Notification and tracking system for mobile devices

1. A server for tracking and providing emergency notifications for a plurality of mobile devices, the server comprising a processor and a non-transitory 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, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to:

receive a communication from another mobile device of a second user indicating that the second user plans to travel from a present location to a second location, the communication including an indication of the second location and an indication of the amount of time it should take to get to the second location;

track the position of the user based on GPS data periodically received from the mobile device; and

send a text message to the mobile device if it is determined from the GPS data that the mobile device has not reached the second location within the indicated amount of time.

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 users, a profile containing information about the user, 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.

5. A server for tracking and providing emergency notifications for a plurality of mobile devices, the server comprising a processor and a non-transitory 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, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to display the locations of local cameras within the defined boundaries of the geographic area that are within the vicinity of the GPS coordinates received in the communication from the mobile device.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. A server for tracking and providing emergency notifications for a plurality of mobile devices, the server comprising a processor and a non-transito com uter 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, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the server to:

receive a communication from another mobile device of a second user indicating that the second user plans to travel from a present location to a second location, the communication including an indication of the present location of the mobile device and the second location;

determining an amount of time it should take to travel from the present location to the second location;

track the position of the user based on GPS data periodically received from the mobile device; and

send a text message to the mobile device if it is determined from the GPS data that the mobile device has not reached the second location within the determined amount of time.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. The server recited in claim 5 , wherein the communication received from the mobile device includes a unique code associated with 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.

13. The server recited in claim 5 , 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.

14. The server recited in claim 5 , 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.

15. The server recited in claim 5 , wherein the defined virtual boundaries of the geographic area comprise one of (a) a set of boundaries that define the physical boundaries of the geographic area, or (b) a defined radius around a central location within the geographic area.

16. The server recited in claim 5 , 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.

17. The server recited in claim 9 , wherein the communication received from the mobile device includes a unique code associated with 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.

18. The server recited in claim 9 , 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.

19. The server recited in claim 9 , 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.

20. The server recited in claim 9 , wherein the defined virtual boundaries of the geographic area comprise one of (a) a set of boundaries that define the physical boundaries of the geographic area, or (b) a defined radius around a central location within the geographic area.