System and method for communication with a tracking device

• US 8,760,286 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Trek Xploration Corp. (Metalert, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Trek Xploration Corp. (Metalert, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bertagna, Patrick E., DiBella, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees, Edny
• Application Number:
  US13/443,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20120202519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731-5737, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.15, 340/539.16, 340/539.23, 342/357.2, 342/357.23, 701/200, 701/213, 701/214
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for providing communication with a tracking device are disclosed. An example tracking device includes a location detector, a communication device, memory, a processor, and a configuration routine. The location detector is operative to determine locations of the tracking device. The communication device is operative to communicate with a remote system. The memory stores data and code, the data including location data determined by the location detector and configuration data. The processor is operative to execute the code to impart functionality to the tracking device. The functionality of the tracking device depends at least in part on the configuration data. The configuration routine is operative to modify the configuration data responsive to communications from the remote system. Thus, functional access to the tracking device is provided to the remote system.

Claims

1. A tracking device comprising:

a location detector operative to determine locations of said tracking device;

a communication device operative to communicate with a plurality of remote systems including a tracking service system associated with a tracking service provider and a device of a user associated with said tracking device;

memory for storing data and code, said data including location data determined by said location detector and configuration data;

a processor operative to execute said code to impart functionality to said tracking device, said functionality of said tracking device depending at least in part on said configuration data; and

a configuration routine operative to modify said configuration data responsive to a communication from any of said remote systems; and

wherein said configuration data modifiable responsive to said communication from any of said remote systems at least partially determines an interval for buffering said location data when said communication device is unable to communicate said location data to at least one of said remote systems; and

wherein said interval for buffering at least partially controls how frequently newly acquired location data will be stored in said memory.

2. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein said configuration data modifiable responsive to said communication from any of said remote systems at least partially determines an interval for communicating said location data to at least one of said remote systems.

3. The tracking device of claim 2, wherein:

said interval for buffering is different than said interval for communicating.

4. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein said interval for buffering said location data is a time interval.

5. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein said interval for buffering said location data is a distance interval.

6. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein said configuration data modifiable responsive to said communication from any of said remote systems at least partially determines a power state of said location detector, said power state governing the power usage of said location detector.

7. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein said configuration data modifiable responsive to said communication from any of said remote systems at least partially determines a monitored condition with respect to said location of said tracking device.

8. The tracking device of claim 7, wherein said monitored condition is an area.

9. The tracking device of claim 8, wherein said area is a circular area.

10. The tracking device of claim 8, wherein said area is a polygonal area.

11. The tracking device of claim 7, wherein said monitored condition is a velocity.

12. The tracking device of claim 7, wherein said monitored condition is a time that said tracking device remains stationary.

13. The tracking device of claim 7, wherein said monitored condition is a distance that if traveled by said tracking device results in an alert being communicated to at least one of said remote systems.

14. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein said configuration data modifiable responsive to said communication from any of said remote systems at least partially determines an interval for communicating diagnostic information from said tracking device to at least one of said remote systems.

15. The tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a data transfer routine operative to communicate operational data between said tracking device and at least one of said remote systems.

16. The tracking device of claim 15, wherein said data transfer routine, responsive to a request from one of said remote systems, is operative to communicate data indicative of a battery status to at least said one of said remote systems that made said request.

17. The tracking device of claim 15, wherein said data transfer routine, responsive to a request from one of said remote systems, is operative to communicate data indicative of a radio signal strength to at least said one of said remote systems that made said request.

18. The tracking device of claim 15, wherein said data transfer routine, responsive to a request from one of said remote systems, is operative to communicate data indicative of a status of said location detector to at least said one of said remote systems that made said request.

19. The tracking device of claim 15, wherein said data transfer routine, responsive to a status of a monitored location condition, is operative to communicate data indicative of a violation or satisfaction of said location condition to said at least one of said remote systems.

20. The tracking device of claim 15, wherein:

when said communication device is unable to establish a connection with at least one of said remote systems, said location data is accumulated in said memory; and

when said communication device is able to establish a connection with said at least one of said remote systems, said data transfer routine communicates said accumulated data to said at least one of said remote systems.

