Incident tracking systems and methods

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are related to incident tracking systems and methods. A method allows for receiving input that specifies an incident at a facility, defining a search area adjacent to a position of the incident, and displaying one or more other incidents that occurred at the facility within the search area. A further method allows for dynamically plotting, each time a search area is changed on a map of a facility and an associated date range is indicated, positions on the map within the search area so as to indicate where incidents have occurred at the facility within the date range. Another method allows for receiving input that specifies a name of a person associated with an incident at a facility, and automatically flagging the person as being of interest if the person has been involved in one or more other incidents at the facility.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a server over a network from a computer, input that specifies an incident at a facility including a name of a person associated with the incident at the facility;   automatically triggering, by the server in response to receiving the name of the person, a search to determine if the person has been involved in one or more other incidents; and   automatically causing, by the server, the computer to display a warning on a display screen in a case where it is determined that the person has been involved in one or more other incidents.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the warning includes a button that when pressed causes a page to be displayed on the display screen that shows information about the one or more other incidents in which the person has been involved.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the information shown about the one or more other incidents includes, for each of the one or more other incidents in which the person has been involved, an associated date, an associated role that the person played, and an associated location.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the information shown about the one or more other incidents includes, for each of the one or more other incidents in which the person has been involved, an associated indication as to whether the person was injured.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the page includes a input that can be marked to flag the person so that the person is indicated as a flagged person.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the input that specifies the incident at the facility further includes a role that the person played in the incident.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 automatically flagging, by the server, the person to indicate that the person is a flagged person if the person has played a same role in at least one other incident as the role that the person played in the incident.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing, in a database, information about incidents that have occurred at any of a plurality of facilities;   wherein the search is performed using the database such that the search determines if the person has been involved in one or more other incidents at any of the plurality of facilities.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing, in a database, information about incidents that are associated with any of a plurality of businesses;   wherein the search is performed using the database such that the search determines if the person has been involved in one or more other incidents that are associated with any of the plurality of businesses.   
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a server over a network from a computer, input that specifies an item involved in an incident at a facility;   automatically triggering, by the server in response to receiving the input, a search to determine if the item has been involved in one or more other incidents; and   automatically causing, by the server, the computer to display a warning on a display screen in a case where it is determined that the item has been involved in one or more other incidents.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the input that specifies the item involved in the incident at the facility includes an item code for the item; and   wherein the item code is used in the search to determine if the item has been involved in one or more other incidents.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the item code is a Universal Product Code (UPC) for the item.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, by the server, a number indicating how many times items with the same item code as the item involved in the incident have been involved in incidents at the facility within a date range; and   causing, by the server, the computer to display the number indicating how many times items with the same item code as the item involved in the incident have been involved in incidents at the facility within the date range.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 storing, in a database, information about incidents that have occurred at any of a plurality of facilities;   wherein the search is performed using the database such that the search determines if the item has been involved in one or more other incidents at any of the plurality of facilities.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 storing, in a database, information about incidents that are associated with any of a plurality of businesses;   wherein the search is performed using the database such that the search determines if the item has been involved in one or more other incidents that are associated with any of the plurality of businesses.   
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a server over a network from a computer, input that specifies a vehicle involved in an incident at a facility;   automatically triggering, by the server in response to receiving the input, a search to determine if the vehicle has been involved in one or more other incidents; and   automatically causing, by the server, the computer to display a warning on a display screen in a case where it is determined that the vehicle has been involved in one or more other incidents.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the input that specifies the vehicle involved in the incident at the facility includes a make and a model of the vehicle; and   wherein the search to determine if the vehicle has been involved in one or more other incidents includes determining whether any vehicle with a same make and a same model as the make and the model of the vehicle has been involved in one or more other incidents.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 setting a threshold number;   determining whether a number of incidents at the facility involving vehicles with a same make and a same model as the make and model of the vehicle is greater than the threshold number; and   causing, by the server, the computer to display a particular warning if it is determined that the number of incidents at the facility involving vehicles with the same make and the same model as the make and model of the vehicle is greater than the threshold number.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 storing, in a database, information about incidents that have occurred at any of a plurality of facilities;   wherein the search is performed using the database such that the search determines if the vehicle has been involved in one or more other incidents at any of the plurality of facilities.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 storing, in a database, information about incidents that are associated with any of a plurality of businesses;   wherein the search is performed using the database such that the search determines if the vehicle has been involved in one or more other incidents that are associated with any of the plurality of businesses.