Method and system for implementing a GIS data collection network

• US 8,081,987 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Manson, Paul Robin, James, Bruce Stephen, Frye, Michelle Lynn, Allan, Robert Murie, Rogers, John Francis, France, Peter Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATHARU, MANPREET S
• Application Number:
  US11/895,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/451, 455/507, 455/521, 701/117, 701/118, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention recite a method and system for implementing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) network. In one embodiment, configuration data comprising a unique identification of a mobile electronic device and an assigned membership of the mobile electronic device to a workgroup is received. The method further comprises selecting a data dictionary comprising at least one desired GIS feature type which was not originally intended for use by the mobile electronic device based upon the assigned membership of the mobile electronic device to the workgroup. The method further comprises sending the data dictionary to the mobile electronic device via a wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) network, said method comprising:

receiving configuration data comprising a unique identification of a mobile electronic device and an assigned membership of said mobile electronic device to a workgroup;

selecting a data dictionary based upon said assigned membership of said mobile electronic device to said workgroup and wherein said data dictionary comprises at least one desired GIS feature type which was not originally intended for use by said mobile electronic device;

sending said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device via a wireless communication network;

determining that said data dictionary is not yet resident upon said mobile electronic device;

automatically sending said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device;

determining that a GIS data collector application for enabling said mobile electronic device to perform GIS data collector functions is not a current version of said GIS data collector application; and

sending said current version of said GIS data collector application to said mobile electronic device via said wireless communication network.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a modification of said data dictionary for said workgroup; and

automatically sending said modification of said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device when communications are established therewith via said wireless network.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing said configuration data.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving collected GIS data from said mobile electronic device wherein said GIS data collector application initiates automatically sending the collected GIS data via said wireless network; and

automatically storing the collected GIS data.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising:

generating a confirmation message to said mobile electronic device for initiating the deletion of said collected GIS data by said GIS data collector application.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

automatically archiving the collected GIS data from said mobile electronic device by said GIS data collector application in response to said confirmation message.

7. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising:

automatically generating a message to a recipient of said collected GIS data in response to said storing the collected GIS data.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

sending said collected GIS data to said recipient in response to a message therefrom;

receiving a confirmation from said recipient that said collected GIS data has been received; and

automatically archiving the collected GIS data in response to said confirmation from said recipient.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said mobile electronic device is not specifically designed or manufactured to be used solely as a GIS data recording device, said method further comprising:

utilizing a mobile electronic device selected from the group consisting essentially of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a legacy mobile electronic device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

formatting said data dictionary in a pre-defined manner which is selected based upon said mobile electronic device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

formatting said data dictionary based upon the display capabilities of said mobile electronic device.

12. A system for implementing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) network, said system comprising:

a wireless communication interface coupled with a bus;

an assigned membership determiner coupled with said bus for determining the membership of said mobile electronic device in a workgroup using a unique identification;

a data dictionary selector for selecting a data dictionary based upon the assigned membership of said mobile electronic device in said workgroup and wherein said data dictionary comprises at least one desired GIS feature type which was not originally intended for use by said mobile electronic device;

a data dictionary forwarder coupled with said bus for sending said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device;

a GIS data collector application verifier coupled with said bus for verifying that a current version of a GIS data collector application for enabling a mobile electronic device to perform GIS data collection functions is resident upon said mobile electronic device; and

a GIS data collector application forwarder coupled with said bus for forwarding said current version of said GIS data collector application to said mobile electronic device via said wireless communication interface.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a data dictionary request receiver for receiving a request for said data dictionary by said mobile electronic device and wherein said data dictionary forwarder automatically sends said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device in response to a message from said data dictionary request receiver.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a configuration data receiver coupled with said bus for receiving configuration data comprising said unique identification, said data dictionary, and said assigned membership; and

a data storage device coupled with said bus for storing said configuration data.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a data dictionary modifier coupled with said bus for receiving a modification of said data dictionary for said workgroup; and

a data dictionary verifier for determining a version of said data dictionary which is resident upon said mobile electronic device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said data dictionary verifier is further for initiating the automatic forwarding of said modification of said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device when communications are established therewith via said wireless network.

17. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a data dictionary formatter which formats said data dictionary in a pre-defined manner which is selected based upon said mobile electronic device.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a display capability determiner for determining the display capabilities of said mobile electronic device, and wherein said data dictionary formatter formats said data dictionary based upon the display capabilities of said mobile electronic device.

19. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a GIS data receiver coupled with said bus for receiving collected GIS data from said mobile electronic device wherein said GIS data collector application initiates automatically sending the collected GIS data via said wireless network; and

a data storage device coupled with said bus for storing the collected GIS data.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a confirmation message generator coupled with said bus for automatically generating a confirmation message to said mobile electronic device for causing said GIS data collector application to delete the collected GIS data in response to said confirmation message.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said confirmation message causes said GIS data collector application to automatically delete the collected GIS data from said mobile electronic device.

22. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a data message generator coupled with said bus for generating a message to a recipient of the collected GIS data in response to said storing the collected GIS data.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising:

a request receiver coupled with said bus for receiving a request from said recipient for said collected GIS data;

a GIS data forwarder coupled with said bus for sending the collected GIS data to said recipient in response to said request;

a confirmation receiver coupled with said bus for receiving a confirmation generated by said recipient that the collected GIS data has been received.

24. A method for implementing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) network, said method comprising:

establishing communications with a mobile electronic device which is not specifically intended to be used as a GIS data recording device via a wireless communication network;

determining an assigned membership of said mobile electronic device in a workgroup using a unique identification;

selecting a data dictionary upon said assigned membership of said mobile electronic device in said workgroup and wherein said data dictionary comprises at least one desired GIS feature type which was not originally intended for use by said mobile electronic device;

sending said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device;

determining that said mobile electronic device does not comprise a current version of a GIS data collector application for enabling said mobile electronic device to perform GIS data collection functions; and

sending said current version of said GIS data collector application to said mobile electronic device via said wireless communication network.

25. The method as recited in claim 24 further comprising:

determining that said data dictionary is not yet resident upon said mobile electronic device; and

automatically sending said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device.

26. The method as recited in claim 25 further comprising:

receiving configuration data comprising said unique identification, said data dictionary, and said assigned membership; and

storing said configuration data.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 further comprising:

receiving a modification of said data dictionary for said workgroup; and

automatically sending said modification of said data dictionary to said mobile electronic device when communications are established therewith via said wireless network.

28. The method as recited in claim 24 further comprising:

formatting said data dictionary in a pre-defined manner which is selected based upon said mobile electronic device.

29. The method as recited in claim 28 further comprising:

formatting said data dictionary based upon the display capabilities of said mobile electronic device.

30. The method as recited in claim 24 further comprising:

receiving collected GIS data from said mobile electronic device wherein said GIS data collector application initiates automatically sending the collected GIS data via said wireless network; and

storing the collected GIS data.

31. The method as recited in claim 30 further comprising:

automatically generating a confirmation message to said mobile electronic device wherein said GIS data collector application deletes the collected GIS data in response to said confirmation message.

32. The method as recited in claim 30 further comprising:

generating a message to a recipient of the collected GIS data in response to said storing the collected GIS data.

33. The method as recited in claim 30 further comprising:

sending the collected GIS data to said recipient in response to a message therefrom;

receiving a confirmation generated by said recipient; and

automatically archiving the collected GIS data in response to said confirmation from said recipient.

34. The method as recited in claim 24 further comprising:

utilizing a mobile electronic device selected from the group consisting essentially of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a legacy mobile electronic device.