Wireless remote location system and method

• US 7,349,705 B1
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bryan Holland
• Original Assignee: Bryan Holland
• Inventors: Holland, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US10/268,035
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/500, 455/517, 455/412.2, 455/445, 455/422.1, 455/412.1, 742/357.01, 742/357.06, 742/357.07, 742/357.12, 742/357.13, 709/203, 709/219, 709/202, 709/228, 709/229, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0287 changing the clock frequency of a controller in the equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless subscriber unit for a tracking and locating system and method is disclosed. The locating system provides positional information of remote locator devices in the form of images viewable by subscribers over a network.

Claims

1. A locator system for a portable locator device comprising:

the locator device including

an antenna operable to receive radiolocation signals from a plurality of radiolocation transmitters,

a CPU configured to compute position data based on the radiolocation signals received by the antenna,

a wireless communication interface operable to transmit the position data to a server computer in a periodic manner as directed by the CPU,

a power source operable to provide power to the components of the locator device; and

a computer software program configured to

execute on the server computer,

receive the position data transmitted by the locator device,

receive a request from a client for the position data of the locator device, and

provide the position data to the client in response to the request from the client,

wherein the client receives the position data without any communication between the client and the locator device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the locator device further includes a control interface operable to alternately activate and deactivate the locator device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication interface transmits over a cellular network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication interface transmits over a wireless Internet connection.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer software program is further configured to provide a user interface through the Internet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer software program is further configured to authorize the client before providing the position data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the client is authorized using a username and a password.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the client is authorized using a challenge/response security authentication.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer software program is further configured to provide a graphical representation of the position data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphical representation includes the position data displayed with a map overlay.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphical representation is dynamically updated when the server receives new position data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the locator device further includes a log that stores previously calculated positional data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the CPU is further configured to calculate the speed and direction of the locator device using the calculated position data and the position data stored in the log.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising power saving software executable by the locator device and configured to control the power provided by the power source to the locator device components and reduce the power when the software determines predefined power saving criteria have been met.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the power saving software executes at least one of the power saving measures when the locator device is unable to compute the positional data.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the power saving software calculates a rate of change of the position data and is operable to decrease the frequency of the position data transmission when the rate of change decreases and increase the frequency of the position data transmission when the rate of change increases.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the power saving software is further operable to provide a normal power mode and a power saving mode, the power saving mode providing power saving measures of at least one of reducing the CPU clock speed, decreasing the frequency of position data transmission, providing less power to the components of the locator device, and disabling the components of the locator device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the power saving mode includes running the CPU at half the speed of the highest clock speed.

19. A method for tracking and locating a portable locator device comprising the steps of:

at the portable locator device

receiving a plurality of radiolocation signals from a plurality of radiolocation transmitters;

providing power from a power source;

computing a present location of the locator device using the plurality of location signals;

transmitting the present location from the locating device to a server in a periodic manner through a communication network;

at the server

receiving a request from a client for the present location of the locator device; and

providing the present location to the client,

wherein the client receives the present location without any communication between the client and the locator device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of alternately activating and deactivating the locator device using a control interface.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the communication network is a cellular telephone network.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the communication network is a wireless Internet connection.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of providing the present location is accomplished over the Internet using a computer interface.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of authorizing the client to receive the current location data prior to providing the present location data to the client.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of authorizing uses a username and a password.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of authorizing uses a challenge/response security authentication.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

generating a graphical representation of the present location data; and

providing the graphical representation to the client.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the graphical representation includes the present location data displayed with a map overlay.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of dynamically updating the graphical representation when a new present location is computed.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of storing the previously calculated present location data in a log.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

determining the rate of change of the present location data; and

modifying the frequency of the present location data transmission by decreasing the frequency when the rate of change decreases and increasing the frequency when the rate of change increases.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of determining the speed and direction of the locator device using the calculated present location data and the present location data stored in the log.

33. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of

determining at the portable locator device if a predefined power saving criteria has been met by power saving software in the locating device;

and

controlling the power provided to the locating device if the predefined power saving criteria has been met.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of operating the locator device in a power saving mode, wherein the power saving mode provides power saving measures of at least one of reducing a CPU clock speed, decreasing the frequency of present location data transmission, providing less power to components of the locator device, shutting down components of the locator device, and disabling components of the locator device.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the power saving mode includes running the CPU at half the speed of the highest clock speed.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of operating the locator device in a power saving mode is executed when the step of computing a present location can not be accomplished.

37. A portable locator device comprising:

an antenna operable to receive radiolocation signals from a plurality of radiolocation transmitters;

a CPU configured to compute position data based on the radiolocation signals received by the antenna;

a wireless communication interface operable to transmit the position data in a periodic manner to a server computer configured to provide the position data to a client; and

a power source operable to provide power to the components of the locator device,

wherein the client receives the position data without any communication between the client and the locator device.

