IP Library Granted Patent US 12,388,883
Granted Patent B2
US 12,388,883 · App. 17/977,611 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

General incident response system

Inventor: Dennis Paul Rubery (Pittsford, NY)
Assignee: Zoom Communications, Inc.
H04L65/403H04L65/1069H04L65/1093H04L65/4015
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,388,883
App. No.
17/977,611
Granted
Aug 12, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for providing an incident response system are provided herein. In an aspect, a method includes receiving, by a video conference provider, a request to initiate an incident response system and determining, by the video conference provider, client devices associated with the incident response system. The method may also include establishing, by the video conference provider, an incident response session with the incident response system and joining, by the video conference provider, one or more of the client devices to the incident response session. The method may also include transmitting, by the video conference provider, a request to join an authorized agency device to the incident response session. In an example, the request to initiate an incident response system may be from an administrator of a facility where an incident event has occurred.

Claims (83)

1. A method comprising automatically and without user intervention:

receiving, by a video conference provider, a request to initiate an incident response system associated with a facility;

determining, by the video conference provider, a plurality of client devices previously registered as being a part of the incident response system, the plurality of client devices positioned within the facility, wherein each of the plurality of client devices are configured as user devices to enable one or more users to connect to video conferences;

establishing, by the video conference provider, an incident response session comprising:

identifying a location of an incident associated with the request,

determining, based on the location of the incident, a subset of the plurality of client devices that are available to join the incident response system, and

joining, by the video conference provider, the subset of the plurality of client devices to the incident response session; and

transmitting, by the video conference provider, a request to join an authorized agency device to the incident response session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to initiate an incident response system is received from an administrator of the facility where an incident event has occurred.

3. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

joining, by the video conference provider, the authorized agency device to the incident response session; and

generating, by the video conference provider, a notification of the presence of the authorized agency device in the incident response session.

4. The method of claim 3 , the method further comprising:

receiving, by the video conference provider, one or more multimedia streams from each of the one or more client devices joined to the incident response session; and

transmitting, to the authorized agency device, the one or more multimedia streams to the incident response session.

5. The method of claim 4 , the method further comprising:

receiving, from the authorized agency device, a request for host controls over equipment of the one or more client devices generating the one or more multimedia streams; and

granting, by the video conference provider, the host controls over the equipment of the one or more client devices for the authorized agency device.

6. The method of claim 5 , the method further comprising:

receiving, from the authorized agency device, a request to modify a first multimedia stream from a first client device of the one or more client devices;

transmitting, by the video conference provider, a signal to the first client device to modify the first multimedia stream;

receiving, by the video conference provider, a modified first multimedia stream from the first client device based on the signal to modify the first multimedia stream; and

transmitting, to the authorized agency device, the modified first multimedia stream from the first client device.

7. The method of claim 4 , the method further comprising:

transmitting, by the video conference provider, a multimedia stream from the authorized agency device to each of the one or more client devices.

8. The method of claim 7 , the method further comprising:

receiving, from the authorized agency device, a request for an observation mode for the incident response session; and

terminating, by the video conference provider, transmission of one or more multimedia streams from the authorized agency device to the one or more client devices.

9. A system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium;

a communications interface; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium and the communications interface, the processor configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to, automatically and without user intervention:

receive, by a video conference provider, a request to initiate an incident response system associated with a facility;

determine, by the video conference provider, a plurality of client devices previously registered as being a part of the incident response system, the plurality of client devices positioned within the facility, wherein each of the plurality of client devices are configured as user devices to enable one or more users to connect to video conferences;

establish, by the video conference provider, an incident response session comprising:

identify a location of an incident associated with the request,

determine, based on the location of the incident, a subset of the plurality of client devices that are available to join the incident response system, and

join, by the video conference provider, the subset of the plurality of client devices to the incident response session; and

transmit, by the video conference provider, a request to join an authorized agency device to the incident response session.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

join, by the video conference provider, the authorized agency device to the incident response session; and

responsive to joining the authorized agency device to the incident response session, granting, by the video conference provider, host controls to the authorized agency device for the incident response session.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

receive, by the video conference provider, one or more multimedia streams from each of the client devices joined to the incident response session; and

transmit, to the authorized agency device, the one or more multimedia streams.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

identify, by the video conference provider, a first client device of the one or more client devices based on a first multimedia stream received from the first client device, wherein the first multimedia stream indicates an incident event within a vicinity of the first client device; and

transmit, to the authorized agency device, a notification of the incident event within the vicinity of the first client device.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

