Systems and methods for tracking and monitoring an electronic device

• US 8,825,089 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matthew R. Godfrey
• Original Assignee: Matthew R. Godfrey
• Inventors: Godfrey, Matthew R., Tabor, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/544,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20130016009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455418-420, 4554141-4143
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile

Abstract

An electronic tracking device includes a processor in communication with a global positioning system (GPS) device, a motion tracking unit, a data storage unit, and one or more communication devices. The GPS device receives GPS signals, if available, and generates GPS data corresponding to a location of the electronic device. The motion tracking unit generates motion data based on movement of the electronic device. The data storage device stores the GPS data and the motion data at a plurality of different times. The processor generates a data packet including the GPS data and the motion data stored in the data storage device at the plurality of different times. The one or more communication devices transmit the data packet to a remote server for monitoring the location of the electronic device based on at least one of the GPS data and the motion data.

Claims

1. An electronic tracking device for providing evidence including tracking device'"'"'s locations and movements between geographic locations, the electronic tracking device comprising:

a processor;

a global positioning system (GPS) device in communication with the processor;

the GPS device to receive GPS signals, if available, and to generate GPS data corresponding to a location of the electronic device from the received GPS signals;

a motion tracking unit in communication with the processor;

the motion tracking unit to generate motion data based on movement of the electronic device;

at least one of a camera and an audio detector to generate evidence data corresponding to presence of a person during the movements between the geographic locations;

a data storage device in communication with the processor, the data storage device to store the GPS data, the motion data, and the evidence data at a plurality of different times, wherein the processor is configured to generate a data packet comprising the GPS data, the motion data, and the evidence data stored in the data storage device at the plurality of different times, the data storage device comprising;

a first ring buffer for storing the GPS data, wherein oldest GPS data in the first ring buffer is replaced by new GPS data; and

a second ring buffer for storing the motion data, wherein oldest motion data in the second ring buffer is replaced by new motion data, and

wherein the GPS data in the first ring buffer is not replaced by the new motion data; and

one or more communication devices in communication with the processor, the one or more communication devices to transmit the data packet to a remote server for evidence collection and monitoring the location of the electronic device based on the GPS data and the motion data.

2. The electronic tracking device of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication devices comprises a first radio to communicate the data packet to the remote server through a cellular communication network.

3. The electronic tracking device of claim 2, wherein the one or more communication devices further comprises a second radio configured to communicate the data packet to the remote server through at least one of a wireless access point using a standard communication protocol and a dedicated radio frequency (RF) receiver.

4. The electronic tracking device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to communicate the data packet using the second radio upon determining that the first radio is unavailable.

5. The electronic tracking device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to trigger the electronic tracking device to generate the GPS data and the motion data at a first predetermined interval, and wherein the processor is configured to trigger the one or more communication devices to transmit the data packet at a second predetermined interval.

6. The electronic tracking device of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined interval is different than the second predetermined interval.

7. The electronic tracking device of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic sensor unit in communication with the processor, the electronic sensor to trigger the electronic tracking device to generate the GPS data and the motion data.

8. The electronic tracking device of claim 7, wherein the electronic sensor unit is further configured to trigger the one or more communication devices to transmit the data packet.

9. The electronic tracking device of claim 7, wherein the electronic sensor unit includes one or more devices selected from a group comprising a motion sensor, a proximity sensor, a video camera, an audio detector, an accelerometer, and an electronic compass.

10. The electronic tracking device of claim 1, wherein the motion tracking unit comprises:

an electronic compass to generate directional compass data of the electronic device; and

an accelerometer to generate spatial orientation data and acceleration data based on the movement of the electronic device.

11. The electronic tracking device of claim 10, wherein the data packet comprises:

the GPS data that is available for any of the plurality of different times;

the directional compass data for each of the plurality of different times;

the spatial orientation data for each of the plurality of different times; and

a time stamp corresponding to each of the plurality of different times.