Method and apparatus for continuously locating an object

• US 6,327,533 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Geospatial Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Geospatial Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Chou, Yue-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/607,876
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/208, 701/212, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/419, 342/457, 455/89, 455/456, 379/58, 235/380, 415/414
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile

Abstract

A method and apparatus for continuously locating moveable objects is presented. In one or more embodiments of the present invention, moving objects can be tracked in real-time anywhere in the world, including inside tunnels. A smart mobile unit in the object receives and uses GPS satellite positioning data when available and relies on its built-in autonomous navigation capability when GPS is invalid to continuously determine its current position in map-ready units. The smart mobile unit transmits the position output, using an automatically selected wireless mode of communication, to a central processing station for map generation and display processing. Authorized clients may log onto the central processing station to view the object or multiple objects from anywhere in the world; all that is required is a computer equipment with a display device and a web browser. The client enters the object identification number for all the objects for which tracking is desired and the central processing station generates a map of the area where the objects are and sends an image of the map to the browser for display. The display is real-time, however, the client may view past history/trajectory of the objects.

Claims

1. A method for continuously locating an object comprising:

obtaining initial position data at an object indicating a location of said object;

determining if said initial data is valid;

processing said initial data in said object to derive filtered position data, wherein said processing occurs when said data is valid;

obtaining inertial data when said initial data is invalid;

using said inertial data to compute new position data at said object;

storing said new position data at said object in a data repository.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said data repository comprises an object history file.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said inertial data comprises data representative of the speed at which said object is moving.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said inertial data comprises data representative of the directional movement of said object.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining said new position data from said data repository;

transmitting said new position data to a processing station via a communication network;

using said filtered position data to generate at said processing station a file representative of said moveable object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said new position data comprises a coordinates representing the location of said object.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said new position data comprises a time and date of the geographical location of said object.

8. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code configured to continuously locate an object comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive at an object data indicating an initial location of said object;

computer readable program code configured to process said location data in said object to derive a first position;

computer readable program code configured to determine if said location data is valid;

computer readable program code configured to obtain inertial data when said location data is invalid;

computer readable program code configured to use said inertial data to associate a second position with said object;

computer readable program code configured to store said second position at said object in a data repository.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein said data repository comprises an object history file.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein said inertial data comprises data representative of the speed at which said object is moving.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said inertial data comprises data representative of the directional movement of said object.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to obtain said second position from said data repository;

computer readable program code configured to transmit said second position to a processing station via a communication network;

computer readable program code configured to use said second position to generate at said processing station a file representative of said moveable object.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said second position comprises a coordinate representing the new location of said object.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein said second position comprises a time and date of the geographical location of said object.