System, method and apparatus for locating and controlling objects

• US 20060261940A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Taiwan Limited (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Pro Tech Monitoring Incorporated (Allied Universal Manager LLC)
• Inventors: Defant, John C., Segal, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,205,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A text message containing a natural language request is sent from an originating station to a central server. The server parses the request and uses the originating station identification to authorize the request and determine the address of the object. The server then sends a request to the address of the object, the object acts upon the request and sends results and acknowledgements back to the server, where the results and acknowledgement are translated back into a natural language and sent to the originating station.

Claims

1. A locator system comprising:

an originating device having an originating device address, the originating device comprising;

a means for entering a natural language request message;

a transceiver adapted to send the natural language request message to a server and the transceiver configured to receive a natural language response message from the server; and

a display for displaying the natural language response message;

the server comprising;

a means for receiving the natural language request message from the originating device and receiving the originating device address of the originating device;

a means to translate the originating device address and the natural language request message into a locator device address and an encoded request;

a means for sending the encoded request to a locator device at the locator device address;

a means for receiving an encoded response from the locator device and for receiving the locator device address;

a means for translating the encoded response into the natural language response message; and

a means to send the natural language response message to the originating device at

the originating device address;

the locator device comprising;

a location receiver for measuring an approximate location of the locator device;

a second transceiver adapted to receive the encoded request from the server and adapted to transmit the encoded response to the server; and

a controller connected to the location receiver and the second transceiver, the controller configured to receive the encoded request from the second transceiver, read location information from the location receiver, generate the encoded response and send the encoded response to server through the transceiver.

2. The locator system of claim 1, wherein the location receiver is selected from the group consisting of a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver, a Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) receiver, a cellular-id approximation receiver, a triangulation system and a network assisted Global Positioning Receiver.

3. The locator system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a cellular telephone radio transceiver adapted to send and receive messages conforming to a short message standard (SMS).

4. The locator system of claim 3, wherein the second transceiver is a cellular telephone radio transceiver adapted to send and receive messages conforming to the short message standard (SMS).

5. The locator system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor connected to the controller, whereas the controller is adapted to read sensor data from the sensor and encode the sensor data into the encoded response.

6. The locator system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a thermal sensor, a pressure sensor, a speed sensor, a humidity sensor and a door position sensor.

7. The locator system of claim 1, further comprising a controlled device connected to the controller, whereas the controller is adapted to interpret the encoded request intended for the controlled device and initiate actions by the controlled device.

8. The locator system of claim 7, wherein the controlled device is selected from the group consisting of a lock system, a display, a light and an audible device.

9. The locator system of claim 1, wherein the locator device is affixed to a tamper resistant belt, bracelet or shackle.

10. A method for locating comprising:

sending a natural language request message from an originating device to a server, the originating device having an originating device address;

translating the originating device address and natural language request message into a locator device address and an encoded request;

sending the encoded request from the server to a locator device at the locator device address;

acting upon the encoded request at the locator device;

sending an encoded response back from the locator device to the server;

translating at the server the encoded response into a natural language response message; and

sending the natural language response message to the originating device at the originating device address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the originating device is a standard cellular phone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the locating device comprises:

a transceiver adapted to send and receive short messages;

a location receiver for determining an approximate location of the locating device; and

a controller connected to the transceiver, the controller adapted to send and receive the short messages from and to the server through the transceiver, the controller also connected to the location receiver for reading the approximate location of the locating device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the location receiver is selected from the group consisting of a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver, a Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) receiver, a cellular-id approximation receiver, a triangulation system and a network assisted Global Positioning Receiver.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the acting upon the encoded request includes reading the approximate location of the locating device from the location receiver and encoding the approximate location of the locating device into the encoded response.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the acting upon the encoded request includes turning on the location receiver, reading the approximate location of the locating device from the location receiver, turning off the location receiver and encoding the approximate location of the locating device into the encoded response.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the controller is also connected to a sensor and whereas the acting upon the encoded request includes reading a value from the sensor and where the encoded response includes the value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a thermal sensor, a pressure sensor, a speed sensor, a humidity sensor and a door position sensor.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the controller is also connected to a controlled device and whereas the acting upon the encoded request includes sending an electrical signal to the controlled device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlled device is selected from the group consisting of a lock system, a display, a light and an audible device.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the locator device is affixed to a tamper resistant belt, bracelet or shackle.

21. An apparatus for managing a locator system, the apparatus comprising:

a server;

a means for receiving a natural language request message and an originating device address assigned to an originating device;

a means for translating the originating device address and the natural language request message into a locator device address and an encoded request;

a means for sending the encoded request to a locator device at the locator device address;

a means for receiving an encoded response from the locator device;

a means for translating the encoded response into a natural language response message; and

a means for sending the natural language response message to the originating device.

22. The apparatus for managing a locator system of claim 21, wherein the originating device address and the locator device address conform to the North American Numbering Plan.

23. The apparatus for managing a locator system of claim 22, wherein the means for receiving the natural language request message and the means for sending the encoded request and the means for receiving an encoded response and the means for sending the natural language response message includes sending and receiving short messages conforming to a Short Message System (SMS).

24. The apparatus for managing a locator system of claim 23, wherein the natural language request message includes a request for location information, the encoded request includes an encoded request for location information, the encoded response includes an encoding of an approximate location of the locator device and the natural language response message includes a natural language translation of the encoding of the approximate location of the locator device.

