REAL-TIME TRACKING OF DIGITAL CAMERAS AND WIRELESS CAPABLE DEVICES

• US 20110231092A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuo, Hanchang, Masli, Hans
• Application Number:
  US12/727,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231092A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A portable device such as a camera comprises a wireless tracking unit for tracking the position of the portable device utilizing wireless internet technologies. When enabled, the portable device automatically determines its global position and uploads the position to a tracking server where the position data is saved in a position database. The position data is able to then be accessed at any time by a specified group comprising the user and any specified friends or family of the user upon accessing the tracker server from a personal computer or their portable devices. As a result, members of the specified group are able to track each other'"'"'s real-time locations and history of locations throughout the world.

Claims

1. A system for tracking the location of a portable device comprising:

a portable device having a tracker unit, wherein the tracker unit periodically determines and stores location and identification data of the portable device; and

a tracker server having a user database, wherein the location and identification data is automatically sent from the portable device to the tracker server when the portable device is in communication with a wireless network and the tracker server stores the location and identification data in the user database;

wherein the portable device is in communication with the tracker server via the wireless network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device is a camera.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the location and identification data is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to the data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless network comprises one or more WiFi, subscription based or cellular networks.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracker server sorts the location data in the user database based on the identification data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device further comprises a tracking disable feature that allows the user to prevent the portable device from sending the location data to the tracking server.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the location data comprises one or more sets of a longitude, a latitude and a time.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the portable device is configured to send image data to the tracker server wherein the tracker server stores the image data in the user database based on the identification data.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the portable device further comprises a display, and wherein the tracker unit displays the location data on the display by indicating one or more positions of the portable device on a map.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the tracker unit further displays links to the image data on the display such that the image data is able to be displayed on the display by following the links.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a user profile database, wherein a user registers user profile information with the tracker server and the tracker server stores the user profile information in the user database based on the identification data.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user profile information comprises any combination of a username, a password, a group list and avatar data.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the group list comprises one or more pre-registered subscribers, wherein the subscribers access the tracker server through one or more wireless capable devices.

14. A portable device comprising:

a tracker unit, wherein the tracker unit periodically determines and stores location and identity data of the portable device, wherein the portable device is configured to communicate with a tracker server having a user database via a wireless network, and further wherein the location and identification data is automatically sent from the portable device to the tracker server when the portable device is in communication with the wireless network, wherein the tracker server stores the location and identification data in the user database.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the portable device further comprises a tracking disable feature that allows the user to prevent the portable device from sending the location data to the tracking server.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the location and identification data is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to the data.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the wireless network comprises one or more WiFi, subscription based or cellular networks.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the tracker server sorts the location data in the user database based on the identification data.

19. The device of claim 14 wherein the portable device is a camera.

20. The device of claim 14 wherein the location data comprises one or more sets of a longitude, a latitude and a time.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein the portable device is configured to send image data to the tracker server wherein the tracker server stores the image data in the user database based on the identification data.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the portable device further comprises a display, and wherein the tracker unit displays the location data on the display by indicating one or more positions of the portable device on a map.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the tracker unit further displays links to the image data on the display such that the image data is able to be displayed on the display by following the links.

24. The device of claim 23 further comprising a user profile database, wherein a user registers user profile information with the tracker server and the tracker server stores the user profile information in the user database based on the identification data.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the user profile information comprises any combination of a username, a password, a group list and avatar data.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the group list comprises one or more pre-registered subscribers, wherein the subscribers access the tracker server through one or more wireless capable devices.

27. A method of wirelessly tracking a portable device comprising:

periodically determining and storing location and identification data of a portable device having a tracker unit with the tracker unit; and

automatically sending the location and identification data to a tracker server having a user database when the portable device is in communication with a wireless network, wherein the tracker server stores the location data in the user database.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the portable device is a camera.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the portable device further comprises a tracking disable feature that allows the user to prevent the portable device from sending the location data to the tracking server.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the location and identification data is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to the data.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the tracker server sorts the location data in the user database based on the identification data.

32. The method of claim 27 the wireless network comprises one or more WiFi, subscription based or cellular networks.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the location data comprises one or more sets of a longitude, a latitude and a time.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising sending image data from the portable device to the tracker server wherein the tracker server stores the image data in the user database based on the identification data.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the portable device further comprises a display, and the method further comprises displaying the location data on the display by indicating one or more positions of the portable device on a map.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising displaying links to the image data on the display such that the image data is able to be displayed on the display by following the links.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising registering user profile information with the tracker server and the tracker server storing the user profile information in the user database based on the identification data.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the user profile information comprises any combination of a username, a password, a group list and avatar data.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the group list comprises one or more pre-registered subscribers, wherein the subscribers access the tracker server through one or more wireless capable devices.

40. A tracker server comprising:

a user database, wherein the tracker server is configured to communicate with a portable device having a tracker unit, wherein the tracker unit periodically determines and stores location and identification data of the portable device, and further wherein the location and identification data is automatically sent from the portable device to the tracker server when the portable device is in communication with a wireless network and the tracker server stores the location and identification data in the user database, wherein the portable device is in communication with the tracker server via the wireless network.

41. The server of claim 40 wherein the portable device is a camera.

42. The server of claim 40 wherein the portable device further comprises a tracking disable feature that allows the user to prevent the portable device from sending the location data to the tracking server.

43. The server of claim 40 wherein the location and identification data is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to the data.

44. The server of claim 40 wherein the wireless network comprises one or more WiFi, subscription based or cellular networks.

45. The server of claim 40 wherein the tracker server sorts the location data in the user database based on the identification data.

46. The server of claim 40 wherein the location data comprises one or more sets of a longitude, a latitude and a time.

47. The server of claim 46 wherein the portable device is configured to send image data to the tracker server wherein the tracker server stores the image data in the user database based on the identification data.

48. The server of claim 47 wherein the portable device further comprises a display, and wherein the tracker unit displays the location data on the display by indicating one or more positions of the portable device on a map.

49. The server of claim 48 wherein the tracker unit further displays links to the image data on the display such that the image data is able to be displayed on the display by following the links.

50. The server of claim 49 further comprising a user profile database, wherein a user registers user profile information with the tracker server and the tracker server stores the user profile information in the user database based on the identification data.

51. The server of claim 50 wherein the user profile information comprises any combination of a username, a password, a group list and avatar data.

52. The server of claim 51 wherein the group list comprises one or more pre-registered subscribers, wherein the subscribers access the tracker server through one or more wireless capable devices.