System and method for monitoring the location of individuals via the world wide web using a wireless communications network

• US 7,283,827 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T BLS Intelectual Property Inc (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meadows, Vernon, Harper, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/784,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20040166879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A system is described for monitoring the geographical location of a subscriber'"'"'s mobile cellular telephone, and for providing the location information to an authorized user through the world wide web. The geographical location of the subscriber'"'"'s mobile cellular telephone is tracked using registration signals transmitted over the control channel by the cellular telephone. This information is supplied to a geographical location coordinator system, which determines the geographical coordinates for the cellular telephone. A database stores the geographical location information along with a subscriber'"'"'s telephone number and account code. The database is updated to track the movement of the cellular telephone user across a geographical area.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the geographical location of individuals within a geographical region from a remote location, comprising:

at least one wireless communications device having a transmitter for continuously transmitting control signals even when the at least one wireless communications device is turned off;

a plurality of receivers located across a geographical region for detecting control signals transmitted by wireless communications devices;

a location processor for determining location information corresponding to the at least one wireless communications device according to the control signals detected by the plurality of receivers; and

an Internet server for providing the location information determined in the location processor pertaining to the at least one wireless communications device to only authorized users through the Internet, wherein the location information is provided on an Internet website accessed by an authorized user on a personal computer.

2. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 1, further comprising a mapping graphical user interface for providing the location information pertaining to the at least one wireless communications device on a mapped display.

3. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 2, further comprising a directory assistance information retrieval directory for providing a name of an item of interest in an immediate vicinity of the location of a wireless communications device.

4. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 1, wherein the location information is provided to an authorized user as a text message on an interactive pager.

5. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 1, wherein the location information is provided as a mapped display, a text message, or an audio message to an authorized user on a mobile cellular telephone.

6. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communications device is a mobile cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, or an interactive pager.

7. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of receivers are cell towers.

8. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 1, wherein the location processor includes a geographical location database.

9. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 8, wherein the geographical location database maintains location information for each wireless communication device sorted by authorized user access code and an authorized user can simultaneously receive location information for a plurality of wireless communication devices associated with the same user access code.

10. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 8, wherein the geographical location database maintains names of items of interest associated with addresses at which the wireless communication devices are located.

11. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 8, wherein the geographical location database maintains a speed of movement by which the wireless communication devices are moved.

12. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is installed within an automobile to continuously transmit location information.

13. The system for monitoring geographical locations according to claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communication device is a cellular telephone that continuously transmits location information to all times.

14. A monitoring system for providing the geographical location of certain individuals with in a geographical region to authorized users at a remote location, comprising:

means for transmitting control signals continuously even when the means for transmitting control signals are turned off wherein each means for transmitting control signals is associated with an individual to be monitored,

means across a geographical region for detecting control signals transmitted by the means for transmitting control signals;

means for determining location information corresponding to at least one means for transmitting control signals according to the control signals detected by the means for detecting control signals; and

means for storing location information and for associating a user access code with each means for transmitting control signals, wherein authorized users receive location information pertaining to each means for transmitting control signals associated with the respective user access code wherein the authorized users receive location information through a website over the Internet.

15. The monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein an authorized user is a parent, and the means for transmitting control signals associated with the access code of the parent are carried by children of the parent.

16. The monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein an authorized user is a dispatcher, and the means for transmitting control signals associated with the dispatcher'"'"'s access code are carried by delivery employees.

17. The monitoring system according to claim 16, wherein the means for storing location information stores information for each means for transmitting control signals pertaining to whether an operator of each means for transmitting control signals is available to perform a delivery.

18. A method for monitoring a geographical location of individuals within a geographical region from a remote location, comprising the steps of:

receiving control signals from wireless communication devices associated with individuals to be monitored, wherein the control signals are transmitted continuously over a wireless network even when the wireless communications devices are turned off;

processing the control signals in a location processor to determine geocoded coordinates representing locations of the individual to be monitored;

providing the locations of the individuals to be monitored to an Internet server according to respective geocoded coordinates; and

providing authorized users access to the Internet server through a website to monitor the geographical locations of individuals, wherein the location processor processes the control signals to determine geographical location information by performing at least one of the following;

comparing signal strength of the control signals received at a plurality of cell towers by triangulation;

determining a closet cell tower and identifying a geographical area associated with the closet cell tower stored in a geographical locations database; and

decoding GPS location information in the control signals.

19. The method of monitoring individuals according to claim 18, wherein the wireless communication devices are carried by the individuals to be monitored.

20. The method of monitoring individuals according to claim 18, wherein the wireless communication devices are installed in automobiles driven by the individuals to be monitored.