ASSET RECOVERY DEVICE INSTALLATION AND ALERT SYSTEM

• US 20090284367A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3SI Security Systems, Inc. (3SI Holdco, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3SI Security Systems, Inc. (3SI Holdco, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fuller, Richard, Hayward, Roger, Pfafman, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,035,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0238 adding new units to the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method is provided for selectively providing an alert to a user of a tracked asset in an asset recovery system. The method includes activating a tracking device on the tracked asset to generate a report, evaluating the report and a condition based on a home location assigned to the tracking device for generating an alert, creating the alert based on the evaluation of the condition and the report, and sending the alert to the user.

Claims

1. A method of selectively providing an alert to a user of a tracked asset in an asset recovery system, the method comprising:

activating a tracking device on the tracked asset to generate a report;

evaluating the report and a condition based on a home location assigned to the tracking device for generating an alert;

creating the alert based on the evaluating of the condition and the report; and

sending the alert to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the tracking device comprises turning on the tracking device for installation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein evaluating the condition comprises determining that the tracking device is within a boundary of the home location and that the home location is set for an install mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the tracking device in install mode is assigned to the home location and inherits properties of the home location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the tracking device comprises servicing the tracking device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein evaluating the condition comprises determining that the home location assigned to the tracking device is set for a service mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the home location assigned to the tracking device is a region defined by a boundary.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the tracking device comprises removing the tracking device from the home location assigned to the tracking device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein evaluating the condition further comprises confirming that the home location assigned to the tracking device is in a confirmed activation mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the home location associated with the tracking device is in the confirmed activation mode, evaluating the condition comprises confirming that the tracking device is outside of the home location assigned to the tracking device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the report received from the tracking device comprises a location of the tracking device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user receives the alert through a communication device selected from the group consisting of:

a pager, a cell phone, and a personal digital assistant.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user receives the alert through an application selected from the group consisting of:

a web browser, an e-mail application, an Instant Message client program, and an application or applet running on a computer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a person selected from the group consisting of:

a field service technician, law enforcement personnel, and a system monitor.

15. A system of selectively providing an alert to a user of a tracked asset in an asset recovery system, the system comprising:

a tracking device on the tracked asset adapted to generate a report when the tracking device is activated; and

a server to receive the report from the tracking device, wherein the server is adapted to create the alert based on the report and a condition based on a home location assigned to the tracking device, and wherein the server is further adapted to send the alert to the user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the tracking device is further adapted to be activated during an install mode.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the condition comprises the server determining that the tracking device is within a boundary of the home location and that the home location is set by the server for an install mode.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server is further adapted to assign the tracking device in the install mode to the home location such that the tracking device inherits properties of the home location.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the tracking device is further adapted to be activated during a service mode.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the condition comprises the server determining that the tracking device is assigned to the home location set by the server for a service mode.