EVENTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to managing events and, more particularly, to system that manages and controls emergency events.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Crisis and emergency events are defined as events in which people are in danger, and the authorities, such as local or governmental entities, for example fire fighters, which are required to resolve an emergency event involved with civilians. But not only fire events, such emergency events can also be a terror attach, floods, extreme weather, earthquake, avalanche, conflagration and the like. While rapid analysis of data is crucial in many cases, in reality the information flows to the local or governmental entities from multiple sources, and in multiple cases without any order or guidance. Thus, reports are received via text messaging, phone calls and the like, from independent resources which are sometimes not so reliable. In some other cases, in such emergency events there is no native flow of communication to transmit different messages and information types to diverse types of parties. For example, the information required by emergency forces aiming to rescue victims of an emergency case may not be the same information required by the victim themselves. Furthermore, in multiple cases, the technical devices utilized by the various parties in such an emergency event may be different and diverse. For example, the mobile device operated by one of the persons located at an area of the emergency event may not be able to communicate with the computerized system the rescue forces may utilize.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a method and a related computerized system for managing and controlling emergency events. The emergency event of the present invention is limited to a predefined geographical location, for example a factory, hotel, resort, settlement and the like, persons associated with the settlement or factory are listed in the emergency server storage system and only a close list of persons can be registered to the emergency server. The computerized system can comprise an emergency server configured to receive information regarding multiple emergency events from subscribers of the computerized system, accumulate the information according to their matched events, and in some cases, send reports and/or messages to relevant parities of the specific emergency event. The relevant parties receiving such reports and messages can be the subscribers, or in some cases the victims of the emergency event. The relevant parties can also be government units which in some cases, can be located at the site of the emergency event and / or relevant personnel aimed to assist the victims of the emergency event. In some cases, the reports and messages sent to the relevant parties in such an emergency event may comprise commands, notifications, alerts, orders, updates, maps, images, occurrences sequence, occurrences timestamps status update, and the like. In some other cases, the reports and messages may also comprise recap reports, interim summary reports, status reports, and the like, in order to summarize the event till a certain point of time.

The computerized system can be configured to register subscribers as persons authorized to send information and associate them with specific housing units, such as the subscribers' homes and offices. The information sent by the subscribers can comprise event occurrences, timestamps, notification, images, pictures, landmarks of the occurrences, digital videos, maps, audio files and the like. For example, subscribers may send information comprising landmarks of a physical location of which an emergency event takes place and audio files describing the occurrences of the emergency event. The emergency server can then, summarize the information received from the subscribers and send reports and messages to the relevant parties.

In some embodiments of the present invention the computerized system may also comprise on- site sensors designed to measure environmental conditions at the location of the emergency event and transmit the data of the measurements to the emergency server. The emergency server can accumulate the data received from the on-site sensors and add the data to the reports and messages sent to the emergency event relevant parties. In some cases, the computerized system can also be configured to present the information of the event on a dedicate display unit. The displayed information may comprise, maps, digital images, the location of the subscribers, the timestamps of the occurrences sent by the subscribers, events sequence, and the like.

It is an object of the invention to disclose a system for managing and controlling emergency events taking place in a predefined geographical location, comprising an emergency server communicating a plurality of client applications installed on subscribers' computerized devices, the emergency server comprises a memory storage configured to store information concerning the subscribers and associate the subscribers with a housing unit in the predefined geographical location, a communication module configured to receive information from the subscribers' computerized devices during an emergency event taking place in the predefined geographical location, and a processing unit for determining an emergency status of the housing units in the predefined geographical location according to the received information from the subscribers' computerized devices.

In some cases, two or more subscribers are associated with a specific housing unit, and wherein the processing unit accumulates the information from the two or more subscribers when determining an emergency status of the specific housing unit. In some cases, the communication module further transmits update messages on the emergency event during the emergency event. In some cases, the update messages comprise a map of the predefined geographical location during the emergency event. In some cases, the information received by the emergency server comprises digital media content. In some cases, the information received by the emergency server comprises a subscriber status inputted into the client applications. In some cases, subscriber status is selected from a close group of statuses.

