Situational awareness and dynamic interrogation system

Abstract

A situational awareness and dynamic interrogation system provides a requester communication device with demographic statistics, such as age and gender or subject matter of interest demographic data, obtained from user profile data associated with participating mobile communication devices located in a geographical area of interest. The requester communication device may then specify an electronic interrogation message comprising a target demographic objective. The direct response controller sends the electronic interrogation message to all or a portion of those mobile communication devices in the geographic area of interest. The direct response controller uses a dynamic interrogation algorithm and location tracking data to produce electronic interrogation results that automatically meet the specified target demographic objective. Response fees may be paid to accounts associated with the responding mobile communications devices, and a query fee may be paid to an account associated with the requester communication device.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method performed by a network device, comprising:
 sending electronic situational awareness to a requester communication device, by:
 (a) receiving from the requester communication device a situational awareness request related to a geographic area of interest; 
 (b) collecting geographic location data reported by mobile communication devices; 
 (c) identifying mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest; 
 (d) obtaining demographic data comprising at least age and gender or subject matter of interest demographic data from user profiles associated with the mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest; 
 (e) sending situational awareness data to the requester communication device comprising at least age and gender or subject matter of interest related demographic statistics associated with the mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest; and 
   dynamically interrogating at least a portion of the mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest, by:
 (f) receiving an electronic interrogation message and a target demographic objective from the requester communication device; 
 (g) identifying a target audience comprising mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest corresponding to the target demographic objective; 
 (h) transmitting the electronic interrogation message to an initial portion of the target audience; 
 (i) receiving responses to the electronic interrogation message; 
 (j) determining a residual target demographic objective selected to drive the electronic interrogation message to meet the target demographic objective taking into account the responses to the electronic interrogation message; 
 (k) transmitting the electronic interrogation message to a portion of the residual target audience; 
   (I) sending electronic interrogation demographic statistics to the requester communication device comprising at least age and gender or subject matter of interest related demographic statistics associated with the responses to the electronic interrogation message.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising iteratively repeating steps (i), (j) and (k) until an interrogation completion parameter has been satisfied. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising receiving the interrogation completion parameter from the requester communication device, wherein the interrogation completion parameter comprises a time-out parameter or number of interrogation responses parameter. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving a request from the requester communication device to send a direct communication message to a direct communication audience comprising all or a portion of the mobile communication devices that responded to the online interrogation;   transmitting the direct communication message to one or more members of the direct communication audience that have authorized direct communications.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the direct communication message comprises a direct communication address associated with the requester communication device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the direct communication message comprises an online link associated with the requester communication device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the direct communication message comprises an advertisement associated with the requester communication device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the direct communication message comprises a public service message associated with the requester communication device. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the direct communication message comprises travel or visitor related information. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising identifying members of the direct communication audience by checking settings data in the user profiles associated with the mobile communication devices that responded to the online interrogation. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising identifying members of the direct communication audience by transmitting a direct communication authorization message to one or more of the mobile communication devices that responded to the online interrogation and receiving one or more responses to the direct communication authorization message. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 identifying a potential recipient of the electronic interrogation message by identifying a correspondence between the topic of interest and the user profile associated with the potential recipient;   transmitting an interrogation authorization request message to the potential recipient;   receiving an interrogation authorization response message from the potential recipient;   comprising the potential recipient in the target audience based on the interrogation authorization response message.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 assigning interrogation priority parameters to the mobile communication devices in the geographic area of interest based on correspondence between, their associated user profiles and the topic of interest;   transmitting the electronic query to the members of the target audience in accordance with their interrogation priority parameter.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 paying response fees to accounts associated with the responding mobile communication devices; and   charging a query fee to an account associated with the requester communication device.   
     
     
         35 . A non-transient computer storage medium storing computer readable instructions for causing a network device to perform a method for sending electronic situational awareness data to a requester communication device, comprising:
 receiving from the requester communication device a situational awareness request related to a geographic area of interest;   collecting geographic location data reported by mobile communication devices;   identifying mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest;   obtaining demographic data comprising at least age and gender or subject matter of interest demographic data from user profiles associated with the mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest;   sending to the requester communication device situational awareness data comprising at least age and gender or subject matter of interest related demographic statistics associated with the mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest;   receiving a request from the requester communication device to send a direct communication message to a direct communication audience comprising all or a portion of the mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest;   transmitting the direct communication message to one or more members of the direct communication audience.   
     
     
         36 . The computer storage medium of  claim 35 , further comprising identifying members of the direct communication audience by checking settings data in the user profiles associated with the mobile communication in the geographic area of interest. 
     
     
         37 . The computer storage medium of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 transmitting a direct communication authorization message to one or more of the mobile communication devices in the geographic area of interest; and   receiving one or more responses to the direct communication authorization message.   
     
     
         38 . A system comprising a network device in communication with a requester communication device and a plurality of mobile communication devices, configured to perform a method for dynamic interrogation, comprising:
 (a) receiving from the requester communication device an electronic interrogation message, a geographic area of interest, and a target demographic objective;   (b) collecting geographic location data reported by the mobile communication devices;   (c) identifying mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest;   (d) obtaining demographic data comprising at least age and gender or subject matter of interest demographic data from user profiles associated with the mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest;   (e) identifying a target audience comprising mobile communication devices located in the geographic area of interest corresponding to the target demographic objective;   (f) transmitting the electronic interrogation message to an initial portion of the target audience;   (g) receiving responses to the electronic interrogation message;   (h) determining a residual target demographic objective selected to drive the electronic interrogation message to meet the target demographic objective taking into account the responses to the electronic interrogation message;   (i) transmitting the electronic interrogation message to a portion of the residual target audience;   (j) iteratively repeating steps (h), (i) and (j) until an interrogation completion parameter has been satisfied;   (k) sending electronic interrogation demographic statistics to the requester communication device comprising at least age and gender or subject matter of interest related demographic statistics associated with the responses to the electronic interrogation message.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the method for dynamic interrogation further comprises:
 assigning interrogation priority parameters to the mobile communication devices in the geographic area of interest based on correspondence between their associated user profiles and the topic of interest;   transmitting the electronic query to the members of the target audience in accordance with their interrogation priority parameter.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the method for dynamic interrogation further comprises:
 paying response fees to accounts associated with the responding mobile communication devices; and   charging a query fee to an account associated with the requester communication device.