38. The portable locator device of claim 37, further comprising a control interface operable to alternately activate and deactivate the locator device.

39. The portable locator device of claim 37, wherein the wireless communication interface transmits over a cellular network.

40. The portable locator device of claim 37, wherein the wireless communication interface transmits over a wireless Internet connection.

41. The portable locator device of claim 37, wherein the locator device further comprises a log that stores previously calculated positional data.

42. The portable locator device of claim 41, wherein the CPU is further configured to calculate the speed and direction of the locator device using the calculated position data and the position data stored in the log.

43. The portable locator device of claim 37 further comprising power saving software configured to control the power provided by the power source to the locator device components and reduce the power when the software determines predefined power saving criteria have been met.

44. The portable locator device of claim 43, wherein the power saving software is further operable to provide a normal power mode and a power saving mode, the power saving mode providing power saving measures of at least one of reducing the CPU clock speed, decreasing the frequency of position data transmission, providing less power to the components of the locator device, and disabling the components of the locator device.

45. The portable locator device of claim 43, wherein the power saving mode includes running the CPU at half the speed of the highest clock speed.

46. The portable locator device of claim 43, wherein the power saving software executes at least one of the power saving measures when the locator device is unable to compute the positional data.

47. The portable locator device of claim 43, wherein the power saving software calculates a rate of change of the position data and is operable to decrease the frequency of the position data transmission when the rate of change decreases and increase the frequency of the position data transmission when the rate of change increases.

48. A computer server for locating and tracking a portable locator device comprising:

a computer configured to

communicate with the locator device over a wireless network,

receive position data transmitted in a periodic manner by the locator device, and

provide position data through a user interface to a client over a network in response to a request from the client free of any communication between the client and the locator device,

wherein the locator device computes the position data based on radiolocation signals transmitted by a plurality of radio-location transmitters received by an antenna.

49. The computer server of claim 48, wherein the user interface is provided through the World Wide Web.

50. The computer server of claim 48, wherein the computer software program is further configured to authorize the client prior to providing the position data.

51. The computer server of claim 50, wherein the client is authorized using a username and a password.

52. The computer server of claim 50, wherein the client is authorized using a challenge/response security authentication.

53. The computer server of claim 48, wherein the computer is further configured to provide a graphical representation of the position data.

54. The computer server of claim 53, wherein the graphical representation includes the position data displayed with a map overlay.

55. The computer server of claim 53, wherein the graphical representation is dynamically updated when the server receives new position data.

56. A locator system for a portable locator device comprising:

the locator device including

an antenna operable to receive radiolocation signals from a plurality of radiolocation transmitters,

a CPU configured to compute position data based on the radiolocation signals received by the antenna,

a wireless communication interface operable to transmit the position data to a server computer in a periodic manner as directed by the CPU,

a power source operable to provide power to the components of the locator device; and

a computer software program configured to

execute on the server computer,

receive the position data transmitted by the locator device,

receive a request from a client for the position data of the locator device, and

provide the position data to the client in response to the request from the client,

wherein the locator device is not provided with information regarding the request for the position data of the locator device.

57. The locator system of claim 56, wherein the locator device is not provided with information regarding the provision of the position data to the client.

58. The portable locator system of claim 56, wherein the client and the locator device are different types of devices.

59. The locator system of claim 56, wherein the computer software is further configured to provide a most recently received position data of the locator device to the client.

60. A method for tracking and locating a portable locator device comprising the steps of:

at the portable locator device;

receiving a plurality of radiolocation signals from a plurality of radiolocation transmitters;

providing power from a power source;

computing a present location of the locator device using the plurality of location signals;

transmitting the present location from the locating device in a periodic manner to a server through a communication network;

at the server;

receiving a request from a client for the present location of the locator device; and

providing the present location to the client in response to the request from the client without contacting the locator device,

wherein the locator device is not provided with any information regarding the request from the client and the provision of the present location to the client.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the present location of the transmitting step comprises a most recently received periodic present location of the locator.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein the client and the locating device are different types of devices.

63. A portable locator device comprising:

an antenna operable to receive radiolocation signals from a plurality of radiolocation transmitters;

a CPU configured to compute position data based on the radiolocation signals received by the antenna;

a wireless communication interface operable to transmit the position data in a periodic manner to a server computer configured to provide the position data to a client in response to a request from the client; and

a power source operable to provide power to the components of the locator device,

wherein the locator device is not provided with any information regarding the request for the position data of the locator device.

64. the portable locator device of claim 63, wherein the server computer is further configured to provide a most recently received position data of the locator device to the client.

65. The portable locator device of claim 63, wherein the client and the locator device are different types of devices.

66. The portable locator device of claim 63, wherein the portable locator device is not provided with any information regarding the provision of the position data to the client.