Access of information using a situational network

• US 8,989,696 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SitNet LLC
• Original Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited
• Inventors: Cona, Thomas, Ehrlacher, Edward A., Kravets, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/253,374
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/418, 340/573, 340/1, 340/505, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of sharing information related to an emergency event using a situational network includes establishing a situational network having multiple access levels in response to an indication of the occurrence of an emergency event. Access to information related to the emergency event is provided based on an access level of a participant in the situational network, where the access level is automatically obtained based on the role of the participant relative to the emergency event. Communication between participants of the situational network is facilitated based on the access level of the participants.

Claims

1. A method of accessing information related to an emergency event, the method comprising:

creating a situational network linking a plurality of event participants based on an occurrence of the emergency event;

aggregating audio and video data related to the emergency event shared by the plurality of event participants using the situational network, wherein each of the video data and audio data is with location and time coordinates;

forming a near real time spatial representation of the emergency event from the aggregated data using the location coordinates; and

providing access to the near real time spatial representation to at least some of the event participants via the links forming the situational network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a temporal representation of the emergency event by aggregating a plurality of spatial representations at different time intervals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein event participants having first level access to the situational network are provided with unrestricted access to the spatial representation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein event participants having second level access or third level access to the situational network are provided with limited access to the spatial representation based on available bandwidth within the situational network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the spatial representation is accessed by at least some of the event participants via mobile devices, each of the mobile devices being in communication with a server corresponding to a situation authority of the situational network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

restricting the event participants having first level access from communicating with the event participants having access levels other than first level access based on the available bandwidth within the situational network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by a situation authority of the situational network, an external portal for access to at least a portion of the spatial representation by persons not connected to the situational network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the external portal is an Internet website.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a device corresponding to one of the event participants is automatically re-directed to a website with the information related to the emergency event in response to connecting to the situational network.

10. A method of accessing information related to an emergency event, the method comprising:

creating a situational network having multiple access levels linking a plurality of event participants based on an occurrence of the emergency event;

facilitating unrestricted bi-directional communications between event participants of the situational network having first level access, and moderating communications between event participants having access levels other than first level access based on available bandwidth within the situational network;

aggregating the communications related to the emergency event shared by the event participants across the multiple access levels using the situational network, wherein the aggregated communications include at least video data and audio data tagged with location and time coordinates;

forming a near real time spatial representation of the emergency event from the aggregated communications using the location coordinates; and

providing access to the near real time spatial representation to at least some of the event participants via the links forming the situational network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

forming a temporal representation of the emergency event by aggregating a plurality of spatial representations at different time intervals.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing the first level access to emergency responders, second level access to individuals affected by the emergency event, and third level access to relief agencies.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the moderating includes restricting the event participants having first level access from communicating with the event participants having access levels other than first level access.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing, by a situation authority of the situational network, and external portal for access to at least a portion of the spatial representation by persons not connected to the situational network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the external portal is an Internet website.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a device corresponding to one of the event participants is automatically re-directed to a website with the information related to the emergency event in response to connecting to the situational network.

17. A system for accessing information related to an emergency event, the system comprising:

a central server, corresponding to a situation authority, configured to create a situational network having multiple access levels linking a plurality of even participants based on an occurrence of the emergency event, facilitate unrestricted bi-directional communications between event participants of the situational network having first level access, moderate communications between event participants having access levels other than first level access in response to available bandwidth within the situational network, aggregate video and audio data related to the emergency even shared by the event participants using the situational network, wherein the video and audio data are tagged with location and time coordinates, form a near real time spatial representation of the emergency event from the aggregated communications using the location coordinates, and provide access to the near real time spatial representation to at least some of the participants via the links forming the situational network; and

a database corresponding to the central server for storing the video and audio data, and the spatial representation of the emergency event.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a plurality of devices, corresponding to the plurality of event participants of the situational network, configured to connect the event participants via the situational network, and receive the information related to the emergency event based on the access level of the event participant in the situational network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices is automatically re-directed to a website with the information related to the emergency event in response to connecting to the situational network.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the moderating includes restricting the event participants having first level access from communicating with the event participants having access levels other than first level access.