Security tracking device

• US 8,781,493 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Padmanabhan Mahalingam
• Original Assignee: Padmanabhan Mahalingam
• Inventors: Mahalingam, Padmanabhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, NAM TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/909,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20110098058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/310, 455/90.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/421, 455/457, 455/404.1, 455/410, 455/574, 455/403, 455/550.1, 455/567, 4554561-4566, 701/32.3, 713/322, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A tracking device has an on-board power source, a central processing unit, a cellular telephony transmitter and receiver, a speaker and a microphone, a bus system interconnecting electronic elements, and software or firmware executing at least periodically from a machine-readable physical medium providing a range of functions for the device. The device maintains a sleep mode until activated by an internal timing function, once activated turns on the receiver and listens for radio signals, finding particular signals, consults memory associations with one or more of those signals, and determines to activate transmission only under certain preprogrammed conditions depended on signals found and identified.

Claims

1. A tracking system comprising:

a tracking device having an on-board power source, a central processing unit, a cellular telephony transmitter and receiver, a speaker and a microphone, a bus system interconnecting electronic elements, and software or firmware executing at least periodically from a machine-readable physical medium to provide a range of functions for the device;

a central server in the Internet network having connection through an appropriate gateway to a cellular network having a plurality of cell towers spread over a geographic region; and

an interactive interface at the central server providing access to server functions for individuals operating Internet-connected computerized appliances including at least device tracking activity;

wherein the device has an ID associated with a particular person, the ID is registered with the server, and the device communicates periodically with the cellular network, providing information including at least location and time for the device, and the server is enabled to gather information of scheduled activities of transportation companies and determine at least geographic position, acceleration, speed and direction information for the device by using successive locations and times received via at least a portion of the plurality of cell towers, all information used by the server to determine a type of vehicle carrying the device, probable destination for the device and schedules future tracking activity for the device based on the determination, making the tracking activity and the information accessible via the interactive interface for the particular person with the associated ID.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the server stores a history of locations, speed and direction information for devices tracked by the system, to be made available by either push or by request to persons having an ID associated with the devices.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the server executes software from a machine-readable medium, providing further functions for tracking registered devices, and organizing and storing information about the devices.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more FM transmitters in communication with the central server, wherein the central server may direct the one or more FM transmitters to signal one or more tracking devices by specific identity, and the tracking devices, if in range of the FM transmission, respond by transmission on the cellular network.

5. A method for tracking a container, comprising the steps of:

(a) placing in the container a device having an on-board power source, a central processing unit, a cellular telephony transmitter and receiver, a speaker and a microphone, a bus system interconnecting electronic elements, and software or firmware executing at least periodically from a machine-readable physical medium to provide a range of functions for the device;

(b) communicating by the device via the cellular transmitter to a central server in the Internet network having connection through an appropriate gateway to a cellular network of a cellular provider, the network having a plurality of cell towers spread over a geographic region;

(c) determining at least real-time location, acceleration, speed and direction for the device by the central server by using successive locations and times received via the plurality of cell towers;

(d) gathering information of scheduled activities of transportation companies by the server;

(e) determining at least a type of vehicle carrying the container and probable destination for the device from the information gathered in steps (c) and (d) and scheduling future tracking activity for the device based on the determination; and

(f) making the tracking activity and the information accessible via an interactive interface at the server for a particular person having an ID associated with the device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the central server stores a history of the locations, speed and direction information for devices tracked by the system, to be made available by either push or by request to persons having IDs associated with the devices.