METHOD, DEVICE ARRANGEMENT, TERMINAL AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE PRODUCT FOR DISTRIBUTING TELEMATIC DATA OF MOVING OBJECT

• US 20090305724A1
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tracker Oy (Open Air Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Tracker Oy (Open Air Group AB)
• Inventors: LOHI, Hannu
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A positioning method, a tracker'"'"'s terminal (13), a positioning arrangement and a computer software product for tracking an object (11a), such as a dog. The method uses GPS positioning. The GPS position information of the object (11a) is transmitted through either a circuit switched digital radio network (10b) or an analogue radio link to the tracker'"'"'s terminal (13). The tracker'"'"'s terminal includes a software application via which the received position information can, when desired, be transmitted though a packet switched network (10a) to at least one other tracker'"'"'s terminal (22, 23).

Claims

1. A method for distributing telematic data sent by an object, in which method:

the object is positioned;

the telematic data sent by the object is received with a tracker'"'"'s terminal through a point-to-point radio connection;

position information contained in the telematic data received from the object is displayed on the display of the tracker'"'"'s terminal;

it is checked in the tracker'"'"'s terminal if the received position information is set to be forwarded, and

the received position information of the object is forwarded through a packet switched network to at least one other terminal if the position information of the object is set to be distributed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein it is determined in the terminal whether also the position information of the terminal itself is distributed with at least one other terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object is positioned by means of satellite positioning.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information of the object is transmitted in a circuit switched network by means of a text message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is distributed by transmitting it from the terminal to a server connected to a packet switched network, which server transmits the position information of the object to the terminal that requested for it.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is sent from the tracker'"'"'s terminal through a packet switched network to the other terminal that requested the position information.

18. A data storage medium encoded with software readable by a data processing device for executing all the steps of the method defined in claim 1 when said software is run on a processor.

7. An arrangement of positioning an object comprising:

an object having a combined satellite positioning and data transmission device suited for a point-to-point radio connection and configured to send telematic data to a tracker'"'"'s terminal through a point-to-point radio connection and

the tracker of the object having;

both a terminal operating through point-to-point radio connection; and

a terminal operating through a packet switched data transmission link, equipped with a display and to which the position data of the satellite locator are configured to be transmitted through a point-to-point radio connection

the tracker'"'"'s terminal comprising;

means for setting the received position information to be distributed with at least one other terminal; and

means for forwarding the received position information of the object through a packet switched network to at least one other terminal, if the position information of the object is set to be distributed.

8. The positioning arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the position information is arranged to be transmitted through point-to-point radio connection by means of a text message or a data call.

9. The positioning arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the position information is configured to be sent from a tracker'"'"'s terminal to a server connected to a packet switched network, which server is configured to forward the position information of the object to the terminal that requested for it.

10. The positioning arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the position information is configured to be sent from the tracker'"'"'s terminal through a packet switched network to the terminal that requested the position information.

11. The positioning arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the used packet switched network is a GPRS network.

12. The positioning arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the used point-to-point radio connection is either a communications link established through a GSM network or a direct radio link.

20. The positioning arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the used packet switched network is a GPRS network.

13. A terminal of a radio network comprising:

a receiver for receiving telematic data of an object to be tracked received through a point-to-point radio connection

a processor unit for checking if the position information contained in the telematic data is configured to be distributed to at least one other terminal; and

a transmitter for forwarding the received position information contained in the telematic data of the object through a packet switched network to at least one other terminal.

14. The terminal according to claim 13, which further comprises means for distributing the position information of the terminal itself.

15. The terminal according to claim 13, which comprises means for selecting the position information to be distributed by means of a user interface of the terminal.

16. The terminal according to claim 13, which further comprises means for sending the position information to a server.

17. The terminal according to claim 13, which further comprises means for sending the selected position information through a packet switched network to at least one other terminal

19. The terminal according to claim 14, which comprises means for selecting the position information to be distributed by means of a user interface of the terminal.