Integrated municipal management console

[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/775,634 filed Feb. 22, 2006.

[0002] In today's society, the number and quality of municipal, business and personal resources and data sources has expanded far beyond the ability to adequately manage these assets. A typical city, for example, now has an infrastructure that includes municipal and residence facilities, industry and business infrastructure, vehicular resources and data sources, and personnel and citizen data sources and resources. While this vast array of facilities, services, and resources presents many opportunities and challenges, there is no mechanism currently available to access the untapped opportunities or satisfy the unmet challenges.

[0003] For example, as will be appreciated from the following description of embodiments of the invention, unified access to hazard notification, municipal resources, and citizen warning mechanisms presents rich opportunities to generate and manage a customized response to events, but there is no available infrastructure to quickly, effectively and intuitively assimilate the available information and understand the status of the necessary resources. As will be appreciated from the following description, in addition to recognizing the opportunities and problems inherent in the current situation, the present invention provides a means for accessing those opportunities and remedying those problems via a unique resource and information management system and console.

[0004] Embodiments of the invention provide a management system and console for visualizing, identifying, and handling municipal events and resources. In an embodiment of the invention, the management console is communicably linked via a wide area wireless network or other network to other portions of the management system, including a number of data sources, e.g., contamination sensors, DMV records, etc., and management resources, e.g., alarms, notifications, traffic control devices, etc.

[0005] The management console provides, in embodiments of the invention, a simple and clear picture of the current health of a monitored area, such as a municipality. It also provides an interface for responding to an identified event, e.g., a severe weather event or a fire, such as by activating alarm signals, notifying appropriate municipal departments, personnel, and/or services, etc. In an embodiment of the invention, the management console is multilayered, in that at least a portion of the information displayed is a high level representation of one or more subsets of regions and/or resources of interest. In an embodiment of the invention, such additional areas can act as both a source of data and as a source of additional management resources.

[0006] In an embodiment of the invention, the management console includes a prioritized video representation of one or more areas of current interest. For example, within this embodiment of the invention, a bottom portion of the management console displays any available video feed that is relevant to an ongoing event of interest. Thus, for example, if sensors have detected a shot fired, the video display portion of the management console will display video from the cameras located closest to the shooting.

[0007] According to a further aspect of the invention, an array of locatable sensors having at least outgoing communication capabilities is provided and an array of addressable warning devices having at least incoming communication capabilities is provided. These sensors and devices are linked via a communications network such as a wireless network through a management console. In operation, incoming sensor data from the array of locatable sensors is processed by the management console to generate a localized warning signal to be emitted via the addressable warning devices.

[0008] The management console and system according to various embodiments of the invention incorporate other features and advantages that will be more fully appreciated from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

[0024] The following description is intended to convey the operation of exemplary embodiments of the invention to those skilled in the art. It will be appreciated that this description is intended to aid the reader, not to limit the invention. As such, references to a feature or aspect of the invention are intended to describe a feature or aspect of an embodiment of the invention, not to imply that every embodiment of the invention must have the described characteristic.

[0025] Embodiments of the invention provide a management console to allow municipal management personnel to quickly understand the status of relevant events and resources and to manage resources or take appropriate actions. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the management console allows the assimilation of seemingly unrelated data to identify dangers that might otherwise be unappreciated and to facilitate a more effective response than might otherwise be possible.

[0026] As noted above, the management system 100 according to embodiments of the invention connects locatable data sources (i.e., data sources whose locations are known at the degree of granularity of a town or city or portion thereof) and management resources to the management console. The data sources and management resources shown in FIG. 1A include components related to municipal facilities and residential structures 101A, industry and business infrastructure 103A, vehicular resources and data sources 105A, and personnel and citizen data sources and resources 107A.

[0027] As can be seen, the various data sources and management resources 101A, 103A, 105A, 107A of the system 100 are communicably linked to the management console 109A via one or more network connections 111A. The management console 109A is thus centralized relative to the data sources and resources. The network connections 111A need not be of any particular type or extent, although in an embodiment of the invention the network connections 111A comprise a wireless broadband network. In other embodiments of the invention, the network connections 111A comprise a single network or a conglomeration of networks, and comprise one or more connections that are wired and/or wireless. In an embodiment of the invention, the network 111A includes the Internet. Although the term “network” is used, that should not be taken to exclude non-digital communication media, and in an embodiment of the invention, the network connections 111A comprise at least in part a portion of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or other voice communication medium. Thus, embodiments of the invention may utilize wireless, wired, broadband, LAN, Internet, TI and PSTN networking links, as well as other types of networking media.

[0028] FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration showing the networked components and resources of FIG. 1A in greater detail. As noted above, the types of data sources and resources typically exposed and accessed via the management console include data sources and resources related to municipal facilities and residential structures, industry and business infrastructure, vehicular resources and data sources, and personnel and citizen data sources and resources. Although these classes need not be rigorously defined, in an embodiment of the invention, municipal and residence facilities 101B include fresh water/waste water control and data sources (supervisory control and data acquisition), community video surveillance control and data sources, outdoor warning devices such as sirens and bill boards, toxic event data sources (spills, plumes, radioactivity, etc.), municipal parking control and data sources, meteorological sensor data sources, residential and business detection data sources (e.g., smoke, fire, CO, heat, rate-of-rise, etc.) and alarm control, traffic signal data sources and control, and walking path surveillance and patrol. It can be seen that the foregoing data sources include many data sources having a plurality of different types. For example, the illustrated example embodies both meteorological sensors and parking sensors.

[0029] In an embodiment of the invention, the industry and business infrastructure 103B includes data sources and resources related to smoke, heat, rate of rise, fire, water, and security, including, for one or more of these areas, alarm data and control, sensor data, and voice data. Such elements may be consolidated via a centralized alarm system such as an alarm box system or otherwise or may be individually linked to the management console 109B. In addition, the industry and business infrastructure 103B includes industrial properties sensor data and control in an embodiment of the invention. The vehicular resources and data sources 105B include, in an embodiment of the invention, license plate recognition systems, fire department vehicular resources and data sources, municipal street cleaning resources and data sources, sewage cleaning and maintenance vehicle resources and data sources, police vehicle resources and data sources, ambulance vehicle resources and data sources, and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) systems. Finally, in an embodiment of the invention, the personnel and citizen data sources and resources 107B include child tracking data sources, first responder locations and data, elder monitoring data sources, and personal monitoring, such as via cell phones, personal heart monitors, PDAs, pagers, etc.

[0030] Moreover, in an embodiment of the invention, individual subscribers are able to configure their warning profiles via a warning profiler such as an Internet accessed warning profiling interface. In this embodiment of the invention, the management console application exposes an Internet interface that a user can log onto to configure the manner in which they wish to be warned and the events for which they wish to be warned. For example, a user can set their profile such that they get warned via their cell phone of all events occurring within a certain geographical area. For example, a person traveling away from home may nonetheless wish to receive event notifications regarding their home area if they have a family. Conversely, such a person may wish instead or additionally to receive notifications regarding the area to which they are traveling. Other nonexclusive examples of communications media via which a user can be warned include radio, TV, cable, satellite, Internet and intranet.

[0031] When entering or modifying their profile, the user is preferably requested to enter appropriate contact information. For example, if their profile specifies email warning, then they are prompted to provide an email address. If the user's profile includes a cell phone warning element, then they are prompted to specify a cell phone number. Although the warning profiler in the illustrated example is exposed to the user via the Internet, and although such a mechanism is convenient and easy to access, such an interface is not required. For example, a user could phone in their profile preferences or mail in a form to specify their profile preferences.

[0032] The operation of the management system including the management console will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. However, in overview, the management console application assimilates input data from a variety of sensors and data sources and, based on that data, may take an action (e.g., set all traffic lights along a stretch of road to green for an emergency vehicle) and/or alert an operator of the management console (e.g., flash a warning light) and/or present that information to the operator (e.g., automatically open a screen that displays information related to the incoming data of interest). In an embodiment of the invention, the management console automatically executes a response strategy implemented via the available resources and alarms that are linked to the management console. Although it is not a requirement of the invention that each and every data source, sensor, alarm, and resource in the monitored area be exposed via the management console 109B, the effectiveness of the system will typically depend to some extent on the availability of adequate information and resources, as well as the profiles and associations established relative to the data sources and resources.

