Providing status of user devices during an adverse event

• US 9,549,305 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safety Network Partnership
• Original Assignee: Evan Edward Quisenberry, Gary W. Grube, John Edward Buchalo
• Inventors: Quisenberry, Evan Edward, Buchalo, John Edward, Grube, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US15/145,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20160249195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A method begins by a processing module of a social network identifying an affected area of an adverse event and identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices of the social network potentially associated with the affected area of the adverse event. The method continues with the processing module issuing a safety notification to the user device, where the safety notification includes one or more of the affected area of the adverse event and a safety status request. The method continues with the processing module receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, where the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device. The method continues with the processing module indicating the safety status level.

Claims

1. A method for execution by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a social network, the method comprises:

identifying an affected area of an adverse event;

identifying a user device of a plurality of user devices of the social network potentially associated with the affected area of the adverse event;

issuing a safety notification to the user device, wherein the safety notification includes one or more of the affected area of the adverse event and a safety status request;

receiving, from the user device, a safety status response, wherein the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device; and

indicating the safety status level.

2. The method claim 1, wherein the identifying the affected area of the adverse event comprises at least one of:

interpreting a location from primary resource activation of an emergency management response phase to produce the identified affected area;

interpreting a location from secondary resource activation of the emergency management response phase to produce the identified affected area;

interpreting context information of the emergency management response phase to produce the identified affected area;

identifying the affected area from communication of needed resources at the scene of an emergency; and

identifying a proximal location within the scene of the emergency to produce the affected area, wherein at least some of the plurality of user devices of the social network are within the proximal location of the scene of the emergency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the user device of the plurality of user devices of the social network potentially associated with the affected area of the adverse event comprises at least one of:

indicating that the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event based on a lookup of the user device, wherein the lookup produces a current location of the user device that is within a proximal location of the affected area of the adverse event;

indicating that the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event based on the lookup of the user device, wherein the lookup produces a last known street address location of the user device that is within the proximal location of the affected area of the adverse event;

indicating that the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event when Internet access of the user device is within a proximal location of the affected area of the adverse event; and

indicating that the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event when an identified wireless location network of the user device is within a proximal location of the affected area of the adverse event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

location information associated with the user device;

location information associated with another user device of the plurality of user devices, wherein a group affiliation relationship exists between the user device and the other user device;

an indication that the user device is outside of the affected area of the adverse event; and

an indication that the other user device is outside of the affected area of the adverse event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety status level comprises at least one of:

a safety status level text string generated by the user device;

a safety status text string generated by the user device;

location information generated by the user device;

a timestamp corresponding to when a social network server received the safety status response;

a timestamp corresponding to when the user device generated the safety status response; and

a timestamp corresponding to when the safety status response was received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating the safety status level comprises at least one of:

identifying the safety status level of the safety status response when the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event;

interpreting the safety status level to produce a safety status condition;

facilitating displaying of one or more of the safety status level, the safety status condition, a safety status level text string, the location information, and a timestamp; and

sending the safety status level to one or more user devices of the plurality of user devices.

7. A computing device of one or more computing devices of a social network comprises:

an interface;

memory; and

a processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that, when executed by the processing module, causes the computing device to;

identify an affected area of an adverse event;

identify a user device of a plurality of user devices of the social network potentially associated with the affected area of the adverse event;

issue, via the interface, a safety notification to the user device, wherein the safety notification includes one or more of the affected area of the adverse event and a safety status request;

receive, via the interface from the user device, a safety status response, wherein the safety status response includes at least one of location information generated by the user device and a safety status level generated by the user device; and

indicate the safety status level.

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein the processing module functions to identify the affected area of the adverse event by at least one of:

interpreting a location from primary resource activation of an emergency management response phase to produce the identified affected area;

interpreting a location from secondary resource activation of the emergency management response phase to produce the identified affected area;

interpreting context information of the emergency management response phase to produce the identified affected area;

identifying the affected area from communication of needed resources at the scene of an emergency; and

identifying a proximal location within the scene of the emergency to produce the affected area, wherein at least some of the plurality of user devices of the social network are within the proximal location of the scene of the emergency.

9. The computer of claim 7, wherein the processing module functions to identify the user device of the plurality of user devices of the social network potentially associated with the affected area of the adverse event by at least one of:

indicating that the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event based on a lookup of the user device, wherein the lookup produces a current location of the user device that is within a proximal location of the affected area of the adverse event;

indicating that the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event based on the lookup of the user device, wherein the lookup produces a last known street address location of the user device that is within the proximal location of the affected area of the adverse event;

indicating that the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event when Internet access of the user device is within a proximal location of the affected area of the adverse event; and

indicating that the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event when an identified wireless location network of the user device is within a proximal location of the affected area of the adverse event.

10. The computer of claim 7, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

location information associated with the user device;

location information associated with another user device of the plurality of user devices, wherein a group affiliation relationship exists between the user device and the other user device;

an indication that the user device is outside of the affected area of the adverse event; and

an indication that the other user device is outside of the affected area of the adverse event.

11. The computer of claim 7, wherein the safety status level comprises at least one of:

a safety status level text string generated by the user device;

a safety status text string generated by the user device;

location information generated by the user device;

a timestamp corresponding to when a social network server received the safety status response;

a timestamp corresponding to when the user device generated the safety status response; and

a timestamp corresponding to when the safety status response was received.

12. The computer of claim 7, wherein the processing module functions to indicate the safety status level by at least one of:

identifying the safety status level of the safety status response when the user device is associated with the affected area of the adverse event;

interpreting the safety status level to produce a safety status condition;

facilitating displaying of one or more of the safety status level, the safety status condition, a safety status level text string, the location information, and a timestamp; and

sending, via the interface, the safety status level to one or more user devices of the plurality of user devices.