Tracking System and Method with Automatic Map Selector and Geo Fence Defining Features
First Claim
1. A computerized method for the dynamic display of tracking device data on a monitor, said tracking device data generated by one of a plurality of tracking devices which each transmit, via GPS, GPRS or GSM communications channels, at least tracking device identification (id) data, geographic location or locus data for said tracking device, event code or message data and event time data, the method comprising:
- compiling a series of displayable maps, said maps displayable on said monitor, said series of maps hierarchically classified with regional, state and city geographic data defined boundaries and further classified as a site or yard map with site or yard geographic data defined boundaries;
obtaining geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device correlated to said tracking device id data;
determining when said geographic tracking data for said tracking device transits from one hierarchically classified map into a lower hierarchically classified map based upon a transition between two obtained geographic tracking data for said tracking device which cross a respective geographic data defined boundary for said lower hierarchically classified map; and
,automatically changing a display on said monitor from said one hierarchically classified map to said lower hierarchically classified map while displaying at least a last obtained geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The tracking system monitors many trackable devices each transmitting geographic locus, device id and event data via GPS, GPRS or GSM communications channels. The system is typically an ASP model and presents a dynamic display of the tracking device data to the user-customer. The system dynamically displays tracking data and a series of maps hierarchically or otherwise classified (e.g., region, state, city and site or yard maps). When the device transits from one classified map to another, the system automatically changes the map display to the next map based upon tracking locus data. The system also includes a geo fence and an automatic alert. User defined geographic limits are set as data boundaries on maps. These boundaries are overlaid on displayable maps. When devices transit the closed, user-defined geographic limits, an alert message is automatically generated. The system may also include a time-in or time-out, temporal limit.
162 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A computerized method for the dynamic display of tracking device data on a monitor, said tracking device data generated by one of a plurality of tracking devices which each transmit, via GPS, GPRS or GSM communications channels, at least tracking device identification (id) data, geographic location or locus data for said tracking device, event code or message data and event time data, the method comprising:
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compiling a series of displayable maps, said maps displayable on said monitor, said series of maps hierarchically classified with regional, state and city geographic data defined boundaries and further classified as a site or yard map with site or yard geographic data defined boundaries; obtaining geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device correlated to said tracking device id data; determining when said geographic tracking data for said tracking device transits from one hierarchically classified map into a lower hierarchically classified map based upon a transition between two obtained geographic tracking data for said tracking device which cross a respective geographic data defined boundary for said lower hierarchically classified map; and
,automatically changing a display on said monitor from said one hierarchically classified map to said lower hierarchically classified map while displaying at least a last obtained geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
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6. The computerized method for the dynamic display of tracking device data as claimed in claim 6 wherein said site or yard map includes a port map with piers.
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9. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for the dynamic display of tracking device data on a monitor, said tracking device data generated by one of a plurality of tracking devices which each transmit, via GPS, GPRS or GSM communications channels, at least tracking device identification (id) data, geographic location or locus data for said tracking device, event code or message data and event time data, the programming instructions for the computerized dynamic display of tracking device data comprising:
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compiling a series of displayable maps, said maps displayable on said monitor, said series of maps hierarchically classified with regional, state and city geographic data defined boundaries and further classified as a site or yard map with site or yard geographic data defined boundaries; obtaining geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device correlated to said tracking device id data; determining when said geographic tracking data for said tracking device transits from one hierarchically classified map into a lower hierarchically classified map based upon a transition between two obtained geographic tracking data for said tracking device which cross a respective geographic data defined boundary for said lower hierarchically classified map; and
,automatically changing a display on said monitor from said one hierarchically classified map to said lower hierarchically classified map while displaying at least a last obtained geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computerized tracking system operable with a plurality of tracking devices which each transmit, via GPS, GPRS or GSM communications channels, at least tracking device identification (id) data, geographic location or locus data for said tracking device, event code or message data and event time data, said computerized tracking system having a dynamic display of tracking device data for a monitor, comprising:
