Geobrowser Collaboration System for Real-Time Disaster Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current geobrowsers lack the capability for real-time collaboration among multiple users, preventing effective data sharing and manipulation of geospatial datasets during emergency situations, which is crucial for coordinated decision-making and disaster management.
Innovation Solution
A geobrowser collaboration system that enables multiple geobrowsers to communicate over local networks and the Internet, allowing a designated lead user to control and manipulate a common operating picture, with all functions replicated across participants' geobrowsers, including dataset loading, layer changes, and annotations, while maintaining situational awareness and allowing seamless leadership transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If generic screen-sharing software is used for geospatial collaboration, then multiple users can view a common screen, but users cannot manipulate or add data to the shared geobrowser
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a collaboration server as an intermediary between geobrowser clients. The server receives manipulation commands from one user's geobrowser, processes them, and distributes the updated geospatial data to all connected clients. This mediator architecture enables both viewing and manipulating of shared geospatial data without requiring changes to individual geobrowser applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates synchronized copies of the geobrowser state across all connected clients. When one user manipulates the shared geobrowser, the changes are replicated to all other clients' displays. This copying mechanism allows multiple users to view and effectively manipulate the same geospatial data simultaneously, with each user seeing real-time updates on their local system.
2Loss of information
If ad hoc collaboration tools are used, then users can exchange communications, but the solution fails to engage collaborators and suppresses participation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal collaboration platform that integrates multiple functions: real-time geospatial data sharing, multi-user manipulation capabilities, communication tools, and synchronized visualization. This multi-functional system replaces multiple separate tools (screen sharing, chat applications, file transfer) with a single integrated solution that engages users through active participation in data manipulation rather than passive viewing.
3Ease of operation
If screen-sharing presentation software is used, then a lead collaborator can control the display, but other participants cannot add data or information to the shared geobrowser
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic role assignment where users can switch between lead and participant roles in real-time. The collaboration server dynamically adjusts permissions and control rights based on current user actions. This dynamic architecture allows any participant to become a lead when needed, enabling flexible multi-user data contribution while maintaining operational control.
4Reliability
If geobrowsers cannot collaborate, then each user works independently, but the potential for coordinated action and resource allocation is unmet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent geobrowser instances into a single collaborative workspace. Each user's geobrowser connects to the collaboration server, which combines and synchronizes data from all participants. This merging enables coordinated decision-making through shared situational awareness while preserving the reliability of individual geobrowser applications through the intermediary server architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for collaborative decision-making and more efficient disaster management, in which multiple geobrowsers can communicate over local networks and/or the Internet to create a real collaborative experience when dealing with geospatial information, distributed using Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) compliant KML/KMZ formats, WMS (Web Mapping Service), or and geospatial data files. All manipulation functions (dataset loading, layer stacking, layer visibility changes, Point of View (POV) changes, map extent changes, looping and animation settings, geospatial file creation and annotation drawing, and other functions) are replicated across all connected geobrowsers to create a true collaborative geospatial Common Operating Picture (COP). The leadership role can be handed over to other users if desired to build upon all the datasets and annotations sent by previous leads. Additionally the designated lead user can record the current state of the map and reproduce this on demand or automatically on other geobrowsers.