Remote tracking system with a dedicated monitoring center

• US 7,936,262 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Track Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SecureAlert Incorporated
• Inventors: Derrick, David, Derrick, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Application Number:
  US11/486,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers

Abstract

A remote tracking system is described that includes one or more remote tracking devices, where each remote tracking device including a cellular transceiver, a positioning system receiver, and a processor connected to the positioning system receiver and the cellular transceiver. A dedicated monitoring center is in communication with each of the remote tracking devices and includes a monitoring center application to process and store the location information and status information received from each of the at least one remote tracking device. The monitoring center also includes agents available as an initial contact point when the monitoring center application determines that attention to a particular remote tracking device is required. The system further includes a portal through which an authorized user responsible for one or more of the at least one remote tracking device can access information related to each of the remote tracking devices.

Claims

1. A remote tracking system comprising:

at least one remote tracking device, each remote tracking device including a cellular transceiver, a positioning system receiver operable to generate location information by receiving signals indicative of the location of the remote tracking device, and a processor connected to the positioning system receiver and the cellular transceiver, the processor operable to generate status information for the remote tracking device; and

a dedicated monitoring center in communication with each of the at least one remote tracking devices using the cellular transceiver of each of the remote tracking devices, the monitoring center including a monitoring center application to process and store the location information and status information received from each of the at least one remote tracking device, monitoring center agents available as an initial contact point when the monitoring center application determines from the location information and/or status information that attention to a particular remote tracking device from the at least one remote tracking device is required; and

a portal, distinct from the communications of each of the remote tracking devices with the monitoring center, through which an authorized user responsible for one or more of the at least one remote tracking device can access information related to each of the at least one remote tracking device and wherein the authorized user can modify parameters and rules for those particular remote tracking devices over which the authorized user has responsibility, wherein the authorized user is provided an interface, through the portal, for at least one of;

designating specific types of alarms for immediate notification as well as one or more methods for issuing a corresponding notification for each specific type of alarm, the one or more methods for issuing a corresponding notification including direct communication with the monitoring center or direct communication with a local authority;

temporarily suspending certain reactions to the specific types of alarms;

entering and storing notations associated with saved alarm data;

or

instructing the monitoring center to initiate voice communications with the remote tracking device.

2. The remote tracking system of claim 1 wherein each remote tracking device of the at least one remote tracking device is further operable to generate alarm conditions as a result of comparing the location information for the remote tracking device to a set of programmed rules for the remote tracking device, and wherein the alarm conditions are transmitted to the dedicated monitoring center.

3. The remote tracking system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring center application is operable to generate alarm conditions as a result of comparing the location information for the remote tracking device to a set of programmed rules for the remote tracking device.

4. The remote tracking system of claim 1 wherein the dedicated monitoring center is able to initiate two-way voice communication with each of the remote tracking devices.

5. The remote tracking system of claim 1 wherein the authorized user modifies the parameters and rules for those particular remote tracking devices over which the authorized user has responsibility and wherein the modified parameters and rules are transmitted to the remote tracking devices.

6. The remote tracking system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring center application can send the modified parameters and rules to the particular remote tracking device.

7. The remote tracking system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring center application stores biographical information for a wearer of each remote tracking device.

8. The remote tracking system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the monitoring center agents can modify the parameters and rules for those particular remote tracking devices over which the authorized user has responsibility.

9. A non-transitory application storage mechanism storing a monitoring center application configured to run on at least one computer in a monitoring center configured for use in a remote tracking system, the remote tracking system including a plurality of remote tracking devices worn by persons of interest and generating location information and status information and in communication with the monitoring center application, the monitoring center application comprising:

a data processing function operable to process the location information and status information for each of the plurality of remote tracking devices;

an alert function operable to alert one or more monitoring center agents when the data processing function determines that an alert condition exists for a particular remote tracking device based on one or more parameters or rules; and

a portal allowing authorized personnel, the authorized personnel responsible for one or more of the plurality of remote tracking devices and associated persons of interest, to access the monitoring center application running on the at least one computer in the monitoring center, wherein the portal is distinct from the communications of each of the remote tracking devices with the monitoring center, and wherein the authorized personnel can modify the one or more parameters or rules for the one or more of the plurality of remote tracking devices over which the authorized personnel have responsibility, wherein the authorized personnel are provided an interface, through the portal, for at least one of;

designating specific types of alarms for immediate notification as well as one or more methods for issuing a corresponding notification for each specific type of alarm, the one or more methods for issuing a corresponding notification including direct communication with the monitoring center or direct communication with a local authority;

temporarily suspending certain reactions to the specific types of alarms;

entering and storing notations associated with saved alarm data;

or

instructing the monitoring center to initiate voice communications with the remote tracking device.

