Authorized location monitoring and notifications therefor

• US 10,609,516 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, C. Douglass
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US15/375,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20170094458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 4554562, 4554561, 4554042, 4554142, 4554141, 455410, 455411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Techniques for location tracking, location utilization, and dissemination and management of location information are disclosed. As a location monitoring system, one embodiment includes at least a plurality of mobile computing devices supported by a wireless network, and a computing device coupled to a wired network (e.g., the Internet) that couples to the wireless network. Each of the mobile computing devices is associated with and proximate to an object whose location is being monitored. The computing device stores the locations of each of the mobile computing devices or the objects proximate thereto, and enables only authorized users to obtain access the locations via the wired network.

Claims

1. A location monitoring system for managing location information pertaining to a plurality of mobile computing devices supported by a wireless network, each of the mobile computing devices being associated with and proximate to a corresponding object, said location monitoring system comprising:

a computer configured to access locations of each of the plurality of mobile computing devices, and said computer enabling authorized users to access the locations of the mobile computing devices,

wherein said computer is configured to enable setting a plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations for each of the plurality of mobile computing devices,

wherein said computer determines whether notification should be sent to an authorized user based on the location of the mobile computing device corresponding to an object and based on at least one of the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations for the mobile computing device corresponding to the object,

wherein said computer sends an electronic notification to the authorized user when it has been determined that notification should be sent to the authorized user,

wherein said computer determines whether the location of the mobile computing device corresponding to the object corresponds to at least one of the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations for the mobile computing device corresponding to the object, and generates the electronic notification when it is determined that the location of the mobile computing device corresponding to the object corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations for the mobile computing device corresponding to the object,

wherein said computer is configured to store a user-specific identifier for each of the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations for the mobile computing device corresponding to the object, and

wherein the electronic notification generated concerning the mobile computing device corresponding to the object is customized to include at least the user-specified identifier for at least one of the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations for the mobile computing device corresponding to the object, the included user-specified identifier being the user-specified identifier from the stored user-specified identifiers that corresponds to the location of the mobile computing device corresponding to the object.

2. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifiers therefor are defined through interaction with said computer.

3. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifiers therefor are defined through interaction with a graphical user interface provided by said computer.

4. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 3, wherein said computer comprises a web server, and wherein some or all of the plurality of the mobile computing devices are mobile communication devices having location detection capabilities.

5. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifiers therefor are defined by the authorized user interaction with a graphical user interface provided by said computer.

6. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 5, wherein said computer comprises a web server, and wherein some or all of the plurality of the mobile computing devices are mobile communication devices having location detection capabilities.

7. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic notification is an instant message.

8. A location monitoring system for managing location information pertaining to a plurality of mobile computing devices supported by a wireless network, each of the mobile computing devices being associated with and proximate to a corresponding object, said location monitoring system comprising:

a computer configured to access locations of each of the plurality of mobile computing devices, and said computer enabling authorized users to access data associated with the locations of the mobile computing devices,

wherein said computer is configured to enable storage of a plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations,

wherein said computer determines whether notification should be sent to an authorized user based on the location of the mobile computing device corresponding to the object is at at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations,

wherein said computer sends an electronic notification to the authorized user when it has been determined that notification should be sent to the authorized user,

wherein said computer determines whether the location of the mobile computing device corresponding to the object corresponds to at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations, and generates the electronic notification when it is determined that the location of the mobile computing device corresponding to the object corresponds to at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations,

wherein said computer is configured to store user-specified data for each of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations,

wherein the electronic notification generated is customized to include at least the user-specified data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations, the included user-specified data being the stored user-specified data that corresponds to the location of the mobile computing device corresponding to the object, and

wherein the user-specified data being included in the electronic notification includes at least a user-specified identifier for the at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations.

9. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifiers therefor are defined through interaction with said computer.

10. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifiers therefor are defined through interaction with a graphical user interface provided by said computer.

11. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 10, wherein said computer comprises a web server, and wherein some or all of the plurality of the mobile computing devices are mobile communication devices having location detection capabilities.

12. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifiers therefor are defined by the authorized user interaction with a graphical user interface provided by said computer.

13. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 12, wherein said computer comprises a web server, and wherein some or all of the plurality of the mobile computing devices are mobile communication devices having location detection capabilities.

14. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein object is a vehicle.

15. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein object is a person.

16. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein the mobile computing device corresponding to the object is battery powered.

17. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein the mobile computing device corresponding to the object is wearable.

18. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 17, wherein one or more of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations and the user-specified identifiers therefor are defined by the authorized user interaction with a graphical user interface provided by said computer.

19. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 18, wherein the electronic notification is an instant message.

20. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein the electronic notification is an instant message.

21. A location monitoring system for managing location information pertaining to a plurality of mobile electronic devices supported by a wireless network, said location monitoring system comprising:

a computer configured to access locations of each of the plurality of mobile electronic devices;

a database operatively connected to the computer, said database including stored locations for each of the plurality of mobile electronic devices, the stored locations for each given one of the mobile electronic devices being based on location data acquired at the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices; and

data storage device operatively connected to the computer, said data storage including storage of the location data acquired at each given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices, storage of a plurality of user-specified predetermined notification locations, and storage of sensor data for each given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices, the stored sensor data being provided by at least one sensor internal to the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices,

wherein said computer determines whether notification should be sent to an authorized user based on the location of the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices being at at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations associated with the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices,

wherein said computer sends an electronic notification to the authorized user when it has been determined that notification should be sent to the authorized user,

wherein said computer determines whether the location of the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices corresponds to at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations, and generates the electronic notification when it is determined that the location of the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices corresponds to at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations,

wherein said computer is configured to store data for each of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations associated with the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices,

wherein the electronic notification generated is customized to include at least a portion of the data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations,

wherein the at least a portion of the data being included in the electronic notification includes at least a user-specified identifier for the at least one of the plurality of stored user-specified predetermined notification locations, and

wherein each of the mobile electronic devices is associated with and proximate to a corresponding object.

22. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 21, wherein the location data is acquired on a periodic basis.

23. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 21, wherein the stored location being acquired for the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices is acquired using location data acquired from a combination of the GPS device and the accessible wireless network.

24. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 21, wherein the sensor data and the location data are used to determine a location of the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices.

25. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 21, wherein the location data is acquired at the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices via a GPS device internal to the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices, or via an accessible wireless network that is accessible to the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices.

26. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one internal sensor is a motion sensor, and wherein the sensor data is motion data.

27. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 21, wherein said database stores a series of locations for each of the plurality of mobile electronic devices over a period of time.

28. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 27, wherein the location data is acquired at the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices via a GPS device internal to the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices, or via an accessible wireless network that is accessible to the given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices.

29. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 28, wherein the at least one internal sensor is a motion sensor, and wherein the sensor data is motion data.

30. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 28, wherein the location data is acquired on a periodic basis.

31. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 30, wherein the at least one internal sensor is a motion sensor, and wherein the sensor data is motion data.

32. A location monitoring system as recited in claim 31, wherein the sensor data and the location data are used to determine a location of the respective given one of the plurality of mobile electronic devices.