Method and apparatus for providing location specific information

A computer program product stored in a computer readable storage device and loadable into an internal memory of a digital computer, said computer program product comprising software code configured to be executed on a processor of the digital computer to perform a method for providing location specific information, said method configured to be implemented in a data processing network, said method comprising:

• a processing server of the data processing network receiving subscriptions to topics subscribed to by a plurality of subscribers, wherein the processing server comprises three distinct data stores consisting of a first data store, a second data store, and a third data store, wherein first data stored in the first data store consists of a plurality of locations and an associated at least one geofence within which each location stored in the first data store is located interior to each exterior boundary of the at least one geofence, wherein second data stored in the second data store consists of a plurality of topics and a geofence to which each topic is associated such that each said geofence identified in the second data store is identified in the first data in the first data store in association with a location of the plurality of locations, wherein third data stored in the third data store consists of a subscriber profile of each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers along with a topic that each subscriber has subscribed to such that each subscribed to topic is comprised by the plurality of topics in the second data in the second data store, and wherein each geofence has a geometric shape located within a geographic area;
• after said receiving subscriptions, said processing server receiving event data pertaining to an event that has occurred, said event data being received from an event reporting system that has gathered the event data from a data gathering means situated where the event has occurred, wherein the event data comprises location identification data from which a location of the event may be determined and event description data that describes the event;
• after said receiving event data, said processing server identifying, from the location identification data in the received event data and the first data in the first data store, one or more geofences associated with the location determined from the location identification data;
• after said identifying one or more geofences, said processing server identifying, from analysis of the identified one or more geofences and the second data stored in the second data store, at least one topic associated with each geofence of the identified one or more geofences;
• after said identifying at least one topic associated with each geofence of the identified one or more geofences, said processing server identifying, from analysis of each identified topic and the third data stored in the third data store, at least one subscriber of the plurality of subscribers having a subscription to at least one topic associated with a geofence of the identified one or more geofences;
• and
• after said identifying at least one subscriber, said processing server publishing the event description data across a network to a computer device directly accessed by each subscriber of the identified at least one subscriber,
• wherein the event is a road traffic accident,
• wherein the at least one topic associated with a first geofence of the identified one or more geofences includes a first topic of road traffic accidents, and
• wherein the at least one subscriber has a subscription to the first topic pertaining to road traffic accidents.

A data processing network comprising a processing server, said processing server comprising a digital computer, said digital computer comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device comprising software code configured to be executed by the processor via the memory to implement a method for providing location specific information, said method configured to be implemented in a data processing network, said method comprising:

• said processing server receiving subscriptions to topics subscribed to by a plurality of subscribers, wherein the processing server comprises three distinct data stores consisting of a first data store, a second data store, and a third data store, wherein first data stored in the first data store consists of a plurality of locations and an associated at least one geofence within which each location stored in the first data store is located interior to each exterior boundary of the at least one geofence, wherein second data stored in the second data store consists of a plurality of topics and a geofence to which each topic is associated such that each said geofence identified in the second data store is identified in the first data in the first data store in association with a location of the plurality of locations, wherein third data stored in the third data store consists of a subscriber profile of each subscriber of the plurality of subscribers along with a topic that each subscriber has subscribed to such that each subscribed to topic is comprised by the plurality of topics in the second data in the second data store, and wherein each geofence has a geometric shape located within a geographic area;
• after said receiving subscriptions, said processing server receiving event data pertaining to an event that has occurred, said event data being received from an event reporting system that has gathered the event data from a data gathering means situated where the event has occurred, wherein the event data comprises location identification data from which a location of the event may be determined and event description data that describes the event;
• after said receiving event data, said processing server identifying, from the location identification data in the received event data and the first data in the first data store, one or more geofences associated with the location determined from the location identification data;
• after said identifying one or more geofences, said processing server identifying, from analysis of the identified one or more geofences and the second data stored in the second data store, at least one topic associated with each geofence of the identified one or more geofences;
• after said identifying at least one topic associated with each geofence of the identified one or more geofences, said processing server identifying, from analysis of each identified topic and the third data stored in the third data store, at least one subscriber of the plurality of subscribers having a subscription to at least one topic associated with a geofence of the identified one or more geofences;
• and
• after said identifying at least one subscriber, said processing server publishing the event description data across a network to a computer device directly accessed by each subscriber of the identified at least one subscriber,
• wherein the event is a road traffic accident,
• wherein the at least one topic associated with a first geofence of the identified one or more geofences includes a first topic of road traffic accidents, and
• wherein the at least one subscriber has a subscription to the first topic pertaining to road traffic accidents.