25. The apparatus for managing a locator system of claim 23, wherein the natural language request message includes a verb selected from the group consisting of “

locate,”

“

whereis,”

“

find,”

“

lockdown,”

“

lock,”

“

unlock,”

“

maxspeed,”

“

motion,”

“

set,”

“

reset,”

“

howsitgoing,”

“

read,” and

“

get.”

26. A locator system comprising:

an originating device having an originating device address, the originating device comprising;

a means for entering a natural language request message;

a transceiver adapted to send the natural language request message to a server and the transceiver configured to receive a natural language response message from the server; and

a display for displaying the natural language response message;

the server comprising;

a means for receiving the natural language request message from the originating device and receiving the originating device address of the originating device;

a means to translate the originating device address and the natural language request message into a locator device address and an encoded request;

a means for sending the encoded request to a locator device at the locator device address;

a means for receiving an encoded response from the locator device and for receiving the locator device address;

a means for translating the encoded response into the natural language response message; and

a means to send the natural language response message to the originating device at the originating device address;

the locator device comprising;

a second transceiver adapted to receive the encoded request from the server and adapted to transmit the encoded-response to the server, the second transceiver adapted to measure an approximate location; and

a controller connected to the location receiver and the second transceiver, the controller configured to receive the encoded request from the second transceiver, turn on the location receiver, read location information from the location receiver, turn off the location receiver, generate the encoded response and send the encoded response to the transceiver.

27. The locator system of claim 26, wherein the second transceiver uses a triangulation system to determine the approximate location.

28. The locator system of claim 26, wherein the transceiver is a cellular telephone radio transceiver adapted to send and receive messages conforming to a short message standard (SMS).

29. The locator system of claim 28, wherein the second transceiver is a cellular telephone radio transceiver adapted to send and receive messages conforming to the short message standard (SMS).

30. The locator system of claim 26, further comprising a sensor connected to the controller, whereas the controller is adapted to read sensor data from the sensor and encode the sensor data into the encoded response.

31. The locator system of claim 30, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a thermal sensor, a pressure sensor, a speed sensor, a humidity sensor and a door position sensor.

32. The locator system of claim 26, further comprising a controlled device connected to the controller, whereas the controller is adapted to interpret the encoded request intended for the controlled device and initiate actions by the controlled device.

33. The locator system of claim 32, wherein the controlled device is selected from the group consisting of a lock system, a display, a light and an audible device.

34. The locator system of claim 26, wherein the locator device is affixed to a tamper resistant belt, bracelet or shackle.

35. A method for locating comprising:

sending a natural language request message from an originating device to a server, the originating device having an originating device address;

translating in the server the originating device address and natural language request message into a locator device address and an encoded request;

sending the encoded request from the server to a locator device at the locator device address;

acting upon the encoded request at the locator device;

sending an encoded response back from the locator device to the server;

translating in the server the encoded response into a natural language response message; and

sending the natural language response message from the server to the originating device at the originating device address, wherein the locator device comprises;

a transceiver adapted to send and receive short messages and the transceiver adapted to determine an approximate location of the locating device; and

a controller connected to the transceiver, the controller adapted to send and receive the short messages from and to the server through the transceiver, the controller adapted to read the approximate location of the locating device from the transceiver.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the transceiver uses a triangulation system to determine the approximate location.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the acting upon the encoded request includes reading the approximate location of the locating device from the transceiver and encoding the approximate location of the locating device into the encoded response.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the controller is also connected to a sensor and whereas the acting upon the encoded request includes reading a value from the sensor and where the encoded response includes the value.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a thermal sensor, a pressure sensor, a speed sensor, a humidity sensor and a door position sensor.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the controller is also connected to a controlled device and whereas the acting upon the encoded request includes sending an electrical signal to the controlled device.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the controlled device is selected from the group consisting of a lock system, a display, a light and an audible device.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the locator device is affixed to a tamper resistant belt, bracelet or shackle.

43. A method for locating comprising:

sending a natural language request message from an originating device to a server, the originating device having an originating device address;

translating in the server the originating device address and natural language request message into a locator device address and an encoded request;

sending the encoded request from the server to a wireless network;

determining an approximate location of a locator device by the wireless network;

sending an encoded response back from the wireless network to the server;

translating in the server the encoded response into a natural language response message by the server; and

sending the natural language response message from the server to the originating device at the originating device address, wherein the locator device comprises at least a radio frequency transmitter.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the wireless network uses a triangulation system to determine the approximate location.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the at least a radio frequency transmitter is a wireless transceiver and a controller within the locator device is connected to the wireless transceiver, the controller is adapted to send and receive the short messages from and to the server through the wireless transceiver wherein the controller is also connected to a sensor and whereas the acting upon the encoded request includes reading a value from the sensor and where the encoded response includes the value.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a thermal sensor, a pressure sensor, a speed sensor, a humidity sensor and a door position sensor.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the controller is also connected to a controlled device and whereas the acting upon the encoded request includes sending an electrical signal to the controlled device.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the controlled device is selected from the group consisting of a lock system, a display, a light and an audible device.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the locator device is affixed to a tamper resistant belt, bracelet or shackle.