Method and system for providing interactive communications during an emergency

• US 9,742,709 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2017
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextgen Eoc LLC
• Original Assignee: Nextgen Eoc LLC
• Inventors: Laich, James Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US15/398,727
• Time in Patent Office: 229 Days
• Field of Search: 709219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area

Abstract

The disclosed invention relates generally to a system, method or apparatus for an improved emergency operations communication system. The object of the present invention pertains to the rapid and efficient collection and dissemination of information between any size population and an emergency operations center and personnel during an event. In one particular embodiment, the invention may provide improved communication, data gathering, analyzation, and organization with a system or method resulting in at least reduced communication time and improved situational awareness between a response center and personnel and discrete unknown or known members of the public.

Claims

1. A method for interactive emergency response communications, wherein

a primary user:

creates at least one Emergency Response Scenarios related to a type of emergency event likely to occur in an area served by an emergency operations command where the Emergency Response Scenario is comprised of at least one of;

Standard Elements,

Questionnaires,

Standard Actions,

adds a keyword required to activate the Emergency Response Scenario upon receipt of a message,

a system and database;

receive at least one message including at least one keyword from a member of the public,

analyze the message to determine correspondence between at least one keyword and the active Emergency Response Scenario in a database, wherein the database includes a plurality of Emergency Response Scenario entries, each containing existing procedures about a corresponding event,

create or update a member of the public record in the database with new information,

transmit a first requested scenario component,

receive a subsequent response from the member of the public and analyzes for response values,

continue an undetermined number of communication actions until such time that a response to the final data element is received according to the scenario,

classify the record according to defined categories based upon the combination of responses to the questions within the Emergency Response Scenario,

creating the Questionnaire by;

creating a unique Questionnaire record,

defininga classification categories for the given Questionnaire,

adding at least one question to the Questionnaire record,

defining a response type for the given question,

defining an acceptable response value for each question,

defining, for each category, the response value that corresponds to each category, where;

the response value can be described as a value,

the response value can be a logical statement,

each acceptable response value falls within one or more categories,

adding, where desired, a sub-question for any category corresponding to an acceptable response value,

adding as many questions, or sub-questions, as deemed necessary for this Questionnaire,

adding, where desired, the question value in another language,

defining, for each category, the actions to be processed automatically for member of the public record that has completed the Questionnaire and corresponds to one of the categories, where a completed record can be a member of only one category,

creating a sequence of the scenario components, compromised of at least one of;

Standard Data Elements,

Questionnaires, and

Actions.

2. A method, in addition to the method found in claim 1, wherein:

the system and database at any point are able to transmit to all or a subset of all members of the public, based upon selected filters, messages related to the emergency event, including;

status messages and alerts,

additional interactive messages and Questionnaires identified as needed information,

notifying emergency response personnel of assignments based upon automated, pre-configured rules.

3. A method, in addition to the method found in claim 1, wherein

the system and database after receiving communication from the member of the public:

return to the member at least one of;

a prompt for information for a requested data element,

a response to the answer to the previous question to the member of the public, the subsequent requested data element,

a first question of a Questionnaire,

receives, from the member of the public, further responses,

analyzes the responses received from the member of the public and determines if the answer received is an acceptable response value for the given question, and if the response is non-compliant, then;

returns to the member of the public a message informing of non-compliance and re-transmits the question,

returns to the member of the public, the next logical question within the Questionnaire,

proceeds sequentially through the entire Emergency Response Scenario, transmitting data to, and receiving information from, the member of the public, until such time that all components of the Emergency Response Scenario has been completed,

executes predefined actions, which are processed within an individual subroutine, the completion of which are not be required for the next emergency response component to be initiated, including;

classifying member of the public records based upon their priority categorization, where present for the given Emergency Response Scenario,

posting the member of the public record to a dashboard display in the shared situational awareness user interface,

notifying emergency operations command and first responder personnel of member of the public records based upon predefined alert characteristics,

assigning to first responder and outside agency personnel, member of the public records that meet specific predefined characteristics requiring immediate attention,

executes the Emergency Response Scenario for each record of each member of the public, wherein each member of the public is able to be at various stages of the Emergency Response Scenario, simultaneously,

records to the database record, all activity, including both automated and manual functions, associated to a member of the public for at least the duration of the event,

updates the member of the public record with any associated data and actions including date and time stamps, message content, etc.,

determines which category the combination of all responses the member of the public record belongs to,

records the classification to the database,

executes defined actions for the Emergency Response Scenario appropriate to the category for the given member of the public record,

determines or receives a location for a plurality of members of the public based upon information received during the completion of the initial Emergency Response Scenario or via the devices or network,

displays, to a member of the emergency operations command, first responder, or member of an outside agency, the location of a at least one of a plurality of the members of the public respondents on at least one of the user devices or dashboard display, based upon user-defined filter or selection criteria,

receives from a member of the emergency operations command, first responder, or member of an outside agency, additional data to update the database record for the specific member of the public until the event is completed or the member of the public is classified as having no further need.