Method and system for tracked device location and route adherence via geofencing

• US 7,164,986 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2004
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CalAmp Wireless Data Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MCI LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Humphries, Laymon Scott, Ngo, Huey-Jiun
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/758,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701200-202, 701207-214, 340/425, 340/426.1, 340/426.11, 340/426.12, 340/426.16, 340/426.18, 340/426.19, 340/426.22, 340/438, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/825.36, 340/357.07, 340/995.21, 342/357.06, 342/357.07
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A device tracking location adherence and route adherence technology, is disclosed that at least provides a tracked device receiving, a set of coordinates associated with a boundary area, and obtaining a position of the tracked device. Based upon the received coordinates and the detected position of the tracked device, a determination is made as to whether the tracked device is located inside the boundary area or outside the boundary area. An alert signal is then generated and transmitted if the result of the determining is different from an immediately previous obtained result. The system allows, for example, drastic reduction in the amount of data traffic required within a system since the tracked device performs much of the necessary processing. This is especially advantageous where a fleet of tracked devices are employed within a network.

Claims

1. A method for performing location analysis within a tracked device, comprising:

receiving, at the tracked device, a set of coordinates associated with a boundary area;

obtaining, at the tracked device, a position of the tracked device;

determining, based upon the received coordinates and the detected position of the tracked device, whether the tracked device is located inside the boundary area or outside the boundary area, wherein the set of coordinates include a hysteresis value that adds a predetermined area to the outer periphery of the boundary area once the tracked device is determined to be inside the boundary area; and

generating and transmitting an alert signal if the result of the determining step is different from an immediately previous result obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary is a geo-fence boundary comprising a combination of circles and polygons.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert signal is an exit alert if the result is that the tracked device is located outside the boundary area and the previous result is that the tracked device is located inside the boundary area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert signal is an entry alert if the result is that the tracked device is located inside the boundary area and the previous result is that the tracked device is located outside the boundary area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating and transmission of an alert signal will not occur until the location of the tracked device is determined to be outside the added predetermined area on the periphery of the boundary area.

6. A method for performing route progress analysis within a tracked device, comprising:

receiving, at the tracked device, a plurality of sets of coordinates associated with a plurality of boundary areas, wherein the plurality of sets of coordinates have a predetermined order; and

obtaining, at the tracked device, a position of the tracked device;

determining, based upon the predetermined order of the sets of coordinates and the detected position of the tracked device, whether the tracked device is progressing through the plurality of boundary areas in accordance with the predetermined order, wherein the coordinates include a hysteresis value that adds a predetermined area to the outer periphery of the boundary areas once the tracked device is determined to be inside the boundary areas; and

generating and transmitting an alert signal if the tracked device is not progressing though the in accordance with the predetermined order.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the boundary areas are geo-fence boundaries comprising a combination of circles and polygons.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein an alert is generated if, at the time of an initial determination of progress, the tracked device is not located in the first boundary area.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating an alert message if the last geofence boundary in the predetermined order has been entered.

10. A method of remotely tracking a tracked device, comprising:

receiving boundary information;

sending said boundary information to the tracked device;

receiving an alert from the tracked device regarding the location of the tracked device, wherein the boundary information includes coordinates that define geo-fence boundaries comprising a combination of circles and polygons, the boundary information further includes a hysteresis value specifying a buffer area to the boundaries.

11. A tracked device for performing location analysis, comprising:

means for receiving a set of coordinates associated with a boundary area; and

means for obtaining a position of the tracked device and storing the position;

means for determining, based upon the received coordinates and a detected position, whether the tracked device is located inside the boundary area or outside the boundary area, wherein the set of coordinates include a hysteresis value that adds a predetermined area to the outer periphery of the boundary area once the tracked device is determined to be inside the boundary area; and

means for generating and transmitting an alert signal if the result is different from an immediately previous result obtained.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the boundary is a geo-fence boundary comprising a combination of circles and polygons.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert signal is an exit alert if the result is that the tracked device located outside the boundary area and the previous result is that the tracked device is located inside the boundary area.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert signal is an entry alert if the result is that the tracked device is located inside the boundary area and the previous result is that the tracked device is located outside the boundary area.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating and transmission of an alert signal will not occur until the location of the tracked device is determined to be outside the added predetermined area on the periphery of the boundary area.

16. An apparatus for performing route progress analysis within a tracked device, comprising:

means for receiving, at the tracked device, a plurality of sets of coordinates associated with a plurality of boundary areas, wherein the plurality of sets of coordinates have a predetermined order; and

means for obtaining, at the tracked device, a position of the tracked device and storing the position in a database;

means for determining, based upon the predetermined order of the sets of coordinates and the detected position of the tracked device, whether the tracked device is progressing through the plurality of boundary areas in accordance with the predetermined order, wherein the coordinates include a hysteresis value that adds a predetermined area to the outer periphery of the boundary areas once the tracked device is determined to be inside the boundary areas; and

means for generating and transmitting an alert signal if the tracked device is not progressing though the in accordance with the predetermined order.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the boundary areas are geo-fence boundaries comprising a combination of circles and polygons.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein an alert is generated if, at the time of an initial determination of progress, the tracked device is not located in the first boundary area.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for generating an alert message if the last geofence boundary in the predetermined order has been entered.

20. An apparatus for remotely tracking a tracked device, comprising:

means for receiving boundary information;

means for sending said boundary information to a tracked device;

means for receiving an alert from the tracked device regarding the location of the tracked device, wherein the boundary information includes coordinates that define geo-fence boundaries comprising a combination of circles and polygons, the boundary information further includes a hysteresis value specifying a buffer area to the boundaries.