Method and system for providing tracking services to locate an asset

• US 8,299,914 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Tracking Systems, Inc. (5th Element Tracking LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Tracking Systems, Inc. (5th Element Tracking LLC)
• Inventors: Culpepper, Jerry W., Smith, Lawrence M., VanCleave, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US13/285,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• 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: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• 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

In a method of asset location data is received from a cellular transmitter associated with a selected asset, which location data includes data representative of a cellular receiver with which direct communication with the cellular transmitter is made. The location data is communicated to a tracking service system, which tracking service system includes a database representative of geographic locations associated with a plurality of cellular receivers. The database is queried with received location data so as to generate geographic tracking data associated with a location of the cellular receiver, the geographic tracking data including display data adapted to generate a map image including data representative of a location of the selected asset. The geographic tracking data is communicated to an associated security agency for viewing of an image generated in accordance with the display data and at least one of tracking and interception of the selected asset.

Claims

1. A location based service system comprising:

a receiver operable to receive location data from at least one associated portable tracking device via a data communication system inclusive of at least one wireless data transmission component;

the receiver further operable to communicate data corresponding to first location data and second location data with the portable tracking device, wherein the second location data is acquired as a result of the first location data;

a display operable to generate an image corresponding to a location of the portable tracking device in accordance with the second location data;

the receiver further operable to receive status data corresponding to at least one device status condition of the portable tracking device; and

a transmitter operable to communicate position data corresponding to a location of the tracking device in accordance with the second location data to at least one remote data device wherein the second location data is associated with a direct radio frequency communication between the tracking device and an associated mobile tracking unit.

2. A location based service system comprising:

a receiver operable to receive location data from at least one associated portable tracking device via a data communication system inclusive of at least one wireless data transmission component;

the receiver further operable to communicate data corresponding to first location data and second location data with the portable tracking device, wherein the second location data is acquired as a result of the first location data;

a display operable to generate an image corresponding to a location of the portable tracking device in accordance with the second location data;

the receiver further operable to receive status data corresponding to at least one device status condition of the portable tracking device;

a transmitter operable to communicate position data corresponding to a location of the tracking device in accordance with the second location data to at least one remote data device; and

a fee data generator operable to generate data corresponding to a charge associated with communication of the second location data to the at least one remote data device.

3. A location based service system comprising:

a receiver associated with a mobile data device operable to receive location data from at least one associated portable tracking device via a data communication system inclusive of at least one wireless data transmission component;

the receiver further operable to communicate data corresponding to first location data and second location data with the portable tracking device, wherein the second location data is acquired as a result of the first location data;

a display operable to generate an image corresponding to a location of the portable tracking device in accordance with the second location data;

the receiver further operable to receive status data corresponding to at least one device status condition of the portable tracking device; and

a transmitter operable to communicate position data corresponding to a location of the tracking device in accordance with the second location data to at least one remote data device.

4. A location service method comprising:

receiving location data from at least one associated portable tracking device via a data communication system inclusive of at least one wireless data transmission component;

communicating data corresponding to first location data and second location data with the portable tracking device, wherein the second location data is acquired as a result of the first location data;

displaying an image corresponding to a location of the portable tracking device in accordance with the second location data;

receiving status data corresponding to at least one device status condition of the portable tracking device; and

communicating position data corresponding to a location of the tracking device in accordance with the second location data to at least one remote data device; and

wherein the second location data is associated with a direct radio frequency communication between the tracking device and an associated mobile tracking unit.

5. A location service method comprising:

receiving location data from at least one associated portable tracking device via a data communication system inclusive of at least one wireless data transmission component;

communicating data corresponding to first location data and second location data with the portable tracking device, wherein the second location data is acquired as a result of the first location data;

displaying an image corresponding to a location of the portable tracking device in accordance with the second location data;

receiving status data corresponding to at least one device status condition of the portable tracking device;

communicating position data corresponding to a location of the tracking device in accordance with the second location data to at least one remote data device; and

generating fee data corresponding to a charge associated with communication of the second location data to the at least one remote data device.

6. A location service method comprising:

receiving location data into a mobile data device from at least one associated portable tracking device via a data communication system inclusive of at least one wireless data transmission component;

communicating data corresponding to first location data and second location data with the portable tracking device, wherein the second location data is acquired as a result of the first location data;

displaying an image corresponding to a location of the portable tracking device in accordance with the second location data;

receiving status data corresponding to at least one device status condition of the portable tracking device; and

communicating position data corresponding to a location of the tracking device in accordance with the second location data to at least one remote data device.

7. A method of locating one or more assets, said method comprising the steps of:

linking at least one portable transmitter system having a cellular-data-modem and a beacon transmitter with a selected asset by affixing the at least one portable transmitter system to the selected asset;

initiating, via a cellular network, a cellular communication from the at least one portable transmitter system to an associated device controller using the cellular-data modem;

communicating to the device controller primary location information representative of a cellular area from which the cellular communication is made;

processing the primary location information by the device controller to establish location and direction of the asset as tracking information;

initiating a secondary location system in accordance with the primary location information by forwarding the tracking information to tracking units to vector the same close in on the asset;

broadcasting an RF signal as secondary location information from the at least one portable transmitter system using the beacon transmitter;

receiving the RF signal as secondary location information in the tracking units;

sending the corresponding location, direction, signal strength and direction from which the RF signal is being received from the tracking vehicles, to the device controller as tracker unit data and repeating the processing, broadcasting, receiving and sending steps.

10. A computer-readable medium comprising a program which when run on a computer-implemented system for asset location, causes the system to perform the steps of the method according to claim 7.

8. A system for locating one or more assets, comprising:

at least one portable transmitter system having a cellular-data modem and a beacon transmitter adapted for linking the same with a selected asset by affixing the at least one portable transmitter system to the selected asset;

a device controller;

Tracker units adapted to receive tracking information and an RF signal and to triangulate a received RF signal and to send tracker unit data including their location, direction, signal strength and direction which the RF signal is received;

means adapted for initiating a cellular communication from the at least one portable transmitter system to the device controller using the cellular-data modem;

means adapted for communicating to the device controller primary location information representative of a cellular area from which the cellular communication is made;

wherein the device controller is adapted to process the primary location information and incoming tracker unit data to establish location, speed and direction of the asset as tracking information and to initiate a secondary location system in accordance with the primary location information by forwarding tracking information to the tracker units to vector the same to close in on the asset;

wherein the beacon transmitter is a means adapted for broadcasting an RF signal as a secondary location information from the at least one portable transmitter system.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a GPS receiver.