[0033] It will often be the case that the sensor data, alarm activation, and notifications will be strategically managed on a geographical basis, e.g., by receiving geographically locatable data and causing a geographically specific warning to be given. In a further embodiment of the invention, the management console is also used to track and manage the resources of surrounding areas during shortages of local resources. In this embodiment of the invention, the management consoles of each town or controlled region in a response range intercommunicate to update their resource status so that each management console knows what resources are available in the extended area should a severe crisis arise that requires resources beyond those immediately managed by a particular management console.

[0034] Much of the foregoing discussion related to the overall environment and generalized operation of the management console. The discussion hereinafter will focus primarily on the structure, processes, and operations of the management console. The management console application is typically implemented on a computing device 201 (the host device) such as a personal computer having a display 203 such as a flat screen or other type of display. The user interface features discussed herein are assumed to be implemented via the display 203, although another display such as on a PDA, cell phone, or tablet computer could be used instead or additionally. The host device 201 comprises a memory wherein a number of programmatic entities can be instantiated and from which such entities can execute and affect the operation of the device 201 in various ways as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. It will be appreciated that the programmatic entities described interact with the external environment via appropriate hardware components of the device 201. For example, display functions utilize the display 203, networking functions utilize networking hardware on the device 201, and input activities rely on an interface between the device 201 and the input device. Such details are well-understood and will not be discussed at length herein.

[0035] The management console and system are implemented via a management application 205 running on the device 201. The management application 205 interfaces to the display 203 via an appropriate display driver 207. It will be appreciated that a user input device such as a mouse 213 and/or keyboard 215 is interfaced to the management application 205 via an appropriate input interface 209. It will be appreciated that other input technologies are suitable for use within embodiments of the invention. For example, touch screen input is especially suitable for user interaction with the management console (computing device 201), as at least part of the input facilities. As noted above, the management application 205 both sends and receives data via an appropriate network connection. To this end, the management application 205 interfaces via a network interface 211. This interface 211 allows the device 201 to send and receive data to and from network addresses on networks reachable directly or indirectly from the device 201.

[0036] It will be appreciated that the management application 205 will typically be embodied in the form of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data stored on a computer-readable medium. Such computer-readable media can be any suitable media that can be accessed by the computing device 201, including volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media, as well as storage media and communication media. Examples of storage media include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM, and DVD. Examples of communication media include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.

[0037] As noted above, the management console assimilates input data from a variety of sensors and data sources and takes an action and/or alerts an operator and/or presents the relevant information to the operator. This arrangement allows for efficient recognition of and/or response to ongoing events or conditions of interest. Although the following description focuses on the manner in which the user interacts with the management console, in an embodiment of the invention, the user is not made aware of a remedial action taken. For example, some actions, such as low level actions related to traffic management, can be automatically taken pursuant to established associations without notifying the operator. Such actions can be effectively automated, and involving or notifying the operator for each such action would risk distracting the operator from more important issues that do require human interaction.

[0038] The exemplary interface illustrated in FIG. 3 shows the manner in which the management console interface is displayed to the user according to an embodiment of the invention. With respect to the user interfaces and interface elements described herein, in an embodiment of the invention, the interface and elements are generated and displayed via an executable application such as management console application 205. However, as noted herein, the communications links usable by the management console can include the Internet, and in an alternative embodiment of the invention the interaction with the management console is browser-based. In this embodiment of the invention, the custom elements of the system comprise data, HTML pages, and browser-based programmatic entities such as java applets, java servlets, and/or ActiveX® controls. The executable component responsible for the underlying functionality of the console application in this embodiment may be either a local application or a remote application linked to the client via a network connection.

[0039] The user interface 300, herein sometimes referred to as the management console interface, is displayed on the display device 203 by the management application 205. The management console interface 300 comprises a number of icons or fields that act as one or both of an information source and an activation icon. As examples, the exemplary management console interface 300 of FIG. 3 shows icons 301 for conveying information and allowing access to further information and actions regarding security. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, these icons include elements for Police Department, Fire Department, Ambulance Service, Emergency Management, Battlefield Management, GPS/Maps, Community Sensors, Video Surveillance, Meteorological Data, Traffic Monitoring, Border Patrol, Land and Sea Ports, Industrial Parks, Commercial Property, Museum/Sports Facilities, Public Gatherings, Walking Paths, and Airports/Marina.

