System and method for placing virtual geographic zone markers

• US 10,360,760 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonal Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Zonal Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Northrup, James L., Pierce, II, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US15/728,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20180033244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 4554563, 455421, 455423, 4554561, 455406, 4554141, 455418
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/149 coupled to means for restricting the access to the parking space, e.g. authorization, access barriers, indicative lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 : for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

A system and method for user interaction includes a network, a server connected to the network, a supervisor device receiving information from a global positioning system and connected to the network, a user device receiving information from the global positioning system and connected to the network. The supervisor, having the supervisor device, defines a set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones in which the user device is tracked, and saves the set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones to a supervisor account on the server. The user downloads a user application, sets-up a user account, and downloads the set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones. As the user, having the user device, moves through the virtual geographic zones and sub-zones the location of the user device is determined and a set of supervisor-defined actions are executed on the user device based on the location of the user device.

Claims

1. A method of automated payment collection comprising the steps of:

determining an enhanced location of a mobile device;

wherein the enhanced location is based on a global position system (GPS) location and one or more of the group of an ultra-wideband (UWB) location, a very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) location, and distance measuring equipment (DME);

identifying a virtual zone;

identifying a virtual subzone within the zone;

comparing the enhanced location to the virtual subzone;

generating a mobile zone trigger alert when the comparison indicates that the enhanced location is within the virtual subzone and the virtual zone; and

generating a payment event based on at least one of the location comparison and the mobile zone trigger alert.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating an image alert by a camera system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

activating a pairing connection between the mobile device and an in-vehicle device;

generating an in-vehicle zone trigger alert; and

,

activating a management server based on one or more of the mobile zone trigger alert, the in-vehicle zone trigger alert, and the image alert.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

moving into or out of at least one of the virtual zone and the virtual subzone;

wherein at least one of the virtual zone and the virtual subzone is approved by a map administrator prior to the comparison; and

,

wherein the virtual zone and the virtual subzone are defined by a plurality of points, each point of the plurality of points having a set of coordinates.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

activating the mobile device based on the payment event.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a zone alert based on zone identification information, the zone alert including a code to activate a management device; and

,

activating the management device based on the zone alert.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a login alert based on login credentials; and

,

activating the mobile device based on the login alert.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a vehicle alert based on vehicle identification information; and

,

activating the mobile device based on the vehicle alert.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a device alert based on device identification information; and

,

activating the mobile device based on the device alert.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a usage alert request by the mobile device; and

,

activating the management server based on the usage alert request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating a payment event further comprises:

setting a toll amount based on one or more of the group of a traffic pattern, a vehicle speed, and a traffic congestion in the virtual zone.

12. A toll collection system using a virtual zone that identifies a toll road, the system comprising:

a management server including a first processor and a first memory;

a camera system including a second processor and a second memory;

a management device including a third processor and a third memory;

a mobile device including a fourth processor and a fourth memory;

the fourth memory including instructions that when executed by the fourth processor cause the mobile device to perform the steps of;

determining an enhanced location of the mobile device;

wherein the enhanced location is based on a global position system (GPS) location and one or more of the group of an ultra-wideband (UWB) location, a very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) location, a fixed location access point and distance measuring equipment (DME);

determining a centroid of the enhanced location;

identifying the virtual zone;

comparing the centroid of the enhanced location to the virtual zone;

generating a mobile zone trigger alert when the comparison indicates that the enhanced location is within the virtual zone; and

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of generating a toll event based on at least one of the comparison and the mobile zone trigger alert.

13. The toll collection system of claim 12, further comprising:

the second memory including instructions that when executed by the second processor cause the camera system to perform the step of generating an image alert by the camera system.

14. The toll collection system of claim 13, further comprising:

an in-vehicle device including a fifth processor and a fifth memory;

the fifth memory including instructions that when executed by the fifth processor cause the in-vehicle device to perform the step of generating an in-vehicle zone trigger alert; and

,

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of activating the management server, from a low activity state, based on one or more of the mobile zone trigger alert, the in-vehicle zone trigger alert, and the image alert.

