System and method for analyzing and controlling epidemics
First Claim
1. A method for analyzing and controlling epidemics, comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving an initiating signal which is indicative of a list of newly classified carriers of an infectious disease from an authorized health authority;
b) extracting location data and interaction data for mobile devices belonging to said newly classified carriers using Call Detail Records (CDRs) that are continuously collected and stored for all mobile device users;
c) comparing a mobility pattern and interpersonal interaction pattern derived from said extracted location data and interaction data for each newly classified carrier of the newly classified carriers with a mobility pattern and an interpersonal interaction pattern of a plurality of mobile device users to determine encounters and occurrence of one or more proximity events, wherein during the one or more proximity events at least one first user of said plurality of mobile device users was within a predetermined distance of at least one of the newly classified carriers or social interactions occurred between said at least one first user and said at least one of the newly classified carriers;
d) ranking said one or more proximity events in terms of the likelihood that said at least one of the newly classified carriers was involved in transmission of said infectious disease during said one or more proximity events, based on at least one of an interaction duration or a pre-encounter event;
e) repeating steps c) and d) for the at least one first user participating in said one or more proximity events and at least one second user of the plurality of mobile device users when the ranking of said one or more proximity events is higher than a predetermined level;
f) finding a group of users from the plurality of mobile device users that have been infected and/or having the highest probability to be infected, without being symptomatic, based on the ranking;
g) transmitting corrective action information to control spreading of said infectious disease; and
h) transmitting forensic analysis information, in response to the number of mobile device users in said group of users and identification information of mobile device users participating in said one or more proximity events where said ranking is higher than said predetermined level.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for analyzing and controlling epidemics in which an initiating signal is received indicative of a list of newly classified carriers of an infectious disease from an authorized health authority. Location data is received for a mobile device and a mobility pattern derived from the received location data is compared with a mobility pattern of first users to determine occurrence of a proximity event, during which one of the first users was spaced from a given carrier less than a predetermined distance. The proximity event is ranked in terms of the likelihood that the given carrier was involved in the transmission of the disease during the proximity event. If the ranking of the proximity event is higher than a predetermined level, the process is repeated for the first user participating in the proximity event and for second users. Corrective action information is then transmitted.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method for analyzing and controlling epidemics, comprising the steps of:
-
a) receiving an initiating signal which is indicative of a list of newly classified carriers of an infectious disease from an authorized health authority; b) extracting location data and interaction data for mobile devices belonging to said newly classified carriers using Call Detail Records (CDRs) that are continuously collected and stored for all mobile device users; c) comparing a mobility pattern and interpersonal interaction pattern derived from said extracted location data and interaction data for each newly classified carrier of the newly classified carriers with a mobility pattern and an interpersonal interaction pattern of a plurality of mobile device users to determine encounters and occurrence of one or more proximity events, wherein during the one or more proximity events at least one first user of said plurality of mobile device users was within a predetermined distance of at least one of the newly classified carriers or social interactions occurred between said at least one first user and said at least one of the newly classified carriers; d) ranking said one or more proximity events in terms of the likelihood that said at least one of the newly classified carriers was involved in transmission of said infectious disease during said one or more proximity events, based on at least one of an interaction duration or a pre-encounter event; e) repeating steps c) and d) for the at least one first user participating in said one or more proximity events and at least one second user of the plurality of mobile device users when the ranking of said one or more proximity events is higher than a predetermined level; f) finding a group of users from the plurality of mobile device users that have been infected and/or having the highest probability to be infected, without being symptomatic, based on the ranking; g) transmitting corrective action information to control spreading of said infectious disease; and h) transmitting forensic analysis information, in response to the number of mobile device users in said group of users and identification information of mobile device users participating in said one or more proximity events where said ranking is higher than said predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A system for determining interpersonal interaction patterns during a period of distress, comprising:
-
a) a health authority server for transmitting an initiating signal which is indicative of a list of selected mobile device users carrying an infectious disease; b) a plurality of mobile devices each accessed by a different mobile device user of a plurality of mobile device users and having a unique hardware identifier; c) a component for generating location data and interaction data for each of said plurality of mobile devices, using Call Detail Records (CDRs) that are continuously collected and stored for all mobile device users; and d) a processing device for extracting said location data and interaction data associated with the mobile devices of said selected mobile device users of the plurality of mobile device known to require assistance during a period of distress and for generating from said location data and interaction data a mobility pattern and interpersonal interaction pattern for said selected mobile device users, wherein said processing device is operable to; i. determine encounters and occurrence of one or more proximity events, by means of said mobility pattern and interpersonal interaction pattern, between at least one of said selected mobile device users and at least one corresponding additional mobile device user of the plurality of mobile device users, wherein during the one or more proximity events said at least one corresponding additional mobile device user was within a predetermined distance of said at least one of the selected mobile device users or social interactions occurred between said at least one corresponding additional mobile device user and said at least one of the selected mobile device users; ii. rank said one or more proximity events in terms of the likelihood that, during said one or more proximity events, said at least one corresponding additional mobile device user was in need of said assistance, based on at least one of an interaction duration or a pre-encounter event; iii) repeat steps i, and ii, for said at least one corresponding additional mobile device and at least one second corresponding mobile device user of the plurality of mobile device users when the ranking of said one or more proximity events is higher than a predetermined level; iv. find a group of users of the plurality of mobile device users that have been infected and/or having the highest probability to be infected, without being symptomatic, based on the ranking; v. classify said at least one corresponding additional mobile device user as one or more potential beneficiaries of said assistance when said one or more proximity events was ranked higher than said predetermined level; and vi. transmit a corrective action signal to an authority to indicate the nature or scope of assistance that is required for said selected mobile device users and the one or more potential beneficiaries; vii. transmit forensic analysis information, in response to the number of users in said group of users and identification information of mobile device users participating in said one or more proximity events where said ranking is higher than said predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification