A METHOD OF GENERATING AN ALERT MESSAGE

• US 20150365796A1
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Georeach Limited
• Original Assignee: Georeach Limited
• Inventors: Toni, Karlheinz
• Application Number:
  US14/764,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration 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 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a method of generating an alert message in a monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of mobile devices registered at a server, the system comprising the server and the plurality of mobile devices registered at the server, the plurality of mobile devices including a first mobile device, the method comprising the steps of: (i) each mobile device acquiring location data; (ii) each mobile device sending the acquired location data to the server via a telecommunications network; (iii) the server storing a time series of location data for each device; (iv) the server extrapolating a location of the first mobile device, and (v) the server generating the alert message which identifies the first mobile device in response to an extrapolated position of the first mobile device satisfying a condition.

Claims

1. A method of generating an alert message in a monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of mobile devices registered at a server, the system comprising the server and the plurality of mobile devices registered at the server, the plurality of mobile devices including a first mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) each mobile device acquiring location data;

(ii) each mobile device sending the acquired location data to the server via a telecommunications network;

(iii) the server storing a time series of location data for each device;

(iv) the server extrapolating a location of the first mobile device, and

(v) the server generating the alert message which identifies the first mobile device in response to an extrapolated position of the first mobile device satisfying a condition.

2. Method of claim 1, wherein the condition is an extrapolated location of the first mobile device entering a Geofence region.

3. Method of any previous claim, wherein the server extrapolates a location of the first mobile device by forming a circle around the present position, the circle having a radius.

4. Method of claim 3, wherein the circle radius is a predefined amount of time multiplied by an assumed speed.

5. Method of any previous claim, wherein the server extrapolates a location of the first mobile device by calculating routes to be covered within a predefined amount of time.

6. Method of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the server extrapolates a location of the first mobile device by calculating routes to get to a predefined position within a predefined about of time.

7. Method of claim 5 or 6, wherein calculated routes are all viable routes.

8. Method of any of claims 5 to 7, the method including the step of the server detecting the mode of travelling of the first mobile device, and using this detected mode in route calculation.

9. Method of claim 8, wherein the mode of travelling is walking, in a vehicle, on a train, or on a bicycle.

10. Method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the mode of travelling is a weighted average.

11. Method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the server extrapolates a location of the first mobile device using historic tracking data.

12. Method of claim 11, including the step of the server detecting the mode of travel of the first mobile device, and using this mode of travel in selecting historic tracking data from a store of historic tracking data.

13. Method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the server extrapolates a location of the first mobile device using historic tracking data to provide a set of paths, each with an associated probability.

14. Method of claim 13 wherein if the predicted paths and time dependences fail to agree with arriving at a particular destination by a particular time, an alert is generated for a user of the first mobile device that they are projected to arrive late at the particular destination by the particular time.

15. Method of any previous claim including the step of an alert being generated if an extrapolated position of the first mobile device is within a predefined distance of a geofenced region.

16. Method of any previous claim including the step of an alert being generated if an extrapolated position of the first mobile device is within a predefined travel time of a geofenced region.

17. Method of any previous claim wherein the first mobile device includes an integral GPS receiver, and location data for the first mobile device corresponds to a GPS location of the first mobile device.

19. Monitoring system of claim 18, arranged to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 17.

23. Computer program product of claim 22, operable to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 17.

18. Monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of mobile devices registered at a server, the system comprising the server and the plurality of mobile devices registered at the server, the plurality of mobile devices including a first mobile device, wherein

(i) each mobile device is arranged to acquire location data;

(ii) each mobile device is configured to send the acquired location data to the server via a telecommunications network;

(iii) the server is configured to store a time series of location data for each device;

(iv) the server is arranged to extrapolate a location of the first mobile device, and

(v) the server is configured to generate an alert message which identifies the first mobile device in response to an extrapolated position of the first mobile device satisfying a condition.

20. The server of claim 18 or 19.

21. The first mobile device of claim 18 or 19.

22. Computer program product embodied on a non-transient storage medium, the computer program product when running on a server operable to generate an alert message in a monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of mobile devices registered at a server, the system comprising the server and the plurality of mobile devices registered at the server, the plurality of mobile devices including a first mobile device, the computer program product operable to:

(i) receive location data acquired by each mobile device and sent to the server via a telecommunications network;

(ii) store at the server a time series of location data for each device;

(iii) extrapolate at the server a location of the first mobile device, and

(iv) generate at the server the alert message which identifies the first mobile device in response to an extrapolated position of the first mobile device satisfying a condition.