In some cases, the information received by the emergency server comprises maps. In some cases, the information received by the emergency server comprises information regarding the presence of the subscribers sent the information, in a physical location. In some cases, the system further comprises on-site sensors configured to collect environmental properties and transmit the properties to the emergency server. In some cases, the emergency server further comprises map database. In some cases, the updates and messages are provided to a display device capable to present the event update messages. In some cases, the display device displays the map of the event location.

It is another object of the invention to disclose a method for managing and controlling emergency events, comprising registering subscribers and associating each subscriber with a housing unit of multiple housing units located in a predefined geographical location, receiving information regarding an emergency event from the subscribers during the emergency event and determining an emergency status of the housing units in the predefined geographical location according to the received information from the subscribers' computerized devices.

In some cases, the method further comprises sending emergency update messages from the emergency server to relevant parties of the specific emergency event. In some cases, the method further comprises displaying the update messages on a display device. In some cases, the method further comprises registering subscribers into the emergency server during the emergency event. In some cases, the method further comprises updating a map of the predefined geographical location during the emergency event in response to receiving a message from a subscriber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments of the invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a computerized system for managing and controlling emergency events, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

Figure 2 shows a method of managing and controlling an emergency event performed on an emergency server, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

Figure 3 shows a method of communicating with a subscriber device during an emergency event, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

Figure 4 shows a method of responding to an emergency event by a subscriber device, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

Figure 5 shows an emergency server for managing and controlling emergency events, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

Figures 6 shows screen shots of information provided by the emergency server during an emergency event, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a computerized system for managing and controlling emergency events and a method of using said computerized system. The computerized system may also be defined as an emergency server. The computerized system enables receiving information from various parties associated with the event, analyze the information and sending commands, orders, reports, update messages to on-site units accordingly. The computerized system communicates with multiple computerized devices, for example subscribers' mobile electronic devices such as smartphones and/or tablet personal computers in which a browser or a mobile client application enables the subscriber to communicate with the computerized system. The subscribers may be any person or family, or a representative of a group of persons (such as a teacher responsible for a group of students).

The figures below show various embodiments of the system. For example, some of the figures show methods performed on the server side and some figures show methods performed on a client side of the system, the invention is not limited to the flow shown in the figures, and claims which disclose the invention may include only a portion of the method shown in a single figure or a combination of items disclosed in more than one of the figures. Similarly, the system is not limited to the components disclosed in the figures, and can be claimed with additional elements disclosed below, or with only some of the components disclosed in the text and/or the figures.

Figure 1 shows a computerized system for managing and controlling emergency events, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. The computerized system comprises an emergency server 120 configured to receive information from several subscribers in the area relevant to the emergency event. The emergency server 120 can also transfer reports and messages relevant to those subscribers, and in some cases, send reports and messages in order to enable personnel to control or to assist during the emergency event. For example, emergency server 120 can display the relevant information to the personnel located at the site of the relevant emergency event, and the like. The emergency server 120 comprises a communication interface used to communicate with relevant parties, such as government units located on-site 130, government headquarters 140, subscribers' devices 110, and the like. The government on-site units 130 may be soldiers, policemen, fire fighters and the like, guided by the personnel via the emergency server 120 to resolve the emergency event, for example by reaching civil population that communicate with the emergency server 120 via subscribers' devices 110. The government headquarters 140 is likely to reside in a remote location, for example in a country's capital city, and receive update messages from the emergency server 120, for example via reports or update messages generated automatically or semi-automatically by the emergency server 120 or by the personnel operating the emergency server 120. In some cases, the reports and messages sent from the emergency server 120 may also comprise orders for people receiving the update messages and/or the reports. For example, in an emergency event reported by subscribers, the subscribers located at the emergency event site can receive an order to concentrate in a specific building, or in specific place located outdoors. The emergency server 120 may generate commands to the government units 130 located at the event site. The event site may be defined as an entire city or village, a specific building, a mall, a prison, a port, train station and the like. In some cases, emergency server 120 can be configured to automatically send messages with orders prepared in advance, as a response to preconfigured situations. For example, in case an emergency event is added to the emergency server in response to an alert message received from one of the subscribers' devices 110, the emergency server 120 can send message with orders or requests to all the subscribers' devices 110 relevant to the event site. Such a message with a request can be for example, to all the teachers in a school in case the event happened in a school, to send a status update on their locations and the pupils in each location. Then, the subscribers, this case the teachers, can respond to the request to the emergency server 120 and the emergency server 120 guides the on-site government units 130 according to the responses from the subscribers' devices 110.

