Methods and apparatus for providing assistance services for large crowds

Abstract

In one example embodiment, a mobile computing device provides assistance services for visitors at events which involve large crowds and long distances. The mobile computing device may be used to read a unique identifier for a visitor from an identification token for the visitor. The mobile computing device may then send visitor location data for the current location of the visitor to a remote command center. The mobile computing device may then receive leader location data from the remote command center. The leader location data may identify a last known location for a leader of a group of visitors that includes the visitor. After receiving the leader location data, the mobile computing device may compute directions from the current location of the visitor to the last known location of the leader, and the mobile computing device may display those directions on a map. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A mobile computing device to facilitate emergency medical service, the mobile computing device comprising:
 a processor;   a display responsive to the processor; and   a storage medium responsive to the processor, wherein the storage medium comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, implement   an assistance application that is operable to present, on the display, a selectable option to request emergency medical assistance;   wherein the assistance application is configured to respond to selection of the option to request emergency medical assistance by sending, to a remote device, (a) a request for emergency medical service, (b) an identifier for a person to receive assistance, and (c) personal location data to identify a current location of the person to receive assistance, to enable the remote device to direct a healthcare provider to the current location of the person.   
     
     
         7 . A mobile computing device according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a global positioning system (GPS) responsive to the processor, wherein the GPS is configurable to automatically determine a current location of the mobile computing device; and   wherein the personal location data is based on the current location of the mobile computing device.   
     
     
         8 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A mobile computing device according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the mobile computing device comprises medical records for the person to receive assistance; and   the assistance application, when executed, enables the mobile computing device to forward at least some of the medical records for the person to the remote device to facilitate emergency medical service.   
     
     
         28 . A mobile computing device according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the mobile computing device comprises medical data for the person to receive assistance; and   the assistance application, when executed, enables the mobile computing device to present at least some of the medical data on the display, in response to user selection of a medical information option.   
     
     
         29 . A mobile computing device according to  claim 6 , wherein the assistance application, when executed, further enables the mobile computing device to:
 receive confirmation that the healthcare provider has been dispatched to assist the person and, in response, present confirmation, on the display, that the healthcare provider has been dispatched;   after the healthcare provider has been dispatched, receive an update on a current location of the healthcare provider;   in response to receiving the update on the current location of the healthcare provider, automatically calculate a route from the current location of the healthcare provider to the person to receive assistance; and   present, on a map on the display, the current location of the healthcare provider and the calculated route from the current location of the healthcare provider to the person to receive assistance.   
     
     
         30 . A mobile computing device according to  claim 29 , wherein the assistance application, when executed, further enables the mobile computing device to:
 compute and display an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the healthcare provider, based at least in part on (a) the current location of the healthcare provider and (b) information on traffic detected on the calculated route from the current location of the healthcare provider to the person to receive assistance.   
     
     
         31 . A mobile computing device according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the selectable option to request emergency medical assistance comprises an option to request an ambulance;   the assistance application, when executed, further enables the mobile computing device to display a selectable option to communicate with a remote healthcare provider; and   the assistance application is configured to respond to selection of the option to communicate with a remote healthcare provider by (a) establishing a videoconference with the remote healthcare provider and (b) sending, to a computing device of the remote healthcare provider, medical records for the person to receive assistance.   
     
     
         32 . A distributed data processing system to facilitate emergency medical service, the distributed data processing system comprising:
 the mobile computing device of  claim 6 ; and   the remote device of  claim 6 ;   wherein the remote device comprises a command center workstation configured to:
 receive the request for emergency medical service from the mobile computing device; and 
 in response to receiving the request for emergency medical service, dispatch the healthcare provider to the location of the person to receive assistance. 
   
     
     
         33 . A distributed data processing system according to  claim 32 , wherein:
 the person to receive assistance comprises a first person; and   the command center workstation comprises a database with personal data for the first person, the personal data comprising contact information for a second person to be contacted in case of emergency involving the first person.   
     
