Sua sponte establishment of large-scale person-to-person emergency electronic messaging communications based in part on subscriber telephone numbers

• US 9,246,870 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David H. Parker, Ginger B. Parker
• Original Assignee: David H. Parker, Ginger B. Parker
• Inventors: Parker, David H., Parker, Ginger B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bezuayehu, Solomon
• Application Number:
  US13/745,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,101 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8819, 455/412.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Lessons of the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attack (9/11), the Aug. 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina, the Mar. 11, 2011 tsunami off the coast of Tohoku Japan and ensuing Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant malfunction, and the Oct. 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy are incorporated. Methods are disclosed for rapidly establishing alternate electronic messaging for person-to-person communications in a large-scale emergency. Details for constructing electronic access addresses comprised in part by subscriber telephone numbers and an event identifier, allows the provider to establish a default system with no specific information from the user while allowing the user to access the messages in a systematic way. No registration or passwords are required, which allows free access to all interested parties. Methods are disclosed to reunite lost pets with owners and employ cloud computing and data storage services to provide the equipment on an as needed basis.

Claims

1. A method for reuniting a pet that is lost with an owner of the pet in a large-scale emergency, with steps comprising:

(a) attaching a first user identifier to the pet, wherein the first user identifier is associated with the owner;

(b) providing by a sponsor, sua sponte, equipment configured to receive, store, retrieve, and play, in a non-preferential manner, electronic messages associated with one of a plurality of electronic access addresses;

(c) establishing by the sponsor, an event identifier;

(d) communicating from the sponsor to the public at large, a prescribed manner for constructing the plurality of electronic access addresses;

(e) communicating from the sponsor to the public at large, the event identifier;

(f) configuring by the sponsor, the plurality of electronic access addresses of the equipment, based at least in part on the event identifier, a plurality of user identifiers, and the prescribed manner;

(g) activating the equipment by the sponsor, and making the equipment accessible for use by the public at large starting at a first time, wherein the first time is based at least in part on recognition of a start of the emergency by the sponsor;

(h) determining a first electronic access address associated with the owner by a finder of the lost pet, based at least in part on the first user identifier, the prescribed manner, and the event identifier;

(i) determining the first electronic access address by a first person, based at least in part on the first user identifier, the prescribed manner, and the event identifier;

(j) depositing a first electronic message to the first electronic access address of the equipment by one of the finder and the first person;

(k) recovering the first electronic message from the first electronic access address by the other of the finder and the first person;

(l) reuniting the pet with the first person, based at least in part on the first electronic message; and

(m) deactivating the equipment by the sponsor, and making the equipment unaccessable for use by the public at large starting at a second time, wherein the second time is based at least in part on recognition of an end to the emergency by the sponsor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (b) at least a portion of the equipment is configured to be dynamically allocated using cloud computing and data storage resources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (b) the equipment is a voice mail system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (b) the equipment is an email system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (b) the equipment is a unified communication system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (f) the plurality of user identifiers comprises a universe of all possible permutations of at least 4 numerical digits.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (f) the plurality of user identifiers comprises a universe of all possible permutations of at least 7 numerical digits.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (a) the first user identifier is a subscriber telephone number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (c) the event identifier consist of symbols available on a telephone keypad.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (c) the event identifier is associated with a name selected from the group consisting of a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, an earthquake, a fire, a volcanic event, a tsunami, an industrial accident, a transportation accident, an act of war, the sponsor, a government agency, a not for profit organization, a company, and an advertiser.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (c) the event identifier is a telephone area code.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (c) the event identifier is a telephone country code.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (c) the event identifier is an Internet domain.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (b) the public at large may not delete the electronic messages.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (b) the electronic access address is directly entered on a telephone in one operation.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (j) there is no expectation of privacy of the first electronic message by the one of the finder and the first person.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (g) there is no expectation of preferential ownership privileges of any of the plurality of electronic access addresses by the public at large.

18. A method for emergency communications, with steps comprising:

(a) providing by a contractor, equipment configured to receive, store, retrieve, and play, in a non-preferential manner, electronic messages associated with one of a plurality of electronic access addresses, wherein at least a portion of the equipment is configured to be dynamically allocated using cloud computing and data storage resources;

(b) establishing by a sponsor, an event identifier;

(c) communicating from the sponsor to the public at large, a prescribed manner for constructing the plurality of electronic access addresses;

(d) communicating from the sponsor to the public at large, the event identifier;

(e) configuring by the contractor, the plurality of electronic access addresses of the equipment, based at least in part on the event identifier, a plurality of user identifiers, and the prescribed manner;

(f) notifying the contractor by the sponsor to activate the equipment and make the equipment accessible for use by the public at large, sua sponte, starting at a first time, wherein the first time is based at least in part on recognition of a start of an emergency by the sponsor;

(g) allocating by the contractor, the cloud computing and data storage resources;

(h) activating by the contractor, the equipment;

(i) configuring by the public at large, at least one electronic access address, based at least in part on the event identifier, a first user identifier, and the prescribed manner;

(j) using the equipment by the public at large to receive, store, retrieve, and play the electronic messages associated with the at least one electronic access address;

(k) notifying the contractor by the sponsor to deactivate the equipment and make the equipment unaccessable for use by the public at large starting at a second time, wherein the second time is based at least in part on recognition of an end to the emergency by the sponsor;

(l) deactivating by the contractor, the equipment; and

(m) deallocating by the contractor, the cloud computing and data storage resources.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

in step (i) the first user identifier is a subscriber telephone number.