Location visit detail services for wireless devices

• US 6,847,824 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Contractor, Sunil H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phu, Sanh D.
• Application Number:
  US09/811,632
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/411, 455/457, 455/342, 455/450, 455/357.6, 455/357.9, 455/357.1, 342/357.1, 342/450, 342/357.6, 342/357.9, 705/1, 705/6, 705/9, 701/210, 701/204, 340/992, 340/993
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A location visit detail service, typically provided by a wireless carrier to a subscriber, includes a portable wireless device, a location identification means and a central processor. The central processor periodically receives location data generated by the location identification means. The central processor data transforms the location data into time and position data pairs that identify the location of the portable wireless device at a particular time. Through a geographic information system database, the position data is converted to street address data. The details data is provided by the wireless carrier to the subscriber, which can use the details data to provide a summary report describing the activity of the service person. This summary report can be used for preparation of bills or for gathering statistics on (individual or group) service person efficiency. Alternatively, the wireless carrier can prepare the report that is then transmitted to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A system for tracking service personnel, comprising:

a portable wireless device;

location identification means for acquiring location data of the portable wireless device;

a processor at a wireless service provider for converting positions based on the location data to corresponding street addresses using a database for converting coordinate pairs to street addresses;

a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, each entry in the schedule corresponding to a location to be visited, wherein at least one entry in the schedule comprises a visit duration parameter;

at least one threshold associated with at least one parameter corresponding to a visit to a location, wherein the at least one threshold comprises a time duration threshold and wherein one of the at least one parameters is duration of the visit;

means for determining an actual time duration of a visit to a particular location;

means for comparing the actual time duration with the visit duration parameter associated with the location in the schedule;

means for confirming the visit if the difference between the determined time duration and the time duration parameter is less than or equal to the time duration threshold; and

means for generating a service person track report based on the corresponding street addresses and the threshold.

2. A system for tracking service personnel, comprising:

a portable wireless device;

location identification means for acquiring location data of the portable wireless device;

a processor at a wireless service provider for converting positions based on the location data to corresponding street addresses using a database for converting coordinate pairs to street addresses;

a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, each entry in the schedule corresponding to a location to be visited, wherein at least one entry in the schedule comprises at least a time-of-day parameter;

at least one threshold associated with a parameter corresponding to a visit to a location, wherein the at least one threshold comprises a time-or-day threshold;

means for determining an actual time of day of a visit to a particular location;

means for comparing the actual time of day with the time-of-day parameter associated with the location in the schedule;

means for confirming the visit if the difference between the actual time of day and the time of day parameter is less than or equal to the time-of-day threshold; and

means for generating a service person track report based on the corresponding street addresses and the threshold.

3. A system for tracking service personnel, comprising:

a portable wireless device;

location identification means for acquiring location data of the portable wireless device;

a processor at a wireless service provider for converting positions based on the location data to corresponding street addresses using a database for converting coordinate pairs to street addresses;

a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, each entry in the schedule corresponding to a location to be visited;

at least one threshold associated with a parameter corresponding to a visit to a location, wherein the at least one threshold comprises a distance threshold;

means for determining a distance difference between a particular location actually visited and a location associated with an entry in the schedule;

means for confirming the visit if the distance difference is less than or equal to the distance threshold; and

means for generating a service person track report based on the corresponding street addresses and the threshold.

4. A system for tracking service personnel, comprising:

a portable wireless device;

location identification means for acquiring location data of the portable wireless device;

a processor at a wireless service provider for converting positions based on the location data to corresponding street addresses using a database for converting coordinate pairs to street addresses;

a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, each entry in the schedule corresponding to a location to be visited;

at least one threshold associated with a parameter corresponding to a visit to a location, wherein the at least one threshold comprises a distance threshold;

means for determining a distance difference between a particular location actually visited and a location associated with an entry in the schedule;

means for confirming the visit if the distance difference is less than or equal to the distance threshold;

means for determining at least one additional difference distance between the actual location visited and a location associated with at least one additional entry in the schedule;

an

means for confirming the visit if each of the additional difference distances is less than or equal to the distance threshold; and

means for generating a service person track report based on the corresponding street addresses and the threshold.

5. A method for tracking service personnel, comprising:

providing a portable wireless device to a service person;

acquiring location data of the portable wireless device;

converting positions based on the location data to corresponding street addresses using a database for converting coordinate pairs to street addresses;

creating a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, each entry in the schedule corresponding to a location to be visited, wherein at least one entry in the schedule comprises a visit duration parameter;

selecting a threshold associated with a visit to a location, wherein the threshold corresponds to a time duration;

determining an actual time duration of a visit to a particular location;

comparing the actual time duration with the visit duration parameter associated with the location in the schedule;

confirming the visit if the difference between the actual time duration and the visit duration parameter is less than or equal to the threshold; and

generating a service person track report based on the corresponding street addresses and the threshold.

6. A method for tracking service personnel, comprising:

providing a portable wireless device to a service person;

acquiring location data of the portable wireless device;

converting positions based on the location data to corresponding street addresses using a database for converting coordinate pairs to street addresses;

creating a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, each entry in the schedule corresponding to a location to be visited, wherein at least one entry in the schedule comprises a time-of-day parameter;

selecting a threshold associated with a visit to a location, wherein the threshold corresponds to a time of day;

determining an actual time of day of a visit to a particular location;

comparing the actual time of day with the time-of-day parameter associated with the location in the schedule;

confirming the visit if the difference between the actual time of day and the time-of-day parameter is less than or equal to the threshold; and

generating a service person track report based on the corresponding street addresses and the threshold.

7. A method for tracking service personnel, comprising:

providing a portable wireless device to a service person;

acquiring location data of the portable wireless device;

converting positions based on the location data to corresponding street addresses using a database for converting coordinate pairs to street addresses;

creating a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, each entry in the schedule corresponding to a location to be visited;

selecting a threshold associated with a visit to a location, wherein the threshold corresponds to a distance;

determining a difference distance between an actual visited location and a location associated with an entry in the schedule;

confirming the visit if the difference distance is less than or equal to the threshold; and

generating a service person track report based on the corresponding street addresses and the threshold.

8. A method for tracking service personnel, comprising:

providing a portable wireless device to a service person;

acquiring location data of the portable wireless device;

converting positions based on the location data to corresponding street addresses using a database for converting coordinate pairs to street addresses;

creating a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, each entry in the schedule corresponding to a location to be visited;

selecting a threshold associated with a visit to a location, wherein the threshold corresponds to a distance;

determining a difference distance between an actual visited location and a location associated with an entry in the schedule;

confirming the visit if the difference distance is less than or equal to the threshold;

determining at least one additional difference distance between the actual visited location and a location associated with at least one additional entry in the schedule;

confirming the visit if each of the additional difference distances is less than or equal to the threshold; and

generating a service person track report based on the corresponding street addresses and the threshold.