Event alert system and method

• US 20050264412A1
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karon, Richard T., Levesque, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/517
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance

Abstract

An event alert system and method provide event detection modules that communicate detected events with a central command center. The central command center combines the detected events with related data to provide an intelligent response signal, and communicates the intelligent response signal to event responders. The event alert system also provides an event detection module having event sensors able to detect a variety of types of events.

Claims

1. A system for event alert, comprising:

a plurality of event modules adapted to detect an event and adapted to generate at least one event signal associated with the event; and

a command center adapted to receive the at least one event signal and adapted to generate an intelligent response signal associated with the event, wherein the intelligent response signal includes at least one of a response instruction associated with the event and related data associated with the event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a response instruction associated with the event and related data associated with the event includes at least one of a location of the event, a type of the event, one or more actions to be taken associated with the event, a correlation to another events, a type of help, a quantity of help, a national point of contact, a regional point of contact, and a local point of contact.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the event includes at least one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, an explosive event, an explosion event, and a naturally occurring event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center is adapted to communicate the intelligent response signal to at least one of a national first responder, a regional first responder, and a local first responder,

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes a validation processor adapted to receive the at least one event signal and adapted to receive at least one respective validation signal associated with the event and adapted to compare the at least one event signal with the at least one respective validation signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the command center comprises a central command center, and further including at least one of:

a regional command center coupled to the central command center, and

a local command center coupled to at least one of the central command center and the regional command center, wherein the at least one of the regional command center and the local command center are adapted to provide the validation signal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes an event analysis processor adapted to determine a characteristic of the event.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes a data normalization processor adapted to normalize first information associated with a first event signal with second information associated with a second event signal so that the first and second information can be compared.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes an event correlation processor adapted to correlate a first event signal with one or more other event signals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the command center includes:

a database fusion processor; and

at least one of;

an event characteristics database, a population database, a geographic database, a weather database, an infrastructure capacity database, an emergency response capabilities database, a local point of contact database, a regional point of contact database, and a national point of contact database, having related data therein, wherein the database fusion processor is adapted to identify a relationship between the at least one event signal and the related data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one event signal is a wireless event signal and the command center is adapted to receive the wireless event signal.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of event modules includes at least one mobile event module.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of event modules is adapted to detect more than one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, and an explosive event.

14. A method of alerting associated with an event, comprising:

receiving at least one event signal associated with the event; and

generating an intelligent response signal associated with the event, wherein the intelligent response signal includes at least one of a response instruction associated with the event and related data associated with the event.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one of a response instruction associated with the event and related data associated with the event includes at least one of a location of the event, a type of event, an actions to be taken associated with the event, a correlation to another events, a type of needed help, and a quantity of needed help, a national point of contact, a regional point of contact, and a local point of contact.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the event includes at least one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, an explosive event, an explosion event, and a naturally occurring event.

17. The method of claim 14, further including:

receiving at least one validation signal; and

combining the at least one event signal and the at least one validation signal.

18. The method of claim 14, further including:

analyzing the at least one event signal to determine a characteristic of the event.

19. The method of claim 14, further including normalizing first information associated with a first event signal with second information associated with a second event signal so that the first and second information can be compared.

20. The method of claim 14, further including correlating a first event signal with one or more other event signals.

21. The method of claim 14, further including:

acquiring related data associated with the at least one event signal, wherein the related data includes at least one of event characteristics data, population data, geographic data, weather data, infrastructure capacity data, emergency response capabilities data, local point of contact data, regional point of contact data, and a national point of contact data; and

data fusing to identify a relationship between the at least one event signal and the related data.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the at least one event signal is a wireless event signal.

23. A system for event alert, comprising:

a plurality of event modules adapted to detect an event and adapted to generate at least one event signal associated with the event, wherein the event includes at least one of a nuclear event, a radiological event, a biological event, a chemical event, an explosive event, an explosion event, and a naturally occurring event; and

a command center adapted to receive the at least one event signal and adapted to generate an intelligent response signal associated with the event, wherein the intelligent response signal includes at least one of a response instruction associated with the event and data associated with the event, and wherein the command center includes at least one of;

a validation processor adapted to receive the at least one event signal and adapted to receive a respective at least one validation signal associated with the event and adapted to compare the at least one event signal with the at least one respective validation signal,

an event analysis processor adapted to determine a characteristic of the event,

a data normalization processor adapted to normalize first information associated with a first event signal with second information associated with a second event signal so that the first and second information can be compared,

an event correlation processor adapted to correlate the first event signal with one or more other event signals,

at least one of;

an event characteristics database, a population database, a geographic database, a weather database, an infrastructure capacity database, an emergency response capabilities database, a local point of contact database, a regional point of contact database, and a national point of contact database, having related data therein, and

a database fusion processor adapted to identify a relationship between the at least one event signal and the related data.