Aggregate location dynometer (ALD)
View Patent ↗An Aggregate Location Dynometer (ALD) in a physical wireless network alerts to a problematic crowd risk using location based services (LBS). An Aggregate Location Dynometer (ALD) comprises a Network Monitor, a Crowd Risk Determinant and an Alert Module. The Network Monitor monitors wireless traffic for a potential viral event, associated with a formation of a plurality of wireless devices. The Crowd Risk Determinant requests location information associated with a plurality of wireless devices in a given area regarding a respective viral event. The Crowd Risk Determinant determines if the viral event also indicates a crowd safety risk, based on the shape and movement of observed wireless devices. The Alert Module triggers an alert of an impending crowd problem when crowd risk is above a given threshold. Historical databases are empirically determined and maintained in the Aggregate Location Dynometer (ALD) for use in viral event and crowd risk assessment.
1. An aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer comprising:
a network monitor to monitor a wireless network for an indication of a viral event;
a location aggregator to obtain a location of each of a plurality of wireless devices associated with said viral event;
a crowd risk determinant, triggered by said network monitor, to determine a crowd risk based on an aggregation of said location of each of said plurality of wireless devices associated with said viral event; and
an alert module to initiate an alert message relating to a public safety risk determined from an analysis of said viral event.
2. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a historical database maintaining a geographic region associated with said viral event.
3. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 2 , wherein said historical databases comprises:
a plurality of acceptable crowd shapes, a crowd shape being defined by said aggregation of said location of each of said plurality of wireless devices associated with said viral event.
4. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 2 , wherein said historical databases comprises:
a plurality of non-acceptable crowd shapes, a crowd shape being defined by said aggregation of said location of each of said plurality of wireless devices associated with said viral event.
5. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 2 , wherein said historical databases comprises:
a configurable parameter defining a threshold of a crowd shape becoming unacceptable and thus said crowd risk.
6. The aggregate location dynometer in a physical wireless network server, said aggregate location dynometer according to claim 2 , wherein said historical databases comprises:
a plurality of crowd shape trends based on historical wireless device locations during previous viral events.
7. A method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk based on location based services (LBS), comprising:
monitoring wireless traffic for a forming viral event associated with a plurality of physical wireless devices within a given region;
initiating location requests to a physical location server to obtain a current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices;
forming a crowd shape based on an aggregation of said current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices;
determining a crowd risk of said crowd based on said crowd shape of said current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices; and
triggering a crowd alert message when said determined crowd risk is above a given threshold.
8. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 7 , wherein:
said crowd risk of said crowd is further determined based on a movement of said crowd shape.
9. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 7 , wherein said monitoring wireless traffic comprises:
monitoring wireless traffic at a given point in a wireless network; and
comparing a given traffic parameter associated with said obtained current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices, with a historical traffic parameter associated with a previous problematic crowd formation.
10. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 9 , wherein:
said given point is at a given base station in said wireless network.
11. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 9 , further comprising:
logging a snapshot formation created by said current location of each of said plurality of physical wireless devices.
12. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 7 , wherein said initiating location requests comprises:
initiating a location request for each of said plurality of physical wireless devices.
13. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 7 , further comprising:
comparing a viral pattern of respective locations of said plurality of wireless devices to predetermined risk rules.
14. The method of alerting to a problematic crowd risk with location based services (LBS) according to claim 13 , further comprising:
logging said viral pattern.