Method and system for providing tracking services to locate an asset

• US 7,750,801 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• 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): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/931,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.11, 340/995.13, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• 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 receiving device data representative of at least one property of each of a plurality of portable asset tracking devices, the at least one property including device identification data;

means adapted for identifying at least one client corresponding to received identification data;

alert means adapted for generating alert data corresponding to a triggering of a tracking event in connection with at least one portable asset tracking device of the plurality of portable asset tracking devices;

means adapted for isolating event data corresponding to at least one tracking event corresponding to operation of the alert means;

means adapted for receiving, on at least one mobile tracking system, a signal from the at least one portable asset tracking device;

means adapted for communicating first location data of the at least one mobile tracking system in accordance with a position associated therewith relative to the signal received from the at least one portable asset tracking device;

location means adapted for generating second location data corresponding to a location of the at least one portable asset tracking device in accordance with the mobile tracking system first location data and at least two tracking systems, the at least two tracking systems including a cellular communication system;

means adapted for receiving intercept data generated in accordance with the first location data of the at least one mobile tracking system and the second location data corresponding to the location of the at least one portable asset tracking device, the intercept data being representative of an optimal route to the at least one portable asset tracking device by the at least one mobile tracking system;

means adapted for communicating the intercept data to the at least one mobile tracking device;

means adapted for receiving device service data corresponding to an operational history of the at least one portable asset tracking device via the cellular communication system;

means adapted for receiving temporal data representative of at least one temporal property of the tracking event; and

means adapted for generating display data in accordance with device data, event data, location data, device service data, and temporal data after generation of the alert data by the alert means.

2. The asset tracking system of claim 1 wherein the location means includes means adapted for providing temporally displaced updates to the second location data generated.

3. The asset tracking system of claim 2 wherein the location means includes means for generating the second location data with at least one of GPS data and cellular phone data relating to the at least one tracking device.

4. The asset tracking system of claim 3 further comprising:

means adapted for acquiring cartographical data from an associated data storage; and

means adapted for generating a composite map display data in accordance with the second location data and the cartographical data.

5. The asset tracking system of claim 4 further comprising:

database means adapted for storing of device identification data, event data, location data, device service data, and temporal data associated with the at least one tracking event;

means adapted for receiving query data corresponding to a selected query of the database; and

means adapted for generating query response data in accordance with application of received query data to the database means.

6. The asset tracking system of claim 4 further comprising thin client display generator means adapted for generating the display data, composite map display data, and query response data in a format so as to be displayable on an associated web browser.

7. An asset tracking method comprising the steps of:

receiving device data representative of at least one property of each of a plurality of portable asset tracking devices, the at least one property including device identification data;

identifying at least one client corresponding to received identification data;

generating alert data corresponding to a triggering of a tracking event in connection with at least one portable asset tracking device of the plurality of portable asset tracking devices;

isolating event data corresponding to at least one tracking event corresponding to the generation of alert data;

receiving, on at least one mobile tracking system, a signal from the at least one portable asset tracking device;

communicating first location data of the at least one mobile tracking system in accordance with a position associated therewith relative to the signal received from the at least one portable asset tracking device;

generating second location data corresponding to a location of the at least one portable asset tracking device in accordance with the mobile tracking system first location data and at least two tracking systems, the at least two tracking systems including a cellular communication system;

receiving intercept data generated in accordance with the first location data of the at least one mobile tracking system and the second location data corresponding to the location of the at least one portable asset tracking device, the intercept data being representative of an optimal route to the at least one portable asset tracking device by the at least one mobile tracking system;

communicating the intercept data to the at least one mobile tracking device;

receiving device service data corresponding to an operational history of the at least one portable asset tracking device via the cellular communication system;

receiving temporal data representative of at least one temporal property of the tracking event; and

generating display data in accordance with device data, event data, location data, device service data, and temporal data after generation of the alert data.

8. The asset tracking method of claim 7 wherein the step of generating location data includes providing temporally displaced updates to the second location data generated.

9. The asset tracking method of claim 8 wherein the step of generating location data includes generating the second location data with at least one of GPS data and cellular phone data relating to the at least one tracking device.

10. The asset tracking method of claim 9 further comprising the steps:

acquiring cartographical data from an associated data storage; and

generating a composite map display data in accordance with the second location data and the cartographical data.

11. The asset tracking method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

storing of device identification data, event data, location data, device service data, and temporal data associated with the at least one tracking event;

receiving query data corresponding to a selected query of the database; and

generating query response data in accordance with application of received query data to the database.

12. The asset tracking method of claim 10 further comprising the step of generating the display data, composite map display data, and query response data in a format so as to be displayable on an associated web browser.