System, method, and device for intelligence gathering and position tracking

• US 7,873,349 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sur-Tec Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sur-Tec Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Corey, Dupriest, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG-HURST, KATHY W
• Application Number:
  US12/574,177
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 4555561-558, 455/550.1, 342/357.1, 340/566, 702/14, 706/52
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls

Abstract

A mobile communication device that may be used by an investigator to secretly record a suspect and track the investigator'"'"'s location includes a microphone for detecting sounds, a communication component for transmitting signals or data representative of the sounds to one of the portable computers via the wireless communication network, a display for displaying information related to operation of the device, a computing device, and a computer program implemented by the computing device. The computer program is operable to place the device in a stealth mode in which the display is turned off or otherwise deactivated to make the entire device appear to be turned off while the microphone continues to detect sounds and the communication component continues to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds to a surveillance or support team operating one of the portable computers. The mobile communication device may also include a location-determining component for determining geographic locations of the device and for transmitting location data to the portable computer.

Claims

1. An intelligence gathering device comprising:

a microphone for detecting sounds;

a communication component for transmitting signals or data representative of the sounds to a computer via a wireless communication network;

a display for displaying information related to operation of the device;

a computing device operatively coupled with the microphone, the communication component, and the display; and

a computer program stored on a physical computer-readable medium accessible by the computing device, the computer program including a code segment to place the device in a stealth mode in which the display is operable to be turned to make all components of the intelligence gathering device appear to be turned off while the microphone continues to detect sounds and the communication component continues to transmit signals representative of the sounds or data representative of the sounds via internet protocol (IP) data channels to the computer, the computer program further including a code segment operable to display graphics indicative of the device being in the process of turning off while the microphone continues to detect sounds and the communication component continues to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds when the device is placed in the stealth mode,

wherein the computing device and the computer program are further operable to receive and store geographic coordinates corresponding to a geofence and to automatically place the device in the stealth mode whenever the device enters or exits the area encompassed by the geofence.

2. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a user interface operable to be actuated to turn the intelligence gathering device off and on, wherein, in stealth mode, the microphone is operable to detect sounds and the communication component is operable to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds to the computer both when the user interface of the device is actuated to turn the device on and when the user interface is actuated to turn the device off.

3. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 1, the computer program further including a code segment to wirelessly receive a gain control instruction from the computer and to adjust a gain setting of the microphone in accordance therewith.

4. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 1, further including a vibration element configured for vibrating the device in response to an alert received by the communication component from the computer while the device is in stealth mode.

5. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in stealth mode, the microphone continuously detects sounds and the communication component continues to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds at all times, including:

while the display is on, while the display is displaying graphics indicative of the device being in the process of turning off, and while the display is off.

6. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the computer remotely located from the microphone, communication component, display, and computing device, configured for wirelessly receiving the signals or data representative of the sounds from the communication component.

7. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 1, the computing device and the computer program being operable to do at least one of the following:

place the device in the stealth mode and discontinue the stealth mode only after a user of the device enters valid user information and an operator of the computer enters and transmits to the device valid acknowledgment information.

8. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 1, further including a location-determining component for determining a geographic location of the device, wherein the computer program includes a code segment to transmit data representative of the geographic location of the device to the computer while the device is in the stealth mode.

9. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 1, further including an image capturing component for capturing at least one of video and still images, wherein the computer program includes a code segment to transmit data representative of the at least one of video and still images to the computer while the device is in the stealth mode.

10. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 8, the computing device and the computer program being further operable to receive and store geographic coordinates corresponding to a geofence and to place the device in the stealth mode whenever the device enters or exits the area encompassed by the geofence.

11. The intelligence gathering device as set forth in claim 9, the computer program further including a code segment to wirelessly receive an image capture instruction from the computer and to capture a still image in accordance therewith.

