Location sharing and tracking using mobile phones or other wireless devices

• US 20060223518A1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X One Inc.
• Original Assignee: X One Inc.
• Inventors: Haney, Richard D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 : Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 : in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 : Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 : Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 : Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 : with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 : User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 : Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• 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 68/12 : Inter-network notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 : for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between wireless devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application and a TalkControl application. The Buddy Watch application communicates with the GPS receiver and other wireless devices operated by buddies registered in the users phone as part of buddy groups or individually. GPS position data and historical GPS position data can be exchanged between cell phones of buddies and instant buddies such as tow truck drivers via a buddy watch server. Emergency monitoring services can be set up with notifications to programmable individuals in case an individual does not respond. Positions and tracks can be displayed. TalkControl simplifies and automates the process of joining talk groups for walkie talkie services such as that provided by Nextel.

Claims

1. A process for sending a GPS position from a first wireless device to one or more second wireless devices, comprising:

A) receiving in a first wireless device a position update request;

B) looking up addresses of one or more second wireless devices to which a position update is to be sent;

C) reading GPS information and encrypting it;

D) putting encrypted GPS information into payload portions of one or more packets of short message or email protocol format and addressing said packets to one or more wireless devices to which position updates are to be sent;

E) transmitting the packet data to a transceiver in a cell in which said first wireless device is registered;

F) receiving the signals containing said packet data and recovering said packets at said transceiver;

G) routing said packets to a central switching unit;

H) in said central switching unit routing each packet to a transceiver in a cell in which the wireless device to which said packet is addressed is registered;

I) in each said transceiver which received one or more packets from said central switching unit, processing the data of said packets to generate radio frequency signals and transmitting said radio frequency signals to the wireless devices in said cell;

J) in the wireless device to which the packet is addressed, recovering said the data of said one or more packets and reassembling said packets;

K) reading the header data of said packets and routing said packets to the GPS position data sharing software application;

L) in said GPS position data sharing software application decrypting said GPS position data and using the header information of said packets to determine the identity of the person whose GPS position data was just decrypted and using said decrypted position data to update the displayed position data of said person.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein step E comprises the steps:

A2) disassembling each said packet into groups of bits of a predetermined size codewords;

B2) interleaving said codewords;

C2) encoding each codeword with a plurality of error detection and correction bits;

D2) generating symbols to send from said codewords

3. The process of claim 2 wherein step D2 comprises breaking each codeword into groups of bits of a predetermined size, the number of bits in each group being dependent upon the modulation scheme in use.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein step D2 comprises breaking each codeword into groups of bits of a predetermined size, the number of bits in each group being dependent upon the modulation scheme in use, and encoding each group of bits in a Trellis encoder.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein step L further comprises the steps:

receiving a map it command from a user of said wireless device;

displaying a map of a geographic area in which positions of said wireless devices can be displayed;

using said GPS position data decrypted in step L to place a contrasting point or other indicator of the position of said entity which sent said position update.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein step A comprises receiving a position update request from a timer in said first wireless device that initiates a position update periodically.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein step A comprises receiving a position update request from a process running on said first wireless device which constantly compares the current GPS position to the last reported GPS position and generates a position update request whenever said position changes by more than a predetermined amount.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein step A comprises receiving a position update request from one or more of said second wireless devices.

9. The process of claim 1 further comprising the steps:

6A) reading GPS information of a second wireless device which just received a GPS position update and encrypting said GPS information;

6B) putting said encrypted GPS information into payload portions of one or more packets of short message or email protocol format and addressing said packets to said first wireless device;

6C) transmitting said packet data to a transceiver in a cell in which said second wireless device is registered;

6D) receiving the signals containing said packet data and recovering said packets at said transceiver;

6E) routing said packets to a central switching unit;

6F) in said central switching unit routing each packet to a transceiver in a cell in which said first wireless device to which said one or more packets is addressed is registered;

6G) in said transceiver which received one or more packets from said central switching unit address to said first wireless device, processing the data of said packets to generate radio frequency signals and transmitting said radio frequency signals to the wireless devices in said cell;

6H) in said first wireless device to which said one or more packets is addressed, recovering said the data of said one or more packets and reassembling said packets;

6I) reading the header data of said one or more packets and routing said packets to GPS position data sharing software application;

L) in said GPS position data sharing software application decrypting said GPS position data and using the header information of said packets to determine the identity of the person whose GPS position data was just decrypted and using said decrypted position data to update the displayed position data of said person.

10. A process for receiving a GPS position from a second wireless device at a first wireless devices, comprising:

A) in a first wireless device to which one or more GPS position data bearing packet is addressed, recovering said the data of said one or more packets and reassembling said packets;

B) reading header data of said one or more recovered packets and routing said packets to the GPS position data sharing software application;

C) in said GPS position data sharing software application decrypting said GPS position data from payload sections of said one or more packets and using header information of said packets to determine the identity of the person whose GPS position data was just decrypted and using said decrypted position data to update the displayed position data of said person;

D) reading GPS position data from a GPS receiver in said first wireless device and encrypting said GPS position data;

E) encapsulating said GPS position data into payload portions of packets and addressing said packets to said second wireless device; and

F) transmitting said one or more packets containing GPS position data of said first wireless device to a transceiver in a cell in which said first wireless device is registered.

11. The process of claim 10 further comprising the steps:

making a position update request from said first wireless device to said second wireless device and starting a timer in said first wireless device at the time said request is made;

if said timer reaches a predetermined time without having received a position update from said second wireless device, changing the color of a display of a position of said second wireless device to some color which indicates said second wireless device is either out of cellular coverage or not responding for some other reason.

12. An apparatus comprising a wireless cell phone, PCS device, Blackberry or other device capable of receiving and making wireless phone calls and having a GPS receiver, and programmed to communicate with a server so as to be able to exchange GPS location data with another wireless cell phone, PCS device, Blackberry or other device capable of receiving and making wireless phone calls such that the locations of individuals or groups can be known.

13. A process carried out by a server comprising:

registering users of a buddy watch service;

receiving and storing position data giving the location of wireless devices operated by said registered users, said wireless devices being capable of making and receiving phone calls;

sending position data to wireless devices being capable of making and receiving phone calls to other registered users.