Method and system for location tracking
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A location monitoring system, comprising:
- one or more mobile electronic devices supported by a wireless network, each of said mobile electronic devices being associated with and proximate to a corresponding object; and
a computer configured to store locations of each of said mobile electronic devices, and said computer enabling authorized users to access the locations of said mobile electronic devices,wherein the authorized users do not have to be proximate to the objects whose locations they are authorized to access,wherein said computer determines whether notification should be sent to an authorized user based on the location of a mobile electronic device corresponding to an object, the mobile electronic device being one of said mobile electronic devices,wherein said computer sends an electronic notification to the authorized user when it has been determined that notification should be sent to the authorized user,wherein one or more notification locations are defined for the authorized user through interaction with said computer, and wherein at least one of the one or more notification locations is assigned a location label by the authorized user through interaction with said computer,wherein the location label assigned by the authorized user is personal to the authorized user, andwherein said computer determines whether the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is at one of the one or more notification locations, and generates the electronic notification when it is determined that the location of the mobile electronic device is at one of the notification locations.
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Abstract
Techniques for location tracking, location utilization, and dissemination and management of location information are disclosed. As a location monitoring system, one embodiment includes at least a plurality of mobile computing devices supported by a wireless network, and a web server coupled to a wired network (e.g., the Internet) that couples to the wireless network. Each of the mobile computing devices are associated with and proximate to an object whose location is being monitored. The web server stores the locations of each of the mobile computing devices or the objects proximate thereto, and enables only authorized users to obtain access the locations via the wired network.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. A location monitoring system, comprising:
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one or more mobile electronic devices supported by a wireless network, each of said mobile electronic devices being associated with and proximate to a corresponding object; and a computer configured to store locations of each of said mobile electronic devices, and said computer enabling authorized users to access the locations of said mobile electronic devices, wherein the authorized users do not have to be proximate to the objects whose locations they are authorized to access, wherein said computer determines whether notification should be sent to an authorized user based on the location of a mobile electronic device corresponding to an object, the mobile electronic device being one of said mobile electronic devices, wherein said computer sends an electronic notification to the authorized user when it has been determined that notification should be sent to the authorized user, wherein one or more notification locations are defined for the authorized user through interaction with said computer, and wherein at least one of the one or more notification locations is assigned a location label by the authorized user through interaction with said computer, wherein the location label assigned by the authorized user is personal to the authorized user, and wherein said computer determines whether the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is at one of the one or more notification locations, and generates the electronic notification when it is determined that the location of the mobile electronic device is at one of the notification locations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28)
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18. A location monitoring system as recited in dam, 17, wherein said location monitoring system maintains a history of locations of the mobile phone, and wherein said location monitoring system is configured to present the history of locations to the authorized party in at least a graphical form.
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23. A non-transitory computer readable medium including at least executable computer program code tangibly stored thereon for monitoring position of one or more objects using one or more mobile electronic devices, each object having a mobile electronic device corresponding thereto, the one or more mobile electronic devices being capable of communicating in a wireless manner, said computer readable medium comprising:
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computer program code for receiving a location of an object at a server via a wireless network, the location being associated with the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object; computer program code for determining whether the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is at one of one or more notification locations for which a notification is to be sent to an interested party based on the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object being at one of one or more notification locations; and computer program code for generating and sending the notification to the interested party when it has been determined that a notification is to be sent to the interested party based on the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object being at one of one or more notification locations; and computer program code for receiving at least one of the one or more notification locations that has been defined by the interested party through interaction with the server, wherein at least one of the one or more notification locations includes a location label that is for use by the server with respect to the interested party, and wherein the notification sent to the interested party includes the location label when it is determined by said computer code for determining that the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is at the notification location corresponding to the location label. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for monitoring position of one or more objects using one or more mobile electronic devices, each object having a mobile electronic device provided therewith, the one or more mobile electronic devices being capable of communicating over a wireless network, said method comprising:
