A computer-implemented method for tracking a user includes: configuring a client device for entering: a starting point for a trip, a destination, mode of transportation, and indication of starting the trip; configuring the server for identifying a preferred route based upon: a distance of the trip, a crime rate of areas between the starting point and destination, and the mode of transportation; configuring the server for calculating an allotted time for the trip; configuring the client device for continuously transmitting its location to the server; configuring the server for continuously monitoring the location of the client device; configuring the client device for selectively transmitting an alarm message to the server when the client device deviates beyond a threshold amount from the preferred route or the allotted time for the trip; and configuring the server for notifying a family member and local police when the panic alarm message is received.

A portable alarm system has a base unit including a processor electrically connected to a wireless transceiver configured to communicate wireless signals to an external location. The base unit is further configured to receive wireless alarm signals from at least a first sensor and a second sensor, both of the first and second sensors being physically separated from the base unit. The processor is configured to be selectively programmed by a user to cause the base unit to communicate with a remote monitoring station in response to receiving an alarm signal from the first sensor, but not in response to receiving an alarm signal from the second sensor. Instead, when an alarm signal is received from the second sensor, the processor causes a different action, other than communicating with the monitoring station, to occur. Such action can include, for example, sending a wireless communication to a mobile electronic device.

A server includes a server communication unit, a server control unit, and a server storage unit, and is connected in a communicable manner to a first vehicle and a second vehicle via the server communication unit. The server control unit transmits an imaging start command to the second vehicle, which runs within a predetermined range from an accident site, in response to the reception of an accident notification associated with positional information on the accident site from the first vehicle, receives an imaged image from the second vehicle, and stores the imaged image into the server storage unit.

In a method for operating an alarm system in a wireless network having at least one alarm gateway and at least one mobile system: a test message is generated by the alarm gateway; the test message is distributed in the network by the alarm gateway via broadcast flooding; the mobile system evaluates the incoming test messages; the mobile system generates a feedback message; the feedback message is sent through the network to the alarm gateway; and the alarm gateway receives the feedback message and evaluates it.

An electronic device of the invention is configured to allow a user of a first device to request transmission of a message, obtain a location of a second device, and transmit the message to devices within a certain range of the second device. The first device may be carried by a person who wants to retrieve a missing person, animal, or object. The second device may be carried by the missing person or missing animal or attached to or incorporated into the missing object. The message may be transmitted by the first device, by the second device, and/or by an Internet server, for example.

Methods and systems are disclosed for event management, allowing authorized users or authorities to distribute and display communications on digital displays. In one aspect, an event management communications system receives event data sent from a detection system comprised of a network of sensors. The event management communications system processes the event data to determine an event perimeter, and then selects one or more digital displays based upon the event data or the determined event perimeter. Next, the event management communications system authors one or more contextual communications corresponding to the one or more digital displays and sends said one or more authored communications to said one or more digital displays, thereby allowing the one or more digital displays to display the corresponding one or more communications to a relevant, identified audience

A job site security system contains a wireless communications node and a device such as a tool, a battery, a charger, etc., which contains a controller. Each tool has a locked state and an unlocked state as determined by the controller. Each tool is (initially) in the locked state. When the wireless communications node transmits a signal to the device the controller changes the locked state to the unlocked state allowing the device to be used. A method for securing a job site is also provided.

An example operation may include one or more of determining an amount of time a transport will lose a data network connection when the transport is predicted to enter an area associated with the loss of the data network connection, and sending an emergency signal to a third party when the amount of time has passed since the transport has entered the area and there is no alternate path out of the area.

Aspects discussed herein relate to providing alerts to a community of devices located in or near a geographic are such as a building or property. The alerts override any alert-inhibiting state of the mobile device to deliver audio, visual, and/or haptic alerts in emergency situations. The communication and emergency alert system may be used to communicate with many different communities of people. Moreover, certain individuals may be members of more than one community at the same time, and the communities themselves may change over time based both on the user's preferences and on their physical locations. Multiple different alerts can be sent to different mobile devices for a single event. The alerts can be customized to particular mobile devices depending on the community to which the mobile device belongs for the event.

Systems and methods present practical applications to directing emergency alerts from cellular-based message distribution systems to distributed desktop applications via a desktop application gateway. Logic in the desktop applications and their corresponding IP network gateways for the desktop application may direct alerts from the cellular-based system to distributed desktop applications having a connection to the gateway. A distributed application may determine a location of the user and include enhancements to display the alert at a user's computing device. The gateway for the distributed application may store the location information for each logged-in user or registered instance of the user. An interface between the cell broadcast center and the distributed application gateway may allow the gateway to receive the alert, including a region for distributing the alert, from the cell broadcast center, and send the alert to all registered users with a location matching the alert region.