Emergency Alert System Using Satellite Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems fail to effectively manage individual voice mail greetings and email auto-responses during emergency events, such as natural disasters or weather incidents, leading to disruptions in business continuity and public safety, as users may not be aware of outages until after they occur and lack the means to update their messages.
Innovation Solution
An emergency response system that uses satellite positioning to determine if a communication device is in an area impacted by an emergency event, allowing for bulk overrides of voice mail greetings and email auto-responses, and automatically reroutes inbound contacts to alternative resources, ensuring that affected users receive critical information and maintaining business continuity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If individual users manually update their voice mail greetings and email auto-responses during emergency events, then communication accuracy is improved, but response time deteriorates and loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring emergency contact information, messaging templates, and automated response rules before emergencies occur. When an emergency is detected, the system immediately activates pre-prepared messaging sequences and contact protocols, eliminating the time needed for manual configuration during critical events.
Solution Approach 2:
The emergency response system acts as an intermediary between emergency event detection and communication delivery. It automatically generates and distributes emergency messages to affected users through multiple channels (SMS, email, voice calls) without requiring manual intervention, thus maintaining communication accuracy while dramatically reducing response time.
2Area of stationary object
If mass television and radio broadcasts are used to contact all listeners within a defined area, then coverage area is improved, but communication effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the broad emergency notification task into targeted communication groups based on location, device type, and emergency severity. Instead of broadcasting to all listeners uniformly, it divides the affected area into zones and sends appropriate messages to specific device groups within each zone, improving both coverage efficiency and communication effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by tailoring communication methods and message content to specific geographic locations and device types within the emergency zone. Different areas receive different communication protocols (e.g., SMS for mobile devices, voice calls for landlines, push notifications for tablets) based on their specific characteristics and emergency conditions.
3Reliability
If multiple communication channels are used to contact group users during emergencies, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency response system implements universality by integrating multiple communication functions (SMS messaging, email delivery, voice call initiation, push notifications) into a single unified platform. This multi-functional system can contact users through various channels sequentially or simultaneously, improving reliability while presenting a simple unified interface to users and administrators.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs self-service mechanisms by automatically selecting and executing appropriate communication channels based on user preferences, device capabilities, and emergency conditions. It autonomously manages message routing, retry logic, and channel selection without requiring complex manual configuration, thereby improving reliability while keeping operational complexity low.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables efficient communication with affected groups by overriding individual greetings and auto-responses, ensuring public safety and reducing the impact of emergencies on businesses by maintaining communication channels and reducing the risk of injuries or deaths.
Implementation Method 1
determine, based on a satellite positioning system-based location of a communication device associated with a selected person
Data Source
AI summary
The system of the present disclosure can determine, based on a satellite positioning system-based location of a communication device associated with a selected person and/or presence information associated with the selected person, that the selected person is currently in or will be in an area that has been or may be impacted by an emergency event and, in response, contact a communication device of the selected person to provide information related to the emergency event.