GEO-FENCE LOCATION-SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT STATUS BASED TRIGGER DIRECTED CONTENT DELIVERY

• US 20070130279A1
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Discrete Wireless Incorporated (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Discrete Wireless Incorporated (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: THACHER, Jeffery
• Application Number:
  US11/164,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130279A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A dispatcher free control system that combines location and tracking technology with wireless communication technology to enable deployed workers to be tracked and assisted while on the job. More particularly, mobile units are deployed with the work force. The mobile units include location tracking technology such as GPS, and wireless communication technology such as digital cellular. The mobile devices communicate via the wireless communication technology to a control system. The control system maintains a database of information about various jobs, work orders, status, or the like. In response to status based events, the mobile devices communication with the control system to obtain and update information regarding the work orders and status.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating the operation of deployed work forces, the system comprising:

a control system;

a plurality of mobile devices with each mobile device including a GPS receiver and a radio transceiver, the mobile device being operable to communication with the control system via the radio transceiver;

each of the plurality of mobile devices being operable to;

receive location identification information from the GPS receiver; and

transmit the location information to the control system; and

the control system operating to access database records based on the location identification information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is operable to access database records based on the location identification information by:

receiving the location information from the mobile device;

examining a database based at least in part on the location identification information;

extracting relevant information from the database; and

transmitting the relevant information to the radio transceiver of the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each mobile device includes a display and each mobile device is further operable to:

receive the relevant information from the control system; and

display the relevant information on the display of the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the extracted relevant information may include a task to be performed by a user associated with the mobile device and request to perform the task and provide a result message, and the mobile device is further operable to:

receive the result message; and

transmit the result message to the control system; and

the control system being further operable to store the result message in the database for future reference.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the mobile devices are further operable to:

receive an actuation signal; and

transmit a message to the control system based on the actuation signal; and

the control system is further operable to;

receive the message from the mobile device;

examine a database based at least in part on the actuation signal;

extract relevant information from the database; and

transmit the relevant information to the radio transceiver of the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the extracted relevant information may include a task to be performed by a user associated with the mobile device and request to perform the task and provide a result message, and the mobile device is further operable to:

receive the result message; and

transmit the result message to the control system; and

the control system being further operable to store the result message in the database for future reference.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the mobile devices are further operable to:

receive an input message from a user; and

transmit the message to the control system; and

the control system is further operable to;

receive the message from the mobile device;

parse the message to identify any trigger terms;

if any trigger terms exist, examine a database based at least in part on the trigger term;

extract relevant information from the database; and

transmit the relevant information to the radio transceiver of the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the extracted relevant information may include a task to be performed by a user associated with the mobile device and request to perform the task and provide a result message, and the mobile device is further operable to:

receive the result message; and

transmit the result message to the control system; and

the control system being further operable to store the result message in the database for future reference.

9. A mobile device for operation in a system that facilitates the operation of deployed work forces, the mobile device comprising:

a location information receiver;

a radio transceiver;

an interface unit; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the location information receiver, the radio transceiver and the interface unit and, in response to instructions included in a memory component, is operable to;

receive location identification information from the location information receiver; and

if the mobile device is within a particular geographic vicinity, automatically transmit a location based signal that identifies the mobile device and the location identification information.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, further operable to:

in response to transmitting the location based signal, receive relevant information regarding equipment associated with the location identification information; and

display the relevant information on a display of the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is further operable to:

receive an actuation signal; and

transmit a message based on the actuation signal; and

receive relevant information transmitted to the radio transceiver of the mobile device in response to the transmission of the message based on the actuation signal.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the relevant information may include a task to be performed by a user associated with the mobile device and request to perform the task and provide a result message, and the mobile device is further operable to:

receive the result message; and

transmit the result message.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is further operable to:

receive an input message from a user; and

transmit the message; and

receive relevant information pertaining to any trigger terms that were included in the transmitted message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the extracted relevant information may include a task to be performed by a user associated with the mobile device and request to perform the task and provide a result message, and the mobile device is further operable to:

receive the result message; and

transmit the result message.

15. A method for facilitating the operation of deployed work forces, the method comprising:

provisioning a plurality of mobile devices, each mobile device including a GPS receiver and a wireless radio transceiver;

deploying the plurality of mobile devices;

for a particular mobile device, receiving from the GPS receiver a current location for the mobile device;

sending a first trigger message to a control system, the first trigger message identifying the current location and the mobile device;

the control system searching a database based at least in part on the current location information;

the mobile device sending a second trigger message to the control system;

the control system extracting information from the database relevant to the current location and the second trigger message;

transmitting the relevant information to the particular mobile device.

16. A method for facilitating the operation of deployed work forces, the method comprising:

provisioning a plurality of mobile devices, each mobile device including a GPS receiver and a wireless radio transceiver;

deploying the plurality of mobile devices;

for a particular mobile device, detecting the occurrence of a trigger qualifying event;

transmitting a trigger message to a control system, the trigger message identifying the mobile device and a trigger type;

the control system searching a database based at least in part on the trigger type;

the control system extracting information relevant to the trigger type;

transmitting the relevant information to the particular mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of detecting the occurrence of a trigger qualifying event comprises receiving location information from the GPS receiver.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of detecting the occurrence of a trigger qualifying event comprises:

receiving location information from the GPS receiver; and

determining that the location information is within a threshold distance from an alert zone.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of detecting the occurrence of a trigger qualifying event comprises receiving a measurement.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of detecting the occurrence of a trigger qualifying event comprises receiving an input of a serial number.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of detecting the occurrence of a trigger qualifying event comprises receiving an input of a message to be transmitted.