Adaptable user interface for monitoring location tracking devices out of GPS monitoring range

• US 8,081,072 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LBT IP LLC (Location Based Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Location Based Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Scalisi, Joseph F., Mejia, Desiree C., Morse, David
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US12/551,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/825.36, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A system for monitoring objects and individuals. In this system, a monitoring station is remotely accessible through a user interface. The interface is adapted to provide a visually cognizable rendering of an area and a tool useful for selecting at least a portion of said area, and to communicate a first request signal to provide location coordinates of a first tracking device. The first tracking device comprises a first transceiver adapted to receive the first request signal, and to transmit a first reply signal that comprises a first identification code. In addition, a second tracking device having a second transceiver is adapted to receive the first reply signal, compare the first identification code to a stored identification code, and communicate to the monitoring station a second reply signal that comprises location coordinates of the first tracking device in part responsive to verification of the first identification code.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a user interface for providing a tool useful for selecting a portion of and visually cognizable rendering of a selected area, wherein the user interface utilized to communicate a first request signal to provide location coordinates of one or more tracking devices;

a first tracking device to receive a first reply signal from the user interface and to process the first reply signal comprising a first identification signal;

a second tracking device to receive and verify the first identification signal of the first reply signal and upon verification, communicate a second identification signal code as part of a second reply signal to the first tracking device;

wherein the first tracking device in response to receipt of the second reply signal, computes a distance between the first and the second devices, and communicated an adjustment signal that comprises directional information of the first tracking device relative to the second tracking device independent of being out-of-range of minimum number of GPS satellites required to compute the location coordinates.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool useful for selection a portion of displays one or more selected tracking devices that are located a relative distance from the first tracking device;

and upon verification of security permissions, provide the user capability to utilize the selected tracking devices to assist determining the location coordinates of the first tracking device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface provides notification function to generate an alert upon the first tracking device being detected outside of a safe zone.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises a wireless monitoring device that accesses remote user selectable maps in response to computation of the location coordinates of the first tracking device and the second tracking device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface provides access to user selection criteria to allow a subscriber, remote user, or user to choose a method of determining the location coordinates, the user selection criteria selected based on performance characteristics of at least one of a wireless locating and tracking system and a wireless communication system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface provides information on speed of at least one of the first tracking device and the second tracking device and provides a warning signal to at least one user or subscriber when movement of the first tracking device and the second tracking device exceeds a designated value.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tracking device or the second tracking device switches on in response to low signal detection circuitry detecting a received signal strength of a positioning signal above a defined threshold.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein signal strength of a signal received from a monitoring station, a wireless location and tracking system, a mobile transceiver, and an adjacent tracking device is compared to that of selection criteria stored in the first and the second tracking devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the signal strength comprises a value below that of a defined value, a first mobile station signal and a second mobile station signal having respective positional coordinates are communicated to at least one of the first and the second tracking devices;

and a positional location of at least one of the first and the second tracking device utilizing the respective positional coordinates upon detection that the first tracking device and the second tracking device being out-of-range of the GPS positioning satellites.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment signal being communicated upon detection that one of the first tracking device and the second tracking device is out-of-range of a sufficient number of the GPS positioning satellites to measure the positional information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment signal being communicated upon detection that either one or both of the first tracking device and the second tracking device are 25 out-of-range of a sufficient number of the GPS positioning satellites to compute the positional information.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment signal being communicated upon detection that the first tracking device and the second tracking device are out-of-range of a sufficient number of the GPS positioning satellites to compute the positional information.