[0040] The exemplary management console interface 300 of FIG. 3 also displays icons 303 for conveying information and allowing access to further information and actions regarding general well being. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, these icons include elements for Public Works, Streets and Sanitation, Fresh/Waste Water, Railroad Crossings, Community Profiler, Public Health, Parking Management, Park District, Asset Management, and Fleet Management. Note that not all spaces need be assigned, and in the illustrated embodiment example, two icons 305 remain “open” or unassigned.

[0041] As shown in the illustrated example, the management console interface 300 optionally provides a selection of visual (e.g., video and/or graphical) presentations 307. The presentations 307 typically serve a monitoring function, and in an embodiment of the invention are user-selectable so that a human operator can visually monitor different areas of interest. User selection may be, for example, via a right click of mouse 213 in the visual presentation field 307 and selection from a menu list of video sources. In an embodiment of the invention, either as a selected response pursuant to triggering of a defined strategy or as a separate action, the video feeds are automatically selected upon the occurrence of a predefined event to show the most relevant video for that event. For example, an alarm condition received from a monitored factory may cause a video feed from the vicinity of the factory to be displayed in field 307. In the illustrated example, the visual representations in field 307 include video 309, 311 from a surveillance camera and a traffic monitoring camera respectively, as well as television news feed 313, and computer-generated graphics based on traffic sensors 315, air quality sensors 317, and water quality sensors 319.

[0042] In an embodiment of the invention, each icon in fields 301 and 303 is selectable within the management console interface 300, such as via a user selection by way of mouse 213, to obtain and/or display further information and/or take an action. Although the invention does not require any number of icons, number of layers of data, or indeed that each icon be selectable at all, an exemplary data hierarchy accessible via the icons 301, 303 is as shown in FIG. 4. The top layer of the hierarchy is the Main Menu 401, also illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3. Selecting an icon within the Main Menu 401 invokes a second layer for the selected icon, the second layer being in the illustrated example a “control and activation” layer 403. The control and activation layer 403 provides an interface for the user to interact with data sources and resources linked to the associated icon. For example, if the icon selected in the main menu 401 is the “Traffic Monitoring” icon, the data sources exposed in the second layer 403 could comprise data feeds from a number of traffic monitors, and the exposed resources could include a tool for controlling one or more traffic lights.

[0043] It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that there may be any number of screens in the management console interface and any number of routes between the screens, and that there is no restriction implied as to either characteristic by the present example. However, in this example the second layer 403 exposes a number of selectable icons leading to a plurality of third layer screens, including in the illustrated example a “report and analysis” screen 405, a “configuration and setup” screen 407, a “service and maintenance” screen 409, and a “profile and association” screen 411. Each of these types of screens will be discussed in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 5A-E. In an embodiment of the invention, one or more of the third layer screens 405-411 exposes an icon for selecting one or more fourth layer screens 413, 415.

[0044] FIG. 5A illustrates the “control and activation” layer 501(403) in greater detail. In this example, the user has selected the “Fire Department” icon in the main menu 300, leading to the display of the “control and activation” layer 501. Alternatively, the “control and activation” layer 501 can be automatically selected and displayed pursuant to an established association. The “control and activation” layer 501 comprises an event field 505 and one or more action fields 507-513. The event field 505 preferably contains information of importance relative to the selected icon, e.g., the Fire Department icon. In the embodiment of the invention wherein the icons 301, 303 of the main menu 300 exhibit a visual change to signal an alarm condition, the event field 505 preferably contains data related to the alarm condition. In the illustrated example, the data field 505 indicates “Event: 40% of Emergency Vehicles Deployed.”

[0045] The action fields 507-513 can be configured to invoke any available action, but in the illustrated example they are configured to send a notification of the event to a selected party. There a number of ways that the action fields 507-513 can be configured. In a first embodiment of the invention, selection of the City Manager icon 507 causes a notification of the event to be sent to the city manager. Similarly, selection of the Fire Chief or Police Chief icons 509, 511 causes the named party to be notified. Selection of the “Neighboring Cities” icon 513 causes a notification to be sent to a pre-selected list of recipients in neighboring cities in an embodiment of the invention. In a second embodiment of the invention, selection of this icon 513 invokes a list of potential recipients, from which the user can choose desired recipients. In a third embodiment of the invention, notification will be automatically sent to the listed parties in fields 507-513 unless one or more fields are deselected (e.g., via a mouse click), in which case the deselected recipients will not be notified.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the “control and activation” layer 501 also comprises a series of links 503 to the other screens available in the management console interface with respect to the “Fire Department” icon. The illustrated links include a link to the main menu 300 as well as links to “report and analysis,” “configuration and setup,” “service and maintenance,” and “profile and association” screens which will be discussed in greater detail below.

