Tracking device and tracking device control method

• US 9,258,674 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Intelligence Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Athentek Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Chun-Nan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US14/328,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A tracking device and a tracking device control method with intelligent safe-zone demarcation are provided. The tracking device includes a positioning module, a long-range transceiver and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured to operate the long-range transceiver to regularly transmit position information of the tracking device to a server during a data-collection period for behavior analysis of a tracked object equipped with the tracking device and for safe-zone demarcation of the tracking device. The safe-zone demarcation is adaptive to habitual behaviors of the tracked object, and the habitual behaviors are obtained from the behavior analysis.

Claims

1. A tracking device, comprising:

a positioning module for satellite navigation;

a long-range transceiver for digital cellular communication; and

a microcontroller, controlling the positioning module and the long-range transceiver,

wherein;

the microcontroller is further configured to operate the long-range transceiver to regularly transmit position information of the tracking device to a server during a data-collection period for behavior analysis of a tracked object equipped with the tracking device and for safe-zone demarcation of the tracking device, the safe-zone demarcation is adaptive to habitual behaviors of the tracked object, and the habitual behaviors are obtained from the behavior analysis;

the position information indicates appearance positions of the tracking device that show positions at which the tracking device appears;

the data-collection period lasts N days, N is a number and each day of the N days is divided into time slots;

a correlation analysis is performed on the appearance positions of the tracking device in the same time slot between the N days, to estimate confidence levels of the appearance positions for each time slot of a day; and

each time slot of a day corresponds to a position-confidence threshold for the safe-zone demarcation.

2. The tracking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at time T after the N days, the position-confidence threshold for the time slot that the time T corresponds to in a day is compared with the confidence levels of the appearance positions estimated for the time slot corresponding to the time T; and

a safe zone is demarcated around the appearance position having a confidence level greater than the position-confidence threshold in the time slot corresponding to the time T.

3. The tracking device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the position information further shows routes taken by the tracked object from a departure position to a destination position in the N days.

4. The tracking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

a correlation analysis is performed on the routes, to estimate confidence levels of the routes; and

a commute from the departure position to the destination position corresponds to a route-confidence threshold.

5. The tracking device as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

when the tracked object is expected to travel from the departure position to the destination position after the N days, the route-confidence threshold is compared with the confidence levels of the routes; and

a safe zone is demarcated along the route having a confidence level greater than the route-confidence threshold.

6. The tracking device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a short-range transceiver for radio-signal communication within a shorter range in comparison with the digital cellular communication,

wherein the short-range transceiver and the positioning module are provided for detection of the position information.

7. A tracking device comprising:

a positioning module for satellite navigation;

a long-range transceiver for digital cellular communication; and

a microcontroller, controlling the positioning module and the long-range transceiver,

wherein;

the microcontroller is further configured to operate the long-range transceiver to regularly transmit position information of the tracking device to a server during a data-collection period for behavior analysis of a tracked object equipped with the tracking device and for safe-zone demarcation of the tracking device, the safe-zone demarcation is adaptive to habitual behaviors of the tracked object, and the habitual behaviors are obtained from the behavior analysis;

the position information regularly transmitted to the server during the data-collection period shows routes taken by the tracked object from a departure position to a destination position;

a correlation analysis is performed on the routes to estimate confidence levels of the routes; and

a commute from the departure position to the destination position corresponds to a route-confidence threshold for the safe-zone demarcation.

8. The tracking device as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

when the tracked object is expected to travel from the departure position to the destination position after the data-collection period, the route-confidence threshold is compared with the confidence levels of the routes; and

a safe zone is demarcated along the route having a confidence level greater than the route-confidence threshold.

9. The tracking device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a short-range transceiver for radio-signal communication within a shorter range in comparison with the digital cellular communication,

wherein the short-range transceiver and the positioning module are provided for detection of the position information.

10. A tracking device control method, comprising:

providing a server for a tracking device comprising a positioning module for satellite navigation, wherein the tracking device further comprises a long-range transceiver for digital cellular communication; and

operating the long-range transceiver to regularly transmit position information of the tracking device to the server during a data-collection period for behavior analysis of a tracked object equipped with the tracking device and for safe-zone demarcation of the tracking device, wherein the safe-zone demarcation is adaptive to habitual behaviors of the tracked object and the habitual behaviors are obtained from the behavior analysis,

wherein;

the position information indicates appearance positions of the tracking device that show positions at which the tracking device appears;

the data-collection period lasts N days, N is a number and each day of the N days is divided into time slots;

a correlation analysis is performed on the appearance positions of the tracking device in the same time slot between the N days, to estimate confidence levels of the appearance positions for each time slot of a day; and

each time slot of a day corresponds to a position-confidence threshold for the safe-zone demarcation.

11. The tracking device control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

at time T after the N days, the position-confidence threshold for the time slot that the time T corresponds to in a day is compared with the confidence levels of the appearance positions estimated for the time slot corresponding to the time T; and

a safe zone is demarcated around the appearance position having a confidence level greater than the position-confidence threshold in the time slot corresponding to the time T.

12. The tracking device control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the position information further shows routes taken by the tracked object from a departure position to a destination position in the N days.

13. The tracking device control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

a correlation analysis is performed on the routes, to estimate confidence levels of the routes; and

a commute from the departure position to the destination position corresponds to a route-confidence threshold.

14. The tracking device control method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

when the tracked object is expected to travel from the departure position to the destination position after the N days, the route-confidence threshold is compared with the confidence levels of the routes; and

a safe zone is demarcated along the route having a confidence level greater than the route-confidence threshold.

15. The tracking device control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

a short-range transceiver is further provided within the tracking device for radio-signal communication within a shorter range in comparison with the digital cellular communication; and

the short-range transceiver and the positioning module are provided for detection of the position information.

16. A tracking device control method comprising:

providing a server for a tracking device comprising a positioning module for satellite navigation, wherein the tracking device further comprises a long-range transceiver for digital cellular communication; and

operating the long-range transceiver to regularly transmit position information of the tracking device to the server during a data-collection period for behavior analysis of a tracked object equipped with the tracking device and for safe-zone demarcation of the tracking device, wherein the safe-zone demarcation is adaptive to habitual behaviors of the tracked object and the habitual behaviors are obtained from the behavior analysis,

wherein;

the position information regularly transmitted to the server during the data-collection period shows routes taken by the tracked object from a departure position to a destination position;

a correlation analysis is performed on the routes to estimate confidence levels of the routes; and

a commute from the departure position to the destination position corresponds to a route-confidence threshold for the safe-zone demarcation.

17. The tracking device control method as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

when the tracked object is expected to travel from the departure position to the destination position after the data-collection period, the route-confidence threshold is compared with the confidence levels of the routes; and

a safe zone is set along the route having a confidence level greater than the route-confidence threshold.

18. The tracking device control method as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

a short-range transceiver is further provided within the tracking device for radio-signal communication within a shorter range in comparison with the digital cellular communication; and

the short-range transceiver and the positioning module are provided for detection of the position information.