Location sharing and tracking using mobile phones or other wireless devices
First Claim
1. A method for receiving a GPS position from a second wireless device at a first wireless devices, comprising:
- in a first wireless device to which one or more GPS position data bearing packets is addressed, recovering the data of the one or more packets and reassembling the one or more packets;
reading header data of the one or more recovered packets and routing the one or more packets to a GPS position data sharing software application;
in the GPS position data sharing software application decrypting the GPS position data from payload sections of the one or more packets and using header information of the one or more packets to determine an identity of a person whose GPS position data was decrypted and using the decrypted position data to update the displayed position data of the person;
reading GPS position data from a GPS receiver in the first wireless device and encrypting the GPS position data;
encapsulating the GPS position data into payload portions of packets and addressing the packets to the second wireless device; and
transmitting the one or more packets containing GPS position data of the first wireless device to a transceiver in a cell in which the first wireless device is registered.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between wireless devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application and a TalkControl application. The Buddy Watch application communicates with the GPS receiver and other wireless devices operated by buddies registered in the users phone as part of buddy groups or individually. GPS position data and historical GPS position data can be exchanged between cell phones of buddies and instant buddies such as tow truck drivers via a buddy watch server. Emergency monitoring services can be set up with notifications to programmable individuals in case an individual does not respond. Positions and tracks can be displayed. TalkControl simplifies and automates the process of joining talk groups for walkie talkie services such as that provided by Nextel.
336 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for receiving a GPS position from a second wireless device at a first wireless devices, comprising:
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in a first wireless device to which one or more GPS position data bearing packets is addressed, recovering the data of the one or more packets and reassembling the one or more packets; reading header data of the one or more recovered packets and routing the one or more packets to a GPS position data sharing software application; in the GPS position data sharing software application decrypting the GPS position data from payload sections of the one or more packets and using header information of the one or more packets to determine an identity of a person whose GPS position data was decrypted and using the decrypted position data to update the displayed position data of the person; reading GPS position data from a GPS receiver in the first wireless device and encrypting the GPS position data; encapsulating the GPS position data into payload portions of packets and addressing the packets to the second wireless device; and transmitting the one or more packets containing GPS position data of the first wireless device to a transceiver in a cell in which the first wireless device is registered. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus comprising a wireless cell phone, PCS device, Blackberry or other device capable of receiving and making wireless phone calls and having a GPS receiver, and programmed to communicate with a server so as to be able to exchange GPS location data with another wireless cell phone, PCS device, Blackberry or other device capable of receiving and making wireless phone calls such that the locations of individuals or groups can be known.
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4. A method, comprising:
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receiving, at a first device, a request from a second device for a geographic position of the first device; receiving, at the first device, position data corresponding to the geographic position of the first device; and communicating the position data to the second device. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method, comprising:
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receiving at a first device a request from a second device for a geographic position of the first device; receiving, at the first device, first position data corresponding to the geographic position of the first device; communicating the first position data to the second device; and receiving, at the first device, second position data corresponding to the geographic position of the second device.
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9. A system, comprising a server to:
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receive first position data from a first device including an address to a second device; communicate the first position data to the second device based on the address to the second device; receive second position data from the second device including an address to the first device; and communicate the second position data to the first device based on the address to the first device.
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Specification