Method and system for situational awareness for emergency response

• US 9,756,169 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehta, Anil, Martin, Michael John, Horelik, Nicholas Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US15/466,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20170195475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 167 Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/00 Alarm systems in which substations are interrogated in succession by a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/007 Wireless interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for sending emergency alerts. In some embodiments, sensors and wearable devices may trigger and send the emergency alerts and/or warning signals via available communication devices. Multi-media emergency alerts are also disclosed that include situational awareness information for effective and efficient emergency response.

Claims

1. A method for managing emergency communications, the method comprising:

a) receiving, by an emergency management system (EMS), an alert from a device, wherein the alert comprises a request for emergency assistance and location information for the device;

b) identifying, by the emergency management system, one or more sensors associated with a location of the device;

c) obtaining, by the emergency management system, sensor data from the one or more sensors, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one environmental parameter or physiological parameter;

wherein an environmental parameter is obtained from a sensor selected from the group consisting of a thermometer, an electrical conductance meter, a carbon dioxide sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a smoke detector, an oxygen sensor, an air flow sensor, an air speed sensor, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, an air pressure sensor, an air moisture sensor, a photodetector, a Geiger counter, a magnetic field sensor, a motion sensor, a sound sensor, an acid sensor, a base sensor, a hazardous chemical sensor, a vibration sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a smog sensor, and a video camera;

wherein a physiological parameter is obtained from a sensor selected from the group consisting of a heart rate monitor, a thermometer, a respirometer, a blood glucose monitor, an electrolyte sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, an electromyography sensor, an electroencephalogram sensor, an electrocardiogram sensor, a body hydration sensor, and a blood alcohol sensor;

d) determining, by the emergency management system, an emergency dispatch center to receive the alert based on the location of the device and providing the alert to the emergency dispatch center; and

e) providing, by the emergency management system, the sensor data from the one or more sensors to the emergency dispatch center, wherein the sensor data provides situational awareness during an emergency response to the request for emergency assistance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency management system obtains the sensor data using an indirect communication link with the one or more sensors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency management system obtains the sensor data using a direct communication link with the one or more sensors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an Internet of Things network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more additional sensors associated with the location of the device when the location of the device changes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency management system searches a device location database to identify the one or more sensors associated with the location of the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises a unique ID number associated with the location of the device in a device location database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency management system shares the sensor data from the one or more sensors with emergency response personnel assigned to the request for emergency assistance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency management system receives a responsive communication from the emergency dispatch center and forwards the responsive communication to the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a wearable device, a communication device, a routing device, or an Internet of Things device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises a video feed from the location of the device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data is obtained based on a request from the EMS to the one or more sensors.

13. An emergency management system (EMS) comprising a server configured to provide an emergency management application comprising:

a) a software module receiving an alert from a device, wherein the alert comprises a request for emergency assistance and location information for the device;

b) a software module identifying one or more sensors associated with a location of the device;

c) a software module obtaining sensor data from the one or more sensors, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one environmental parameter or physiological parameter;

wherein an environmental parameter is obtained from a sensor selected from the group consisting of a thermometer, an electrical conductance meter, a carbon dioxide sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a smoke detector, an oxygen sensor, an air flow sensor, an air speed sensor, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, an air pressure sensor, an air moisture sensor, a photodetector, a Geiger counter, a magnetic field sensor, a motion sensor, a sound sensor, an acid sensor, a base sensor, a hazardous chemical sensor, a vibration sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a smog sensor, and a video camera;

wherein a physiological parameter is obtained from a sensor selected from the group consisting of a heart rate monitor, a thermometer, a respirometer, a blood glucose monitor, an electrolyte sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, an electromyography sensor, an electroencephalogram sensor, an electrocardiogram sensor, a body hydration sensor, and a blood alcohol sensor;

d) a software module determining an emergency dispatch center to receive the alert based on the location of the device and providing the alert to the emergency dispatch center; and

e) a software module providing the sensor data from the one or more sensors to the emergency dispatch center, wherein the sensor data provides situational awareness during an emergency response to the request for emergency assistance.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the emergency management application obtains the sensor data using an indirect communication link with the one or more sensors.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the emergency management application obtains the sensor data using a direct communication link with the one or more sensors.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an Internet of Things network.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the emergency management application identifies one or more additional sensors associated with the location of the device when the location of the device changes.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the emergency management application searches a device location database to identify the one or more sensors associated with the location of the device.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the emergency management application shares the sensor data from the one or more sensors with emergency response personnel assigned to the request for emergency assistance.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor data comprises a video feed from the location of the device.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor data is obtained based on a request from the EMS to the one or more sensors.

22. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with a computer program including instructions executable by at least one processor to create an emergency management application comprising:

a) a software module receiving an alert from a device, wherein the alert comprises a request for emergency assistance and location information for the device;

b) a software module identifying one or more sensors associated with a location of the device;

c) a software module obtaining sensor data from the one or more sensors, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one environmental parameter or physiological parameter;

wherein an environmental parameter is obtained from a sensor selected from the group consisting of a thermometer, an electrical conductance meter, a carbon dioxide sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a smoke detector, an oxygen sensor, an air flow sensor, an air speed sensor, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, an air pressure sensor, an air moisture sensor, a photodetector, a Geiger counter, a magnetic field sensor, a motion sensor, a sound sensor, an acid sensor, a base sensor, a hazardous chemical sensor, a vibration sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a smog sensor, and a video camera;

wherein a physiological parameter is obtained from a sensor selected from the group consisting of a heart rate monitor, a thermometer, a respirometer, a blood glucose monitor, an electrolyte sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, an electromyography sensor, an electroencephalogram sensor, an electrocardiogram sensor, a body hydration sensor, and a blood alcohol sensor;

d) a software module determining an emergency dispatch center to receive the alert based on the location of the device and providing the alert to the emergency dispatch center; and

e) a software module providing the sensor data from the one or more sensors to the emergency dispatch center, wherein the sensor data provides situational awareness during an emergency response to the request for emergency assistance.

23. The media of claim 22, wherein the emergency management application obtains the sensor data using an indirect communication link with the one or more sensors.

24. The media of claim 22, wherein the emergency management application obtains the sensor data using a direct communication link with the one or more sensors.

25. The media of claim 22, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an Internet of Things network.

26. The media of claim 22, wherein the emergency management application identifies one or more additional sensors associated with the location of the device when the location of the device changes.

27. The media of claim 22, wherein the emergency management application searches a device location database to identify the one or more sensors associated with the location of the device.

28. The media of claim 22, wherein the location information comprises a unique ID number associated with the location of the device in a device location database.

29. The media of claim 22, wherein the sensor data comprises a video feed from the location of the device.

30. The media of claim 22, wherein the sensor data is obtained based on a request from the emergency management application to the one or more sensors.