     
         34 . An automated method to facilitate emergency medical service, the method comprising:
 presenting, on a display of a mobile computing device, a selectable option to request emergency medical assistance; and   in response to selection of the option to request emergency medical assistance, sending, to a remote device, (a) a request for emergency medical service, (b) an identifier for a person to receive assistance, and (c) personal location data to identify a current location of the person to receive assistance, to enable the remote device to direct a healthcare provider to the current location of the person.   
     
     
         35 . An automated method according to  claim 34 , further comprising:
 using a global positioning system (GPS) in the mobile computing device to determine a current location of the mobile computing device; and   wherein the personal location data is based on the current location of the mobile computing device.   
     
     
         36 . An automated method according to  claim 34 , wherein:
 the mobile computing device comprises medical records for the person to receive assistance; and   the method further comprises forwarding at least some of the medical records for the person to the remote device to facilitate emergency medical service.   
     
     
         37 . An automated method according to  claim 34 , wherein:
 the mobile computing device comprises medical data for the person to receive assistance; and   the assistance application, when executed, enables the mobile computing device to present at least some of the medical data on the display, in response to user selection of a medical information option.   
     
     
         38 . An automated method according to  claim 34 , further comprising:
 receiving confirmation that the healthcare provider has been dispatched to assist the person and, in response, presenting confirmation, on the display, that the healthcare provider has been dispatched;   after the healthcare provider has been dispatched, receiving an update on a current location of the healthcare provider;   in response to receiving the update on the current location of the healthcare provider, automatically calculating a route from the current location of the healthcare provider to the person to receive assistance; and   presenting, on a map on the display, the current location of the healthcare provider and the calculated route from the current location of the healthcare provider to the person to receive assistance.   
     
     
         39 . An automated method according to  claim 38 , further comprising:
 computing and displaying an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the healthcare provider, based at least in part on (a) the current location of the healthcare provider and (b) information on traffic detected on the calculated route from the current location of the healthcare provider to the person to receive assistance.   
     
     
         40 . An automated method according to  claim 34 , wherein:
 the selectable option to request emergency medical assistance comprises an option to request an ambulance; and   the method comprises:
 displaying a selectable option to communicate with a remote healthcare provider; and 
 in response to selection of the option to communicate with a remote healthcare provider, (a) establishing a videoconference with the remote healthcare provider and (b) sending, to a computing device of the remote healthcare provider, medical records for the person to receive assistance. 
   
     
     
         41 . At least one non-transitory machine accessible medium comprising:
 instructions that, when executed by a mobile computing device, enable the mobile computing device to perform the method recited in  claim 34 .   
     
     
         42 . At least one non-transitory machine accessible medium according to  claim 41 , wherein:
 the selectable option to request emergency medical assistance comprises an option to request an ambulance; and   the instructions, when executed by the mobile computing device, further enable the mobile computing device to:
 display a selectable option to communicate with a remote healthcare provider; and 
 respond to selection of the option to communicate with a remote healthcare provider by (a) establishing a videoconference with the remote healthcare provider and (b) sending, to a computing device of the remote healthcare provider, medical records for the person to receive assistance. 
   
     
     
         43 . A command center workstation to facilitate emergency medical service, the command center workstation comprising:
 a processor;   a storage medium responsive to the processor; and   instructions in the storage medium which, when executed by the processor, enable the command center workstation to:
 receive, from a mobile computing device, (a) a request for emergency medical service, (b) an identifier for a person to receive assistance, and (c) personal location data to identify a current location of the person to receive assistance; and 
 in response to receiving the request for emergency medical service, automatically dispatch a healthcare provider to the current location of the person to provide emergency medical service for the person. 
   
     
     
         44 . A command center workstation according to  claim 43 , wherein:
 the person to receive assistance comprises a first person; and   the command center workstation comprises a database with personal data for the first person, the personal data comprising contact information for a second person to be contacted in case of emergency involving the first person.