Multi-user global position tracking system and method

• US 6,838,998 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eworldtrack, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, William W., Smith, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/497,733
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/825.36, 340/5.61, 340/539, 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/988, 340/989, 701/213, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/539.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child

Abstract

An Internet based personal tracking system for tracking the position of a portable location unit by a remote user comprising a web host connected to the Internet having a computer storage medium, a portable location unit having a processor for receiving geo-position information, and generating geo-position data representing the position of said location unit, a transceiver included in said location unit for transmitting said position signal to said web host in response to a call signal being received from said web host, a power supply for supplying power to said processor and said transceiver; and a computer program residing on said web host having an input module for receiving a tracking request signal from the remote user via the Internet, a processing module for processing said tracking request signal, and a communication module for initializing communication with said location unit in response to tracking said request signal, and a location module for outputting said call signal to said location unit and for receiving said geo-position data from said location unit; and a display module for outputting said position dataset to the remote user via the Internet for display of the location unit'"'"'s position at the remote user'"'"'s site.

Claims

1. An Internet based personal tracking system for tracking the position of a portable location unit which transmits position data representing the geographical position of the unit, wherein the system may be accessed by a remote user from a remote terminal and comprises:

a web host connected to the Internet having a computer readable medium;

a computer program residing on said web host having a set of computer readable instructions which include;

input instructions for receiving a tracking request signal from the remote user via the Internet, said tracking request having a location unit identification;

processing instructions for receiving said tracking request signal and processing and routing said tracking request signal;

communication instructions initializing wireless communication with the location unit;

location instructions responsive to said processing instructions for generating a position call signal and outputting said call signal to the location unit and for receiving said position data from said location unit, and

a display module for outputting said position data for display of the location unit'"'"'s position by the remote user via the Internet; and

error instructions for processing a no communication signal when communications fail between said web host and the location unit; and

generating a no communication signal outputted from said web host to said remote user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer readable instructions include

formatting instructions for formatting said position data into a display map of the current position of the location unit, and display instructions for outputting said map to the remote user via the Internet.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said display map includes a position indicator indicating the current position.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said tracking request signal includes a unit ID number, and said computer readable instructions include:

validation instructions for comparing said unit ID number to an access code stored on said web host; and

said instructions allowing said input instructions to generate said call signal only when said unit ID number corresponds to an authorized access code.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said error instructions include means to generate a no data signal in response to said location instructions failing to receive said position data from said location unit;

and display instruction outputting said no data signal from said web host to said remote user.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said input instructions are contained in an input module, said communications instructions are contained in a communications module, said location instructions are contained in a location module, and said display instructions are contained in a display module;

and including a main processing module for calling said communication, location, and display modules to carry out their respective instructions.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said validation instructions are contained in a validation module called by said main module.

8. A computerized system for determining the location of a portable location unit wherein a system subscriber maintains a remote computer terminal, said system comprising:

a web host connected to a wide area web network, said web host having a computer readable medium;

a location unit for being carried by one of an individual and other moving object for calculating the location of the unit at any given time and transmitting a low power digital location data packet having location data, wherein the data packet includes only protocol data, a personal code number as an identifier, and GPS data, including latitude and longitude; and

a computer program having instructions embodied in computer readable code residing on said web host for receiving a tracking request from the subscriber, transmitting a tracking call to said location unit, receiving back the low power digital location data packet having location data from said location unit representing the current position of the unit automatically in response to said tracking request, and transmitting the location data regarding the current position of the unit to said subscriber whereby the location of the unit is displayed at the subscriber'"'"'s terminal.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said location unit includes a transceiver for transmitting said low powered digital location data packet to said subscriber'"'"'s terminal;

and

a processor for controlling said transceiver to generate and transmit said location data packet in response to automatically answering said tracking request from said web host; and

a power supply for supplying power to said processor and said transceiver.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said program includes instructions to return said processor to a standby power mode after said transceiver has transmitted said location data packet to said subscriber'"'"'s terminal.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said transceiver transmits said location data packet without any accompanying audio voice signal.

12. The system of claim 11 including an auxiliary power supply for supplying power to the processor and transceiver when said main power supply to insufficient to transmit said signal.

