G.P.S. Management System

• US 20140249731A1
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamrick, Marvin R., Ingman, R.T. Mitchell
• Granted Patent: US 9,734,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

A management system using Global Positioning System receivers for tracking remote units from a central office and quickly and conveniently determining if those remote units have varied from a set of predetermined parameters of operation. The system also includes provisions that allows information to be sent from the remote units to the central office and vice versa. The system also has safety features that promote the rapid dispatch of law enforcement personnel when requests for emergency assistance have been made from the remote units.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

an application that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving, from a unit associated with a vehicle, global positioning data generated using a global positioning system receiver located at the vehicle,

comparing the global positioning system data to a parameter having a range of acceptable values, and

determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a speed of the vehicle;

comparing the speed of the vehicle to a predetermined speed; and

noting an exception if the speed exceeds the predetermined speed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a length of time the vehicle remains in a stationary position;

comparing the length of time to a predetermined stationary time; and

noting an exception if the length of time exceeds the predetermined stationary time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a number of times the vehicle is within a predetermined proximity to a service location;

comparing the number of times to a predetermined number of times; and

noting an exception if the number of times exceeds the predetermined number of times.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a length of time the vehicle is in motion;

comparing the length of time to a predetermined range of windshield times; and

noting an exception if the number of times is outside the predetermined range of windshield times.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining, based upon ignition information obtained using an ignition sensor associated with the vehicle, an ignition time comprising a duration that an ignition of the vehicle is turned on for a predetermined time period;

comparing the ignition time to the length of time; and

noting an exception if the ignition time exceeds the length of time by a predetermined margin.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a distance traveled by the vehicle in a time period;

comparing the distance traveled to a range of travel distances; and

noting an exception if the distance traveled is outside the range of travel distances.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving, via the unit, ignition information obtained using an ignition sensor associated with the vehicle;

determining a time; and

storing information indicating that the time is a start of a shift.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

comparing the start of the shift to a range of start of shift times; and

noting an exception if the start of the shift is outside the range of start of shift times.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at a system comprising a processor, global positioning data generated using a global positioning system receiver located at a vehicle;

comparing, by the system, the global positioning system data to a parameter having a range of acceptable values; and

determining, by the system, that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a speed of the vehicle;

comparing the speed of the vehicle to a predetermined speed; and

noting an exception if the speed exceeds the predetermined speed.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a length of time the vehicle remains in a stationary position;

comparing the length of time to a predetermined stationary time; and

noting an exception if the length of time exceeds the predetermined stationary time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a length of time the vehicle is in motion;

comparing the length of time to a predetermined range of windshield times; and

noting an exception if the number of times is outside the predetermined range of windshield times.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a distance traveled by the vehicle in a time period;

comparing the distance traveled to a range of travel distances; and

noting an exception if the distance traveled is outside the range of travel distances.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, via the unit, ignition information obtained using an ignition sensor associated with the vehicle;

determining a time;

storing information indicating that the time is a start of a shift;

comparing the start of the shift to a range of start of shift times; and

noting an exception if the start of the shift is outside the range of start of shift times.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processor, global positioning data generated using a global positioning system receiver located at a vehicle, wherein the processor is associated with a control center, and wherein the global positioning system data is received from a unit associated with the vehicle;

comparing, by the processor, the global positioning system data to a parameter having a range of acceptable values; and

determining, by the processor, that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a speed of the vehicle;

comparing the speed of the vehicle to a predetermined speed; and

noting an exception if the speed exceeds the predetermined speed.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a length of time the vehicle remains in a stationary position;

comparing the length of time to a predetermined stationary time; and

noting an exception if the length of time exceeds the predetermined stationary time.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that the global positioning data is outside the range of acceptable values comprises:

determining, based upon the global positioning system data, a distance traveled by the vehicle in a time period;

comparing the distance traveled to a range of travel distances; and

noting an exception if the distance traveled is outside the range of travel distances.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, via the unit, ignition information obtained using an ignition sensor associated with the vehicle;

determining a time;

storing information indicating that the time is a start of a shift;

comparing the start of the shift to a range of start of shift times; and

noting an exception if the start of the shift is outside the range of start of shift times.