Patent ID: 7822808

Claim:
A method in a computing system for providing responses to requests of requesters, the responses being provided by responders, the requesters and responders being users of the computing system, the responders having devices, the method comprising: receiving a request for information from a requester, the request requesting information as to a condition associated with a location of interest; identifying devices of responders, the identified devices being in proximity of the location of interest and the responder capable of providing information as to the condition associated with the location of interest; sending the request to the identified devices, wherein after receiving the request, one or more responders enter via their device information as to the condition associated with the location of interest that is sent to the computing system as a response; receiving a response from one or more identified devices, the responses including information as to the condition associated with the location of interest; and sending a response to the requester, the response including information as to the condition associated with the location of interest derived from one or more of the received responses wherein each request is associated with a location of interest and each request is sent to devices in proximity of the location of interest so that a user of a device can respond with information as to the condition associated with that location of interest.