System and method for presence-based area monitoring

• US 7,202,814 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Caspi, Rami, Beyda, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US10/672,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.07, 342/357.1, 340/426.19
• US Class Current: 342/357.35
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A telecommunications device includes a positioning controller (504) adapted to determine positioning information for said telecommunications device; and a wireless communications controller (502) adapted to receive said positioning information from said positioning controller and cause said positioning information to be transmitted to an associated administration device (104/152; 2-122) when said telecommunications device is determined to be out of a predetermined range.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a positioning controller adapted to determine positioning information for an associated telecommunications device;

a wireless communications controller adapted to receive said positioning information from said positioning controller and cause position-related information to be transmitted to an associated administration device when said associated telecommunications device is determined to be outside of a predetermined location; and

,

an administration device configured to (1) receive said position-related information and derive speed information from said position-related information over a predetermined period, (2) maintain availability rules associated with a user of said associated telecommunications device for contacting said user based on said telecommunications device'"'"'s position-related information and speed information, and (3) contact said user on the basis of the availability rules.

2. A telecommunications system as recited In claim 1, wherein said positioning controller receives Global Positioning System (GPS) signals to determine said positioning information.

3. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 2, wherein said wireless communications controller is a cellular telephone controller.

4. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 2, wherein said wireless communications controller is a personal communications service (PCS) controller.

5. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1, wherein said positioning information is transmitted if said telecommunications device is determined to be outside of said predetermined location at a particular time or date.

6. A telecommunications system as recited in claim 1, wherein said positioning controller is adapted to receive predetermined location information via said wireless communications controller.

7. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a wireless device including a positioning controller and a communications controller for transmitting alerts when said positioning controller determines that said wireless device is outside a predetermined location, wherein said alerts include position-related information; and

,

an administration device for (1) receiving said alerts from said wireless device, (2) determining speed of the wireless device from said position-related information over a predetermined period, (3) maintaining availability rules associated with a user of said wireless device for contacting said user based on the wireless device position-related information and speed, and (4) contacting said user on the basis of the availability rules.

8. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said positioning controller receives global positioning network signals for determining a position of said wireless communications device.

9. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said communications controller comprises a cellular network controller for transmitting on a cellular telephone network to said administration device.

10. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said administration device is adapted to display location information when said wireless device is determined to be outside said predetermined location.

11. A telecommunications system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said predetermined location is associated with one or more of a geographic range, time-of-day range, or date range.

12. A telecommunications method, comprising:

affixing a wireless device to a predetermined object;

programming said wireless device to be in a predetermined location; and

,

transmitting one or more alerting signals to an administration device when said wireless device is determined to be outside said predetermined location wherein said alerting signals include position information; and

,

configuring an administration device to (1) receive said alerting signals, (2) derive speed information from said position information over a predetermined period, (3) maintain availability rules associated with a user of said wireless device for contacting said user based on a position of the wireless device and said speed, and (4) contacting said user on the basis of the availability rules.

13. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said administration device comprises a telephony device.

14. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said one or more alerting signals comprise one or more e-mail signals.

15. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said one or more alerting signals comprise one or more text messaging signals.

16. A telecommunications method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said predetermined location is associated with at least one of geographic range, time-of-day range, or date range.

17. A system, comprising:

a graphical user interface for displaying one or more predetermined locations and allowing a user to select said one or more predetermined locations;

a controller for programming one or more predetermined locations into a wireless communication device,

a wireless communication device including a positioning controller for receiving positioning signals, and a wireless interface for transmitting device positions to an administration device and alerting said administrative device when said wireless communication device is outside said one or more predetermined locations; and

an administration device configured to (1) receive said positions and alerts, (2) determine speed from said positions over a predetermined period, (3) maintain availability rules associated with a user of said telecommunications device for contacting a user of said wireless communication device based on positions and speed of the wireless communication device, and (4) contacting said user on the basis of the availability rules.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein said one or more predetermined location are associated with at least one of geographic range, time-of-day range, or date range.

19. A system in accordance with claim 18, wherein said administration device comprises one or more hardware or software modules.