SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ALERTS TO MEMBERS OF DEFINED LOCAL GEOGRAPHICAL GROUPS

• US 20120238234A1
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keith B. Duarte
• Original Assignee: Data Frenzy LLC
• Inventors: Duarte, Keith B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/003 Signalling to neighbouring houses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for creating groups associated with defined geographical neighborhoods for the purpose of providing and distributing information to members of the neighborhood groups, and soliciting assistance from members of the neighborhood groups. For example, an alert concerning a missing child may be sent from a user device (e.g., smart phone) to a server located on the Internet for distribution to user devices of members of a neighborhood groups. The notified members, in turn, using their respective user devices, may send notifications to the alert-originating user (as well as other members) of their participation in the search for the missing child. Additionally, the notified members may send notifications to the alert-originating user of the finding of the lost child. Such features may also apply to other alerts and/or notifications sent to members of a neighborhood group.

Claims

1. A server, comprising:

a network interface adapted to interface with a wide area network (WAN);

a processor adapted to create a neighborhood group data object pertaining to a defined geographical neighborhood, wherein the neighborhood group comprises a plurality of user profile data objects pertaining to distinct users, respectively; and

a computer-readable medium adapted to store the neighborhood group data object including the plurality of user profile data objects.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a first notification from an originating user by way of the network interface; and

transmit a plurality of second notifications based on the first notification to a plurality of user devices via the network interface using address information residing in the user profile data objects, respectively.

3. The server of claim 2, wherein the first notification relates to an alert concerning a lost child.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

create a lost child data object in response to receiving the first notification; and

store the lost child data object in the computer-readable medium.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein the lost child data object includes the following:

information related to an identity or physical characteristic of the lost child;

information related to a last known location of the lost child; and

an electronic picture or video of the lost child.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a third notification from at least one of the users via the network interface, wherein the third notification indicates that the user has joined a search effort for the lost child; and

update the lost child data object based on the third notification.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein the processor is adapted to transmit a fourth notification based on the third notification to the originating user.

8. The server of claim 5, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a third notification from at least one of the users via the network interface, wherein the third notification indicating the finding of the child; and

update the lost child data object based on the third notification.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the processor is adapted to transmit a fourth notification based on the third notification to the originating user.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the fourth notification includes a contact information of the user associated with the finding of the child.

11. The server of claim 2, wherein the first notification relates to an alert concerning a found child.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

create a found child data object in response to receiving the first notification; and

store the found child data object in the computer-readable medium.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the found child data object includes the following:

information related to an identity or physical characteristic of the found child;

information related to a location where the child was found; and

an electronic picture or video of the found child.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a third notification from at least one of the users via the network interface, wherein the third notification indicates that the user is or knows someone associated with the found child; and

update the found child data object based on the third notification.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the processor is adapted to transmit a fourth notification based on the third notification to the originating user.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the fourth notification includes a contact information of the user who is or knows someone associated with the found child.

17. The server of claim 2, wherein the first notification relates to a crime allegedly or in-fact committed within or proximate the geographical neighborhood.

18. The server of claim 2, wherein the first notification relates to a request for volunteer care for a person living within or proximate the geographical neighborhood.

19. The server of claim 2, wherein the first notification relates to a lost pet.

20. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receiving a request to create the neighborhood group from one of the users; and

creating the neighborhood group data object in response to the request.

21. The server of claim 1, wherein the request includes the following:

information related to an identity of the neighborhood group;

information related to a geographical boundary of the neighborhood; and

information related to an identity of an administrator of the neighborhood group.

22. The server of claim 21, wherein the information related to the geographical boundary of the neighborhood comprises a plurality of coordinates identifying points along the geographical boundary.

23. A user device, comprising:

a network interface adapted to interface with a wide area network (WAN) or cellular network;

a user input device; and

a processor adapted to;

receive a first instruction from a user to send a first notification to users of a neighborhood group by way of the user input device, wherein the neighborhood group is associated with a defined geographical neighborhood; and

transmit the first notification to a server by way of the network interface for distribution of information based on the first notification to users of the neighborhood group by the server.

24. The user device of claim 23, wherein the first notification relates to an alert of a lost child.

25. The user device of claim 24, wherein the first notification includes following:

information related to an identity or physical characteristic of the lost child;

information related to a last known location of the lost child; and

an electronic picture or video of the lost child.