The computerized system may also comprise additional components such as one or more sensors 160 positioned on the site. The sensors 160 may be temperature sensors, volume sensors, humidity, smoke, noise and the like. The sensors 160 are equipped with a wireless transmitter for transmitting information to another computerized device. The sensors 160 may transmit the information to any computerized device residing in a predefined distance from the sensors 160, for example 12 meters. In such a case, one or more of the subscribers' devices 110 may receive the information transmitted from the sensors 160. In some other cases, the sensors may transmit the information directly to the emergency server 120.

The computerized system may also comprise location units 150 positioned on site, for example antennas, which provide the emergency server 120 with the location of the subscribers' devices 110. In some cases, the location units 150 may be GPS receivers located in the subscribers' devices 110, as the subscribers' devices 110 comprise a mobile application communicating with the emergency server 120 and transmitting the subscribers' devices 110 location to the emergency server 120.

The computerized system may also comprise a display unit 170 with which the emergency server 120 can communicate in order to present visuals and reports regarding an emergency event. For example, the emergency server 120 can present a map of the geographical location in which the emergency event takes place. Said map can also comprise figures indicating the presence of people in various places at the location of the emergency event, and in some cases, the timestamp of the subscribers' updates. In some cases, the emergency server 120 can present an event scheduling report comprises the sequence of the occurrences at an emergency event, in accordance with the alerts and the information sent by the subscribers. In some cases, such an event schedule report may also comprise information sent from on-site sensors 160. For example, in case of a conflagration of fire, the event schedule report may comprise the specific area in which the subscribers are placed using the location unit 150, the timestamp in which this information has been received and the level of smoke in that area. Such a report can also be sent to the government unit 130, to the subscribers' devices 110, and to the government headquarters 140.

In some cases, the subscribers' devices 110 are registered and associated with the subscribers' names and with the subscribers' housing unit. The housing unit may be defined as the home location in which the subscriber lives, the subscriber's office, a place in which the subscriber spends time in regular hours (such as a swimming pool or a gym) and the like. In some cases, a subscriber may have more than one housing unit. In some cases, the subscriber may be associated with a single housing unit according to the time of the day, for example the subscriber's home at night and the subscriber's office between 9 and 18. In some cases, the housing unit associated with the subscriber may be utilized by the emergency server 120 during the emergency event. For example, in case of a snow storm, the emergency server 120 may send reports and messages to the subscribers associated with a housing unit residing in the area in which the snow storm takes place or predicted to take place. Such reports and messages may be sent in accordance with the housing unit associated with the subscribers' device 110. The subscribers' devices 110 may be registered to the emergency server 120 during an emergency event, for example by downloading a mobile application or another computerized software. The devices are listed in the emergency server 120 and once the server verifies the phone number, the subscriber can register.