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receiving at a web server one or more notification locations set by a monitoring party; receiving at the web server a location label assigned by the monitoring party to at least one of the one or more notification locations; receiving, at the web server via the wireless network, a location of a mobile electronic device corresponding to an object; determining, at the web server, whether a notification is to be sent to the monitoring party based on (i) the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object, and (ii) the one or more notification locations; and electronically sending a notification to the monitoring party when it has been determined that a notification is to be sent to the monitoring party, wherein said determining comprises determining whether the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is at one of the one or more notification locations, and wherein said electronically sending comprises (i) generating the notification when said determining determines that the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is at one of the one or more notification locations, and (ii) sending the notification generated to the monitoring party when said determining determines that the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is at one of the one or more notification locations, wherein the notification generated includes at least the location label corresponding to the one of the one or more notification locations where the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is determined to be located, and wherein the location label assigned by the monitoring party is for use with respect to the monitoring party, and wherein the notification sent to the monitoring party includes the location label when said determining determines that the location of the mobile electronic device corresponding to the object is at the notification location corresponding to the location label. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for monitoring position of one or more persons using one or more mobile phones, each person having a mobile phone provided therewith, the one or more mobile phones being capable of communicating over a wireless network, said method comprising:
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receiving at a server one or more notification locations set by a monitoring party; receiving at the server one or more notification options requested by the monitoring party; receiving at the server a location label assigned by the monitoring party to at least one of the one or more notification locations; receiving a location of a mobile phone corresponding to a person; determining whether the monitoring party has been authorized to access the location of the mobile phone; determining whether a notification is to be sent to the monitoring party based on (i) the location of the mobile phone corresponding to the person, (ii) the one or more notification options, (iii) the one or more notification locations, and (iv) whether the monitoring party has been authorized; and electronically sending a notification to the monitoring party when it has been determined that a notification is to be sent to the monitoring party, wherein said determining whether a notification is to be sent comprises determining whether the location of the mobile phone corresponding to the person is at one of the one or more notification locations, wherein said electronically sending comprises (i) generating the notification when said determining whether a notification is to be sent determines that the location of the mobile phone corresponding to the person is at one of the one or more notification locations, and (ii) sending the notification generated to the monitoring party when said determining whether a notification is to be sent determines that the location of the mobile phone corresponding to the person is at one of the one or more notification locations, wherein the notification generated includes at least the location label corresponding to the one of the one or more notification locations where the mobile phone corresponding to the person is determined to be located, and wherein the location label assigned by the monitoring party is for use with respect to the monitoring party, and wherein the notification sent to the monitoring party includes the location label when said determining whether a notification is to be sent determines that the location of the mobile phone corresponding to the person is at the notification location corresponding to the location label. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method for monitoring position of one or more persons using one or more mobile phones, each person having a mobile phone provided therewith, the one or more mobile phones being capable of communicating over a wireless network, said method comprising:
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receiving at a server one or more notification locations set by a monitoring party; receiving at the server one or more notification options requested by the monitoring party; receiving at the server a location label assigned by the monitoring party to at least one of the one or more notification locations; receiving a location of a mobile phone corresponding to a person; determining whether the monitoring party has been authorized to access the location of the mobile phone; determining whether a notification is to be sent to the monitoring party based on the one or more notification options requested by the monitoring party, provided that the monitoring party has been authorized; and electronically sending a notification to the monitoring party when it has been determined that a notification is to be sent to the monitoring party, the notification indicating the location of the mobile phone corresponding to the person, wherein said electronically sending comprises (i) retrieving the notification generated, and (ii) sending the notification generated to the monitoring party when said determining determines that a notification is to be sent, and wherein the notification being sent is an electronic mail or instant message. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A location monitoring system, comprising:
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one or more mobile computing devices supported by a wireless network, each of said mobile computing devices being associated with and proximate to a corresponding object; and a server operatively connectable to the wireless network, said server configured to store locations of each of said mobile computing devices, and said server enabling authorized users to access the locations of said mobile computing devices via the Internet, wherein the authorized users do not have to be proximate to the objects whose locations they are authorized to access, wherein said server determines whether an electronic mail or instant message notification is to be sent to an authorized user based on one or more notification options requested by the authorized user, wherein said server sends an electronic mail or instant message notification to the authorized user when it has been determined that an electronic mail or instant message notification is to be sent to the authorized user, the electronic mail or instant message notification includes at least the location of at least one of said one or more mobile computing devices corresponding to an object, wherein one or more notification locations are defined by the authorized user through interaction with said server, and wherein the one or more notification locations that have been defined are assigned location labels by the authorized user through interaction with the server, and wherein the one or more notification options are defined by the authorized user through interaction with said server. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification