System and method for tracking assets

• US 9,679,456 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Protrack LLC
• Original Assignee: TracFind, Inc.
• Inventors: East, Clark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/479,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20150070165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721, 34053913, 340 101, 3405731, 3405681, 34053915, 34053932, 34235706, 34235715, 34235721, 3423572, 235385, 235375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID

Abstract

A computer-based system, computer-implemented method, and computer-readable medium for tracking assets, such as objects and persons. The current invention involves associating a GPS-tracked tag with a targeted asset, registering a serial number associated with the tag, storing the serial number onto a database, and tracking the tag—and thus, associated asset—through the database. Authorized third parties, such as law enforcement personnel, may also access the database and track the asset, if needed, for example if the asset is stolen. The user is able to activate and deactivate the tracking ability of the tag and immediately track the tag when needed.

Claims

1. A method of tracking an asset, comprising:

attaching a transceiver to the asset, wherein the transceiver is configured for wireless communication;

registering the transceiver with a server using a computer-based application;

transmitting by a computer-based device from which the application is accessed, in response to an input from a user a first signal to the server, wherein the first signal contains a query for a location information of the transceiver;

transmitting by the server, in response to the first signal, a second signal to the transceiver;

transmitting by the transceiver in response to the second signal, a third signal containing location information of the transceiver to the server;

extracting by the server in response to the third signal the location information from the third signal;

transmitting by the server the location information to a database that automatically records the location information;

simultaneously with said transmitting of the location information, converting by the server the location information into a particular language-based response that is displayable in a map generated by the computer-based device, and

when the asset is missing or lost, allowing the database that recorded the location information to be immediately accessible by a law enforcement agency.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by the computer-based device the location information; and

displaying by the computer-based device a location of the asset on the map.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server and the transceiver communicate over a wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by a global positioning satellite (GPS) the second signal transmitted by the server; and

relaying by the GPS the second signal to the transceiver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by a global positioning satellite (GPS) the third signal transmitted by the transceiver; and

relaying by the GPS the third signal to the server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information includes latitude and longitude of the transceiver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is registered with the computer-based application by providing a serial number associated with the transceiver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is embedded in a tag attachable to the asset.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is accessed by the user via user authentication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a third party authorized by the owner of the asset to access the application to track the asset.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is automatically activated at certain times of a day based on a user defined rule.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is hosted by the server and accessed remotely.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the application resides in a computer configured to communicate with the server over the Internet.

14. A system for tracking an asset, comprising:

a transceiver attached to the asset and configured for wireless communication; and

a computer-based application configured to enable access to a database upon authentication and to enable registration of the transceiver with a server;

wherein a map generated by a computer-based device, from which the computer-based application is accessed, displays a location of the transceiver, the application further configured to transmit a first signal to the server using the computer-based device in response to an input from a user, the first signal containing a query for a location information of the transceiver, the application further configured to receive the location information from the server using the computer-based device, the location information being converted by the server into a particular language-based response that is displayable in the map generated by the computer-based device simultaneously with the server transmitting the location information to the database, and allow the database that recorded the location information to be immediately accessible by a law enforcement agency when the asset is missing or lost.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein in response to the first signal, the server transmits a second signal to the transceiver, and wherein, in response to the second signal, the server receives from the transceiver a third signal containing location information of the transceiver.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the server and the transceiver communicate over a wireless communication network.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the location information includes latitude and longitude of the transceiver.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the transceiver is registered with the computer-based application by providing a serial number associated with the transceiver.

19. A computer program product for tracking an asset, wherein the computer program product comprises code embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured so as when executed cause a data processing system to perform steps of:

accessing a server over a communication network;

registering a transceiver attached to the asset with the server;

transmitting in response to an input from a user a first signal to the server, the first signal containing a query for a location information of the transceiver;

receiving from the server the location information;

displaying in a map generated by the data processing system a particular language-based response that is converted from the location information by the server simultaneously with the server transmitting the location information to a database; and

when the asset is missing or lost, allowing the database that recorded the location information to be immediately accessible by a law enforcement agency.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein in response to the first signal, the server transmits a second signal to the transceiver, and wherein in response to the second signal, the transceiver transmits a third signal containing location information of the transceiver to the server.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the server extracts the location information from the third signal and transmits the location information to the data processing system.