12. A system for gathering intelligence data, the system comprising:

a mobile communication device comprising—

a microphone for detecting sounds;

a communication component for wirelessly transmitting signals or data representative of the sounds via a wireless communication network;

a display for displaying information related to operation of the mobile communication device;

a computing device operatively coupled with the microphone, the communication component, and the display; and

a computer program stored on a physical computer-readable medium accessible by the computing device, the computer program including a code segment to place the mobile communication device in a stealth mode in which the display is operable to display graphics indicative of the device being in the process of turning off and to then turn off the display to make the mobile communication device appear to be turned off, wherein, in stealth mode, the microphone continuously detects sounds and the communication component continues to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds at all times, including;

while the display is on, while the display is displaying graphics indicative of the device being in the process of turning off, and while the display is off; and

a computer configured for wirelessly receiving the signals or data representative of the sounds from the mobile communication device,

wherein the computing device and the computer program are further operable to receive and store geographic coordinates corresponding to a geofence and to automatically place the device in the stealth mode whenever the device enters or exits the area encompassed by the geofence.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, the computer being operable to wirelessly transmit a gain control instruction to the mobile communication device and the mobile communication device being operable to adjust a gain setting of the microphone in response to the gain control instruction.

14. The system as set forth in claim 12, the mobile communication device further comprising a user interface operable to be actuated to turn the mobile communication device off and on, wherein, in stealth mode, the microphone is operable to detect sounds and the communication component is operable to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds to the computer both when the user interface of the device is actuated to turn the mobile communication device on and when the user interface is actuated to turn the device off.

15. The system as set forth in claim 12, the mobile communication device further including an image capturing component for capturing at least one of video and still images, wherein the computer program includes a code segment to transmit data representative of the at least one of video and still images to the computer while the device is in the stealth mode.

16. The system as set forth in claim 12, the mobile communication device further including a location-determining component for determining a geographic location of the device, wherein the computer program includes a code segment to transmit data representative of the geographic location of the device to the computer while the device is in the stealth mode.

17. The system as set forth in claim 12, the computing device and the computer program being further operable to receive and store geographic coordinates corresponding to a geofence and to place the device in the stealth mode whenever the device enters or exits the area encompassed by the geofence.

18. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the communication component transmits signals or data representative of the sounds via internet protocol (IP) data channels to the computer.

19. The system as set forth in claim 15, the computer being operable to wirelessly transmit an image capture instruction to the mobile communication device and the mobile communication device being operable to capture a still image in accordance therewith.

20. A system for gathering intelligence data, the system comprising:

a mobile communication device comprising—

a microphone for detecting sounds;

an image capturing component configured for capturing at least one of video and still images;

a communication component for wirelessly transmitting signals or data representative of at least one of the sounds, video, and still images via a wireless communication network;

a display for displaying information related to operation of the mobile communication device;

a computing device operatively coupled with the microphone, the communication component, the display, and the image capturing component;

a user interface coupled with the microphone, the image capturing component, the communication component, the display, and the computing device, wherein

the user interface includes a power button that turns the mobile communication device completely off when actuated in a normal operating mode of the mobile communication device; and

a computer program stored on a physical computer-readable medium accessible by the computing device, the computer program including a code segment to display graphics indicative of the mobile communication device being in the process of turning off and then turn the mobile communication device completely off when the mobile communication device is in the normal operating mode and the power button is actuated to turn the mobile communication device completely off, and a code segment to switch the mobile communication device from the normal operating mode to a stealth mode in which, when the power button is actuated in an attempt to turn the mobile communication device completely off, the display displays the graphics indicative of the mobile communication device being in the process of turning off and then the display turns off completely while the microphone continues to detect sounds and the communication component continues to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds; and

a computer configured for wirelessly receiving the signals or data representative of at least one of the sounds, video, and still images from the mobile communication device,

wherein the computing device and the computer program are further operable to receive and store geographic coordinates corresponding to a geofence and to automatically place the device in the stealth mode whenever the device enters or exits the area encompassed by the geofence.