Method and system for providing tracking services to locate an asset

• US 9,000,915 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Tracking Systems, Inc. (5th Element Tracking LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Tracking Systems, Inc. (5th Element Tracking LLC)
• Inventors: Culpepper, Jerry W., Smith, Lawrence M., Vancleave, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US13/847,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20130217383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• 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: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of asset location. Location data is received from a cellular transmitter associated with a selected asset, which location data includes data representative of a cellular receiver with which direct communication with the cellular transmitter is made. The location data is then communicated to a tracking service system, which tracking service system includes a database representative of geographic locations associated with a plurality of cellular receivers. The database is then queried with received location data so as to generate geographic tracking data associated with a location of the cellular receiver, the geographic tracking data including display data adapted to generate a map image including a representative of a location of the selected asset. The geographic tracking data is then communicated to an associated security agency so as to allow for viewing of an image generated in accordance with the display data and at least one of tracking and interception of the selected asset.

Claims

1. A location method comprising the steps of:

communicating data via a portable radio-frequency transceiver operable to communicate data with at least two associated, remote data communication devices operating under mutually distinct frequencies, wherein one communication frequency is associated with a cellular communications system access point associated with an active communication session and wherein a second communication frequency is associated with an extraterrestrial data communication system;

receiving first location data specifying a location of the portable radio-frequency transceiver from a first of the remote data communication devices and determining second location data associated with a relative location of the portable radio-frequency transceiver to a second of the remote communication devices;

generating, via a processor, a location indicator corresponding to a physical location of the portable radio-frequency device determined by a combination of the first and second location data; and

generating, in accordance with at least one of the mutually distinct frequencies, a directional indicator corresponding to an orientation of the portable radio-frequency device in accordance with at least one of the mutually distinct frequencies.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein location data specified by the cellular communication system includes data corresponding to a position of portable radio-frequency transceiver relative to at least one cell tower.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of communicating data associated with the extraterrestrial data communication system via the cellular communication system.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of communicating status data corresponding to a status of the portable radio-frequency transceiver via the cellular system.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of generating a visual indicator corresponding to the location indicator in conjunction with an associated map on an associated display.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating the location data in accordance with speed data corresponding to a speed of the portable radio-frequency transceiver.

7. A location system comprising:

a portable radio-frequency transceiver operable to communicate data with at least two associated, remote data communication devices operating under mutually distinct frequencies, wherein a one frequency thereof is associated with a cellular communications system and wherein a second frequency thereof is associated with a wireless data network;

the portable radio-frequency transceiver further operable to receive first location data specifying a location of the portable radio-frequency transceiver from a first of the remote data communication devices and second location data associated with a relative location of the portable radio-frequency transceiver to a second of the remote communication devices;

a processor operable to generate a location indicator corresponding to a physical location of the portable radio-frequency device determined by a combination the first and second location data; and

the processor further operable to generate a directional indicator corresponding to an orientation of the portable radio-frequency device in accordance with at least one of the mutually distinct frequencies.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein location data associated with the wireless data network includes data corresponding to a position of portable radio-frequency transceiver relative to at least one wireless access point.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the wireless data network further communicates data associated with the cellular communication system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the wireless data network further communicates status data corresponding to a status of the portable radio-frequency transceiver.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a display operable to generate a visual indicator corresponding to the location indicator in conjunction with an associated map.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the portable radio-frequency transceiver is further operable to communicate data, via a unique third frequency, to a second portable radio-frequency transceiver.

13. A location system comprising:

a portable radio-frequency transceiver operable to communicate data with at least two associated, remote data communication devices operating under mutually distinct frequencies, wherein a one frequency thereof is associated with a wireless wide area data network and wherein a second frequency thereof is associated with wireless local area data network;

the portable radio-frequency transceiver further operable to receive first location data specifying a location of the portable radio-frequency transceiver from the a first of the remote data communication devices and second location data associated with a relative location of the portable radio-frequency transceiver to a second of the remote communication devices;

a processor operable to generate a location indicator corresponding to a physical location of the portable radio-frequency device in accordance with a combination of the first and second location data; and

the processor further operable to the processor further operable to generate directional heading data corresponding to an orientation of the portable radio-frequency device in accordance with at least one of the mutually distinct frequencies.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein location data associated with at least one of the wide area network and local area network includes data corresponding to a position of portable radio-frequency transceiver relative to at least one access point associated therewith.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the wide area network and the local area network communicates data associated with the other.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the wide area network and the local area network further communicates status data corresponding to a status of the portable radio-frequency transceiver.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a display operable to generate a visual indicator corresponding to the location indicator in conjunction with an associated map.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the portable radio-frequency transceiver is further operable to communicate data, via a unique third frequency, to a second portable radio-frequency transceiver.

19. A location method comprising the steps of:

communicating data via a portable radio-frequency transceiver operable to communicate data with at least two associated, remote data communication devices operating under mutually distinct frequencies, wherein one communication frequency is associated with a wireless wide area data network and wherein a second communication frequency is associated with wireless local area data network;

receiving first location data specifying a location of the portable radio-frequency transceiver from a first of the remote data communication devices and communicating second location data associated with a relative location of the portable radio-frequency transceiver to a second of the remote communication devices;

generating, via a processor, a location indicator corresponding to a physical location of the portable radio-frequency device in accordance with the first and second location data; and

generating a directional indicator corresponding to a directional heading of the portable radio-frequency device in accordance with at least one of the mutually distinct frequencies.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein location data associated with a cellular communication system and includes data corresponding to a position of portable radio-frequency transceiver relative to at least wireless access point.