26. The user device of claim 25, further comprising a display, wherein the processor is adapted to generate a screen on the display with one or more data input objects to receive said information.

27. The user device of claim 24, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a second instruction from the user to send a second notification to users of the neighborhood group by way of the user input device, wherein the second notification indicates a finding of the lost child; and

transmit the second notification to the server by way of the network interface for distribution of information based on the second notification to users of the neighborhood group by the server.

28. The user device of claim 24, wherein the processor is adapted to receive a second notification from the server via the network interface, wherein the second notification indicates a finding of the lost child.

29. The user device of claim 23, wherein the first notification relates to an alert concerning a found child.

30. The user device of claim 28, wherein the first notification includes the following:

information related to an identity or physical characteristic of the found child;

information related to a known location where child was found; and

an electronic picture or video of the found child.

31. The user device of claim 23, wherein the first notification relates to a crime allegedly or in-fact committed within or proximate the geographical neighborhood.

32. The user device of claim 23, wherein the first notification relates to a request for volunteer care for a person living within or proximate the geographical neighborhood.

33. The user device of claim 23, wherein the first notification relates to an alert concerning a lost pet.

34. A user device, comprising:

a network interface adapted to interface with a wide area network (WAN) or cellular network;

a user interface device; and

a processor adapted to;

receive a first notification originating from a user of a neighborhood group from a server via the network interface, wherein the neighborhood group is associated with a defined geographical neighborhood; and

provide information based on the first notification to a user via the user interface device.

35. The user device of claim 34, wherein the first notification relates to an alert concerning a lost child.

36. The user device of claim 35, wherein the first notification includes the following:

information related to an identity or physical characteristic of the lost child;

information related to a last known location of the lost child; and

an electronic picture or video of the lost child.

37. The user device of claim 35, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a second instruction by way of the user interface device to send a second notification to users of the defined neighborhood group, wherein the second notification indicates that the user has joined a search effort for the lost child; and

transmit the second notification to the server by way of the network interface for distribution of information based on the second notification to users of the neighborhood group by the server.

38. The user device of claim 35, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a second instruction by way of the user interface device, to send a second notification to users of the defined neighborhood group, wherein the second notification indicates that the user found the lost child; and

transmit the second notification to the server by way of the network interface for distribution of information based on the second notification to users of the neighborhood group by the server.

39. The user device of claim 34, wherein the first notification relates to an alert concerning a found child.

40. The user device of claim 39, wherein the first notification includes the following:

information related to an identity or physical characteristic of the found child;

information related to a known location where child was found; and

an electronic picture or video of the found child.

41. The user device of claim 39, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a second instruction by way of the user interface device, to send a second notification to users of the defined neighborhood group, wherein the second notification indicates that the user is or knows someone associated with the found child; and

transmit the second notification to the server by way of the network interface for distribution of information based on the second notification to users of the neighborhood group by the server.

42. The user device of claim 34, wherein the first notification relates to a crime allegedly or in-fact committed within or proximate the geographical neighborhood.

43. The user device of claim 34, wherein the first notification relates to a request for volunteer care for a person living within or proximate the geographical neighborhood.

44. The user device of claim 34, wherein the first notification relates to an alert concerning a lost pet.

46. The user device of claim 44, wherein the request includes the following:

information related to an identity of the neighborhood group;

information related to a geographical boundary of the neighborhood; and

information related to an identity of an administrator of the neighborhood group.

47. The user device of claim 46, wherein the information related to the geographical boundary of the neighborhood comprises a plurality of coordinates identifying points along the geographical boundary.

45. A user device, comprising:

a network interface adapted to interface with a wide area network (WAN) or cellular network;

a user interface device; and

a processor adapted to;

receive a first instruction to send a request to create a neighborhood group from a user via the user interface device, wherein the neighborhood group is associated with a defined geographical neighborhood; and

transmit the request to a server via the network interface.

48. The user device of claim 45, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a request from the server via the network interface for another user to join the neighborhood group; and

transmit a response to the request to the server via the network interface, wherein the response is received from the user via the user interface device.

49. The user device of claim 45, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

receive a second instruction to send an invite to another user to join the neighborhood group from the user via the user interface; and

transmit the invite to the server via the network interface for subsequent transmission to the another user by the server.