Method and system for providing tracking services to locate an asset

• US 7,375,654 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Tracking Systems, Inc. (5th Element Tracking LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Tracking Systems, Inc. (5th Element Tracking LLC)
• Inventors: Culpepper, Jerry W., Smith, Lawrence M., VanCleave, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/269,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.15
• US Class Current: 340/995.15
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of asset location. Location data is received from a cellular transmitter associated with a selected asset, which location data includes data representative of a cellular receiver with which direct communication with the cellular transmitter is made. The location data is then communicated to a tracking service system, which tracking service system includes a database representative of geographic locations associated with a plurality of cellular receivers. The database is then queried with received location data so as to generate geographic tracking data associated with a location of the cellular receiver, the geographic tracking data including display data adapted to generate a map image including a representative of a location of the selected asset. The geographic tracking data is then communicated to an associated security agency so as to allow for viewing of an image generated in accordance with the display data and at least one of tracking and interception of the selected asset.

Claims

1. An asset tracking system comprising:

means adapted for periodically receiving location data representative of an updated location corresponding to each of a plurality of tracking devices each associated with an asset;

means adapted for receiving identification data corresponding to a tracking device associated with an asset;

means adapted to receive map data;

means adapted to display a map area of the map data, which map area is inclusive of the location;

means adapted to periodically update the map in accordance with newly acquired location data;

means adapted to receive input from an associated user specifying a desired scale level for a displayed map;

means adapted to selectively scale in and scale out of a displayed map in accordance with received user input;

means adapted to receive input from the associated user specifying a display of historic location data;

means adapted for displaying historic and updated location data in accordance with received user input;

means adapted for storing history data representative of received location data and map data for each of the plurality of tracking devices in a central repository of an associated security agency, the history data including data associated with each tracking device starting with commencement of tracking the asset and extending to recovery of each corresponding asset;

means adapted for storing service data associated with a service history corresponding to each tracking device;

means adapted for isolating at least one party of interest relative to each tracking device corresponding to stored history data in accordance with received identification data;

means adapted for prompting each party of interest in accordance with stored history data corresponding thereto;

means adapted for receiving into the associated security agency a request from each party of interest after prompting thereof;

means adapted for retrieving, from the central repository, history data corresponding to each isolated party of interest;

means adapted for selectively communicating history data from the associated security agency to each corresponding party of interest after receipt of a request therefrom; and

means adapted for communicating service data corresponding to each party of interest upon receipt of a request therefrom.

2. The asset tracking system of claim 1, further comprising:

means adapted for receiving data representative of at least one of speed and velocity of the tracking device; and

means adapted for displaying an indicator of at least one of speed and velocity of the tracking device in accordance with received data.

3. The asset tracking system of claim 1, further comprising:

means adapted to receive audio data representative of ambient sounds proximate to the tracking device; and

means adapted for selectively outputting the audio data via an associated speaker in accordance with a user specified instruction.

4. The asset tracking system of claim 1, further comprising means adapted to selectively communicate at least one of the location data, map area, velocity data and speed data to an associated law enforcement agency.

5. A method for asset tracking comprising the steps of:

periodically receiving location data representative of an updated location corresponding to each of a plurality of tracking devices each associated with an asset;

receiving identification data corresponding to a tracking device associated with an asset;

receiving map data;

displaying a map area of the map data, which map area is inclusive of the location;

periodically updating the map in accordance with newly acquired location data;

receiving input from an associated user specifying a desired scale level for a displayed map;

receiving, via user input, data representative of selectively scaling in and scaling out of a displayed map;

receiving input from the associated user specifying a display of historic location data;

displaying historic and updated location data in accordance with received user input;

storing history data representative of received location data and map data for each of the plurality of tracking devices in a central repository of an associated security agency, the history data including data associated with each tracking device starting with commencement of tracking the asset and extending to recovery of each corresponding asset;

storing service data associated with a service history corresponding to each tracking device;

isolating at least one party of interest relative to each tracking device corresponding to stored history data in accordance with received identification data;

prompting each party of interest in accordance with stored history data corresponding thereto;

receiving into the associated security agency a request from each party of interest after prompting thereof;

retrieving, from the central repository, history data corresponding to each isolated party of interest;

selectively communicating history data and map data from the associated security agency to each corresponding party of interest after receipt of a request therefrom; and

communicating service data corresponding to each party of interest upon receipt of a request therefrom.

6. The method for asset tracking of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving data representative of at least one of speed and velocity of the tracking device; and

displaying an indicator of at least one of speed and velocity of the tracking device in accordance with received data.

7. The method for asset tracking of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving audio data representative of ambient sounds proximate to the tracking device; and

selectively outputting the audio data via an associated speaker in accordance with a user specified instruction.

8. The method for asset tracking of claim 5, further comprising the step of selectively communicating at least one of the location data, map area, velocity data and speed data to an associated law enforcement agency.