Method and apparatus for tracking and disseminating health information via mobile channels

• US 9,589,108 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Blom, Jan Otto, Joshi, Dhaval Jitendra
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US14/852,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20150379240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/404.1, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• 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 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• 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: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

An approach is provided for tracking and disseminating health information. Health information corresponding to a geographic location is caused, at least in part, to be received. Location information associated with a user equipment configured to receive a message specifying content is determined. Whether the location information is encompassed by the geographic location is determined. The message is modified to present a health alert indicator by appending supplemental content to the message or by amending the content. Initiation of delivery of the modified message to the user equipment when the user equipment is in or within a predetermined range of the geographic location is caused, at least in part.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

analyzing health information corresponding to a receiving geographic location with respect to a collecting geographic location, wherein the collecting geographic location is mapped to one or more identifiers associated with a collecting user equipment, wherein the one or more identifiers are telephone numbers of one or more mobile devices, and wherein the collecting geographic location is independent of area code information of the telephone numbers;

issuing a health alert indicator based, at least in part, on the analysis of the health information to a receiving user equipment when the receiving user equipment is determined to be in or within a predetermined range of the collecting geographic location;

amending or appending supplemental content to the health alert indicator for the receiving geographic location when the receiving user equipment is determined to be in or within the receiving geographic location; and

delivering the amended or supplemented health alert indicator to the receiving user equipment when the receiving user equipment is in or within a predetermined range of the collecting geographic location.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content specifies a name of a disease associated with the health information.

3. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

analyze health information corresponding to a receiving geographic location with respect to a collecting geographic location, wherein the collecting geographic location is mapped to one or more identifiers associated with a collecting user equipment, wherein the one or more identifiers are telephone numbers of one or more mobile devices, and wherein the collecting geographic location is independent of area code information of the telephone numbers;

issue a health alert indicator based, at least in part, on the analysis of the health information to a receiving user equipment when the receiving user equipment is determined to be in or within a predetermined ranged of the collecting geographic location;

amend or append supplemental content to the health alert indicator for the receiving geographic location when the receiving user equipment is determined to be in or within the receiving geographic location; and

deliver the amended or supplemented health alert indicator to the receiving user equipment when the receiving user equipment is in or within a predetermined range of the collecting geographic location.

4. An apparatus of claim 3, wherein the supplemental content specifies a name of a disease associated with the health information.

5. A non-transitory computer storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:

analyzing health information corresponding to a receiving geographic location with respect to a collecting geographic location, wherein the collecting geographic location is mapped to one or more identifiers associated with a collecting user equipment, wherein the one or more identifiers are telephone numbers of one or more mobile devices, and wherein the collecting geographic location is independent of area code information of the telephone numbers;

issuing a health alert indicator based, at least in part, on the analysis of the health information to a receiving user equipment when the receiving user equipment is determined to be in or within a predetermined range of the collecting geographic location;

amending or appending supplemental content to the health alert indicator for the receiving geographic location when the receiving user equipment is determined to be in or within the receiving geographic location; and

delivering the amended or supplemented health alert indicator to the receiving user equipment when the receiving user equipment is in or within a predetermined range of the collecting geographic location.

6. A non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 5, wherein the supplemental content specifies a name of a disease associated with the health information.