[0047] Selection of the “report and analysis” link in field 503 invokes a third layer “report and analysis” screen 520 as illustrated in FIG. 5B. The illustrated “report and analysis” screen 520 comprises further links including a “report” link 521 and an “analysis” link 523. In an embodiment of the invention, the “report and analysis” screen 520 also comprises a series of links 525 to the other screens available in the management console interface with respect to the “Fire Department” icon. Selection of the “report” link 521 by the user invokes a report screen showing relevant data with respect to the subject matter of the selected icon. For example, the rendered report could comprise raw data such as the number of times a particular siren, or a group of sirens in a particular area, were activated within a specified time window. Selection of the “analysis” link 523 by the user invokes an analysis screen that conveys more detailed or additional data relative to that embodied in the report and/or a conclusion based on that or other data. Because of the connectivity and integration capability of the management console, the analysis may also incorporate data regarding resources and/or data sources other than those reflected in the report. For example, the report might convey data regarding local Fire Department resources and/or activities, but the management console can incorporate other data, such as data about past emergency usage of Fire Department resources from surrounding communities, into the analysis. The conveyed analysis may comprise a trend analysis, a statistical analysis, etc. to aid the user in determining a best course of action.

[0048] For example, if the report indicates that 70% of the local emergency vehicles are deployed, then there are only 30% remaining that are available in an emergency. If the analysis indicates that in the past this type of reserve has been insufficient (i.e., resulting in one or more past requests to other local governments for additional resources), then the present operator may wish to alert such other governments that a request for resources may be imminent, and/or may request a deployment status report of the resources of such other governments.

[0049] Referring again to FIG. 5A, if the operator selects the “Configuration and Setup” link in field 503, the management console invokes a third layer “configuration and setup” screen 530 as illustrated in FIG. 5C. The illustrated “configuration and setup” screen 530 comprises further links including a “setup” link 531 and a “configuration” link 533. In an embodiment of the invention, the “configuration and setup” screen 530 also comprises a series of links 535 to the other screens available in the management console interface with respect to the “Fire Department” icon.

[0050] User selection of the “setup” link 531 invokes a setup screen that allows the user to set the manner in which the associated device is exposed and operated. For example, the user may wish to format the Fire Department icon to include a selectable graphical representation of a fire truck. Selection of the “configuration” link 533 by the user invokes a configuration screen that allows the user to configure the manner in which the device is integrated with the management console. For example, the user may configure the management console to expect a certain type of data from the device, at a particular interval, and/or on a polled or event-driven basis.

[0051] Again referring back to FIG. 5A, if the operator selects the “Service and Maintenance” link in field 503, the management console invokes a third layer “service and maintenance” screen 540 as illustrated in FIG. 5D. The illustrated “service and maintenance” screen 540 comprises further links including a “service” link 541 and a “maintenance” link 543. In an embodiment of the invention, the “service and maintenance” screen 540 also comprises a series of links 545 to the other screens available in the management console interface with respect to the “Fire Department” icon.

[0052] User selection of the “service” link 541 invokes a service screen that allows the user to invoke service actions with respect to the icon that was selected. For example, the user may wish to trouble-shoot a connection to a non-responding data source. As another example, the user may wish to periodically check system connectivity by pinging all known intercommunicating devices attached to the system. Selection of the “maintenance” link 543 by the user invokes a maintenance screen that allows the user to invoke service actions with respect to the icon that was selected, e.g., the fire department. For example, in an embodiment of the invention, the maintenance screen allows the user to upload new software to one or more networked devices, change device sensitivity on one or more networked devices, change the communication channel for one or more networked devices, etc. These examples are not intended to imply any limitation as to the number or nature of service and/or maintenance actions that may be exposed to the user.

[0053] Referring once more to FIG. 5A, if the operator selects the “Profile and Association” link in field 503, the management console invokes a third layer “profile and association” screen 550 as illustrated in FIG. 5E. The illustrated “profile and association” screen 550 comprises further links including a “profile” link 551 and an “association” link 553. In an embodiment of the invention, the “profile and association” screen 550 also comprises a series of links 555 to the other screens available in the management console interface with respect to the “Fire Department” icon.