15. The toll collection system of claim 14, further comprising:

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of generating a vehicle alert based on vehicle identification information; and

,

the fifth memory further including instructions that when executed by the fifth processor cause the in-vehicle device to perform the step of activating the mobile device based on the vehicle alert.

16. The toll collection system of claim 12, further comprising:

the fourth memory including instructions that when executed by the fourth processor cause the mobile device to perform the step of activating the mobile device based on the toll event.

17. The toll collection system of claim 12, further comprising:

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of generating a zone alert based on zone identification information, the zone alert including a code to activate the management device; and

,

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of activating the management device based on the zone alert.

18. The toll collection system of claim 12, further comprising:

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of generating a login alert based on login credentials; and

,

the fourth memory including further instructions that when executed by the fourth processor cause the mobile device to perform the step of activating the mobile device based on the login alert.

19. The toll collection system of claim 12, further comprising:

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of generating a device alert based on device identification information; and

,

the fourth memory including further instructions that when executed by the fourth processor cause the mobile device to perform the step of activating the mobile device based on the device alert.

20. The toll collection system of claim 12, further comprising:

the fourth memory including further instructions that when executed by the fourth processor cause the mobile device to perform the step of generating a usage alert request by the mobile device; and

,

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of activating the management server based on the usage alert request.

21. The toll collection system of claim 12, further comprising:

the first memory including further instructions that when executed by the first processor cause the management server to perform the step of setting a toll amount based on two of the group of a traffic pattern, a vehicle speed, and a traffic congestion in the virtual zone.

22. A method of roadway toll collection comprising the steps of:

determining an enhanced location of a mobile device;

wherein the enhanced location is based on a global position system (GPS) location and one or more of the group of an ultra-wideband (UWB) location, a very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) location, a fixed location access point and distance measuring equipment (DME);

determining a centroid of the enhanced location;

identifying a virtual zone;

comparing the centroid of the enhanced location to the virtual zone;

generating a mobile zone trigger alert when the comparison indicates that the enhanced location is within the virtual zone; and

,

setting a toll amount based on one of the group of a traffic pattern, a vehicle speed, and a traffic congestion in the virtual zone; and

,

generating a toll event based on at least one of the comparison and the mobile zone trigger alert.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

generating an image alert by a camera system based on the enhanced location of the mobile device.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

activating the mobile device based on the toll event.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

generating a login alert based on the enhanced location of the mobile device in a vehicle.

26. A toll collection system using a virtual zone that identifies a roadway, the system comprising:

a management server, a camera system, a management device, and a mobile device, all connected to a network and that operate together to perform the steps of;

determining an enhanced location of the mobile device;

wherein the enhanced location is based on a global position system (GPS) location and one or more of the group of an ultra-wideband (UWB) location, a very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) location, a fixed location access point and distance measuring equipment (DME);

determining a centroid of the enhanced location;

identifying the virtual zone;

comparing the centroid of the enhanced location to the virtual zone;

generating a mobile zone trigger alert when the comparison indicates that the enhanced location of the mobile device is within the virtual zone; and

,

setting a toll amount based on one of the group of a traffic pattern, a vehicle speed, and a traffic congestion in the virtual zone; and

,

generating a toll event based on at least one of the comparison and the mobile zone trigger alert.

27. The toll collection system of claim 26, further configured to perform the steps of:

generating an image alert based on at least one of the comparison and the mobile zone trigger alert;

activating the management server based on at least one of the comparison and the mobile zone trigger alert;

generating a zone alert that includes a code to activate the management device; and

,

activating the management device based on the zone alert.

28. The toll collection system of claim 26, further configured to perform the steps of:

generating a login alert based on login credentials; and

,

activating the mobile device based on the login alert.

29. The toll collection system of claim 26, further configured to perform the steps of:

generating a vehicle alert based on vehicle identification information; and

,

activating the mobile device based on the vehicle alert.

30. The toll collection system of claim 26, further configured to perform the steps of:

generating a device alert based on device identification information; and

,

activating the mobile device based on the device alert.