Tracking people
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- receiving, at a server system, a request, from a machine of a first person, for tracking information associated with the location of a second person, the server system including one or more processors and a memory system;
determining, by the processor system, whether the second person is on a proximity grid, the proximity grid being a database storing identifiers of at least people correlated with locations of the people, where the second person is considered to be on the proximity grid, when the second person is currently locatable by information stored in the database; and
when the second person is on the proximity grid,retrieving, by the server, current tracking information, andsending, by the server, current tracking information in response to the request;
wherein the second person is provided with an option of not being trackable by getting off the grid, so that the second person being tracked has control of when the second person is trackable, when setting up a tracking relationship, without requiring the second person to specify when the second person is trackable.
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Abstract
This specification generally relates to a method for tracking one or more persons in a relationship between a tracker and the one or more participants. The method can include using an event stamp function to activate the tracking system. The person being tracked determines when they are trackable by connecting to a proximity grid. When the person being tracked wants to be tracked, that person connects to a proximity grid, and when the person being tracked does not want to be tracked, that person disconnects from the proximity grid, thereby simplifying setting up rules for when the person being tracked can be tracked.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a server system, a request, from a machine of a first person, for tracking information associated with the location of a second person, the server system including one or more processors and a memory system; determining, by the processor system, whether the second person is on a proximity grid, the proximity grid being a database storing identifiers of at least people correlated with locations of the people, where the second person is considered to be on the proximity grid, when the second person is currently locatable by information stored in the database; and when the second person is on the proximity grid, retrieving, by the server, current tracking information, and sending, by the server, current tracking information in response to the request; wherein the second person is provided with an option of not being trackable by getting off the grid, so that the second person being tracked has control of when the second person is trackable, when setting up a tracking relationship, without requiring the second person to specify when the second person is trackable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method comprising:
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receiving at a user device an invitation to join a tracking relationship, the user device including a processor system having at least one processor and memory system; and in response to the receiving the invitation, sending, by the user device, an acceptance to be in the tracking relationship; activating, by the processor system, a function that collects and sends location information; sending information, by the user device to the server, indicating that the user device is locatable, via a proximity grid, the proximity grid being a network of entities that are searchable based on the location and the entities and the distance of the entities from the searcher; at a later time, sending, by the user device, information indicating that the user device is not locatable, via the proximity grid, therein blocking the user device from being tracked.
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21. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a server system, a request, from a machine of a first person, for current tracking information associated with the location of a second person, the second person being an individual with which the first person has a tracking relationship that was established prior to receiving of the request, the server system including one or more processors and a memory system; determining, by the processor system, whether the second person is currently on a proximity grid, the proximity grid being a database storing identifiers of at least people correlated with locations of the people, where the second person is considered to be on the proximity grid, when the second person is currently locatable by information stored in the database and a device of the second person is in communication with the server; and when the second person is on the proximity grid, retrieving, by the server, current tracking information, and sending, by the server, the current tracking information in response to the request; wherein the second person is provided with an option of not being trackable by getting off the grid, so that the second person being tracked has control of when the second person is trackable, when setting up a tracking relationship, without requiring the second person to specify when the second person is trackable, the second person getting off the grid includes the server receiving a notification that the second person is getting off the grid and the server ceasing to communicate with the device of the second person about the current location of the second person and ceases receiving communications from the second person while the second person is off the grid.
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Specification