[0054] User selection of the “profile” link 551 invokes a profile screen that allows the user to view and modify profile information with respect to the data sources associated with the icon that was selected. A device profile in an embodiment of the invention specifies the IP or other address of the device, the manner in which the device communicates, and the type of data provided by the device, so that the management console can communicate with the device and properly interpret the resulting data. For example, a profile may specify that the device at IP address “69.139.13.239” is a traffic signal, and that the device exposes a data value that specifies the current state of the signal, e.g., what color it is and when it will change color. The profile may further specify that the device exposes a control value usable to set the current state of the signal. The profile can specify that the device requires a coded input of a certain type and/or an authorization code.

[0055] Selection of the “association” link 553 by the user invokes an association screen that allows the user to create associations between data from networked data sources and actions to be invoked relative to networked resources and/or relative to the user interface of the management console. For example, the user may wish to specify that when 40% of the fire department vehicles are deployed, the fire department icon in the security field 301 of FIG. 3 flashes or changes color, or the fire department “control and activation” screen 501 is automatically opened. The user could further specify, for example, that when 60% of the fire department vehicles are deployed, a request to have additional resources on stand-by is automatically sent to one or more nearby cities or municipalities. As another example mentioned above, the association may specify that when input data indicates that an emergency vehicle is with 500 feet of an intersection and heading toward the intersection, the traffic signals of the intersection are controlled so as to give the emergency vehicle a green light through the intersection.

[0056] The operation of the management console is illustrated in flow chart form in FIG. 6. In general terms, the management console application monitors incoming event data from all available data sources as shown in step 601. Typically, the data arrives via a push configuration rather than being polled by the management console application, but in an embodiment of the invention, all or some data is gathered by polling.

[0057] At step 603, the management console application 205 compares the incoming event data to a list of predefined trigger events. In an embodiment of the invention, the trigger events are user defined as described with respect to FIGS. 7A-C. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, trigger events are specified by the manufacturer, installer, or administrator instead of, or in addition to, the user-defined triggers. The management console application 205 determines at step 605 whether data has been received indicating the occurrence of one or more trigger events sufficient to invoke a response strategy. For example, if a particular response strategy is to be triggered when Event A happens and Event B does not happen, then upon receiving notification of the occurrence of Event A, the management console application 205 determines whether Event B has not happened.

[0058] If it is determined at step 605 that there is not a combination of events sufficient to invoke a response strategy, the process returns to step 601 without taking other action. Otherwise, the process invokes the strategy associated with the detected combination of events. Thus at step 607, in an embodiment of the invention, the management console application 205 takes an action such as displaying a visual alarm to the user via the management console main interface 300, e.g., by blinking or recoloring one of the icons. In an embodiment of the invention, the management console application 205 may also sound an audible alarm, page the user, send an email and/or otherwise raise a noticeable alarm.

[0059] At step 609, in an embodiment of the invention, the management console application 205 redirects the video feed, selecting the most relevant video to display. At step 611, the management console application 205 invokes the strategy that is triggered by the detected combination of events. This would typically entail activating the necessary alarms and giving specified notifications and/or taking specified actions. Typically, the alarms to activate and the notification and/or actions to perform will be predefined by the strategy definition.

[0060] An example user interface according to an embodiment of the invention for defining associations is described hereinafter, although it will be appreciated that the illustrated interface is merely an example and that other types of interfaces may be used instead. In an embodiment of the invention, the interface 700a initially comprises a pair of drop-down menus 701a, 703a, for selecting trigger events and associated responses from respective lists of selectable options. The interface 700a also comprises a series of links 704a to the higher level screens available in the management console interface with respect to the icon of interest, e.g., the “Fire Department” icon.

[0061] Once the user invokes the drop-down menu 701a, 701b of trigger events as shown in FIG. 7B, a list 705b of selectable trigger options is displayed. Although the illustrated example lists the options generically, these options would typically be the major events known to require response. For example, a trigger could be “wind speed exceeds 80 MPH.” It will be appreciated that a greater or smaller number of trigger options may be presented in the list 705b depending upon the types of devices in the monitored area and the user's preferences. In a further embodiment of the invention, a selectable “define custom” trigger option 708b is presented in the list 705b. Selection of this option allows the user to define a trigger event other than those already listed in the list 705b. Another selectable option “custom event” relates to a custom event previously defined by the user. Once the user has selected or defined a trigger event, that trigger event in reflected in the trigger event field 701c.

