Method And System For Using A Situational Network

What is this patent about?

’463 is related to the field of situational awareness networks , specifically systems and methods for forming a network in response to a real-world event and providing relevant information to users. The background involves the increasing need for efficient communication and information sharing during emergencies or other significant events, where traditional communication channels may be overwhelmed or ineffective. This requires dynamically creating networks based on location, relationships, and interests.

The underlying idea behind ’463 is to leverage a pre-existing multi-dimensional social network to rapidly establish a situational network when an event occurs. This involves creating an event node representing the situation, identifying users geographically close to the event, and presenting them with relevant information. The system then analyzes the social network to identify other users who, while not necessarily nearby, have connections or interests related to the event, and provides them with supplemental information.

The claims of ’463 focus on forming a situational network by maintaining a database of user nodes and multi-dimensional links, obtaining an indication of a situation, establishing an event node discoverable by user devices, creating a subset of user nodes based on geographic proximity, presenting information to those devices, joining a node to the event node based on interaction, receiving supplemental information, identifying a second node connected to a third node via a dimension indicative of interest in the situation, providing supplemental information to the second node, and redirecting a web browser application to a webpage related to the situation.

In practice, the system monitors news feeds, social media, or other sources for indications of events. Upon detecting an event, it creates an event node and uses location data from user devices to identify nearby users. These users are presented with information about the event, such as emergency alerts or traffic updates. The system then analyzes the multi-dimensional social network, considering factors like shared interests, professional connections, or family relationships, to identify other users who might be interested in the event, even if they are not geographically close. These users receive supplemental information, such as news articles or donation requests.

This approach differs from prior solutions by utilizing a pre-existing social network to rapidly disseminate information and connect users during a situation. Instead of relying solely on geographic proximity, it considers the relationships and interests of users to provide more relevant and targeted information. The web browser redirection ensures that users are directed to a reliable source of information about the situation, improving situational awareness and facilitating effective communication.