Obtaining group and individual emergency preparedness communication information

• US 8,874,773 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safety Network Partnership
• Original Assignee: Gary W. Grube
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US13/300,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A method begins by a processing module obtaining a temporary set of group information, wherein group information pertains to a group identifier (ID), and wherein the group ID is associated with a corresponding set of individual identifiers (IDs) of a plurality of individual IDs. The method continues with the processing module obtaining at least one set of individual information, wherein individual information pertains to an individual ID of the plurality of individual IDs. The method continues with the processing module obtaining a set of group information associated with the at least one set of individual information based on the temporary set of group information.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a processing module of a user device, the method comprises:

establishing, by the user device, information regarding a potentially adverse event, wherein the information includes one or more of;

geographic location coordinates of the potentially adverse event, an identifier of the potentially adverse event, and a relevant time period of the potentially adverse event;

determining, by the user device, group constraints for a group regarding the potentially adverse event, wherein the group constraints includes one or more of;

family member devices, neighbor devices, friend devices, first responders, co-workers, and devices of other persons having an affiliating commonality;

determining, by the user device, whether a temporary group exists regarding the potentially adverse event and that is in accordance with the group constraints;

when the temporary group does not exist regarding the potentially adverse event that is in accordance with the group constraints, initiating, by the user device, formation of the temporary group regarding the potential adverse event that is in accordance with the group constraints; and

when the temporary group exists regarding the potentially adverse event that is in accordance with the group contrasts, joining, by the user device, the temporary group regarding the potential adverse event that is in accordance with the group constraints.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises at least one of:

facilitating storage of one or more of the information regarding the potentially adverse event, at least some of the group constraints, and an identifier of the temporary group; and

facilitating displaying one or more individual IDs of the set of individual IDs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the group constraints comprises at least one of:

receiving at least some of the group constraints from a user input;

identifying a group constraint associated with the at least one of the information regarding the potentially adverse event and the user device; and

retrieving the group constraints.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the potentially adverse event further comprises one or more of:

one or more sets of geographic location coordinates;

current weather conditions;

forecasted weather conditions;

a sensor input;

date information;

time information;

a current activity;

a scheduled activity;

a current event; and

a scheduled event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the information regarding the potentially adverse event comprises at least one of:

querying an application server;

receiving a message;

a local memory lookup;

receiving an input device output;

receiving a user device sensor output; and

decoding wireless location signals to produce location coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating formation of the temporary group comprises at least one of:

outputting a user prompt that includes at least some of the group constraints;

receiving a group identifier selection user input; and

identifying a plurality of predetermined groups based on the potentially adverse event that is in accordance with the group constraints as the temporary group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the temporary group exists comprises:

generating a temporary group information request based on at least one of the information regarding the potentially adverse event and the group constraints;

facilitating outputting the temporary group information request; and

receiving a group information response that includes at least one of a group identifier of the temporary group and an indicator that the temporary group does not exist.

8. A computer comprises:

an interface;

a memory; and

a processing unit operable to;

establish, by the user device, information regarding a potentially adverse event, wherein the information includes one or more of;

geographic location coordinates of the potentially adverse event, an identifier of the potentially adverse event, and a relevant time period of the potentially adverse event;

determine, by the user device, group constraints for a group regarding the potentially adverse event, wherein the group constraints includes one or more of;

family member devices, neighbor devices, friend devices, first responders, co-workers, and devices of other persons having an affiliating commonality;

determine, by the user device, whether a temporary group exists regarding the potentially adverse event and that is in accordance with the group constraints;

when the temporary group does not exist regarding the potentially adverse event that is in accordance with the group constraints, initiate, by the user device, formation of the temporary group regarding the potential adverse event that is in accordance with the group constraints; and

when the temporary group exists regarding the potentially adverse event that is in accordance with the group contrasts, join, by the user device, the temporary group regarding the potential adverse event that is in accordance with the group constraints.

9. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processing module further functions to:

facilitate storage, in the memory, of one or more of the information regarding the potentially adverse event, at least some of the group constraints, and an identifier of the temporary group; and

facilitate, via the interface, displaying one or more individual IDs of the set of individual IDs.

10. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processing module functions to determine the group constraints by at least one of:

receiving, via the interface, at least some of the group constraints from a user input;

identifying a group constraint associated with the at least one of the information regarding the potentially adverse event and the user device; and

retrieving, from the memory, the group constraints.

11. The computer of claim 8, wherein the information regarding the potentially adverse event further comprises one or more of:

location coordinates;

current weather conditions;

forecasted weather conditions;

a sensor input;

date information;

time information;

a current activity;

a scheduled activity;

a current event; and

a scheduled event.

12. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processing module functions to establish the information regarding the potentially adverse event by at least one of:

querying, via the interface, an application server;

receiving, via the interface, a message;

a local memory, of the memory, lookup;

receiving, via the interface, an input device output;

receiving, via interface, a user device sensor output; and

decoding wireless location signals to produce location coordinates.

13. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processing module functions to initiate formation of the temporary group by at least one of:

outputting, via the interface, a user prompt that includes at least some of the group constraints;

receiving, via the interface, a group identifier selection user input; and

identifying a plurality of predetermined groups based on the potentially adverse event that is in accordance with the group constraints as the temporary group.

14. The computer of claim 8, wherein the processing module functions to determine whether the temporary group exists by:

generating a temporary group information request based on at least one of the information regarding the potentially adverse event and the group constraints;

facilitating outputting, via the interface, the temporary group information request; and

receiving, via the interface, a group information response that includes at least one of a group identifier of the temporary group and an indicator that the temporary group does not exist.