[0062] After selection of a trigger event, the user selects an appropriate response to the occurrence of that event. As with the trigger event field, the user activates a drop-down menu 707c of response options. In a further embodiment of the invention, the list of response options 707c includes a “define custom” response option 710c that when selected allows the user to define a response other than those listed in the drop-down menu 707c of response options. A further option 712c allows the user to select a custom response previously defined by the user.

[0063] In addition to the trigger event and response selection mechanism described above, the management console interface presents an advanced strategy creation interface in an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the advanced strategy interface 800 comprises a Boolean trigger definition field 801 and a Boolean response definition field 803. Within the Boolean trigger definition field 801 are trigger definition drop-down menus 803, 807, as well as a Boolean operator field 805 to define the manner in which selected triggers are to be combined. Similarly, the Boolean response definition field 803 comprises response definition drop-down menus 809, 813, as well as a Boolean operator field 811 to define the manner in which selected responses are to be combined. The Boolean operators exposed by fields 805, 811 comprise AND, OR, ANDNOT, and XOR in an embodiment of the invention, but the exact operators exposed are not critical and will depend upon the manufacturer's preferences.

[0064] It will be appreciated that the trigger definition field 801 may contain more than the illustrated two trigger definition fields and the response definition field 803 may contain more than the illustrated two response definition fields. In an embodiment of the invention, slider bars 819, 821 are provided to allow access to further definition options.

[0065] Once the user has finished defining triggers and associated responses, they can select one of two options. In particular, the illustrated interface 800 exposes a selectable cancellation option 815, and a selectable “next” icon 817. Selecting the cancellation option 815 will cause the strategy definition interface 800 to close. In an embodiment of the invention, closure of the strategy definition interface 800 is preceded by a warning that all definitions not saved will be lost. Selection of the “next” icon 817 presents additional definition opportunities in an embodiment of the invention. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the icon 817 is instead a “done” icon, selectable to signal completion of the strategy definition.

[0066] Although the illustrated example shows four levels of layered interfaces, this will typically vary depending upon the underlying information and/or resources as well as the administrator's preferences; the level of nesting required can be very little or very high based on the level of granularity required by the information and resources linked to the initial icon. Furthermore, in various embodiments of the invention, icons may expose solely information at all or some levels, or a combination of information and activation options.

[0067] Although in the foregoing examples the management console provides information and allows for the execution of certain actions and notifications with respect to external devices and resources, the foregoing examples do not expressly describe resource deployment as part of the management console operation. However, in a further embodiment of the invention, the management console provides a link to allow actual resource deployment. This may be either via the interface described above or an accompanying interface such as on another screen and/or computer. This type of operation is especially desirable in an incident command center scenario wherein centralized data processing and personnel/resource control are needed for purposes coordinating a timely response to ongoing events. It will be appreciated that deployment of resources may involve a direct link from the management console to the resources of interest, or may involve the use of an existing computer aided dispatch (CAD) system.

[0068] An example of this type of operation is the automatic or manual deployment via the management console of personnel, such as law enforcement personnel, based on incoming sensor data. Thus, an association may specify that when a hazardous chemical is detected, a hazardous materials crew and police personnel are automatically dispatched to the appropriate location.

[0069] In an embodiment of the invention, the resources exposed via the management console include a number of addressable wireless warning elements such as sirens and/or alarms. In a further embodiment of the invention, the addressable wireless warning elements include community sirens. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, one or more such community sirens comprise preexisting sirens that are modified to include a wireless router in order to better integrate with the management console.

[0070] It will be appreciated that a new and useful system and architecture for municipal resource management have been described herein with respect to several embodiments of the invention, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of these preferred embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0071] The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. As noted earlier, all references to “the invention” are intended to reference the particular embodiment(s) of the invention being discussed at that point and are not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope of the invention more generally. All language of distinction and disparagement with respect to certain features is intended to indicate a lack of preference for those features, but not to exclude such from the scope of the invention entirely unless otherwise indicated.

[0072] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.