System for providing reliable and effective disaster relief

• US 6,347,384 B1
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Masaaki, Seki, Taku, Satomi, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Dieu-Minh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce P.
• Application Number:
  US09/139,568
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/57, 714/1
• US Class Current: 714/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

When communication networks are damaged or communication is restricted due to the occurrence of a disaster, etc., information required for disaster relief is rapidly and effectively obtained. The system has a plurality of server apparatus 2, a plurality of portable terminal equipment 1, and communication networks 20, 30 of different types to which both the portable terminal equipment 1 and the server apparatus 2 can be connected. The portable terminal equipment 1 accesses an available server apparatus 2 over an available communication network and obtains disaster relief information and resource information corresponding to damaged resources to thereby create or update a disaster relief plan file 5 and a resource information file 6. The server apparatus 2, in response to an inquiry from the portable terminal equipment 1, extracts the necessary information from the disaster relief information DB 3 and the resource information DB 4 and transmits the same to the portable terminal equipment 1.

Claims

1. A system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, wherein each of said plurality of portable terminal equipment comprises:

means for connecting the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

means for transmitting information about damaged resources to the server apparatus; and

means for receiving and storing information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage; and

wherein

each of said plurality of server apparatus comprises;

storage means for storing information about the relief plan;

means for transmitting, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein each of said server apparatus refers to a disaster relief information database and a resource information database to obtain information about the relief plan in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment; and

wherein the disaster relief information database includes a list of items that are to be dealt with, a department that is in charge of dealing with each item, and at least one damage status for each item.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the resource information database includes a list of resources that are likely to be damaged, a number indicating how many of each resource are possessed and when and how the resource can be repaired.

3. A system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, wherein each of said plurality of portable terminal equipment comprises:

means for connecting the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

means for transmitting information about damaged resources to the server apparatus; and

means for receiving and storing information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage; and

wherein

each of said plurality of server apparatus comprises;

storage means for storing information about the relief plan;

means for transmitting, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein each of said server apparatus refers to a disaster relief information database and a resource information database to obtain information about the relief plan in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment; and

wherein the resource information database includes a list of resources that are likely to be damaged, a number indicating how many of each resource are possessed and when and how the resource can be repaired.

4. A system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of the plurality of server apparatus and the plurality of portable terminal equipment can be connected, wherein each of said plurality of portable terminal equipment comprises:

means for connecting the portable terminal equipment to an available one of the plurality of server apparatus over an available one of the plurality of types of communication networks;

means for transmitting information about damaged resources to the server apparatus; and

means for receiving and storing information about a relief plan received from the server apparatus in a storage; and

wherein

each of said plurality of server apparatus comprises;

storage means for storing information about the relief plan; and

means for transmitting, in response to an inquiry from one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment, information about the relief plan to said one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment;

wherein the relief plan received by the portable terminal equipment is incorporated into its own disaster relief plan file and resource information file.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the disaster relief plan file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of which department is responsible for providing relief, a number of persons needed, and an amount of time needed.

6. A system according to claim 5,

wherein the resource information file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of how many of each resource that is damaged are possessed and when and how each such resource can be repaired.

7. A system according to claim 4, wherein the resource information file includes information about each resource that is damaged in terms of how many of each resource that is damaged are possessed and when and how each such resource can be repaired.

8. In a system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment, and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of said plurality of server apparatus and portable terminal equipment can be connected, a storage medium having a program stored thereon for performing a process comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment to one of said plurality of server apparatus via one of said plurality of types of communication networks;

(b) transmitting information about damaged resources to said one server apparatus;

(c) receiving information about a relief plan for damaged resources from said one server apparatus; and

wherein said step of transmitting information about damaged resources to said server apparatus includes the steps of;

(a1) identifying each resource damaged; and

(a2) identifying the damage status of each damaged resource so that an extent of damage can be taken into account in order to provide proper relief.

9. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein said step of receiving information about a relief plan includes the step of storing the information received in disaster relief plan file and a resource information file.

10. In a system having a plurality of server apparatus, a plurality of portable terminal equipment, and a plurality of types of communication networks to which each of said plurality of server apparatus and portable terminal equipment can be connected, a storage medium having a program stored thereon for performing a process comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting one of said plurality of portable terminal equipment to one of said plurality of server apparatus via one of said plurality of types of communication networks;

(b) transmitting information about damaged resources to said one server apparatus;

(c) receiving information about a relief plan for damaged resources from said one server apparatus; and

wherein said step of receiving information about a relief plan includes the step of storing the information received in disaster relief plan file and a resource information file.

11. A portable terminal equipment for connecting with at least one of a plurality of server apparatus upon occurrence of some event which causes damage to certain necessary resources, the portable terminal equipment providing information regarding a damage status of a damaged resource to said one of a plurality of server apparatus in order to obtain in return information necessary to replace or repair the damaged resource, the portable terminal equipment comprising:

a modem capable of connecting with a plurality of communication networks to ensure connection with a server apparatus even if one or more of the communication networks are inoperable;

a display device and an input device by which a user can view various previously prepared menus and select various options so as to be able to inform the server apparatus about a resource'"'"'s damage status; and

a disaster relief plan file and a resource information file which receive information from the server apparatus that is necessary for providing necessary relief for the damaged resource.