Systems and methods for providing notification of a location of a restrained party

• US 6,850,163 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hong Thi, Adamczyk, Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US10/179,815
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.12
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

Systems and methods for notifying a user that a restrained party is within a specified distance of a specified location are disclosed. A method according to the invention includes storing identity data that represents an identity of a restrained party, location data that represents a specified location, and distance data that represents a specified distance from the specified location. A restrained party location signal that represents a current location of the restrained party is received. From the location data and the distance data, a determination is made as to whether the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location. If the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location, an alert is transmitted to one or more contacts.

Claims

1. A system for providing notification of a location of a restrained party, the system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a restrained party location signal that represents a current location of a restrained party;

a data store hosted on a service control point (SCP) in an advanced intelligent network (AIN), said data store containing location data that represents a specified location and distance data that represents a specified distance from the specified location; and

transmission means for sending a message to a service switching point (SSP) in the AIN if the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location, said message causing said SSP to transmit an alert on an associated calling line to one or more pieces of terminating equipment on the calling line.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

determination means for determining from the location signal, the location data, and the distance data whether the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission means causes the SSP to transmit the alert to an authority.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the data store contains data that represents a communication pathway via which the alert can be transmitted to the authority.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission means causes the SSP to transmit the alert to a user-specified contact.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the user-specified contact is a restraining party.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the data store contains data that represents a communication pathway via which the alert can be transmitted to the user-specified contact.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified location is a location associated with a restraining party.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the specified location is a current location of the restraining party.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving a restraining party location signal that represents the current location of the restraining party.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a restraining party location device that is adapted to be worn or carried by the restraining party and to transmit the restraining party location signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the restraining party location device comprises a global positioning system signal receiver that is adapted to receive global positioning signals from each of a plurality of global positioning system satellites.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the specified location is a location corresponding to the restraining party'"'"'s house.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the specified location is a location corresponding to the restraining party'"'"'s place of business.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the specified location is a location specified in a restraining order.

16. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving a restraining party location signal that represents a current location of the restraining party.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a restrained party location device that is adapted to be worn or carried by the restrained party and to transmit the restrained party location signal.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the restrained party location device comprises a global positioning system signal receiver that is adapted to receive global positioning signals from each of a plurality of global positioning system satellites.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the restrained party location signal includes the global positioning signals.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the restrained party location signal includes a longitude and a latitude associated with a location of the restrained party.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface via which a user can provide at least one of the location data and the distance data.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface via which a user can provide data that represents a communication pathway via which the alert can be transmitted.

23. A system for providing notification of a location of a restrained party, the system comprising:

means for determining whether a restrained party is within a specified distance of a specified location; and

means for sending a message to a service switching point (SSP) in an advanced intelligent network (AIN) if the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location, said message causing said SSP to transmit an alert on an associated calling line to one or more pieces of terminating equipment on the calling line.

24. A method for providing notification of a location of a restrained party, the method comprising:

receiving a restrained party location signal that represents a current location of the restrained party;

storing in a data store location data that represents a specified location and distance data that represents a specified distance from the specified location, said data store being hosted on a service control point (SCP) in an advanced intelligent network (AIN);

determining from the location data and the distance data whether the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location; and

sending a message to a service switching point (SSP) in an advanced intelligent network (AIN) if the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location, said message causing said SSP to transmit an alert on an associated calling line to one or more pieces of terminating equipment on the calling line.