Object locator

• US 7,324,044 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pfizer Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pfizer Inc.
• Inventors: McAlexander, Joseph C., Fowler, Eugene F., Durst, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/910,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20050073409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.1, 342/357.08, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.55
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 27/009 with electric-shock, sound, magnetic- or radio-waves emitting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

There is disclosed an object locator system for obtaining information about the location of an individual, animal or moveable object, having a lightweight, attached object locator, that is present in a region served by a two-way paging system and a global positioning satellite system. The object locator may be selectively activated to conserve power or enabled to respond only when beyond a boundary.

Claims

1. A method comprising,

wirelessly transmitting, from a transmitter coupled to an animate object, a notification of the animate object violating a predetermined threshold;

wirelessly receiving a request for location data associated with the animate object; and

in response to at least the location request, automatically activating a receiver coupled to the animate object to receive location signals for determining location data associated with the animate object; and

,

automatically deactivating the receiver after determining the location data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining location data associated with the animate object based, at least in part, on the location signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location signals comprise Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) signals.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the request is received from a user device, the method further comprising transmitting the location data to the user device, wherein at least a portion of the transmission is wireless.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the location data comprises location coordinates.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the violation of a predetermined threshold is determined based, at least in part, on location data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request was received from a user device, the notification of the violation is transmitted to the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises at least one of a perimeter, a time, a distance, or an altitude.

9. A method, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a notification of a mobile object violating a predetermined threshold from the mobile object;

wirelessly receiving a request for location data associated with the mobile object; and

in response to at least the location request, automatically activating a receiver in the mobile object to receive satellite signals for determining location data associated with the mobile object; and

automatically deactivating the receiver after determining the location data.

10. The method of claim 9, the predetermined threshold comprising a perimeter, further comprising:

determining location data associated with the mobile object based, at least in part, on the location signals; and

determining a violation of the perimeter based, at least in part on the location data.

11. A portable device comprising,

a transmitter operable to wirelessly transmit a notification of an animate object violating a predetermined threshold;

a first receiver operable to wirelessly receive a request for location data associated with the animate object;

a controller operable to automatically activate, in response to at least the location request, a second receiver operable to receive location signals for determining location data associated with the animate object, and further operable to automatically deactivate the second receiver after determining the location data,

wherein the portable device is coupled to the animate object.

12. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the second receiver is operable to determine location data associated with the animate object based, at least in part, on the location signals.

13. The portable device claim 11, wherein the location signals comprise GPS signals.

14. The portable device of claim 12, wherein the request is received from a user device, the transmitter operable to transmit the location data to the user device.

15. The portable device of claim 12, wherein the location data comprises location coordinates.

16. The portable device of claim 12, wherein the violation of a predetermined threshold is determined based, at least in part, on location data.

17. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the request was received from a user device, the transmitter operable to transmit the notification of the violation to the user device.

18. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the predetermined threshold comprises at least one of a perimeter, a time, a distance, or an altitude.