10. The non-transitory application storage mechanism of claim 9 wherein the monitoring application also receives indications of alarm conditions from the plurality of remote tracking devices.

11. The non-transitory application storage mechanism of claim 10 wherein the alarm conditions are rules violations determined by one of the plurality of remote tracking devices comparing one or more of an operational status or a location of the remote tracking device to the one or more parameters or rules.

12. The non-transitory application storage mechanism of claim 9 wherein the monitoring center sends new parameters and rules to a particular remote tracking device using a cellular transceiver of the remote tracking device.

13. The non-transitory application storage mechanism of claim 9 wherein the communications between the remote tracking device and the monitoring center includes at least one two-way voice communication.

14. The non-transitory application storage mechanism of claim 9 wherein monitoring center application is able to activate a high decibel siren on the remote tracking device.

15. The non-transitory application storage mechanism recited in claim 9, wherein the authorized personnel are remotely located from the monitoring center.

16. A method implemented by one or more computing systems associated with a monitoring center for tracking and monitoring a plurality of remote tracking devices in a remote tracking system, the remote tracking devices generating location information and status information, the method comprising:

receiving the location information and status information from each of the plurality of remote tracking devices using communications channels with each of the plurality of remote tracking devices;

storing the location and status information for each of the remote tracking devices;

generating alerts for an agent selected from a pool of agents based on the location information and status information and based on one or more parameters or rules; and

providing access to the location information and status information to an authorized user responsible for one or more of the plurality of remote tracking devices through a portal distinct from the communications channels with the remote tracking devices, wherein the authorized users can modify the one or more parameters or rules for the one or more of the plurality of remote tracking devices over which the authorized user has responsibility, wherein the authorized user is provided an interface, through the portal, for at least one of;

designating specific types of alarms for immediate notification as well as one or more methods for issuing a corresponding notification for each specific type of alarm, the one or more methods for issuing a corresponding notification including direct communication with the monitoring center or direct communication with a local authority;

temporarily suspending certain reactions to the specific types of alarms;

entering and storing notations associated with saved alarm data;

or

instructing the monitoring center to initiate voice communications with one of the remote tracking devices.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving also includes receiving alarm conditions generated by a remote tracking device from the plurality of remote tracking devices.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising generating an alarm condition based on the location information and/or status information from a particular remote tracking device from the plurality of remote tracking devices.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising establishing a two-way voice communication with a remote tracking device from the plurality of remote tracking devices.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising sending modified parameter and rules to a remote tracking device from the plurality of remote tracking devices.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising activating a high decibel siren in a remote tracking device from the plurality of remote tracking devices.

22. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the method includes the authorized user using the interface to designate one or more of the specific types of alarms for immediate notification as well as one or more methods for issuing a corresponding notification for the one or more of the specific types of alarms.

23. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the method includes the authorized user using the interface to temporarily suspend certain reactions to one or more of the specific types of alarms.

24. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the method includes the authorized user using the interface to enter one or more annotations associated with saved alarm data.

25. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the method includes the authorized user using the interface to instruct the monitoring center to initiate voice communications with one of the remote tracking devices.

26. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the method includes the authorized user using the interface to send a command and data to at least one remote tracking device to initiate playing of a message at the remote tracking device.

27. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the portal comprises a web interface which connects to one of the remote tracking devices through the Internet.

28. The method recited in claim 27, wherein the portal connects through a monitoring center computing system.

29. The method recited in claim 27, wherein the authorized user uses the portal to modify the one or more parameters or rules which are stored at one of the remote tracking-devices.