Instantaneous mobile access to all pertinent life events

• US 7,274,295 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T BLS Intelectual Property Inc (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert, Kreiner, Barrett
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US11/122,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/539.13, 340/825.49, 340/692, 340/691.6, 340/10.1, 340/5.92, 235/375, 235/385, 705/22, 705/28
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A plurality of monitors are linked with a communication network and other communications devices (e.g., cellular phones, satellite phones, Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and any communications device having a digital signal processor (DSP)). The communications network provides access to one or more databases that contain information related to an identification tag attached to an object, information about the object, and/or policies for tracking and communicating information about the object. When combined with a network tracking system, the policies can also set parameters for permissible areas in which the objects can be disposed and for tracking of the objects across the network.

Claims

1. A method for tracking an object, the method comprising:

storing policies regarding the tracking of the object in a database that is accessible across a communications network, the policies comprising instructions for tracking of the object, protocols to search for the object, conditions under which the object is lost, instructions for reporting the object as lost, categorizations of the object, definitions of permissible areas for the object, protocols to communicate a notification message, instructions for communicating the notification message, or combinations thereof; and

tracking the object in accordance with the stored policies using a plurality of monitors that are capable of receiving an identification signal from an identification tag of the object while each monitor is disposed within a selected transmission volume, each monitor in communication with the communications network, the identification tag generating the identification signal and transmitting the identification signal within the selected transmission volume.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications network is a wireless, peer-to-peer network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating tracking information about the object among at least two monitors across the communications network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuously uploading tracking information about the object to the communications network.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

communicating the uploaded tracking information across the communications network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of objects to be tracked; and

associating a unique, distinctive identification tag for each of the selected objects.

7. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded instructions for performing the following:

storing policies regarding the tracking of an object in a database that is accessible across a communications network, the policies comprising instructions for tracking of the object, protocols to search for the object, conditions under which the object is lost, instructions for reporting the object as lost, categorizations of the object, definitions of permissible areas for the object, protocols to communicate a notification message, instructions for communicating the notification message, or combinations thereof; and

tracking the object in accordance with the stored policies using a plurality of monitors that are capable of receiving an identification signal from an identification tag of the object while each monitor is disposed within a selected transmission volume, each monitor in communication with the communications network, the identification tag generating the identification signal and transmitting the identification signal within the selected transmission volume.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, on which is further encoded instructions for performing the following:

communicating tracking information about the object among at least two monitors across the communications network.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, on which is further encoded instructions for performing the following:

continuously uploading tracking information about the object to the communications network.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, on which is further encoded instructions for performing the following:

communicating the uploaded tracking information across the communications network.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, on which is further encoded instructions for performing the following:

selecting a plurality of objects to be tracked; and

associating a unique, distinctive identification tag for each of the selected objects.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, on which is further encoded instructions for performing the following:

storing information about the identification signal in a database that is accessible across the communications network, the information comprising an association between the identification signal for the identification tag and the object having the identification tag, a description of the object, a purchase price for the object, a purchase date for the object, a value for the object, a date of manufacture, an expiration date, a profile of a registered owner of the object, a profile of a registered user of the object, a merchant providing a service for the object, a merchant providing a product related to the object, a calendar associated with the object, or combinations thereof; and

communicating a notification message to a communications device in communications with the communications network, the notification message comprising the information about the identification signal, the notification message further comprising text, graphics, voice, data, or combination thereof.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, on which is further encoded inscriptions for performing the following:

presenting the notification message to the communications device.

13. The computer-readable medium 12, on which is further encoded instructions for receiving tracking information from a monitor.

15. A method for tracking an object, the method comprising:

selecting at least one object to track with a communications device in communication with a communications network;

tracking an object using a plurality of monitors that are capable of receiving an identification signal from an identification tag of the object while each monitor is disposed within a selected transmission volume, each monitor in communication with the communications network, the identification tag generating the identification signal and transmitting the identification signal within the selected transmission volume;

communicating tracking data about the object across the communications network;

storing information about the identification signal in a database that is accessible across the communications network, the information comprising an association between the identification signal for the identification tag and the object having the identification tag, a description of the object, a purchase price for the object, a purchase date for the object, a value for the object, a date of manufacture, an expiration date, a profile of a registered owner of the object, a profile of a registered user of the object, a merchant providing a service for the object, a merchant providing a product related to the object, a calendar associated with the object, or combinations thereof; and

communicating a notification message to the communications device, the notification message comprising the information about the identification signal, the notification message further comprising text, graphics, voice, data, or combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, the communications device comprising a user interface for communicating the information to the communications device and for receiving a user selection for selecting the at least one object to track.