METHOD, DEVICE, DEVICE ARRANGEMENT AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR TRACKING A MOVING OBJECT

• US 20090043501A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tracker Oy (Open Air Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Tracker Oy (Open Air Group AB)
• Inventors: Vanhala, Samuli, Lohi, Hannu, Piltonen, Harri
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile

Abstract

The invention relates to a location method, a locating device, a locating arrangement and a computer program for tracking an object, such as a dog. The method utilises GPS locating, the event time of which may be controlled by the user. In addition, the user may define a data transmission network via which location data are primarily communicated to the tracker'"'"'s device. By means of the frequency of measurements and the data transmission network used, the power consumption of the locating device of the object being tracked is minimised.

Claims

1. A locating method of a living, moving object being tracked, in which method:

the object (1) being tracked carries a combined GPS locator and terminal (2) of a cellular network (10)

the tracker of the object uses a tracking device (4, 5, 8) provided with a display to which the location data of the GPS locator are communicated

during tracking, one of the following may be selected for the operation mode of the GPS locator;

tracking at the tracker'"'"'s command (22)

continuous tracking (24)

periodical tracking (23)

area tracking (25)

characterised in that, in the method, for minimising the power consumption of the terminal (2) of the object (1) being tracked, selecting the first capable of data transmission from the following as the transmission mode of location data;

packet-switched data transmission in a cellular network (303)

circuit-switched data transmission in a cellular network (304)

a direct radio connection between the terminal (2) and the tracker'"'"'s device (3, 5) (305) or

using the terminal as a radio bearing transmitter (306).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the tracking at the command of the tracker comprises:

a stage for transmitting a locating command via a cellular network (10) (221) for turning the GPS locator on

performing locating measurement with the GPS device (2), if it is possible to be implemented

setting the GPS locator in stand-by mode and

transmitting the last available locating result via the cellular network (10) to the tracker'"'"'s device (4, 5, 8).

3. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the continuous tracking comprises:

a stage for commencing continuous location by transmitting a command via a cellular network (10) (24) for turning the GPS locator on

performing locating measurement with the GPS device (2), if it is possible to be implemented, and

transmitting the last available locating result via the cellular network (10) to the tracker'"'"'s device (4, 5, 8).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the periodical tracking comprises:

a stage for commencing periodical location by transmitting a command via a cellular network (10) (23) for turning the GPS locator on

performing locating measurement in defined intervals with the GPS device (2), if it is possible to be implemented

setting the GPS locator in stand-by mode for the interval of locating measurements and

transmitting the last available locating result via the cellular network (10) to the tracker'"'"'s device (4, 5, 8).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the area tracking comprises:

a stage for commencing area location by transmitting a command via the cellular network (10) (25) for turning the GPS locator on

performing locating measurement with the GPS device (2), if it is possible to be implemented

setting the GPS locator in stand-by mode if the object being tracked is within a defined area and

transmitting the last available locating result via the cellular network (10) to the tracker'"'"'s device (4, 5, 8), if the locating result is established to be outside the defined geographical data for the object being tracked in the device it carries.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that one of the following may be selected as the packet-switched data transmission mode:

a UMTS/GPRS, an EDGE/GPRS, a GSM/GPRS connection.

7. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that GSM data transmission is used as the circuit-switched data transmission mode.

8. A location arrangement of a living, moving object, in which:

the object (1) being tracked is arranged to carry a combined GPS locator and terminal (2) of a cellular network (10)

the tracker of the object has a tracking device (4, 5, 8) provided with a display in which the location data of the GPS locator are arranged communicatable

during tracking, one of the following is arranged to be selected for the operation mode of the GPS locator;

tracking at the tracker'"'"'s command (22)

continuous tracking (24)

periodical tracking (23)

area tracking (25)

characterised in that, in the location arrangement, for minimising the power consumption of the terminal (2) of the object (1) being tracked, the one first capable of data transmission from the following is arranged as the data transmission mode of location data;

packet-switched data transmission in a cellular network (303)

circuit-switched data transmission in a cellular network (304)

a direct radio connection between the terminal (2) and the tracker'"'"'s device (3, 5) (305) or

the terminal is arranged to be used as a radio bearing transmitter (306).

9. The locating arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that one of the following is the packet-switched data transmission mode:

a UMTS/GPRS, an EDGE/GPRS, a GSM/GPRS connection.

10. The locating arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the tracker'"'"'s device is a terminal (3) of the cellular network (10).

11. The locating arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the tracker (3, 5, 7) is a separate tracking organisation (7) for which the location data of the object (1) are arranged communicatable by the owner of the object (2) being tracked.

12. The locating arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the location data of the object (1) are arranged communicatable to at least two terminals (3, 5) of the cellular network at the same time.

13. A locating device (2) carried by a living, moving object (1) being tracked which comprises:

a terminal of a cellular network

a GPS locator (206) integrated in the terminal

means for selecting one of the following to be used as the tracking mode for minimising the power consumption of the terminal (2);

tracking at the tracker'"'"'s command (22)

continuous tracking (24)

periodical tracking (23)

area tracking (25)

characterised in that, for minimising the power consumption of the terminal (2), the one first capable of data transmission from the following is arranged as the data transmission mode of location data;

packet-switched data transmission in a cellular network (303)

circuit-switched data transmission in a cellular network (304)

a direct radio connection between the terminal (2) and the tracker'"'"'s device (3, 5) (305) or

the terminal is arranged to be used as a radio bearing transmitter (306).

14. The locating device according to claim 13, characterised in that the means for selecting a location mode and a data transmission mode are included in the SIM card of the terminal of the cellular network.

15. The locating device according to claim 13, characterised in that one of the following is the packet-switched data transmission mode utilised by it:

a UMTS/GPRS, an EDGE/GPRS, a GSM/GPRS connection.

16. A computer program product to be installed in a mobile locating device (2), which comprises a terminal of a cellular network and a GPS locator (206) integrated in the terminal, which computer program comprises:

computer program means for selecting one of the following to be used as the tracking mode used in the terminal (2);

tracking at the tracker'"'"'s command (22)

continuous tracking (24)

periodical tracking (23)

area tracking (25)

characterised in that the computer program product additionally comprises computer program means, for minimising the power consumption of the locating device (2), for selecting a first transmission mode capable of data transmission in the following order;

packet-switched data transmission in a cellular network (303)

circuit-switched data transmission in a cellular network (304)

a direct radio connection between the terminal (2) and the tracker'"'"'s device (3, 5) (305) or

converting the terminal to a radio bearing transmitter (306)