Situational awareness and communication system

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device comprising a processor, a request for situational awareness information from a requesting device associated with a requester including one or more of a demographic profile of interest and a topical area of interest;

receiving, by the network device, one or more of demographic data and topical area of interest data reported by mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices;

providing, by the network device, the situational awareness information to the requesting device including demographic statistics for the potential respondents;

receiving, by the network device, a survey request from the requesting device identifying a target audience for an electronic survey based on the situational awareness information;

receiving, by the network device, a target demographic objective in association with the survey request;

directing, by the network device, the survey request to the target audience;

receiving, by the network device, responses to the electronic survey from responding communication devices;

iteratively narrowing, by the network device, the target audience to those potential respondents having increasingly precise demographics needed to meet the target demographic objective as the electronic survey progresses toward completion; and

directing, by the network device, an electronic survey report based on the responses to the requesting device, wherein the electronic survey report comprises demographic statistics for persons associated with the responding communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, real-time geographic location data reported by the mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices located within the geographic area of interest;

wherein the situational awareness information is limited to the mobile communication devices located within the geographic area of interest;

wherein the electronic survey report is limited to the mobile communication devices located within the geographic area of interest.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, permission data reported by the mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices;

wherein the situational awareness information is limited to the mobile communication devices providing affirmative permission data;

wherein the electronic survey report is limited to the mobile communication devices located providing affirmative permission data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target demographic objectives include a plurality of demographic categories and a plurality of target criteria within each category.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically charging an account associated with the requesting device for the electronic survey on a per-response basis, and automatically paying accounts associated with the communication devices that responded to the electronic survey on a per response basis.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining demographic data for the potential respondents through electronic interaction with social media resources associated with the potential respondents pursuant to permission from the potential respondents, and using the obtained demographic data to determine a priority order for sending the survey requests to the target audience.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, profile data relating to the requester; and

providing, by the network device, the situational awareness request based on an analysis of access security rules, the profile data relating to the requester, and the situational awareness request.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing, by the network device, the situational awareness request based on a comparison of an age of the requester identified in the profile data relating to the requester to an age identified in the demographic profile of interest included in the situational awareness request.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, profile data for a potential respondent corresponding to the situational awareness request;

checking, by the network device, a permission setting in the potential respondent profile data; and

excluding, by the network device, data related the potential respondent from the situational awareness information based on the permission setting.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, by the network device, an opt-in prompt to a potential respondent corresponding to the situational awareness request;

including, by the network device, data related to the potential respondent in the situational awareness information based an affirmative response to the opt-in prompt.

11. A computer readable storage medium storing non-transitory computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer system comprising a processor, cause the system to perform operations, comprising:

receiving, by a network device comprising a processor, a request for situational awareness information from a requesting device associated with a requester including one or more of a demographic profile of interest and a topical area of interest;

receiving, by the network device, one or more of demographic data and topical area of interest data reported by the mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices;

providing, by the network device, the situational awareness information to the requesting device including demographic statistics for the potential respondents;

receiving, by the network device, a survey request from the requesting device identifying a target audience for an electronic survey based on the situational awareness information;

receiving, by the network device, a target demographic objective in association with the survey request;

directing, by the network device, the survey request to the target audience;

receiving, by the network device, responses to the electronic survey from responding communication devices;

iteratively narrowing, by the network device, the target audience to those potential respondents having increasingly precise demographics needed to meet the target demographic objective as the electronic survey progresses toward completion; and

directing, by the network device, an electronic survey report based on the responses to the requesting device, wherein the electronic survey report comprises demographic statistics for persons associated with the responding communication devices.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, real-time geographic location data reported by the mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices located within the geographic area of interest;

wherein the situational awareness information is limited to the mobile communication devices located within the geographic area of interest.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, permission data reported by the mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices;

wherein the situational awareness information is limited to the mobile communication devices providing affirmative permission data;

wherein the electronic survey report is limited to the mobile communication devices located providing affirmative permission data.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the target demographic objectives include a plurality of demographic categories and a plurality of target criteria within each category.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising automatically charging an account associated with the requesting device for the electronic survey on a per-response basis, and automatically paying accounts associated with the communication devices that responded to the electronic survey on a per response basis.

16. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a request for situational awareness information from a requesting device associated with a requester including one or more of a demographic profile of interest and a topical area of interest;

means for receiving one or more of demographic data and topical area of interest data reported by the mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices;

means for providing the situational awareness information to the requesting device including demographic statistics for the potential respondents;

means for receiving a survey request from the requesting device identifying a target audience for an electronic survey based on the situational awareness information;

means for receiving a target demographic objective in association with the survey request;

means for directing the survey request to the target audience;

means for receiving responses to the electronic survey from responding communication devices;

means for iteratively narrowing the target audience to those potential respondents having increasingly precise demographics needed to meet the target demographic objective as the electronic survey progresses toward completion; and

means for directing an electronic survey report based on the responses to the requesting device, wherein the electronic survey report comprises demographic statistics for persons associated with the responding communication devices.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

means for receiving real-time geographic location data reported by the mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices located within the geographic area of interest;

wherein the situational awareness information is limited to the mobile communication devices located within the geographic area of interest.

18. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

means for receiving permission data reported by the mobile communication devices or obtained from social media files associated with the mobile communication devices;

wherein the situational awareness information is limited to the mobile communication devices providing affirmative permission data;

wherein the electronic survey report is limited to the mobile communication devices located providing affirmative permission data.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the target demographic objectives include a plurality of demographic categories and a plurality of target criteria within each category.

20. The system of claim 16 , further comprising means for automatically charging an account associated with the requesting device for the electronic survey on a per-response basis, and automatically paying accounts associated with the communication devices that responded to the electronic survey on a per response basis.