Mobile surveillance

• US 8,456,294 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James A. Roskind
• Original Assignee: James A. Roskind
• Inventors: Emigh, Aaron T., Roskind, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US13/231,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20120178478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.16, 340/425.5, 340/933, 340/934, 340/936, 340/937, 340/8.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• 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: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In some embodiments, a technique for logging an item encountered by a mobile device comprises automatically detecting an item in an uncontrolled environment, extracting an identity associated with the item, logging an encounter, wherein the encounter includes the identity, and deleting the encounter after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, wherein the encounter is not marked as relevant.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors that are configured to;

determine, for a given user, one or more persons that are pre-classified to be a friend of the given user based at least in part on the one or more persons having provided permission to have their location information determined;

determine a location for the one or more persons, wherein the location for each of the one or more persons is determined from a communication signaled from a device that is carried by or with each of the one or more persons; and

communicate location information to a device of the given user to enable the device of the given user to render a map that identifies the location of the one or more persons.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to respond to a query from the device of the given user by communicating, to the device of the given user, the location information that identifies the location of the one or more persons.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to respond to a query from the device of the given user by communicating, to the device of the given user, a map that displays the location of the one or more persons.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a location for at least one person by Global Positioning System (GPS) data communicated from a device of the at least one person.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the location is determined from GPS data communicated from a cellular telephony device of the at least one person.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more persons that are friends of the given user based on a buddy or friend list maintained by the given user.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the list is maintained as part of a service that provides instant messaging.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more persons that are friends of the given user based on individuals identified in an electronic address book of the given user.

9. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

wireless communication resources that operate with the one or more processors and which are adapted to wirelessly receive information;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine, from a collection of data items associated and personal to a user of the computing device, a list of persons, each of whom can be classified as a friend of the user of the computing device;

wherein the wireless communication resources receive location information that identifies a location of one or more persons on the list of persons from another computer; and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to display content that identifies the location of the one or more persons.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify content that includes a map on which the location of the one or more persons is shown.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication resources receive the location information from a device that is carried by or with the one or more persons.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication resources receive location information from a server that communicates with a device that is carried by or with the one or more persons.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication resources receive the location information in response to generating a query to the server for the location information.

14. The computing device of claim 9, further comprising memory resources, and wherein at least a portion of the collection of data items is stored in the memory resources.

15. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more persons that are friends of the user based on a buddy or friend list maintained by the user.

16. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the list is maintained as part of a service that provides instant messaging.

17. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more persons that are friends of the user based on individuals identified in an electronic address book of the user.

18. A method for operating a device, the method comprising:

programmatically determining, from a collection of data items that are associated with a user, a plurality of individuals who are deemed to be friends of the user;

generating a query for a server to identify a location of at least one of the plurality of individuals;

receiving, from the server, location information that identifies the location of the at least one of the plurality of individuals; and

displaying content that identifies the location of the at least one of the plurality of individuals.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting location information that identifies a location of a device carried by the user.

20. A method for providing location information, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

programmatically determining, from a collection of data items that are associated with a user at which classify individuals as friends of the user, a plurality of individuals who are deemed to be friends of the user;

determining, from a communication signaled by a device carried by at least one of the plurality of individuals, a location of the at least one of the plurality of individuals;

generating content that identifies the location of the at least one of the plurality of individuals; and

transmitting data corresponding to the content to a device of the user.