Location sharing and tracking using mobile phones or other wireless devices

• US 7,353,034 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X One Inc.
• Original Assignee: X One Inc.
• Inventors: Haney, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US11/099,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20060223518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/524, 455/412, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/432.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/521, 370/355, 370/479, 370/460, 370/260
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 : Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 : in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 : Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 : Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 : Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 : with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 : User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 : Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 : Inter-network notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 : for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between wireless devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application and a TalkControl application. The Buddy Watch application communicates with the GPS receiver and other wireless devices operated by buddies registered in the users phone as part of buddy groups or individually. GPS position data and historical GPS position data can be exchanged between cell phones of buddies and instant buddies such as tow truck drivers via a buddy watch server. Emergency monitoring services can be set up with notifications to programmable individuals in case an individual does not respond. Positions and tracks can be displayed. TalkControl simplifies and automates the process of joining talk groups for walkie talkie services such as that provided by Nextel.

Claims

1. A method for sending a GPS (Global Positioning System) position data from a first wireless device to one or more second wireless devices, the method comprising:

receiving in the first wireless device a position update request;

looking up addresses of the one or more second wireless devices to which a position update is to be sent;

reading and encrypting GPS information to generate encrypted GPS information;

encapsulating the encrypted GPS information into payload portions of one or more packets in a message protocol format and addressing the one or more packets to the one or more second wireless devices to which position updates are to be sent;

transmitting the packet data to a first transceiver in a first cell in which the first wireless device is registered;

receiving signals containing the packet data and recovering the one or more packets of the packet data at the transceiver;

routing the one or more packets to a central switching unit;

in the central switching unit routing each packet of the one or more packets to one or more transceivers in one or more corresponding cells in which the one or more second wireless devices to which the packet are addressed is registered;

in each of the one or more transceivers which received the one or more packets from the central switching unit, processing the data of the one or more packets to generate radio frequency signals and transmitting the radio frequency signals to the one or more second wireless devices in their corresponding cells;

in the one or more second wireless devices to which the packet is addressed, recovering the packet data of the one or more packets and reassembling the packets;

reading the header data of the one or more packets and routing the one or more packets to a GPS position data sharing software application; and

in the GPS position data sharing software application decrypting the GPS information and using the header information of the one or more packets to determine the identity of a person whose GPS position data was decrypted and using the decrypted GPS information to update displayed position data of the person.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting the packet data to a transceiver in the cell in which the first wireless device is registered, comprises:

disassembling each of the one or more packets into groups of bits of a predetermined size codewords;

interleaving the codewords;

encoding each codeword with a plurality of error detection and correction bits; and

generating symbols to send from the codewords.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the generating symbols to send from the codewords comprises breaking each codeword into groups of bits of a predetermined size a number of bits in each group being dependent upon a modulation scheme.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the generating symbols to send from the codewords comprises breaking each codeword into groups of bits of a predetermined size a number of bits in each group being dependent upon a modulation scheme, and encoding each group of bits in a Trellis encoder.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the GPS position data sharing software application decrypting the GPS position data and using the header information of the packets to determine the identity of the person whose GPS position data was just decrypted and using the decrypted position data to update the displayed position data of the person further comprises:

receiving a map it command from a user of the wireless device;

displaying a map of a geographic area in which positions of the one or more second wireless devices are displayable; and

Lusing the decrypted GPS information to place at least one of a contrasting point and other indicator of the position of the entity which sent the position update.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving in the first wireless device of the position update request comprises receiving a position update request from a timer in the first wireless device that initiates a position update periodically.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving in the first wireless device of the position update request comprises receiving a position update request from a process running on the first wireless device which to compare the current GPS position to the last reported GPS position and generate a position update request whenever the position changes by more than a predetermined amount.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving in the first wireless device of the position update request comprises receiving a position update request from one or more of the second wireless devices.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reading GPS information of a second wireless device which just received a GPS position update and encrypting the GPS information;

putting the encrypted GPS information into payload portions of one or more packets of short message or email protocol format and addressing the one or more packets to the first wireless device;

transmitting the one or more packets to a transceiver in a cell in which the second wireless device is registered;

receiving the signals containing the one or more packets and recovering the one or more packets at the transceiver;

routing the packets to a central switching unit;

in the central switching unit routing each packet of the one or more packets to a transceiver in a cell in which the first wireless device to which the one or more packets is addressed is registered;

in the transceiver which received one or more packets from the central switching unit address to the first wireless device, processing the data of the one or more packets to generate radio frequency signals and transmitting the radio frequency signals to the wireless devices in the cell;

in the first wireless device to which the one or more packets is addressed, recovering the data of the one or more packets and reassembling the one or more packets;

reading the header data of the one or more packets and routing the packets to a GPS position data sharing software application; and

in the GPS position data sharing software application decrypting the GPS information and using the header information of the one or more packets to determine the identity of the person whose GPS information was just decrypted and using the decrypted position data therefrom to update the displayed position data of the person.