Method and system of data collection and mapping from a remote position reporting device

• US 6,857,016 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US09/668,162
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/219, 709224-225
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A computer-implemented system, method, and computer-program product for tracking and mapping a position of mobile object. A global position satellite receiver and information from at least two global position satellites is used to determine a position of a mobile object with the global position satellite receiver. The position of the mobile object is reported via the Internet to a recipient in search of the mobile object. A remote position reporting device of the monitoring system can be part of or attached to any mobile object such as a child, a skier, a car, and expensive items. The remote position reporting device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, monitoring software and an Internet access module. The monitoring software (e.g., a dynamic link library) supports multiple data formats and multiple protocols to communicate the position information. The GPS receiver provides the monitoring software with position information at prescribed times, and the monitoring software records the position information. The monitoring software communicates the position information at prescribed times to a desired party through the Internet access module. The recipient of the position information can provide the information to a mapping software application that identifies the remote position reporting device and the current location of the device on a map. The mapping software can place all the previous position information from the remote position reporting device on the map to show the path of the device. The mapping software can use the services of a POP3 server or an FTP server to obtain position information at any time to map the current location and the past location of the remote position reporting device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented position tracking system, comprising:

means for selecting a destination of position information related to a remotely located device;

means for selecting a data format for the position information;

means for transmitting said position information to said selected destination in said selected data format;

means for receiving said position information from the remotely located device via a wide area network using a protocol; and

means for mapping the received position information as location indicators on a map.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the wide area network comprises the Internet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said protocol comprises one of a store-and-forward protocol and a direct connection protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said protocol comprises one of a file transfer protocol and a simple mail transfer protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said position information comprises historical position information corresponding to a time when said system was inactive; and

said means for mapping further comprises means for mapping the historical information as location indicators on a map.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said location indicators indicate at least one of a current position of said remotely located device and a path taken by said remotely located device.

7. A method for mapping a position of a position reporting device, comprising:

selecting a destination of the position information related to said position reporting device;

selecting a data format for the position information;

transmitting said position information to said selected destination in said selected data format;

receiving said position information from the position reporting device via a wide area network using a protocol; and

mapping the received position information as location indicators on a displayable map.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the wide area network comprises the Internet.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said protocol comprises one of a store-and-forward protocol and a direct connection protocol.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said protocol comprises one of a file transfer protocol and a simple mail transfer protocol.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving historical position information from the position reporting device via a wide area network using a protocol, the historical position information corresponding to past position information of the position reporting device;

mapping the received historical position information as location indicators on a displayable map.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said location indicators indicate at least one of a current position of said position reporting device and a path taken by said position reporting device.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium; and

a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to map a position of a position reporting device, the computer program code mechanism comprising

a first computer code device configured to select a destination of position information related to the position reporting device;

a second computer code device configured to select a data format for the position information; and

a third computer code device configured to transmit the position information to said selected destination in said selected data format via a wide area network using a protocol.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

said third computer code device further comprises a fourth computer code-device configured to transmit historical position information via the wide area network using the protocol, said historical position information corresponding to past position information of the position reporting device.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein:

said computer program code mechanism comprises at least one of a dynamic link library, a static link library, a script, a JAVA class, a C++ class, and a C library routine.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the wide area network comprises the Internet.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said protocol comprises one of a store-and-forward protocol and a direct connection protocol.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said protocol comprises one of a file transfer protocol and a simple mail transfer protocol.