PERMISSIONS-BASED TRACKING OF VEHICLE POSITIONS AND ARRIVAL TIMES

• US 20150168168A1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buswhere, LLC
• Original Assignee: Buswhere, LLC
• Inventors: KUSTANOWITZ, Jacob D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,640,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking a vehicle may use a mobile device associated with a tracking account, a server, and one or more client devices associated with one or more users. The mobile device may be configured to receive a location update from a location service and transmit data associated with the location update over a network. The server may be configured to receive the data associated with the location update from the mobile device, map the location update to a predefined route comprising one or more predefined stops to generate a route update, and transmit data associated with the route update over a network. The one or more client devices may be configured to receive the data associated with the route update from the sever. Access to the route update may be limited to a pre-authorized set of the one or more users associated with the tracking account.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a vehicle comprising:

a mobile device associated with a tracking account and the vehicle, the mobile device being configured to receive a location update from a location service and transmit data associated with the location update over a network;

a server configured to receive the data associated with the location update from the mobile device, map the location update to a predefined route comprising one or more predefined stops to generate a route update, and transmit data associated with the route update over a network; and

one or more client devices associated with one or more users, the one or more client devices being configured to receive the data associated with the route update from the sever, wherein access to the route update is limited to a pre-authorized set of the one or more users associated with the tracking account.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined route comprises two or more predefined stops.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to implicitly define the predefined route by:

receiving a plurality of the location updates from the mobile device; and

recording the predefined route based on the plurality of location updates.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the predefined route is recorded based on the mobile device'"'"'s motion patterns over a period of time.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile device'"'"'s motion patterns are determined using a set of the plurality of the location updates received at least a first time interval apart from one another.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile device'"'"'s motion patterns are determined using a set of the plurality of the location determined to be on different streets from one another.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the predefined route is recorded based on the mobile device'"'"'s stopping patterns over a period of time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device'"'"'s stopping patterns are determined using a set of the plurality of the location updates received at least a second time interval apart from one another.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device'"'"'s stopping patterns are determined using a set of the plurality of the location determined to be at least a first distance from one another.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more client devices or the server is further configured to send a request to a provider to translate the location update into an estimated time of arrival at a location for the mobile device and receive the estimated time of arrival.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the location is one of at least one user defined favorite locations.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more client devices are further configured to share data associated with the location update, the route update, and/or the estimated time of arrival with at least one other one of the one or more client devices over a network.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to determine the predefined route from the location update.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the predefined route is determined by:

comparing the location update to a plurality of routes to identify one or more candidate routes comprising a location similar to the location update;

when one candidate route is identified, assigning the candidate route as the predetermined route;

when more than one candidate route is identified, selecting one of the candidate routes as the predetermined route; and

when no candidate routes are identified, receiving a designation of the predetermined route from the mobile device.

15. A method for tracking a vehicle comprising:

receiving, with a mobile device associated with a tracking account and the vehicle, a location update from a location service;

transmitting, with the mobile device, data associated with the location update over a network;

receiving, with a server, the data associated with the location update from the mobile device;

mapping, with the server, the location update to a predefined route comprising one or more predefined stops to generate a route update;

transmitting, with the server, data associated with the route update over a network; and

receiving, with one or more client devices associated with one or more users, the data associated with the route update from the sever;

wherein access to the route update is limited to a pre-authorized set of the one or more users associated with the tracking account.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predefined route comprises two or more predefined stops.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising implicitly defining the predefined route by:

receiving, with a processor, a plurality of the location updates from the mobile device; and

recording, with the processor, the predefined route based on the plurality of location updates.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predefined route is recorded based on the mobile device'"'"'s motion patterns over a period of time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile device'"'"'s motion patterns are determined using a set of the plurality of the location updates received at least a first time interval apart from one another.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile device'"'"'s motion patterns are determined using a set of the plurality of the location determined to be on different streets from one another.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the predefined route is recorded based on the mobile device'"'"'s stopping patterns over a period of time.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the mobile device'"'"'s stopping patterns are determined using a set of the plurality of the location updates received at least a second time interval apart from one another.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the mobile device'"'"'s stopping patterns are determined using a set of the plurality of the location determined to be at least a first distance from one another.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending, with the one or more client devices or the server, a request to a provider to translate the location update into an estimated time of arrival at a location for the mobile device; and

receiving, with the one or more client devices or the server, the estimated time of arrival.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the location is one of at least one user defined favorite locations.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising sharing, with the one or more client devices, data associated with the location update, the route update, and/or the estimated time of arrival with at least one other one of the one or more client devices over a network.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining, with a processor, the predefined route from the location update.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the predefined route is determined by:

comparing the location update to a plurality of routes to identify one or more candidate routes comprising a location similar to the location update;

when one candidate route is identified, assigning the candidate route as the predetermined route;

when more than one candidate route is identified, selecting one of the candidate routes as the predetermined route; and

when no candidate routes are identified, receiving a designation of the predetermined route from the mobile device.