MobileActive.org

While people are on the go, they often need to know important information such as public safety alerts, traffic jams, etc.  AwareSpot is a location based alert system that sends these types of relevant text message to users' mobile phones.

AwareSpot was developed by the same firm as Trapster, a system for sharing police speed traps. AwareSpot is a free location based alert system.  It works by sending relevant text messages to your mobile phone. It can be used by public service, government, community organizations, interest groups, or just for fun. Here's how it works:

1) An entity such as a public safety office creates a new distribution list. This entity now becomes the distribution list owner.

2) The distribution list owner chooses permissions for the list:

* published: list can be joined by anyone, list name is published in the AwareSpot directory

* non-published: list can be joined by anyone, list name is not published in the AwareSpot directory

* private: invite-only, list can only be joined by users who the list owner specifically invites, list name is not published in the AwareSpot directory

3) The distribution list owner either publishes the list name in the AwareSpot directory, or advertises the name of the list by other means, or both. Other means of advertising the list name include newspapers, Web sites, e-mail, etc.

4) Users subscribe to text message alerts by joining a distribution list, and specifying their desired locations of interest on a map, and optionally the days and times that they want to receive alerts. Locations of interest can be areas around some city, routes along roads, etc. Users can subscribe to multiple areas and routes, all with different days and times of interest.

5) The distribution list owner creates alerts by specifying an alert location on the map, time to send (usually immediately, but can specify some later time/day to send), and message.

6) Users who are subscribed to that list, and also are subscribed to alerts in that area for that day and time, will get the alert via text message to their mobile phone.

7) Users who do not have mobile phones can still get the alerts via e-mail.

Users can receive alerts via text message on their mobile phones or email.  In order to receive alerts, users need to subscribe to a trusted source distribution list, such as public safety, newspapers, TV, radio, etc.  AwareSpot is a free service.

Here is an example of how it works:

a) The Los Angeles Police Dept (LAPD) creates a new published list called "LA Traffic Alerts"

b) LAPD publishes the following in the LA Times newspaper: "To Get FREE LA Area Traffic and Accident Alerts on your Mobile Phone just go to AwareSpot.com, sign up for an account, and subscribe to the 'LA Traffic Alerts' list!"

c) Thousands of LA residents read the LA Times and decide to sign up for AwareSpot alerts. One of those LA residents is Sue Smith

d) Sue Smith goes to AwareSpot.com, and creates an account with username "ssmith". Sue then subscribes to list "LA Traffic Alerts".

e) Sue lives in West LA and commutes to Burbank Monday through Friday each week. First she creates a circular alert area over West LA. Sue wishes to be notified if there is an alert Monday - Friday between the hours of 6PM and 9PM, and Saturday - Sunday 8AM to 8PM anywhere in West LA. Next she creates linear alert areas over the routes she uses to commute to Burbank, and specifies that she wishes to be notified of alerts 7AM-8AM and 5PM-6PM Monday through Friday. Finally she creates another circular area over Burbank, and specifies that she wishes to be notified of alerts between 8AM and 5PM Monday through Friday. This is because Sue must sometimes drive around the Burbank area during work hours.

f) At 12:10PM on Wednesday, there is a traffic jam at Rodeo Drive and Sunset, Beverly Hills. LAPD uses the map to specify that alert location, sets the delivery time to "now", puts a short note "traffic jam because of accident at Rodeo/Sunset, please use Lomitas Ave to avoid", and clicks "Send"

g) All users who have subscribed to that list, for that location and time, will get a text message on their mobile phone that says: "traffic jam because of accident at Rodeo/Sunset, please use Lomitas Ave to avoid".

h) Sue, however, does not get the text message. This is because she specified that she only wants alerts during the times that she is near West LA. In fact, Sue is in Burbank at that time, and the Beverly Hills traffic jam is not a problem for her.