Aggregate location dynometer (ALD)

• US 9,198,054 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALD Social LLC
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Cuff, Michael A., Gehrke, Todd, Kasad, Farhad
• Primary Examiner(s): AJIBADE AKONAI, OLUMIDE
• Application Number:
  US14/176,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554561-457, 455/405, 455/456.6, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/435.1, 455/435.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

An Aggregate Location Dynometer (ALD) in a physical wireless network alerts to a problematic crowd risk using location based services (LBS). An Aggregate Location Dynometer (ALD) comprises a Network Monitor, a Crowd Risk Determinant and an Alert Module. The Network Monitor monitors wireless traffic for a potential viral event, associated with a formation of a plurality of wireless devices. The Crowd Risk Determinant requests location information associated with a plurality of wireless devices in a given area regarding a respective viral event. The Crowd Risk Determinant determines if the viral event also indicates a crowd safety risk, based on the shape and movement of observed wireless devices. The Alert Module triggers an alert of an impending crowd problem when crowd risk is above a given threshold. Historical databases are empirically determined and maintained in the Aggregate Location Dynometer (ALD) for use in viral event and crowd risk assessment.

Claims

1. An aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer comprising:

a network monitor to monitor a wireless network for an indication of a viral event;

a location aggregator to obtain a location of each of a plurality of wireless devices associated with said viral event;

a crowd risk determinant, triggered by said network monitor, to determine a crowd risk based on an aggregation of said location of each of said plurality of wireless devices associated with said viral event; and

an alert module to initiate an alert message relating to a public safety risk determined from an analysis of said viral event.

2. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a historical database maintaining a geographic region associated with said viral event.

3. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 2, wherein said historical databases comprises:

a plurality of acceptable crowd shapes, a crowd shape being defined by said aggregation of said location of each of said plurality of wireless devices associated with said viral event.

4. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 2, wherein said historical databases comprises:

a plurality of non-acceptable crowd shapes, a crowd shape being defined by said aggregation of said location of each of said plurality of wireless devices associated with said viral event.

5. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 2, wherein said historical databases comprises:

a configurable parameter defining a threshold of a crowd shape becoming unacceptable and thus said crowd risk.

6. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 2, wherein said historical databases comprises:

a plurality of crowd shape trends based on historical wireless device locations during previous viral events.

7. A method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk based on location based services (LBS), comprising:

monitoring wireless traffic for a forming viral event associated with a plurality of physical wireless devices within a given region;

initiating location requests to a physical location server to obtain a current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices;

forming a crowd shape based on an aggregation of said current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices;

determining a crowd risk of said crowd based on said crowd shape of said current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices; and

triggering a crowd alert message when said determined crowd risk is above a given threshold.

8. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 7, wherein:

said crowd risk of said crowd is further determined based on a movement of said crowd shape.

9. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 7, wherein said monitoring wireless traffic comprises:

monitoring wireless traffic at a given point in a wireless network; and

comparing a given traffic parameter associated with said obtained current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices, with a historical traffic parameter associated with a previous problematic crowd formation.

10. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 9, wherein:

said given point is at a given base station in said wireless network.

11. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 9, further comprising:

logging a snapshot formation created by said current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices.

12. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 7, wherein said initiating location requests comprises:

initiating a location request for each of said plurality of physical wireless devices.

13. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 7, further comprising:

comparing a viral pattern of respective locations of said plurality of wireless devices to predetermined risk rules.

14. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 13, further comprising:

logging said viral pattern.