Figure 2 shows a method of managing and controlling an emergency event performed on an emergency server, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. Step 210 discloses receiving a message with information on an emergency event. Such information may comprise an occurrence description, timestamp, and the properties of the information. In some cases, the information sent by the subscribers may comprise digital media content such as audio messages, maps, digital images, digital video and the like. Thus, the emergency server may sort the data according to the data types and associate the data content with the relevant subscriber. The information may be inputted by a person informing the emergency server on the emergency event, or may be transmitted automatically by one of the sensors 160 disclosed above, for example a temperature sensor may indicate a fire in a public building. The information properties may indicate the type of emergency event, the timestamp the information sent, the device type utilized to send the information, the name of the subscriber sent the information, and the like. The information's properties can be utilized by the emergency server to define the locational range of the event. The emergency server can determine whether the event is limited to a specific building, neighborhood, distance from a predefined location, the entire town and the like. In some cases, the information properties may be determined automatically by the server in response to a predefined set of rules stored in the emergency server. For example, in case of air pollution, the relevant area is in the range of 200 meters around the pollution source. Thus, the emergency server can add an information property to subscribers sending messages, whether they are within the relevant area or outside of the emergency event relevant area. Step 220 discloses defining the subscribers relevant to the emergency event. For example, in case the event is associated with a school, all teachers or the school's employees may be defined as relevant subscribers, while the pupils' parents may not be defined as relevant subscribers. In some other cases, all the residents of the village or town in which an air pollution event takes place will be defined as relevant subscribers. Step 230 discloses broadcasting a message with a status request from the emergency server to the subscribers' devices. In some cases, such a message with a request may be sent to the relevant subscribers defined in step 220. In some other cases, according to some configurations of the computerized system, the computerized system may send the message with the request to all registered subscribers, In some embodiments of the present inventions, a message with a request to subscribers can be configured to be displayed on the subscribers' devices screens, and enable the subscribers to input their status, in an intuitive manner. Such an input can be provided without further analysis or thoughts made by a person which may be in trauma when receiving the status request. After receiving the status request, step 240 discloses the subscribers input a feedback into an input unit on the subscribers' devices. In some cases, the subscriber received the request may be able to type a message back. In some other cases, the input may be given according to predefined words or terms such as "I'm ok", "I'm hurt", "outside the danger zone" and the like, which may be manifested at the subscribers' devices. Additional feedbacks may be added by a person skilled in the art. The optional feedbacks may be adjusted according to the event type or any other event property or subscriber property.

Step 245 discloses receiving the subscriber's input at the server. Some automatic commands to the on-site units may be generated in response to receipt of the subscriber's feedbacks. For example, in case the subscriber did not answer, he/she are marked as "non- responsive" and the on-site unit should verify their status, according to the subscriber's device location. Similarly, when a negative feedback is received, such as "I'm hurt", the on-site units may be sent to that subscriber too. In some cases, when the number of negative feedbacks exceeds a predefined range, a message may be automatically generated and sent to the government headquarters, requesting more units to assist in resolving the emergency event. For example, in case more than 35 subscribers provided negative feedback or did not respond to the request for status.

Step 248 discloses the emergency server determining an emergency status for housing units in the predefined geographic location. The emergency status may be selected from a predefined closed list. The emergency status may be "ok", "unknown", "need to be checked", "outside the settlement", "trouble", "hurt" and the like. The emergency status of the housing unit is determined according to the input from the subscriber or subscribers associated with the housing unit in the emergency server memory storage. The emergency status may be updated by the subscriber or by on-site units on the geographic location, resolving the emergency event. When two or more subscribers are associated with the same housing unit, the housing unit status is defined according to a predefined set of rules. For example, as long as one subscriber inputted "trouble", the housing unit status is "trouble", regardless of other statuses of subscribers of the same housing unit. In another example, when one subscriber's input is "outside the settlement" and the other subscriber's input is "ok", the housing unit status is "ok".

On step 250, the server receives information from the sensors, such as presence of persons in a specific location, temperature, movement and the like. The information from the sensors can be correlated later in step 260 in order to be displayed on the map. When correlating the information, the emergency server takes into account the location of the subscribers in the event site, the location of the on-site units, status feedback received from the subscribers and the like. For example, the map may show which subscribers provided negative feedbacks, which subscribers provided positive feedbacks and the like, by coloring different feedbacks in a different manner (green represents positive feedback from subscribers and red represents negative feedback). The map may indicate which subscribers move, which on-site units move, where, the assignments for each on-site unit, estimated time of arrival for each on-site unit and the like.

In step 260, the emergency server processes the received information from the sensors and the subscribers to produce an event update. Such event update may include the specific locations of the subscribers, the environmental conditions in the event site, the occurrences and their timestamps, the sequence of the events, and the like. The emergency server can also correlate the information received from other relevant parties of the event such as the government units, and add it to the update. For example, the emergency server can generate an update report comprising the specific location of the event, the number of subscribers involved in the emergency event, the movement of the government units with the timestamp of the changes, changes of the temperature levels with timestamps, and the like. In possible embodiments of the subject matter, the update can be translated to a visual report comprising a map and graphical components representing the development of the emergency event. For example, in a case of fire, the emergency server can generate a map comprising graphical components representing the subscribers, located on the map at the actual location of each subscriber, graphical components representing the fire fighters in their current locations on the map, graphical components representing the level of the smoke at the site of the event, and the like.

