Systems and methods for object location notification

• US 20060063540A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Beuck, David P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system and a method for determining and reporting a location of an object are provided. The method may include receiving a message, the message including information identifying a locator device and information identifying a location of the locator device. The method may also include determining whether the locator device is within a monitored area based on the location information. The method may also include retrieving contact information based on the locator device identification when the locator device is determined to be within the monitored area. The method may also include retrieving information identifying an object associated with the locator device based on the locator device identification. In addition, the method may include generating a notification using the retrieved contact information, the notification including the object identification.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a message, the message including information identifying a locator device and information identifying a location of the locator device;

determining whether the locator device is within a monitored area based on the location information;

retrieving contact information based on the locator device identification when the locator device is determined to be within the monitored area;

retrieving information identifying an object associated with the locator device based on the locator device identification; and

generating a notification using the retrieved contact information, the notification including the object identification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises:

global positioning system (GPS) information acquired by the locator device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is based on a location of a wireless access point through which the message is transmitted.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the notification to a contact identified in the retrieved contact information, the message being received via a wireless access point.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a subsequent message via the wireless access point, the subsequent message being received prior to the communicating the notification.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

waiting a predetermined amount of time in which to receive a subsequent message via the wireless access point; and

generating a subsequent notification after the predetermined amount of time lapses when the subsequent message is not received.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining an action level associated with the notification based on at least one of the object or the monitored area; and

communicating the notification to a second contact identified in the retrieved contact information based on the determined action level.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a subsequent message via a second wireless access point, the subsequent message including information identifying the locator device and information identifying a subsequent location of the locator device;

determining whether the locator device is within a second monitored area based on the subsequent location information; and

generating a subsequent notification when the locator device is determined to be within the second monitored area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

communicating the subsequent notification to the contact, and

communicating the subsequent notification to a second contact identified in the retrieved contact information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second contact includes a law enforcement agency.

11. A network device comprising:

a database to store information associated with a locator device and an object associated with the locator device, and information associated with a monitored area; and

logic to receive a message indicating that the locator device has entered the monitored area, the message identifying the locator device, and generate a notification based on the message and the stored information associated with the locator device and the object associated with the locator device, the notification indicating a presence of the object within the monitored area.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

transmit the notification to a contact identified in the stored information associated with the monitored area, the network device being configured to receive the message via a wireless access point.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to:

wait until a subsequent message is received before transmitting the notification.

14. The network device of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to:

transmit a subsequent notification to the contact when, after a predetermined period, a subsequent message is not received, the subsequent notification indicating an absence of the object from the monitored area.

15. The network device of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to:

determine an action level associated with the presence of the object in the monitored area based on at least one of the monitored area or the object; and

transmit the notification to a second contact associated with the monitored area, based on the determined action level.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein the second contact includes a law enforcement agency.

17. The network device of claim 12, wherein:

the database is further configured to store information associated with a second monitored area; and

the logic is further configured to receive a subsequent message indicating that the locator device has entered the second monitored area, the network device being further configured to receive the subsequent message via a second wireless access point, and generate a subsequent notification based on the subsequent message, the subsequent notification indicating the presence of the object within the second monitored area.

18. The network device of claim 17, the logic being further configured to:

transmit the subsequent notification to the contact and a second contact identified in the stored information associated with the second monitored area.

19. The network device of claim 11, the logic being further configured to:

determine a geographic location of the object relative to the monitored area based on global positioning system (GPS) information included in the message.

20. The network device of claim 19, the notification further indicating the determined geographic location.

21. The network device of claim 19, the logic being further configured to:

transmit the notification to a law enforcement agency based on the determined geographic location.

22. A server comprising:

means for receiving a message including an identifier for a locator device and information identifying a location of the locator device;

means for determining if the locator device is within a designated area based on locator identifier and the location;

means for determining contact information based on the locator identifier and the location when the locator device is within the designated area; and

means for communicating the determined contact information for use in contacting a party associated with the designated area.