Method and system of remote position reporting device

• US 20050114015A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber

Abstract

A remote position monitoring system, method, and computer-program product using a global position satellite receiver and information from at least two global position satellites to determine a position of a mobile object with the global position satellite receiver and report via Internet the position of the mobile object to a recipient in search of the mobile object. A remote position reporting device of the monitoring system can be part of or attached to any mobile object such as a child, a skier, a car, and expensive items. The remote position reporting device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, monitoring software and an Internet access module. The monitoring software (e.g., a dynamic link library) supports multiple data formats and multiple protocols to communicated the position information. The GPS receiver provides the monitoring software with position information at prescribed times, and the monitoring software records the position information. The monitoring software communicates the position information at prescribed times to a desired party through the Internet access module.

Claims

1. A position reporting device for attachment to a business office device, the position reporting device comprising:

a memory device for storing a pre-programmed, semi-static address of a recipient;

a receiver configured to receive location signals from at least two known locations;

a position calculator configured to determine a position of the receiver from the received location signals; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, across a Wide Area network, position information to a recipient specified by the pre-programmed, semi-static address in the memory of the position reporting device.

2. The position reporting device of claim 1, wherein:

the receiver and position calculator comprise a global positioning satellite receiver configured to obtain signals from global positioning satellites and to determine the position;

the position reporting device further comprises a monitoring system configured to monitor and maintain the position from the global positioning satellite receiver; and

the transmitter comprises an Internet access module configured to communicate the position information.

3. The position reporting device of claim 2, wherein the global positioning satellite receiver comprises a fixed-mount global positioning satellite receiver.

4. The position reporting device of claim 2, wherein the monitoring system comprises software configured to interface with the global positioning satellite receiver to record the position.

5. The position reporting device of claim 4, wherein the software comprises at least one of a dynamic link library, a static-linked library, a script, a JAVA class, a C++ class, and a C library routine.

6. The position reporting device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a wireless transmitter.

7. The position reporting device of claim 6, wherein the wireless transmitter comprises a radio transmitter.

8. The position reporting device of claim 2, wherein the monitoring system comprises a control interface for specifying a format and a protocol for transmitting the position information.

9. The position reporting device of claim 7, wherein the protocol comprises at least one of a store-and-forward protocol and a direct connection protocol.

10. The position reporting device of claim 7, wherein the protocol comprises at least one of a file transfer protocol and a simple mail transfer protocol.

11. The position reporting device of claim 1, wherein the business office device comprises an image forming apparatus.

12. The position reporting device of claim 11, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a photocopier.

13. The position reporting device of claim 11, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a facsimile machine.

14. The position reporting device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit an identification number identifying the business office device.

15. The position reporting device of claim 1, wherein the business office device comprises an imaging device.

16. The position reporting device of claim 1, wherein the business office device comprises an image processing device.

17. A monitoring system comprising:

a monitor for receiving position information via a wide area network; and

a position reporting device for attachment to a business office device, the position reporting device including;

a memory device for storing a pre-programmed, semi-static address of a recipient;

a receiver configured to receive location signals from at least two known locations;

a position calculator configured to determine a position of the receiver from the received location signals;

a selection interface for specifying at least one of a pre-programmed, semi-static address stored in the memory of the position reporting device and a name of the monitor; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, across the Wide Area network, position information to the monitor specified by the selection interface.

18. A method for reporting a position of a position reporting device attached to a business office device, the method comprising the steps of:

pre-programming a semi-static address of a recipient in a memory of the position reporting device;

receiving, via a receiver, location signals from at least two known locations;

determining a position of the receiver from the received location signals; and

transmitting, across a Wide Area network, position information to the recipient specified by semi-static address pre-programmed in the memory of the position reporting device connected to the business office device.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the receiving and determining steps are performed inside a global positioning satellite receiver, and the step of the transmitting step comprises transmitting across the Internet.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting using a wireless transmitter.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the step of specifying a format and a protocol for transmitting the position information.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting using at least one of a store-and-forward protocol and a direct connection protocol.

23. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting an identification number identifying the business office device.

24. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the business office device comprises an image forming device.

25. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the business office device comprises a photocopier.

26. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the business office device comprises a facsimile machine.

27. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the business office device comprises an imaging device.

28. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the business office device comprises an image processing device.

30. The computer program product as claimed in claim 22, wherein the second computer code device receives at least three location signals from at least three known locations and the third computer code device determines a position of the position reporting device from the at least three received location signals

29. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a position reporting device to track position information of a business office device, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to pre-program a semi-static address of a recipient in memory;

a second computer code device configured to receive location signals from at least two known locations;

a third computer code device configured to determine a position of the position reporting device from the received location signals; and

a fourth computer code device configured to transmit, across a Wide Area network, position information to a recipient specified by the position reporting device connected to the business office device.