receive, from the authorized agency device, a request to join a second authorized agency device to the incident response session; and

join, by the video conference provider, the second authorized agency device to the incident response session.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

receive, from the authorized agency device, a request to grant secondary host controls to the second authorized agency device; and

grant, by the video conference provider, secondary host controls to the second authorized agency device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to, automatically and without user intervention:

receive, by a video conference provider, a request to initiate an incident response system;

determine, by the video conference provider, a plurality of client devices previously registered as being a part of the incident response system associated with a facility, the plurality of client devices positioned within the facility, wherein each of the plurality of client devices are configured as user devices to enable one or more users to connect to video conferences;

establish, by the video conference provider, an incident response session comprising:

identify a location of an incident associated with the request,

determine, based on the location of the incident, a subset of the plurality of client devices that are available to join the incident response system, and

join, by the video conference provider and without user intervention, the subset of the plurality of client devices to the incident response session; and

transmit, by the video conference provider, a request to join an authorized agency device to the incident response session.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

join, by the video conference provider, the authorized agency device to the incident response session; and

responsive to joining the authorized agency device to the incident response session, granting, by the video conference provider, host controls to the authorized agency device for the incident response session.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

receive, from the authorized agency device, a request to receive one or more multimedia streams from a first client device of the one or more client devices joined to the incident response session; and

transmit, to the authorized agency device, a first multimedia stream from the first client device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

receive, from the authorized agency device, a request to modify the first multimedia stream from the first client device;

transmit, by the video conference provider, a signal to the first client device to modify the first multimedia stream; and

receive, from the first client device, a modified first multimedia stream based on the signal to modify the first multimedia stream.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the signal to the first client device to modify the first multimedia stream comprises at least one of:

a request to activate a camera associated with the first client device;

a request to activate a microphone associated with the first client device;

a request to activate a speaker associated with the first client device;

a request to increase a volume of an audio stream transmitted by the first client device; or

a request to modify a video stream transmitted by the first client device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

receive, from the authorized agency device, a request to create one or more breakout rooms for the incident response session;

receive, from the authorized agency device, an assignment of participants for each of the one or more breakout rooms;

generate, by the video conference provider, the one or more breakout rooms; and

join, by the video conference provider, client devices based on the assignment of participants to a respective breakout room of the one or more breakout rooms as indicated by the authorized agency device.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 3, 2025
From: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 071480/0463 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 24, 2025
From: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 070611/0003 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2022
From: RUBERY, DENNIS PAUL
To: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061614/0310 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240146785A1 · May 2, 2024
References Cited (29)
US 9342976B2 · Pfeffer · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 12250253B2 · Rubery et al. · 2025 [cited by applicant]
US 20080318564A1 · Kreiner · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 20100037151A1 · Ackerman et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20150039760A1 · Yoakum · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150204109A1 · Ergenbright · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20160192166A1 · Decharms · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170169699A1 · Will et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180084100A1 · Chockalingam · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180316893A1 · Rosenberg et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200242718A1 · Owens · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200322038A1 · Mills et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210037368A1 · Pellegrini et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210048829A1 · Deyle · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20230144781A1 · Han · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20240146777A1 · Rubery et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 20240146785A1 · Rubery · 2024 [cited by applicant]
Use Zoom for the Incident Command Center. Posted at https://web.archive.org/web/20210411102951/https://support.atlassian.com/opsgenie/docs/use-zoom-for-the-incident-command-center/ on Apr. 11, 2021 (Year: 2021). [cited by examiner]
JPH07298241A “Video Conference Equipment Having Remote Monitor Function”, Google Patents, Kyocera Corp. 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,611 , “U.S. Patent Application No.”, filed Oct. 31, 2021, 98 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,623 , “Final Office Action”, Apr. 17, 2024, 14 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,623 , “Non-Final Office Action”, Jul. 7, 2023, 13 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,623 , “U.S. Patent Application No.”, filed Oct. 31, 2021, 104 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,637 , “Final Office Action”, May 24, 2024, 25 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,637 , “Non-Final Office Action”, Jan. 8, 2024, 17 pages. [cited by applicant]
JPH07298241A , “Video Conference Equipment Having Remote Monitor Function”, Google Patents, Kyocera Corp, Oct. 11, 1995, 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,623 , “Non-Final Office Action”, Aug. 8, 2024, 15 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,637 , “Notice of Allowance”, Nov. 7, 2024, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/977,623, “Final Office Action”, Feb. 18, 2025, 13 pages. [cited by applicant]