System and method for responding to service requests and facilitating communication between relevant parties

• US 8,948,732 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beamsmart, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beamsmart, Inc.
• Inventors: Negahban, Mehrdad, Alexandropoulos, Andreas, Negahban-Hagh, Sahand, Kay, Allen Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US13/740,826
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/252 where a voice mode is enhanced with visual information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Various systems, methods, and computer program products for responding to service requests and facilitating communication between relevant parties are provided. The system may receive a request from a user, obtain a user location, identify a service provider such as an emergency response center based on the location, facilitate coordination of response efforts, and provide a page that is shared between various parties such as the user, contacts of the user, an operator, and a responder. The various parties may provide to the system inputs such as video to capture what is currently happening. The page may be updated with the inputs, include a status of the service request such as whether responders have been dispatched, and include a current location of the responders and other users. Using the page, various parties may obtain real-time situational awareness of an event that culminated in the service request and communicate with other users.

Claims

1. A method of responding to service requests and facilitating communication among parties related to the service request, the method being implemented in a computer that includes one or more processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions, the method comprising:

processing, by the one or more processors, a service request from a user device;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, a location of the user device based on one or more geographic coordinates;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a user of the user device based on the service request;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, pre-stored personal information of the user, wherein the pre-stored personal information;

(i) is obtained from the user during a registration process that registers the user to allow the user to make the service request, (ii) is used in association with servicing the service request, and (iii) comprises demographic information that describes the user;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a service provider based on the location of the user device and the service request, wherein the service provider is associated with an operator device used by an operator to respond to the service request;

generating, by the one or more processors, a page comprising the pre-stored personal information of the user and the location of the user device that is based on the one or more geographic coordinates;

providing, by the one or more processors, the page to the user device and the operator device; and

facilitating, by the one or more processors, communication between the user device and the operator device based on the provided page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-stored personal information comprises at least a residence address of the user such that the page includes the residence address.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more processors, a contact device used by a contact of a user of the user device; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the page to the contact device.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, information input by at least one user to whom the page has been provided, the information being related to the service request;

updating, by the one or more processors, the page based on the information input by the at least one user; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the updated page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the information input by at least one user comprises:

receiving, by the one or more processors, video, image, or audio data from the user device that documents a scene related to the service request.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the information input by at least one user comprises:

receiving, by the one or more processors, an indication from a responder device that the responder device is en route to service the service request.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the information input by at least one user comprises:

receiving, by the one or more processors, an indication of a location of a responder device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the information input by at least one user comprises:

receiving, by the one or more processors, an indication from the operator device related to a status of servicing the service request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the page comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, at least one of two or more communication channels via which to provide at least a portion of the page, the at least one of two or more communication channels comprising a Short Message Service text message, a webpage, or a mobile application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-stored personal information comprises a name of the user such that the page includes the name of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-stored personal information comprises a medical information related to the user such that the page includes the medical information.

12. A system for responding to service requests and facilitating communication among parties related to the service request, the system comprising:

one or more processors programmed by one or more computer program instructions to;

process a service request from a user device;

obtain a location of the user device based on one or more geographic coordinates;

identify a user of the user device based on the service request;

obtain pre-stored personal information of the user, wherein the pre-stored personal information;

(i) is obtained from the user during a registration process that registers the user to allow the user to make the service request, (ii) is used in association with servicing the service request, and (iii) comprises demographic information that describes the user;

identify a service provider based on the location of the user device and the service request, wherein the service provider is associated with an operator device used by an operator to respond to the service request;

generate a page comprising the pre-stored personal information of the user and the location of the user device that is based on the one or more geographic coordinates;

provide the page to the user device and the operator device; and

facilitate communication between the user device and the operator device based on the provided page.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the pre-stored personal information comprises at least a residence address of the user such that the page includes the residence address.

14. The system of claim 12, the one or more processors further programmed by one or more computer program instructions to:

identify a contact device used by a contact of a user of the user device; and

provide the page to the contact device.

15. The system of claim 12, the one or more processors further programmed by one or more computer program instructions to:

receive information input by at least one user to whom the page has been provided, the information being related to the service request;

update the page based on the information input by the at least one user; and

provide the updated page.

16. The system of claim 15, the one or more processors further programmed by one or more computer program instructions to:

receive video, image, or audio data from the user device that documents a scene related to the service request.

17. The system of claim 15, the one or more processors further programmed by one or more computer program instructions to:

receive an indication from a responder device that the responder device is en route to service the service request.

18. The system of claim 15, the one or more processors further programmed by one or more computer program instructions to:

receive an indication of a location of a responder device.

19. The system of claim 15, the one or more processors further programmed by one or more computer program instructions to:

receive an indication from the operator device related to a status of servicing the service request.

20. The system of claim 12, the one or more processors further programmed by one or more computer program instructions to:

determine at least one of two or more communication channels via which to provide at least a portion of the page, the at least one of two or more communication channels comprising a Short Message Service text message, a webpage, or a mobile application.

21. A method of responding to service requests and facilitating communication among parties related to the service request, the method being implemented in a computer that includes one or more processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions, the method comprising:

processing, by the one or more processors, a service request from a user device;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, a location of the user device based on one or more geographic coordinates;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a user of the user device based on the service request;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, pre-stored personal information of the user, wherein the pre-stored personal information;

(i) is obtained from the user during a registration process that registers the user to allow the user to make the service request, and (ii) is used in association with servicing the service request;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a service provider based on the location of the user device and the service request, wherein the service provider is associated with an operator device used by an operator to respond to the service request;

generating, by the one or more processors, a page comprising the pre-stored personal information of the user and the location of the user device that is based on the one or more geographic coordinates;

providing, by the one or more processors, the page to the user device and the operator device by preferentially using a first communication channel instead of a second communication channel via which to provide the page based on one or more configurable rules that specify one or more preferred communication channels; and

facilitating, by the one or more processors, communication between the user device and the operator device based on the provided page.

22. A method of responding to service requests and facilitating communication among parties related to the service request, the method being implemented in a computer that includes one or more processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions, the method comprising:

processing, by the one or more processors, a service request from a user device;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, a location of the user device based on one or more geographic coordinates;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a user of the user device based on the service request;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, pre-stored personal information of the user, wherein the pre-stored personal information;

(i) is obtained from the user during a registration process that registers the user to allow the user to make the service request, and (ii) is used in association with servicing the service request;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a service provider based on the location of the user device and the service request, wherein the service provider is associated with an operator device used by an operator to respond to the service request;

generating, by the one or more processors, a page comprising the pre-stored personal information of the user and the location of the user device that is based on the one or more geographic coordinates;

sending, by the one or more processors, a communication via a first communication channel;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the first communication channel is available based on the communication; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the page via the first communication channel responsive to a determination that the first communication channel is available; and

facilitating, by the one or more processors, communication between the user device and the operator device based on the provided page.

23. The method of claim 22, the method further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the first communication channel is not available;

sending a second communication via a second communication channel;

determining whether the second communication channel is available based on the second communication; and

providing the page via the second communication channel responsive to a determination that the second communication channel is available.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein an order of determining whether the first communication channel or the second communication channels is available is based on one or more configurable rules that specify one or more preferred communication channels.