Systems and methods for providing notification of a location of a restrained party

• US 20050040957A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hong Thi, Adamczyk, Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,098,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.400
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

Systems and methods for notifying a user that a restrained party is within a specified distance of a specified location are disclosed. A method according to the invention includes storing identity data that represents an identity of a restrained party, location data that represents a specified location, and distance data that represents a specified distance from the specified location. A restrained party location signal that represents a current location of the restrained party is received. From the location data and the distance data, a determination is made as to whether the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location. If the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location, an alert is transmitted to one or more contacts.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a location of a restrained party, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a restrained party location signal that represents a current location of the restrained party; and

an alerting service for determining if the current location of the restrained party is within a specified distance of a specified location, wherein the alerting service is in communication with the receiver and with a media server, wherein the media server is notified if the alerting service determines that the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert is transmitted to a contact if the alerting service determines that the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert is transmitted to the contact by at least one of a telephone, electronic mail, pager, and messaging device.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the contact comprises at least one of a restraining party, a law enforcement authority, a court authority, an authority that designated the restrained party as being restrained, and a user-specified contact.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified location comprises a dynamic location.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the dynamic location comprises a location of a restraining party.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data store containing data that represents at least one of an identify of the restrained party, an identity of a restraining party, the specified distance, the specified location, an identity of a contact, and a communication pathway via which the contact can be alerted.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a device for determining from the location signal, the specified location, and the specified distance whether the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified location comprises at least one of a restraining party'"'"'s house, a restraining party'"'"'s place of business, a location associated with a restraining party, and a location designated by a restraining order.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving a restraining party location signal representing a current location of a restraining party.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a restraining party location device adapted to be worn or carried by the restraining party and to transmit the restraining party location signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the restraining party location device comprises a global positioning system signal receiver that is adapted to receive global positioning signals from each of a plurality of global positioning system satellites.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a restrained party location device that is adapted to be worn or carried by the restrained party and to transmit the restrained party location signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the restrained party location device comprises a global positioning system signal receiver that is adapted to receive global positioning signals from each of a plurality of global positioning system satellites.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the restrained party location signal comprises at least one of global positioning signals and a longitude and a latitude associated with the location of the restrained party.

16. A method for monitoring a location of a restrained party, the method comprising:

receiving a restrained party location signal that represents a current location of the restrained party;

determining whether the current location of the restrained party is within a specified distance of a specified location; and

notifying a media server if the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting an alert to a contact if the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the alert is transmitted to the contact by at least one of a telephone, electronic mail, pager, and messaging device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing in a data store at least one of;

location data that represents the specified location,

distance data that represents the specified distance,

identity data that represents an identity of the restrained party,

identity data that represents an identity of a restraining party,

identity data that represents an identity of a contact, and

communication pathway data that represents a communication pathway via which the contact can be alerted.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the specified location comprises a dynamic location.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the dynamic location comprises a location of a restraining party.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:

receiving a restrained party location signal that represents a current location of a restrained party;

determining whether the current location of the restrained party is within a specified distance of a specified location; and

sending a message to a media server if the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of:

transmitting an alert to a contact if the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of:

transmitting the alert to the contact by at least one of a telephone, electronic mail, pager, and messaging device.