Method and system for generating geofences for managing offender movement

• US 9,875,638 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnilink Systems Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rajala, Yoganand
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US14/525,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A computer-based system can generate geofences that are useful for managing offenders who are wearing devices that track their locations, such as offender monitors. In one mode, the computer-based system can track an offender'"'"'s movement patterns and associated times and utilize the resulting data to generate proposed geofences. In another mode, the computer-based system can propose geofences based on offender category. Establishment categories can be determined based on offender category, and establishments can be identified based on establishment category. Proposed geofences can be created for the identified establishments.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a network interface configured to receive location data transmitted wirelessly by an offender monitor for an offender;

memory;

a processor that is operably coupled to the network interface, to the memory, and to a graphical user interface (GUI); and

processor executable instructions stored in the memory for performing the steps of;

presenting on one or more pages of the GUI an option to select from at least a first historical mode and a second category mode for producing geofences for the offender monitor,

wherein the first historical mode generates a first set of modifiable geofences based on locations and corresponding location times associated with a movement of the offender and obtained from the offender monitor and the second category mode generates a second set of modifiable geofences based on a category of the offender and establishment categories associated with the category of the offender,

wherein the establishment categories identify locations of one or more points of interest;

responsive to determining a selection of the first historical mode,

tracking the locations and the corresponding location times of the offender monitor in a learning mode in which the offender monitor acquires and reports positional data more frequently than when in a normal mode of operation;

generating the first set of modifiable geofences for presentation on the remote GUI based on the tracked locations and the corresponding location times obtained during the learning mode; and

causing the offender monitor to change from the learning mode to the normal operational mode in which the offender monitor acquires and reports positional data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory are further for performing the step of

producing a map overlaid with the tracked locations.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory are further for performing the step of

producing a map overlaid with the first set of modifiable geofences.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory are further for performing the step of

offering an option to accept or reject at least one of the first set of modifiable geofences, wherein at least one of the first set of modifiable geofences includes an allowed area geofence and an excluded area geofence.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory are further for performing the step of

offering an option to modify at least a size and a shape of at least one of the first set of modifiable geofences.

6. A system comprising:

a network interface configured to receive location data transmitted wirelessly by an offender monitor for an offender;

memory;

a processor that is operably coupled to the network interface, to the memory, and to a remote graphical user interface (GUI); and

processor executable instructions stored in the memory for performing the steps of;

presenting on one or more pages of the GUI an option to select from at least a first historical mode and a second category mode for producing geofences for the offender monitor,

wherein the first historical mode generates a first set of modifiable geofences based on locations and corresponding location times associated with a movement of the offender that is tracked using the offender monitor and the second category mode generates a second set of modifiable geofences based on a category of the offender'"'"'s offense;

responsive to determining a selection of the second category mode,

receiving identification of the category of the offender'"'"'s offense;

identifying establishments based on the category of the offender'"'"'s offense by querying a database; and

generating the second set of modifiable geofences for presentation on the remote GUI based on the identified establishments.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the step of identifying establishments comprises the steps of:

determining establishment categories based on the category of the offender'"'"'s offense; and

identifying the establishments based on the establishment categories, and wherein the database comprises an internal database or a vendor database.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory are further for performing the step of

producing a map overlaid with the second set of modifiable geofences for presentation on the remote GUI.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory are further for performing the step of

offering an option to accept one of the second set of modifiable geofences.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory are further for performing the step of

offering an option to modify at least a size and a shape of at least one of the second set of modifiable geofences.

11. A system comprising:

a network interface that provides Internet connectivity for communicating with an offender monitor that comprises an operational mode for routine monitoring operation and a learning mode and that acquires and reports positional data more frequently in the learning mode than in the operational mode;

a graphical user interface (GUI);

a processor that comprises memory and that is operably coupled to the Internet interface and to the GUI; and

processor executable instructions stored in the memory for performing the steps of;

presenting on one or more pages of the GUI one or more options to select from at least a first historical mode and a second category mode for producing geofences for the offender monitor,

wherein the first historical mode generates a first set of modifiable geofences based on locations and corresponding location times associated with a movement of the offender and obtained from the offender monitor and the second category mode generates a second set of modifiable geofences based on an offender category and establishment categories associated with the offender category,

wherein the establishment categories identify locations of one or more points of interest;

in response to selection of the first historical mode, producing the first set of modifiable geofences by utilizing the offender monitor in the learning mode; and

in response to selection of the second category mode, producing the second set of modifiable geofences by utilizing a database that relates offender categories to establishment categories.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein utilizing the offender monitor in the learning mode comprises presenting on the GUI a map that presents movement history of the offender monitor and a graphical representation of the first set of modifiable geofences.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the graphical representation of the produced first set of modifiable geofences comprises a graphic that can be enlarged or reduced to change one of the produced first set of modifiable geofences.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein producing the geofences comprises presenting on the GUI a proposed form of the first set of modifiable geofences for review.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein producing the second set of modifiable geofences by utilizing the database that relates offender categories to establishment categories comprises:

receiving an offender category for an offender associated with the offender monitor;

relating at least one establishment category to the offender category; and

identifying establishments according to the at least one establishment category.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein producing the second set of modifiable geofences by utilizing the database that relates offender categories to establishments further comprises:

displaying on the GUI a map that presents the identified establishments; and

presenting on the map graphical representations of the second set of modifiable geofences, each graphical representation associated with at least one of the identified establishments.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the graphical representations are changeable to produce corresponding modifications of the second set of modifiable geofences.