21. The tracking device of claim 15, wherein said data transfer routine, responsive to a request from one of said remote systems, is operative to communicate diagnostic data to said at least one of said remote systems that made said request.

22. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein:

responsive to a first command from any of said remote systems said configuration data is modified to set a new interval for buffering said location data; and

responsive to a different command from any of said remote systems said configuration data is modified to set a new interval for reporting said location data.

23. A method for communicating with a tracking device, said method comprising:

communicating with said tracking device via a wireless network;

providing configuration data to said tracking device via said wireless network, said configuration data causing said tracking device to operate according to a first configuration;

receiving processed data from said tracking device, said processed data being generated by said tracking device in said first configuration;

providing new configuration data to said tracking device via said wireless network, said new configuration data changing said first configuration of said tracking device to a different configuration; and

receiving additional processed data from said tracking device, said additional processed data being generated by said tracking device in said different configuration; and

wherein said configuration data at least partially determines a location data buffering interval; and

wherein said location data buffering interval at least partially controls how frequently newly acquired location data will be stored in said memory.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said configuration data at least partially determines a location data reporting interval.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said configuration data at least partially determines a location data buffering interval different than said location data reporting interval.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein providing configuration data to said tracking device includes:

providing a first command to said tracking device to set said location data reporting interval; and

providing a different command to said tracking device to set said location data buffering interval.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein said configuration data at least partially determines a power state of said tracking device, said power state governing the power usage of said tracking device.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said configuration data at least partially determines a location based condition that if violated or satisfied causes an indication of said violation or satisfaction of said location based condition to be communicated from said tracking device.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein said configuration data at least partially determines a diagnostic reporting interval.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein said processed data includes data indicative of a battery status of said tracking device.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein said processed data includes data indicative of a radio signal strength determined by said tracking device.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein said processed data includes data generated by a diagnostic routine of said tracking device.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein:

said first configuration is associated with a first tracking function; and

said different configuration is associated with a different tracking function.

34. A tracking device comprising:

a location detector operative to determine locations of said tracking device;

a communication device operative to communicate with a plurality of remote systems including a tracking service system associated with a tracking service provider and a device of a user associated with said tracking device;

memory for storing data and code, said data including location data determined by said location detector and configuration data, said configuration data at least partially determining a location data buffering interval, said location data buffering interval determining how often new location data will be stored in said memory;

a processor operative to execute said code to impart functionality to said tracking device, said functionality of said tracking device depending at least in part on said configuration data; and

means for modifying said configuration data responsive to a communication from any of said remote systems.

35. A non-transitory, electronically-readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to:

communicate with a tracking device via a wireless network;

provide configuration data to said tracking device via said wireless network, said configuration data causing said tracking device to operate according to a first configuration;

receive processed data from said tracking device, said processed data being generated by said tracking device in said first configuration;

provide new configuration data to said tracking device via said wireless network, said new configuration data changing said first configuration of said tracking device to a different configuration; and

receive additional processed data from said tracking device, said additional processed data being generated by said tracking device in said different configuration; and

wherein said configuration data at least partially determines a location data buffering interval, said location data buffering interval determining how frequently said tracking device stores new location data when said communication with said tracking device is interrupted.

36. A tracking device comprising:

a location detector operative to determine locations of said tracking device;

a communication device operative to communicate with a plurality of remote systems Including a tracking service system associated with a tracking service provider And a device of a user associated with said tracking device;

memory for storing data and code, said data including location data determined by Said location detector and configuration data;

a processor operative to execute said code to impart functionality to said tracking Device, said functionality of said tracking device depending at least in part on said configuration data;

a configuration routine operative to modify said configuration data responsive to a communication from any of said remote systems; and

a data transfer routine operative to communicate operational data between said tracking device and at least one of said remote systems; and

wherein

when said communication device is unable to establish a connection with at least one of said remote systems, said location data is accumulated in said memory, said accumulated location data indicative of a plurality of locations; and

when said communication device is able to establish a connection with said at least one of said remote systems, said data transfer routine communicates said accumulated data to said at least one said remote systems.