Extended emergency notification systems and methods

摘要

Systems and methods are provided for notifying an extended group of persons that a person has requested assistance from a private response center. In one example, an electronic communication is received from the first person, requesting assistance. One or more potential assisting persons are automatically identified as being in position to render assistance to the first person. An electronic message is sent to the one or more potential assisting persons indicating that the first person has requested assistance. The potential assisting persons may be identified based at least in part on their proximity to the first person, for example based on their interaction with the same cell of a cellular communications network, or based on global positioning system data. The electronic message may contain other information, such as information about the first person. In this way, the original caller may be assisted more quickly than would otherwise occur.

主权项

1. A computerized system for responding to electronic messages that request assistance, the system comprising:
a processor; a computer readable memory, the computer readable memory holding processor instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computerized system to:
receive a communication from a mobile device associated with a first person, the communication including a request for assistance;receive, from the mobile device associated with the first person, an identifier of an identifiable wireless signal continually broadcast by the mobile device associated with the first person when the broadcast is enabled, the identifiable wireless signal being usable to locate the mobile device associated with the first person;automatically identify one or more persons who are in position to render assistance to the first person;access a database listing persons who have opted in to receive electronic notification messages indicating that persons have requested assistance;transmit an electronic notification message to at least one of the one or more persons in position to render assistance, the electronic notification message indicating that the first person has requested assistance, wherein the electronic notification message is sent only to one or more persons who have opted in;include in the electronic notification message the identifier of the identifiable wireless signal broadcast by the mobile device associated with the first person; andsend an instruction message to the mobile communication device, the instruction message instructing the mobile communication device to begin broadcasting the identifiable wireless signal.