CUSTOMIZED LOCATION TRACKING SERVICE

• US 20080133730A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Huh, Mi Young, Han, Jae Cheon, Park, Sun-Ok, Kang, Shin Gak
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments

Abstract

Provided is a method in which a tracker configures a notification condition on the basis of an authorization policy predetermined by a trackee so that a location information server provides a customized location tracking service according to the notification condition. The method includes: (a) registering an authorization policy of a trackee in order to determine whether a location tracking service requested by a tracker will be accepted; (b) configuring a customized location information notification condition by a tracker; (c) requesting the customized location tracking service by the tracker; and (d) providing the customized location tracking service by a location information server on the basis of the configured authorization policy and the customized location information notification condition.

Claims

1. A method of providing a customized location tracking service, comprising:

(a) registering an authorization policy of a trackee in order to determine whether a location tracking service requested by a tracker will be accepted;

(b) configuring a customized location information notification condition by a tracker;

(c) requesting the customized location tracking service by the tracker; and

(d) providing the customized location tracking service by a location information server on the basis of the registered authorization policy and the customized location information notification condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization policy of the trackee comprises:

a policy that accepts only an intermittent location tracking service;

a customized location tracking policy;

a pending policy or non-configuration policy that does not determine an additional authorization policy; and

a policy that rejects the location tracking service,

wherein the customized location tracking service is provided by the location information server on the basis of the location information notification condition only when the authorization policy is configured to the customized location tracking policy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if the authorization policy of the trackee is the policy that accepts only an intermittent location tracking service, the customized location tracking service is terminated after providing an intermittent service for notifying information on the current location of the trackee, and if the authorization policy of the trackee is the policy that rejects the location tracking service, the customized location tracking service is terminated without having to provide an additional service.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein if the authorization policy of the trackee is the pending policy or the non-configuration policy that does not determine an additional authorization policy, in (d), the registration of the authorization policy of the trackee is resumed by additionally inquiring the trackee whether the authorization policy for the tracker will be accepted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information notification condition is a local location information condition and/or a temporal location information condition.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein a local domain is determined by the local location information condition, and/or

wherein the local location information condition is satisfied when the trackee enters and/or leaves the specific area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the temporal location information condition is satisfied when the location information is periodically transmitted, and/or when the location information is transmitted at a specific time slot, and/or when the location information is transmitted at one or more different time points.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the tracker by the location information server prior to the provision of the customized location tracking service on the basis of the determined authorization policy and the location information notification condition after the customized location tracking service is requested by the tracker.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the tracker requests the customized location tracking service, the request further includes authentication information on the tracker in order to authenticate the tracker.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising, prior to the authenticating of the tracker by the location information server, establishing a secure channel between a tracking mobile terminal and the location information server before the authentication information on the tracker is sent from the tracking mobile terminal to the location information server.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the location tracking service is terminated when the authentication on the tracker is not successful.

12. A tracking device requesting a customized location tracking service, comprising:

a notification condition configuration unit that configures a location information notification condition of a trackee;

a service requester that requests a location information server to provide a location information service on the basis of the location information notification condition; and

a service receiver that receives the requested location information service from the location information server.

13. The tracking device of claim 12, further comprising a display unit that displays the received location information.

14. A mobile terminal device used in a location tracking service, comprising:

a notification condition configuration unit that configures a location information notification condition of a trackee;

a service requester that requests a location information server to provide a location information service on the basis of the location information notification condition;

a service receiver that receives the requested location information service from the location information server.

a display unit that displays the notification condition and/or the received service;

a location information receiver that receives a request sent from the location information server to obtain the location information; and

a location information transmitter that transmits the requested location information to the location information server.

15. A location information server providing a customized location tracking service, comprising:

a service request receiver that receives from a tracking device a service request so as to obtain location information on a tracked device;

a notification condition analyzer that analyzes a notification condition requested by the tracking device;

a location information requester that requests the tracked device to provide location information on the basis of the notification condition in response to the service request;

an information receiver that receives the location information from the tracked device; and

a service transmitter that transmits the received location information to the tracking device on the basis of the notification condition.

16. The location information server of claim 15, further comprising a user authentication check unit that checks for authentication information on a tracker.

17. The location information server of claim 15, further comprising a buffer that stores the location information on the tracked device.

18. The location information server of claim 15, further comprising an event controller that allows the location information to be provided only when a specific event occurs, by checking for the notification condition.

19. The location information server of claim 18, wherein the specific event occurs when the location information on the trackee is modified and/or when a time slot configured under the notification condition is over.

20. A system providing a customized location tracking service, comprising:

a tracking device that requests a location information service;

a location information server that wirelessly requests a tracked device to provide location information when the location information service is requested and then provides the location information service on the basis of a notification condition of the tracking device; and

a tracked mobile terminal that provides the location information when the location information server requests the location information.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the tracking device and the location information server communicate with each other by a wired network and/or a wireless network.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein a secure channel is established between the tracking device and the location information server in order to exchange user authentication information.