Location visit detail services for wireless devices

• US 7,809,378 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Contractor, Sunil
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D
• Application Number:
  US11/903,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20080248814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/411, 455/457, 342/357.1, 705/1, 705/6, 340/992, 340/993
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A location visit detail service, typically provided by a wireless carrier to a subscriber, includes a portable wireless device, a location identification means and a central processor. The central processor periodically receives location data generated by the location identification means. The central processor data transforms the location data into time and position data pairs that identify the location of the portable wireless device at a particular time. Through a geographic information system database, the position data is converted to street address data. The details data is provided by the wireless carrier to the subscriber, which can use the details data to provide a summary report describing the activity of the service person. This summary report can be used for preparation of bills or for gathering statistics on (individual or group) service person efficiency. Alternatively, the wireless carrier can prepare the report that is then transmitted to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for tracking a person, the method comprising:

acquiring location information corresponding to a wireless device associated with the person so as to identify at least one actual location visited by the person;

determining a difference distance between the actual location visited and a location associated with an entry in a schedule containing one or more entries corresponding to predetermined visit sites, wherein each entry in the schedule corresponds to a location to be visited;

confirming that the person visited the actual location based on the difference distance; and

generating a track report including, if it was confirmed that the person visited the actual location, a confirmation of visit.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to acquire the location information in response to a predetermined event.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to prepare a bill based on the track report.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine the difference distance only with respect to a subset of the predetermined visit sites having an expected time of arrival that falls within a predetermined time window.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to gather information about the person using the location information.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions, in causing the processor to generate the track report, cause the processor to generate the track report to include the confirmation and the information about the person.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, in causing the processor to confirm that the person visited the actual location, cause the processor to determine that the person visited the actual location if the difference distance is less than a distance threshold and an actual amount of time spent at the actual location is greater than a time threshold.

8. A method for tracking a person associated with a wireless device, the method comprising:

a location system acquiring location information corresponding to the wireless device associated with the person so as to identify at least one actual location visited by the person;

a central processing system determining a difference distance between the actual location visited and a location associated with an entry in a schedule containing at least one entry corresponding to predetermined visit sites, wherein each entry in the schedule corresponds to a location to be visited;

the central processing system confirming that the person visited the actual location based on the difference distance; and

a report generator system generating a track report including, if it is confirmed that the person visited the actual location, a confirmation of visit.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the location system acquiring the location information in response to a predetermined event.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising a billing system preparing a bill based on the track report.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the central processing system determining the difference distance only with respect to a subset of the predetermined visit sites having an expected time of arrival that falls within a predetermined time window.

12. The method of claim 8, further including the central processing system gathering information about the person using the location information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the track report includes generating the track report to include the confirmation and the information about the person.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein confirming that the person visited the actual location includes determining that the person visited the actual location if the difference distance is less than a distance threshold and an actual amount of time spent at the actual location is greater than a time threshold.

15. A system for tracking a person associated with a wireless device, the system comprising:

a location sub-system configured to;

acquire location information corresponding to the wireless device associated with the person so as to identify at least one actual location visited by the person;

a central processing sub-system configured to;

determine a difference distance between the actual location visited and a location associated with an entry in a schedule containing at least one entry corresponding to predetermined visit sites, wherein each entry in the schedule corresponds to a location to be visited; and

confirm that the person visited the actual location based on the difference distance; and

a report generating sub-system configured to;

generate a track report including, if it is confirmed that the person visited the actual location, a confirmation of visit.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the location sub-system is further configured to acquire the location information in response to a predetermined event.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises a billing sub-system configured to prepare a bill based on the track report.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the location sub-system is further configured to determine the difference distance only with respect to a subset of the predetermined visit sites having an expected time of arrival that falls within a predetermined time window.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the location sub-system is further configured to gather information about the person using the location information; and

in being configured to generate the track report, the report generating sub-system is configured to generate the track report to include the confirmation and the information about the person.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the central-processing sub-system, in being configured to confirm that the person visited the actual location, is configured to determine that the person visited the location if the difference distance is less than a distance threshold and an actual amount of time spent at the actual location is greater than a time threshold.