Method, device arrangement, terminal and computer software product for distributing telematic data of moving object

• US 8,254,956 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tracker Oy (Open Air Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Tracker Oy (Open Air Group AB)
• Inventors: Lohi, Hannu
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US12/477,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20090305724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.07, 342/357.75, 342/357.55, 342/21, 342/385, 342/450, 342/357.64, 342/417, 340/999, 340/426.19, 340/995.13, 340/573.4, 340/8.1, 340/572.1, 340/539.18, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/414.1, 455/457, 455/456.3, 455/432.1, 455/420
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A positioning method, a tracker'"'"'s terminal (13), a positioning arrangement and a computer software product for tracking an object (11a), such as a dog. The method uses GPS positioning. The GPS position information of the object (11a) is transmitted through either a circuit switched digital radio network (10b) or an analogue radio link to the tracker'"'"'s terminal (13). The tracker'"'"'s terminal includes a software application via which the received position information can, when desired, be transmitted though a packet switched network (10a) to at least one other tracker'"'"'s terminal (22, 23).

Claims

1. A method for distributing telematic data sent by a tracking device attached to a living object, the method comprising:

positioning the living object by a GPS locator included in the tracking device;

sending, from the tracking device of the living object, the position information through a point-to-point radio connection to a wireless terminal of a tracker;

displaying, on a display of the wireless terminal of the tracker, position information contained in the telematic data received from the tracking device of the living object;

checking, at the wireless terminal of the tracker, whether the received position information is set to be forwarded; and

forwarding the received position information of the living object through a packet switched network to at least one other wireless terminal if the position information of the living object is set to be distributed,

wherein the position information is distributed by transmission from the wireless terminal to a server connected to a packet switched network, said server configured to transmit the position information of the living object to the at least one other terminal that requested the position information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the wireless terminal, whether the position information of the wireless terminal is distributed with at least one other wireless terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the living object is positioned by means of satellite positioning.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information of the living object is transmitted in a circuit switched network by means of a text message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is sent from the wireless terminal of the tracker through a packet switched network to the at least one other wireless terminal that requested the position information.

6. A data storage medium encoded with software readable by a data processing device for executing all the steps of the method defined in claim 1 when said software is run on a processor.

7. An arrangement for positioning a living object, comprising:

a combined satellite positioning and data transmission device configured to be carried by a living object, the combined device configured for point-to-point radio communication, the combined satellite positioning and data transmission device being further configured to position the geographical position of the living object by a GPS locator and to send telematic data including a GPS position of the combined satellite positioning and data transmission device to a wireless terminal of the tracker; and

a terminal device of a tracker of the living object, comprising i) a terminal operating through point-to-point radio communication, ii) the wireless terminal configured to operate through a packet switched data transmission link and a display,

wherein the wireless terminal of the tracker comprises

means for setting the received GPS position information to be distributed with at least one other wireless terminal, and

means for forwarding the received GPS position information of the living object through a packet switched network to at least one other wireless terminal, if the position information of the living object is set to be distributed, and

wherein the position information is configured to be sent from the wireless terminal of the tracker to a server connected to a packet switched network, said server configured to forward the position information of the living object to a requesting wireless terminal that requested the position information.

8. The positioning arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the position information is arranged to be transmitted through point-to-point radio connection as one of a text message or a data call.

9. The positioning arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the position information is sent from the wireless terminal of the tracker through a packet switched network to another wireless terminal that requested the position information.

10. The positioning arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the packet switched network is a GPRS network.

11. The positioning arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the packet switched network is a GPRS network.

12. The positioning arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the used point-to-point radio connection is one of a communications link established through a GSM network or a direct radio link.

13. A wireless terminal of a radio network, comprising:

a receiver for receiving telematic data including a GPS position result from a tracking device attached to a living object to be tracked, the telematic data received through a point-to-point radio connection;

a processor unit for checking whether a GPS position information contained in the received telematic data is configured to be distributed to at least one other wireless terminal; and

a transmitter for forwarding the GPS position information contained in the received telematic data of the living object through a packet switched network to at least one other wireless terminal,

wherein the transmitter is configured to distribute GPS position information to a server connected to the packet switched network, said server configured to transmit the GPS position information of the living object to the at least one other wireless terminal upon request by the one other wireless terminal.

14. The terminal according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for distributing an information of a position of the wireless terminal.

15. The terminal according to claim 14, further comprising:

means for selecting the position information to be distributed by means of a user interface of the wireless terminal.

16. The terminal according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for selecting the position information to be distributed by means of a user interface of the wireless terminal.

17. The terminal according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for sending the selected position information through a packet switched network to at least one other wireless terminal.

18. The terminal according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for sending the position information to a server.