Notification and Tracking System for Mobile Devices

Abstract

A notification and tracking system for a mobile device. The system includes a mobile device application that is adapted to be stored in memory of the mobile device. The application, upon activation, determines the GPS coordinates of the mobile device, records digital images over a period of time, sends a present message from the mobile device to at least one recipient, preferably an emergency responder, such as a security monitoring station, and sends the GPS coordinates and the digital images. The coordinates and images may be sent to a remote server for storage and which can be accessed by the emergency responder. The coordinates and images are periodically updated and sent while the program is activated.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A server for tracking and providing emergency notifications for a plurality of mobile devices, the server comprising a processor and a computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, the computer-executable instructions defining a server application executable by the processor of the server, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor of the server, causing the server to perform steps comprising:
 defining virtual boundaries of a geographic area to be monitored;   receiving a communication from one of said plurality of mobile devices indicating a user of that mobile device is involved in an emergency situation, the communication including GPS coordinates indicating a geographic location of the mobile device;   determining from the GPS coordinates and the defined boundaries of the geographic area to be monitored that the mobile device from which the communication was received is located in that geographic area;   displaying the location of the mobile device on an image of the geographic area being monitored, based on the received GPS coordinates.   
     
     
         2 . The server recited in  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to associate a unique code with specific monitoring personnel who are to be notified in the event of an emergency within the defined boundaries of the geographic area. 
     
     
         3 . The server recited in  claim 2 , wherein the communication received from the mobile device includes the unique code associated with the specific monitoring personnel, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to, in response to receiving the communication from the mobile device:
 extract the unique code from the communication;   determine the specific monitoring personnel associated with the unique code; and   notify the determined specific monitoring personnel of the emergency situation indicated by the received communication.   
     
     
         4 . The server recited in  claim 1 , wherein the server stores in a memory of the server, for each of the plurality of mobile devices, a profile containing information about a user of that mobile device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to, in response to receiving the communication from the mobile device, retrieve the profile stored for that mobile device and display information contained in the profile, wherein the displayed information comprises one or more of the name, a picture, health records, and class schedule of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The server recited in  claim 1 , wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the server to, in response to receiving the communication from the mobile device, automatically send a communication to other mobile devices within the defined boundaries of the geographic area indicating that an emergency situation is occurring and providing instructions to keep away from the location of the mobile device from which the communication was received. 
     
     
         6 . The server recited in  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to broadcast alerts to all of the plurality of mobile devices within the defined boundaries of the geographic area. 
     
     
         7 . The server recited in  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to:
 receive successive communications from the mobile device over time with updated GPS coordinates in each communication;   calculate from the received GPS coordinates a heading and speed of the mobile device; and   report the heading and speed of the mobile device to an emergency responder.   
     
     
         8 . The server recited in  claim 1 , wherein the defined virtual boundaries of the geographic area comprise a set of boundaries that define the physical boundaries of the geographic area. 
     
     
         9 . The server recited in  claim 1 , wherein the defined virtual boundaries of the geographic area comprise a defined radius around a central location within the geographic area. 
     
     
         10 . A server for tracking and providing emergency notifications for a plurality of mobile devices, the server comprising a processor and a computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, the computer-executable instructions defining a server application executable by the processor of the server, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor of the server, causing the server to perform steps comprising:
 defining different virtual boundaries for each of a plurality of different geographic areas to be monitored;   for each of the different geographic areas to be monitored, establishing a unique code for that geographic area and associating the unique code with specific monitoring personnel who are to be notified in the event of an emergency within the defined boundaries of that geographic area, each unique code being associated with different specific monitoring personnel;   receiving a communication from one of said plurality of mobile devices indicating a user of that mobile device is involved in an emergency situation, the communication including at least (i) GPS coordinates indicating a geographic location of the mobile device, and (ii) one of said unique codes;   extracting the unique code from the communication;   determining the specific monitoring personnel associated with the extracted unique code; and   notifying the determined specific monitoring personnel of the emergency situation indicated by the received communication.   
     
     
         11 . The server recited in  claim 10 , wherein the server stores in a memory of the server, for each of the plurality of mobile devices, a profile containing information about a user of that mobile device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to, in response to receiving the communication from the mobile device, retrieve the profile stored for the user of that mobile device and display information contained in the profile, wherein the displayed information comprises one or more of the name, a picture, health records, and class schedule of the user. 
     
     
         12 . The server recited in  claim 10 , wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the server to, in response to receiving the communication from the mobile device, automatically send a communication to other mobile devices within the defined boundaries of the geographic area in which the mobile devices is located indicating that an emergency situation is occurring and providing instructions to keep away from the location of the mobile device from which the communication was received. 
     
     
         13 . The server recited in  claim 10 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to broadcast alerts to all of the plurality of mobile devices within the defined boundaries of one of the geographic areas. 
     
     
         14 . The server recited in  claim 10 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to:
 receive successive communications from the mobile device over time with updated GPS coordinates in each communication;   calculate from the received GPS coordinates a heading and speed of the mobile device; p 1  and report the heading and speed of the mobile device to an emergency responder.   
     
     
         15 . The server recited in  claim 10 , wherein the defined virtual boundaries of each geographic area comprises a set of boundaries that define the physical boundaries of the geographic area. 
     
     
         16 . The server recited in  claim 10 , wherein the defined virtual boundaries of each geographic area comprises a defined radius around a central location within the geographic area.