Map-Based Emergency Dispatch Interface for PSAP Situational Awareness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current emergency call management systems in PSAPs rely on text-based interfaces that are cumbersome and lack spatial integration of information, leading to non-ideal dispatch decisions due to the separation of mapping tools and call-taking/dispatching activities, which hinders telecommunicators' situational awareness.
Innovation Solution
A map-based interface that integrates emergency call data with responder and contextual information, allowing telecommunicators to assign units directly from the map and access relevant data layers, reducing the need for keyboard shortcuts and enhancing intuitive interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If text-based interfaces with keyboard shortcuts and command line interfaces are used for call-taking and dispatching, then telecommunicators can access and input data, but the interface becomes cumbersome and difficult to learn, reducing ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the map display and dispatch control functions into a single integrated interface. The map visually displays incident locations, responder positions, and allows direct interaction for dispatch decisions, combining information presentation and control operations that were previously separated into text-based grids and command interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional text-based grids and command lines to a spatial map interface that utilizes geographic positioning and visual spatial relationships. This dimensional change allows telecommunicators to perceive incident locations, responder positions, and routing information in their natural geographic context, improving situational awareness and dispatch efficiency.
2Productivity
If text-based interfaces separate call-taking and dispatching information from mapping tools, then each tool can function independently, but telecommunicators lose situational awareness and must manually synthesize information, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines call-taking data, dispatch information, and mapping tools into a single integrated system. The map interface simultaneously displays incident locations, responder positions, routing information, and allows direct dispatch actions, eliminating the need for telecommunicators to manually synthesize information from separate text-based interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The map interface serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays incident locations, tracks responder positions, provides routing information, shows contextual data layers (traffic, hazards), and enables direct dispatch control. This multi-functional interface replaces multiple separate tools while maintaining all their capabilities.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate interfaces (text-based CAD and mapping tools) are used, then each interface can be optimized for its specific function, but the system requires more tools and increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The map interface is designed to perform multiple dispatch functions within a single unified interface. It displays incident and responder locations, provides routing information, shows contextual data layers, and enables direct dispatch control, replacing the need for separate text-based CAD interfaces and mapping tools while maintaining all their functional capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functionality of separate call-taking software, dispatch control systems, and mapping tools into a single integrated map-based interface. This consolidation maintains the specialized capabilities of each component while eliminating the need for multiple separate interfaces.
4Loss of information
If text-based grids and tables are used to display caller and vehicle information, then data can be organized systematically, but spatial relationships and contextual information are lost, reducing measurement precision of situational awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms tabular data representation into a spatial map display. Instead of showing caller and vehicle information in text-based grids, the system displays incidents and responders as visual markers on a geographic map, preserving spatial relationships and allowing telecommunicators to understand geographic context, proximity, and routing requirements intuitively.
Data Source
AI summary
An emergency response system provides a map-based interface for a telecommunicator to view information about an incident and coordinate a response to the incident. The emergency response system gathers supplemental data regarding locations and other information that may be relevant in assisting with the incident. The interface may automatically select relevant supplemental information based on the incident and provide this incident-specific information for display on the interface. The user may then select a response on the interface such as a unit to dispatch that the system automatically implements, providing unified information and control for incidents, supplemental information, and incident response.