13. A system for determining the geographical location of a portable location unit carried by one of an individual and other moving object by a system subscriber to whom the location unit is assigned wherein said location unit calculates the location of the unit at any given time, wherein said location unit includes a processor and transmitter to transmit a low power digital location data packet having location data, and a memory for storing a plurality of previous position readings, said processor operative for automatically retrieving position readings stored in memory upon receipt of a tracking request, said system comprising:

a web host connected to a wide area web network, said web host having a computer readable medium;

said web host being accessible by the subscriber from a remote computer terminal;

a computer program residing on said web host for receiving a tracking request from the subscriber and transmitting a tracking call to the location unit; and

said computer program including instructions embodied in computer readable code for automatically transmitting said tracking call, receiving the lower power digital location data packet having location data, including retrieved position readings stored in memory, from the location unit in response to said tracking call, and transmitting location data regarding the current position of the unit to the subscriber'"'"'s terminal where the current location of the unit is displayed and a prior path or track of the location unit.

14. A method of locating a portable location unit carried by one of an individual and, other moving object by system subscribers having a computer terminals with a display, said method comprising:

providing a web host connectable to a plurality of the subscriber'"'"'s computer terminals concurrently;

providing a plurality of location units assigned to respective system subscribers;

receiving a tracking request at said web host initiated at one of the subscriber'"'"'s terminal seeking the present location of the assigned location unit;

transmitting a tracking call to the location unit whose location is desired in response to receiving said tracking request;

receiving a low power digital location data packet having location, wherein the data packet includes only protocol data, a personal code number as an identifier, and GPS data, including latitude and longitude, data at said web host from the location unit representing the current location of the unit in response to said tracking call; and

transmitting said location data to the computer terminal of the subscriber for display of the current location of the unit on the subscriber'"'"'s terminal display.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising the steps of:

receiving a subscriber'"'"'s access code entered by the subscriber;

providing a database of valid access codes stored on said web host;

comparing said subscriber'"'"'s access code to said database of valid access code on said web host; and

,

allowing input of said tracking request on said web host only upon discovering a match between said subscriber'"'"'s access code and said valid access codes within said database.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

receiving on the web host a history of position points from said location unit;

formatting said position points on said web host into a tracking path representing the history of travel of said location unit; and

,

outputting said travel path from said web host to the subscriber'"'"'s terminal via the Internet.

17. A method of locating a portable location unit carried by one of an individual and other moving object, said method comprising:

establishing a subscription to a web host accessible from a subscriber'"'"'s computer terminal;

assigning a location unit to the subscriber wherein said location unit includes a processor and transmitter operable for transmitting a low power digital location data packet having location data, and a memory for storing a plurality of previous position readings, said processor operative for automatically retrieving position readings stored in memory upon receipt of a tracking request;

receiving a tracking request initiated at said subscriber'"'"'s terminal at said web host whereby a tracking call is transmitted from said web host to the location unit assigned to the subscriber, and a low power digital packet having location data representing the location of the vehicle is received from the location unit by said web host; and

transmitting said location data, including retrieved position readings stored in memory to said subscriber'"'"'s terminal so that the location of the unit may be displayed on the subscriber'"'"'s terminal display or a prior path or track of the location unit.

18. In an Internet based system for tracking the location of one of an individual and other moving object wherein the system includes a web host and a system subscriber who maintains a remote subscriber computer terminal, a portable location unit comprising:

an enclosure;

a GPS location chip carried within the enclosure for receiving raw Geo-position information;

a processor included in said location unit for automatically processing said raw Geo-position information to generate a low power digital location data packet which includes protocol data, a personal code number as an identifier, and GPS location data in response to a tracking call;

a low power transceiver receiving the tracking call from the web host for transmitting said low power digital location data packet to said web host, said low power transceiver having a capacity for transmitting only digital data without any audio component;

a processor controlling said transceiver to transmit said location data packet in response to automatically answering said tracking call from said web host; and

a power supply for supplying power to said processor and low power transceiver.

19. The location of claim 18 wherein said processor controls said transceiver to return to the standby power mode after transmitting said data packet.