Step 270 discloses an optional step of displaying the map on a display device connected to the emergency server. The map may be adjusted in response to an event, such as receipt of status feedback from a subscriber, receipt of commands from the headquarters, receipt of status from on- site unit, or periodically such as once a minute. Step 280 discloses synchronizing subscribers' feedback with computerized devices associated with the on-site unit. Such devices may be smartphones or tablet computers of members of the on-site unit, a display device on a vehicle used by the unit and the like. This way, the map is also shown to the on-site units automatically.

Figure 3 shows a method of communicating with a subscriber device during an emergency event, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

Step 310 discloses the emergency server receiving notification that subscriber sent from a computerized device. Such notification may indicate to the server that the subscriber is alive, and is defined at the server database as a basic response. In some exemplary configurations of the emergency server, a subscriber which sent notifications may be deemed as lost consciousness or severely in danger or hurt or that their device is taken, lost or damaged.

Step 320 discloses the server receiving notification that subscriber's device is moving. Such notification may be received when the mobile application on the subscriber's device that communicates with the emergency server also communicates with relevant modules in the subscriber's device, such as GPS receiver, motion sensor, accelerometer and the like.

Step 330 discloses server receives notification that subscriber's input is "in danger". Step 340 discloses server receives audio message generated by subscriber. In some cases, a mobile application configured to communicate with the emergency server and operate on the subscriber's device may enable the subscriber to intuitively input an audio message automatically transmit the message to the emergency server, in case the subscriber wishes to quickly transfer a message to the emergency server. In some cases, the audio recorder may be automatically activated in response to a feedback inputted by the subscriber on the subscriber's device, for example in case the subscriber inputs a feedback that he's hurt, the recorder may be activated automatically, enabling the subscriber to record himself/herself during emergency, without looking for the proper mobile application and then think how to send the audio file to the emergency server. Similarly, the subscriber's device may activate the device camera to enable the subscriber to send video to the emergency server. Such video may enable the personnel using the emergency server to view the subscriber and/or the subscriber's vicinity, for example to view the subscriber's physical wounds.

Step 350 discloses the server generates event schedule. The event schedule may include accumulation of events received at the emergency server with their timestamp, for example at 22:02 a status feedback was received from John, at 22:05 the second on-site unit received a command to check the fifth building and the like. Step 360 discloses server generates event recap report. The recap report may include summary of the occurrences in a certain emergency event up to a certain point of time, for example at first, 42 percent of the subscribers provided a positive feedback, then the on-site unit identified the pollution source, then the sensors detected a specific pollution level and the like. The recap report may include comparisons to prior emergency events on the same site, or of the same type.

Figure 4 shows a method of responding to an emergency event by a subscriber device, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

Step 410 discloses the client receiving definitions of emergency event from server. The definitions may include event type, feedback from other subscribers, time since the event began and the like. In some cases, subscribers may also receive messages from the emergency server in which the on-site units are headed to rescue them specifically, when such command is sent from the emergency server to the on-site units.

Step 420 discloses the client determining which interface to display to the subscriber according to emergency event definitions. For example, in case of a terror attack, the interface may enable the subscriber to input whether or not he/she saw the attacker or heard gun shots, while in case of an air pollution event, the interface will enable the subscriber to input a level of pollution he/she sense. In some other cases, one type of event enables the subscriber to input an audio message to be sent to the server, while another type does not enable such audio message.

Step 430 discloses the client receives subscriber's feedback. The feedback may be inputted via a touch screen, a button, switch, the subscriber's voice recorded by the subscriber's device and translated into text and the like. After receiving the feedback, step 440 discloses the client sends subscriber's feedback to the server, for example via text messages, text messages comprising media, in a wireless manner over a wireless network as desired by a person skilled in the art, either directly or via an intermediate entity.

