Method to provide ad hoc and password protected digital and voice networks

Abstract

A method and system includes the ability for individuals to set up an ad hoc digital and voice network easily and rapidly to allow users to coordinate their activities by eliminating the need for pre-entry of data into a web or identifying others by name, phone numbers or email. This method is especially useful for police, fire fighters, military, first responders or other emergency situations for coordinating different organizations at the scene of a disaster to elevate conventional communication problems either up and down the chain of command or cross communication between different emergency units. The method and system provides that the users are only required to enter a specific Server IP address and an ad hoc event name, a password and perhaps the name of the particular unit.

1 .- 58  (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . A method of communicating among a group of participants/designated users each having a cell phone including a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or smart PDA/Personal Computing (PC) device, a touch screen display, and associated Global Positioning System (GPS) and Advanced Communication Software (AC S) allowing each of said cellular phone users to exchange data through a server for establishing a network of participants to exchange or display identity, location, or status, said method including establishing a private ad hoc digital network that includes an ad hoc event name for rapidly coordinating activities that eliminates the need for pre-entry data to a web or identifying others by name, E mail address or phone number, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing for sending a message from a first user cell phone PDA/PC to the Server by entering the Server's address and an ad hoc event name and an identifier identifying said first user to the Server;   providing the Server storing the first user's IP address, the first user's ad hoc event name, and the identifier onto the Server's database;   providing notification to the first user that the cell phone PDA/PC of the first user is connected to the Server;   providing for reporting the first user's cell phone PDA/PC GPS location and status information to the Server;   providing recognition at the Server of other users' cell phone PDA/PC devices that sign on to the Server with the same ad hoc event name and storing each of the other users' cell phone PDA/PC's IP addresses;   providing for passing at least one of cell phone users' location and status information among all the ad hoc network users' cell phone PDA/PC devices who are signed on through the Server.   
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59  further comprising providing for automatically transmitting received information among all cell phone participants in the ad hoc event name digital network. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60  wherein the received information is received from a particular cell phone ad hoc event user that is addressed to the ad hoc network using the ad hoc event name. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61  wherein the received information includes the cell phone PDA/PC GPS location of the particular cell phone ad hoc event user. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 59  further comprising providing for automatically establishing communications of data messages, photographs, or videos among all cell phone participants in the ad hoc event name digital network. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 59  wherein the ad hoc event name identifies a group of friends. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 59  wherein the ad hoc event name identifies a group of family members. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 59  further comprising providing for enabling digital messaging between individual users by the first user selecting a symbol associated with a second user. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 59  further comprising providing for transmitting received information among all cell phone participants in the ad hoc event name digital network causing the cell phones to vibrate or buzz or cause another alert. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67  wherein the alert is an emergency alert. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 59  wherein recognition at the Server of other users' cell phone PDA/PC devices includes the first user approving the other users' participation in the ad hoc event name digital network. 
     
     
         70 . A mobile device operable to provide a particular participant in a cellular communication network with access to one or more other participants in the cellular communication network, each participant having a mobile device operable to send and receive voice communication, text messages, photographs and video, each mobile device including a CPU and memory, a GPS navigation system, and a touch screen display, the mobile device of the particular participant comprising:
 a CPU and memory;   a GPS navigation system; and   a touch screen display,   wherein the particular participant's mobile device is operable to perform actions comprising:   sending a message from the mobile device to a server by entering the server's address and an ad hoc event name and an identifier identifying the particular participant to the server;   providing a notification to the particular participant indicating the mobile device is connected to the server;   reporting the mobile device's GPS location and status information to the server;   receiving at least one of the GPS location and status information of a second mobile device, wherein an operator of the second mobile device has sent a message from the second mobile device to the server by entering the server's address, the same ad hoc event name, and an identifier identifying the operator of the second mobile device to the server.   
     
     
         71 . The mobile device of  claim 70 , wherein the actions further comprise displaying a set of one or more selectable control components on the touch screen display of the particular participant's mobile device, wherein each of the control components in the set corresponds to a respective function that the participant's mobile device is configured to perform based on selection of the respective control component. 
     
     
         72 . The mobile device of  claim 71 , wherein the set of control components is a first set, wherein the control components in the first set include a first control component, and wherein the function corresponding to the first control component comprises displaying a second set of one or more selectable control components on the touch screen display of the particular participant's mobile device. 
     
     
         73 . The mobile device of  claim 72 , wherein the displayed second set of control components replaces the first set of control components on the touch screen display of the particular participant's mobile device. 
     
     
         74 . The mobile device of  claim 70 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 receiving a request to join the communication network, wherein the request is sent by the mobile device of one of the other participants in the communication network and the request includes the same ad hoc event name; and   based on acceptance of the request, joining the communication network, wherein the participants in the communication network utilize the ad hoc event name for communications on the network.   
     
     
         75 . The mobile device of  claim 70 , wherein the actions further comprise polling a selected one of the other participants for location information of the selected other participant, wherein the polling comprises sending a request for the location information to the mobile device of the selected other participant. 
     
     
         76 . The mobile device of  claim 73 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 identifying an interaction with the touch screen display of the particular participant's mobile device indicating at least selection of a symbol corresponding to the selected other participant and selection of a particular control component displayed on the touch screen display,   wherein the particular control component is included in the second set of control components, and   wherein the request for the location information is sent based on the identifying of the interaction.   
     
     
         77 . The mobile device of  claim 70 , wherein the actions further comprise transmitting location data indicating a location of the particular participant's mobile device to the other participants in the communication network.