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a data structure with a compiled series of displayable maps, said maps displayable on said monitor, said series of maps hierarchically classified with regional, state and city geographic data defined boundaries and further classified as a site or yard map with site or yard geographic data defined boundaries; a communications port, coupled to said communications channels, accepting geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device processor, coupled to said communications port and said data structure, for correlating said geographic tracking data representing said locus data to said tracking device id data and determining when said geographic tracking data for said tracking device transits from one hierarchically classified map into a lower hierarchically classified map based upon a transition between two obtained geographic tracking data for said tracking device which cross a respective geographic data defined boundary for said lower hierarchically classified map; and
,output display generator automatically changing a display on said monitor from said one hierarchically classified map to said lower hierarchically classified map while displaying at least a last obtained geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computerized method for the dynamic monitoring and display of tracking device data on a monitor, said tracking device data generated by one of a plurality of tracking devices which each transmit, via GPS, GPRS or GSM communications channels, at least tracking device identification (id) data, geographic location or locus data for said tracking device, event code or message data and event time data, the method comprising:
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compiling a series of displayable maps, said maps displayable on said monitor, said series of maps hierarchically classified with regional, state and city geographic data defined boundaries and further classified as a site or yard map with site or yard geographic data defined boundaries; accepting user-definable geographic limits, represented by programmable geographic data defined boundaries, said user-definable geographic limits having a substantially closed shape, said user-definable geographic limits displayed as an overlay on said displayable maps; obtaining geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device correlated to said tracking device id data; determining when said geographic tracking data for said tracking device transits over said substantially closed shape of said user-definable geographic limits based upon a transition between two obtained geographic tracking data for said tracking device which cross said substantially closed shape represented by said programmable geographic data defined boundaries and a respective geographic data defined boundary for said hierarchically classified map; and
,automatically issuing an alert message based upon said tracking device transit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer readable medium containing programming instructions for the dynamic monitoring and display of tracking device data on a monitor, said tracking device data generated by one of a plurality of tracking devices which each transmit, via GPS, GPRS or GSM communications channels, at least tracking device identification (id) data, geographic location or locus data for said tracking device, event code or message data and event time data, the programming instructions for the computerized dynamic display of tracking device data comprising:
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compiling a series of displayable maps, said maps displayable on said monitor, said series of maps hierarchically classified with regional, state and city geographic data defined boundaries and further classified as a site or yard map with site or yard geographic data defined boundaries; accepting user-definable geographic limits, represented by programmable geographic data defined boundaries, said user-definable geographic limits having a substantially closed shape, said user-definable geographic limits displayed as an overlay on said displayable maps; obtaining geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device correlated to said tracking device id data; determining when said geographic tracking data for said tracking device transits over said substantially closed shape of said user-definable geographic limits based upon a transition between two obtained geographic tracking data for said tracking device which cross said substantially closed shape represented by said programmable geographic data defined boundaries and a respective geographic data defined boundary for said hierarchically classified map; and
,automatically issuing an alert message based upon said tracking device transit. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A computerized tracking system operable with a plurality of tracking devices which each transmit, via GPS, GPRS or GSM communications channels, at least tracking device identification (id) data, geographic location or locus data for said tracking device, event code or message data and event time data, said computerized tracking system having a dynamic display of tracking device data for a monitor, comprising:
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a data structure with a series of compiled displayable maps, said maps displayable on said monitor, said series of maps hierarchically classified with regional, state and city geographic data defined boundaries and further classified as a site or yard map with site or yard geographic data defined boundaries; a user-definable mapping tool for setting user-definable geographic limits, represented by programmable geographic data defined boundaries, said user-definable geographic limits having a substantially closed shape, said user-definable geographic limits overlaid and displayed as an overlay on said displayable maps; a communications port, coupled to said communications channels, accepting geographic tracking data representing said locus data for said tracking device correlated to said tracking device id data; a processor, coupled to said data structure, determining when said geographic tracking data for said tracking device transits over said substantially closed shape of said user-definable geographic limits based upon a transition between two obtained geographic tracking data for said tracking device which cross said substantially closed shape represented by said programmable geographic data defined boundaries and a respective geographic data defined boundary for said hierarchically classified map; and
,an output generator automatically issuing an alert message based upon said tracking device transit. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification