Management of wireless communication devices by a mobile control device
View Patent ↗Systems, methods, and software that enable a mobile control device to manage wireless communication devices. The mobile control device receives a user-type instruction indicating a user-type and a map instruction indicating a geographic area. In response to receiving these instructions, the mobile control device displays on a touch display a geographic map indicating the wireless communication devices of the selected user-type that are located within the selected geographic area. The user touches the display through the geographic map to select some wireless communication devices of the selected user-type within the selected geographic area. The mobile control device receives an activation instruction for the selected ones of the wireless communication devices and in response, wirelessly transferring an activation message indicating the activation instruction for the selected ones of the wireless communication devices for delivery to and execution by a wireless network control system.
1. A method of operating a mobile control device to manage wireless communication devices, the method comprising:
in the mobile control device, receiving a selection for a user-type and receiving a map instruction indicating a geographic area map, selecting a geographic area on the geographic area map, and in response, displaying the geographic area map indicating multiple wireless communication devices of the selected user-type that are located within the selected geographic area;
in the mobile control device, receiving touch-display inputs through the geographic area map selecting at least one of the multiple wireless communication devices of the selected user-type within the selected geographic area;
in the mobile control device, receiving an activation instruction indicating a command to at least allow or block wireless communications between other wireless communication devices that are in the selected geographic area and the selected at least one of the multiple wireless communication devices and in response, wirelessly transferring an activation message indicating the activation instruction for the selected at least one of the multiple wireless communication devices for delivery to a wireless network control system.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-type indicates an emergency personnel user-type;
displaying the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of emergency personnel that are located within the selected geographic area;
receiving the touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the emergency personnel within the selected geographic area.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-type indicates a law enforcement personnel user-type;
displaying the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of law enforcement personnel that are located within the selected geographic area;
receiving the touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the law enforcement personnel within the selected geographic area.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-type indicates an electrical utility personnel user-type;
displaying the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of electrical utility personnel that are located within the selected geographic area;
receiving the touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the electrical utility personnel within the selected geographic area.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-type indicates a water utility personnel user-type;
displaying the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of water utility personnel that are located within the selected geographic area;
receiving the touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the water utility personnel within the selected geographic area.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-type indicates a gas utility personnel user-type;
displaying the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of gas utility personnel that are located within the selected geographic area;
receiving the touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the gas utility personnel within the selected geographic area.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
receiving the activation instruction further comprises receiving a command to open wireless communications between the mobile control device and the selected ones of the wireless communication devices;
wirelessly transferring the activation message further comprises indicating the command to open the wireless communications between the mobile control device and the selected ones of the wireless communication devices.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
receiving the activation instruction further comprises receiving a command for the selected ones of the wireless communication devices to capture and report data;
wirelessly transferring the activation message further comprises indicating the command for the selected ones of the wireless communication devices to capture and report the data.
9. A mobile control device to manage wireless communication devices, the mobile control device comprising:
a graphic display configured to receive a selection for a user-type and receive a map instruction indicating a geographic area map, selecting a geographic area on the geographic area map;
a processing system configured to obtain geographic map data indicating multiple wireless communication devices of the selected user-type that are located within the selected geographic area;
the graphic display configured to display the geographic area map of the geographic map data, receive touch-display inputs selecting at least one of the multiple wireless communication devices of the selected user-type within the selected geographic area, and receive an activation instruction indicating a command to at least allow or block wireless communications between other wireless communication devices that are in the selected geographic area and the selected at least one of the multiple wireless communication devices;
the processing system configured to direct a wireless transfer of an activation message indicating the activation instruction for the selected at least one of the multiple wireless communication devices for delivery to a wireless network control system.
10. The mobile control device of claim 9 wherein the user-type indicates an emergency personnel user-type, the graphic display configured to display the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of emergency personnel that are located within the selected geographic area, and the graphic display configured to receive touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the emergency personnel within the selected geographic area.
11. The mobile control device of claim 9 wherein the user-type indicates a law enforcement personnel user-type, the graphic display configured to display the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of law enforcement personnel that are located within the selected geographic area, and the graphic display configured to receive touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the law enforcement personnel within the selected geographic area.
12. The mobile control device of claim 9 wherein the user-type indicates an electrical utility personnel user-type, the graphic display configured to display the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of electrical utility personnel that are located within the selected geographic area, and the graphic display configured to receive touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the electrical utility personnel within the selected geographic area.
13. The mobile control device of claim 9 wherein the user-type indicates a water utility personnel user-type, the graphic display configured to display the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of water utility personnel that are located within the selected geographic area, and the graphic display configured to receive touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the water utility personnel within the selected geographic area.
14. The mobile control device of claim 9 wherein the user-type indicates a gas utility personnel user-type, the graphic display configured to display the geographic map comprises indicating the wireless communication devices of gas utility personnel that are located within the selected geographic area, and the graphic display configured to receive touch-display inputs comprises identifying ones of the wireless communication devices of the gas utility personnel within the selected geographic area.
15. The mobile control device of claim 9 wherein the graphic display configured to receive the activation instruction further comprises receiving a command to open wireless communications between the mobile control device and the selected ones of the wireless communication devices, and the processing system configured to direct the wireless transfer of the activation message further comprises indicating the command to open the wireless communications between the mobile wireless control device and the selected ones of the wireless communication devices.
16. The mobile control device of claim 9 wherein the graphic display configured to receive the activation instruction further comprises receiving a command for the selected ones of the wireless communication devices to capture and report data, and the processing system configured to direct the wireless transfer of the activation message further comprises indicating the command for the selected ones of the wireless communication devices to capture and report the data.