method of claim 13, further including the step of:

storing data including the obtained information, results from the analysis subsystem, and filtered data in a data store, wherein the collection subsystem includes a means for identifying one or more potential information sources that are manually identified by subject matter experts.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said one or more potential information sources is identified by an automated process.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

identifying at least some of the one or more potential information source(s) using the collection subsystem that includes a content robot engine to automatically identify potential information sources and include them in updates to the information sources list for identifying content opportunities.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more information source(s) are identified by a combination of (1) manually identified by subject matter experts or domain experts and (2) automatically identified by the content robot engine with an automated process.

20. A risk management system for providing pertinent information to one or more particular user(s) for reducing risk(s) to a travel experience of a traveler anywhere in the world at anytime, and implemented, at least in part, in a computer system, comprising:

a computer system having subsystems, executable code segment(s) and layer(s);

a collection subsystem for content identification that provides an initial and continuous ongoing identification of one or more potential information sources from which information is available that may be transformed into information pertinent to travel risk related activities for continuously updating an information source list by confirming, adding, and deleting information source(s) from the information source list, and using the collection subsystem so as to obtain information from at least one data source(s);

an analysis subsystem that acquires information related to travel risk from at least one previously identified information sources in the information source list and filtering obtained information using the analysis subsystem so as to identify characteristics of said obtained information that will impact travel or a consumer; and

a distribution-subsystem operating coupled to the analysis subsystem and providing travel-related information to one or more particular user(s), based on a consumer-specific profile, by directing said filtered data to at least one portion of said system for providing travel risk related information, said distribution subsystem having a component for classifying said filtered data.

21. The system of claim 20, further including:

a data store for storing data including the obtained information; and

wherein the collection subsystem includes a content acquisition segment with a means for identifying one or more potential information sources that are manually identified by subject matter experts or domain experts, and/or automatically identified by a content robot engine.

22. The system of claim 20, further including:

a content acquisition segment configured to acquire information from at least one of the information source(s);

an information transformation layer configured to transform the acquired information into information pertinent to travel related activities;

a profiling system that collects information related to a traveler(s) and generates a traveler profile(s);

an information application layer including a rules engine, configured to apply said transformed travel information to said traveler profile or the rules engine applying rules to the traveler profile;

an event/alert segment for managing the receipt of at least one event corresponding to the definition of at least one alert to a system user or the traveler;

a means for applying keyword analysis to the event/alert segment for analyzing the received event;

a product creation layer configured to create a product for the system user or the traveler, including an alert, indicative of the results of the application of the transformed travel information to the traveler profile;

a data store for storing data including the obtained information; and

wherein the content acquisition segment includes a means for identifying one or more potential information sources that are identified by subject matter experts, domain experts, and/or an automated identification means.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the content acquisition segment includes a content robot engine that automatically identifies at least some of the one or more potential information sources and includes them in a content opportunities list.

24. A risk management system, implemented, at least in part, in a computer system, comprising:

a risk information source that gathers risk information related to traveler related risk;

a traveler information source that gathers asset information including traveler location and movement information; and

an analysis system analyzing a plurality of risk types for a plurality of countries or regions, wherein the risk management system correlates one or more risk(s) related information, with one or more traveler information including traveler location and movement information, and generates a traveler specific risk assessment report, wherein none of the plurality of risk types are related to weather.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the system accumulates information or intelligence regarding various activities or events that occur anywhere throughout the world and are a potential risk to the one or more traveler(s).

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of risk types include a first risk type related to weather and a second risk type not related to weather, and wherein the information or intelligence includes health, transportation, weather/environmental, safety/security or communication and technology information.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the information includes travelers who are people that are employed by or work for an organization wanting travel risk information for the traveler.