Step 450 discloses the client receives updated subscriber's feedback in response to a message comprises an update request from server. Such a message with an update request may be generated in response to an event, for example movement of the on-site unit from one place to another, receipt of negative feedbacks from other subscribers, receipt of commands from the personnel or from the headquarters and the like. The message with the request for update may be generated periodically, for example once every 30 minutes, to keep track of the subscribers when the event is longer than a predefined duration, for example 3 hours. Figure 5 shows an emergency server for managing and controlling emergency events, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. Figure 5 shows an emergency server 505 comprises a communication interface 510 for enabling communication to be sent and received via to and from the subscribers' devices 110 and/or the on-site units. In some cases, the communication interface 510 may be connected to a wireless network via which messages are sent to the devices. Such wireless network can utilize a WLAN, Wi-Fi communication technology or in some cases, a mobile communications technology utilized for mobile telephones communications. The emergency server 505 may interact with the subscribers' devices 110 via messages, requests, commands, maps, audio files and the like.

The emergency server 505 can be connected to a display device 560 or comprises the display device 560. The display device 560 may receive information form the various modules disclosed herein in order to enable the personnel operating the server to view the status of the subscribers, location of subscribers, location of subscribers, commands received from headquarters, notifications received during the event and the like. The server may also comprise a synchronization unit 515 configured to synchronize the information displayed on the display device 560 with display devices used by the on-site units, for example policeman, or commanders sent to the field where the event occurs. The synchronization unit 515 enables the on-site crew to view the most updated status of the event, location of other entities and the like.

In some cases, the emergency server may handle two or more emergency events that occur concurrently, at least partially at the same time. For example, at first a terror attack is reported by a person, and after 35 minutes, a storm is detected by a sensor. Notifications and events associated with the emergency events may be associated with one of the emergency events, or with more than one. Hence, when the information associated with the emergency events is displayed on a display device connected to the emergency server, the personnel operating the server may determine the emergency events of which information is to be displayed.

In some exemplary cases, at first the emergency server 505 handles a first emergency event, for example a fire, and after some time, the emergency server is required to handle a second emergency event. In such a case, some information concerning the first event may be used when controlling the second event, for example a notification from a subscriber that he/she is out of the area associated with the event. In some cases, the subscriber may be displayed with two or more icons/colors, each icon/color is associated with another event. The icon representing the subscriber on the display device may be divided according to the number of concurrent events.

In some other cases, the server may enable the personnel to view information related to two or more emergency events, for example two that take place now and two from last month. This way, the personnel can move from one map of a first event to another map of a second event, via user interface 535 via which the personnel inputs commands, information and selections to the server. The user interface 535 may be a keyboard, touch screen, mouse, audio converted into speech or into commands using a predefined rule and the like. The personnel's commands are transmitted automatically to the on-site units via the communication interface 510. When the personnel wish to view only a portion of the information concerning the emergency event, he or she may press a predefined button on the user interface 535 and view only the subscribers' location, not their status and not the location of the on-site units. The location may be obtained via the subscribers' location module 530 communicating with the subscribers' devise. Viewing only a portion of the data on the display device 560 can be achieved by using an event filter module 570, which associates filters to various data fields stored in the server database. Hence, when the personnel operating the server wishes to filter the information to be displayed on the display device 560, only the data fields associated with one or more tags or filters are displayed.

The database of the emergency server 505 may comprise various types of data and content. For example, message and audio database 540 which store messages received from subscribers', such as subscribers' feedbacks with location and time stamp. In addition, the message and audio database 540 may include audio messages received from the subscribers, messages and notifications sent from the emergency server 505 to the subscribers and the like. Thus, the emergency server 505 may be configured to sort the data and the content received from the subscribers and associate the content with the corresponding emergency event, subscriber, location, and the like. For example, the audio files received by the subscribers stored in the message and audio database 540 and be associated with the subscriber which sent the audio message, the geographical location of the emergency event, and the like. The database of the emergency server 505 may also comprise maps database 520 for storing maps associated with the event. Such maps may store the location of status of one or more entities at the event site, for example once every 10 minutes, to enable the personnel operating the server to view progress of the event. The emergency server 505 may also comprise a report generator 550 configured to generate reports as disclosed above.

