Location-based Emergency Response System and Method

• US 20110071880A1
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Donald Spector
• Original Assignee: Donald Spector
• Inventors: Spector, Donald
• Application Number:
  US12/833,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20110071880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A system and method for identification of a responder for responding to an emergency is disclosed. A server receives user data generally in the form of an electronic transmission wherein the user data includes at least an emergency type, user identity, and location of the emergency. A user profile is then retrieved from a user database based on the user identity. One or more responders are identified to dispatch to the emergency by searching a responder profile database that includes real-time location information based upon a criteria set including, the availability of the responder as indicated in the responder profile, and the proximity of the responder to the location of the emergency. The server electronically contacts one or more responders that meet the criteria set. An acceptance is received at the server from one or more of the responders. The server then dispatches one or more of the accepting responders to the location of the emergency. In certain embodiments, the server determines if a specialized responder is required based at least upon the user profile. In other embodiments, the transmission of the user data includes an emergency code and the server determines if a specialized responder is required based upon the emergency code.

Claims

1. A method for identification of a responder for responding to an emergency, the method comprising:

receiving at a server user data including an emergency type, user identity, and location of the emergency;

retrieving from a database a user profile based on the user identity;

searching a responder profile database that includes real-time location information to identify a responder to dispatch to the emergency based upon a criteria set including the determined specialization necessary, the availability of the responder as indicated in the responder profile, and the proximity of the responder to the location of the emergency;

electronically contacting one or more responders that meet the criteria set;

receiving at the server an acceptance from one or more of the responders; and

dispatching to the location of the emergency one or more of the accepting responders.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a specialized responder is required based at least upon the user profile.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission includes an emergency code and wherein determining if a specialized responder is required is also based upon the emergency code.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received emergency type causes the server to restrict the responder database to responders of the emergency type.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission includes an emergency level and wherein if the emergency level indicates that the level is high, the closest responder is automatically dispatched to the emergency location.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission includes an emergency level and wherein of the emergency level is low, the user is directed to a location of the responder meeting the criteria set and wherein responders meeting the criteria set are not dispatched to the location of the emergency.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user profile includes any specific medical conditions of the user, and wherein the specific medical conditions are used by the server to determine if a specialized responder is necessary to dispatch to the location of the emergency.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein in response to the user profile, the responder database is restricted to only responder profiles having the required specialty.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the responder database is restricted to only responder profiles within a predetermined proximity of the emergency location.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user profile includes the user'"'"'s medical insurance and wherein the user'"'"'s medical insurance is used in determining an appropriate responder to dispatch to the emergency location.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the server periodically receives a transmitted location signal from one or more of the responders listed in the responder database.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted location signal is generated by an electronic device containing a global positioning satellite receiver.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the responder'"'"'s profile contains an availability schedule.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the availability schedule is constrained by emergency level.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emergency type is indicative of either a fire emergency, a police emergency, or a medical emergency.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission containing the location of the emergency is generated by an electronic device that includes a global positioning satellite receiver.

17. A computer program product including a computer readable storage medium having computer executable code thereon for identification of a responder from a responder database for responding to an emergency, the computer code comprising:

computer code for receiving an electronic transmission including an emergency type, user identity, and location of the emergency;

computer code for retrieving from a user profile database a user profile based on the user identity;

computer code for searching a responder profile database that includes real-time location information to identify a responder to dispatch to the emergency based upon a criteria set including, the availability of the responder, and the proximity of the responder to the location of the emergency;

computer code for contacting one or more responders that meet the criteria set;

computer code for receiving at the server an acceptance from one or more of the responders; and

computer code for dispatching to the location of the emergency one or more of the accepting responders.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising:

computer code for determining if a specialized responder is required based at least upon the user profile;

19. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the received transmission includes an emergency code and wherein the computer code for determining if a specialized responder is required is also based upon the emergency code.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17, further comprises:

computer code for restricting the responder database to responders of the emergency type.

21. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the received transmission includes an emergency level and further comprising:

computer code for automatically dispatching the closest responder to the emergency location if the emergency level is high.

22. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the received transmission includes an emergency level and further comprises computer code for directing the user to a location of a responder meeting the criteria set if the emergency level is low and computer code preventing execution of the computer code for dispatching one or more responders to the location of the emergency.

23. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the user profile includes any specific medical conditions of the user and wherein the computer code for determining if a specialized responder is necessary to dispatch to the location of the emergency is based at least in part upon any specific medical conditions of the user.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, further comprising computer code for restricting the responder database to only responder profiles having the required specialty.

25. The computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising computer code for restricting the responder database to responder profiles within a predetermined proximity of the emergency location.

26. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the user profile includes a user'"'"'s medical insurance and the computer code for determining an appropriate responder to dispatch is based in part upon the user'"'"'s medical insurance and whether the responder accepts the user'"'"'s medical insurance.

27. The computer program according to claim 17, further comprising computer code for periodically receiving a transmitted location signal from one or more of the responders listed in the responder database.

28. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the responder'"'"'s profile contains an availability schedule.

29. The computer program product according to claim 28, wherein the availability schedule is constrained by emergency level.

30. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the emergency type is indicative of either a fire emergency, a police emergency, or a medical emergency.

31. A system for determining an appropriate responder to dispatch to an emergency location, the system comprising:

a user profile database containing user profiles identifying each user;

a responder profile database containing responder profiles at least identifying each responder, the specialty of the responder, and a current location of the responder;

a decision engine including at least one processor for receiving an emergency request signal from a user wherein the emergency request signal includes indicia of user identity, user location, and emergency type and wherein the decision engine selects one or more responders to dispatch to the user location based upon the emergency type and the responder'"'"'s proximity to the user.

32. A system according to claim 31 wherein the user'"'"'s profile indicates any special medical condition of the user and the decision engine also selects one or more responders to dispatch to the user location based in part on the specialty of the responder and the special medical condition listed in the user profile.