The emergency server 505 also comprises a processing unit 580 configured to perform multiple processes and computations. For example, the processing unit determines an emergency status of a housing unit according to the statuses and additional information received from subscribers devices of subscribers associated with the housing unit. In some cases, the processing unit 580 uses a predefined set of rules when determining the housing unit emergency status. In some cases, the housing unit emergency status is determined according to messages received from multiple subscribers associated with a single housing unit, for example two parents each communicating with the emergency server 505.

Figures 6 shows screen shots of information provided by the emergency server during an emergency event, according to exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. Figure 6 shows the emergency server interface 605 provided in a possible embodiment of the subject matter. The emergency server interface 605 may be displayed in a display unit 170, or in a display device in computerized device such as subscribers' devices 110. The emergency event interface 605 manifests an exemplary scenario of a weather catastrophe, such as a storm. At the bottom portion of the emergency server interface 605, a subscriber bar information designed to present information about the subscribers can be shown. For example subscriber's information windows, 630, 631, and 632 can show the subscriber's name, phone number, and last time the subscriber sent information. In some cases, the subscriber's information windows, 630, 631, and 632 can also present the address of the subscriber, subscriber's last message, subscriber's last status and the like. In some cases, additional graphical and visual components can be added to the subscriber's information windows 630, 631, and 632, in order to present information in a simple and easy manner. At the top of the emergency server interface 605, additional information and general statistics can be provided, for example number of relevant subscribers versus the number of subscribers defined in danger as it shown in the subscribers update window 613. In some cases, different subscriber's statuses may be shown in subscribers update window 613 in different colors. The emergency server interface 605 can also comprise a map 640 that shows the emergency area, which can be zoom-in, zoomed-out, or manipulated otherwise by the personnel.

The emergency server interface 605 is also designed to show the sequence of the emergency event according to the information received from subscribers and from other relevant parties. The event flow can be seen in a drop-down list by pressing the event flow 625. In some cases, a user of the emergency server interface 605 may be able to track the event on the map 640. For example, a user can press on the event flow 625 chose an event and the map may be changed accordingly and present the relevant information. The emergency server interface 605 can also show the messages provided by the relevant parties in messages window 620. Such relevant parties may be defined as subscribers or government units identified at the area of the event. In some cases, the messages and the updates received from the various parties in the event can be translated into an event visible status and shown on the map 640. For example, map 640 can show the location of the government units and their time of the last update as shown in icon 635. Map 640 can also show the location of the subscribers in danger as it shown in icon 619. In some cases, icon 619 may be in different colors to show the level of risk the subscriber may be. For example, icon 619 can be configured to be in red in case of a high-risk level, or yellow in a lower risk level. Such level of risk may be configurable and changeable in different emergency event types.

The display emergency server interface 605 may present the location of the on-site team, the name of subscribers located at the emergency event, and the like. Some of the information displayed by the emergency server may be displayed as an overlay, for example according to predefined definitions. Some of the information may be filtered according to definitions or rules, for example rules inputted into the emergency server by the personnel or received from the headquarters. The emergency server interface 605 can also provide filtering for the occurrences of the event. For example, the filter set 615 can be used by a user to update and follow on errors and issues of a particular type. Such types may be heating errors, electricity errors, and the like.

The on-site unit may be interfaced with the emergency server in a manner that enables the person on-site, such as a policeman, to update the server and the display from the field, and not having to be in the headquarter in order to update the information. For example, the policeman may be the first to know that a subscriber is ok or hurt, and update automatically from the policeman mobile device that communicates with the emergency server. The subscriber status is updated in both the server and the subscriber device, in addition to the policeman device.

The emergency server interface 605 can also be used to control and manage multiple emergency events. For example, the event list 610 can be used to control multiple emergency events. For example, a user can press on event list 610 and receive the emergency events concurrently managed by the system, chose any of the event and press it. Upon choosing a specific event, the emergency server interface 605 may change and present the occurrences and the information of the relevant emergency event chosen by the user.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosed subject matter not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but only by the claims that follow.