METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROXIMITY-BASED MONITORING OF WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20080242311A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John P., Craine, Ari J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring the geographic location or velocity of a first wireless device relative to at least one other wireless device and noting an exception if the first wireless device moves beyond a predetermined threshold of separation from the second wireless device, or if the velocity of the first wireless device is outside a predetermined threshold. In response to an exception, supervisory action is taken which may include contacting the wireless device or contacting another person.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring relative geographic locations of a user of a wireless device, comprising:

receiving geographic location information identifying a geographic location of at least one wireless device;

comparing the geographic location information with geographic location information for at least one other device;

determining an exception if the comparison indicates that the geographic location of the at least one wireless device bears a predetermined relation to the geographic location of the other device; and

responsive to the exception, generating an alert message relating to the exception.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other device comprises another wireless device, and further comprising receiving the geographic location information for the other wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the predetermined relation comprises a rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device relative to the other wireless device; and

further comprising determining the exception if the rate of relative movement is outside a predetermined threshold rate of relative movement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined relation comprises a certain threshold of geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device, and further comprising;

comparing the actual geographic location information for the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device to determine the actual geographic separation between the devices; and

determining the exception when the actual geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device exceeds the threshold of geographic separation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined relation comprises a certain threshold of geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device, and further comprising;

comparing the actual geographic location information for the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device to determine the actual geographic separation between the devices; and

determining the exception when the actual geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device is less than the threshold of geographic separation.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a rate of movement of the at least one wireless device relative to the at least one other device to constitute the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device; and

adjusting the threshold of separation in response to the rate of relative movement so that the threshold of separation required to determine the exception is a function of the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

reducing the threshold of separation in response to determining that the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device is outside a predetermined rate, thereby reducing the amount of relative geographic separation required to determine the exception when the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device outside the predetermined relative rate.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating the alert if the geographic location information of the at least one wireless device corresponds to determining substantially no movement of the at least one wireless device for more than a predetermined maximum amount of time.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a rate of movement of the at least one wireless device relative to the at least one other device to constitute the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device; and

adjusting the rate of relative movement in response to the threshold of separation so that the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device required to determine the exception is a function of the threshold of separation.

10. A system for monitoring relative geographic locations of a user of a wireless device, comprising:

means receiving geographic location information identifying a geographic location of at least one wireless device;

means comparing the geographic location information with geographic location information for at least one other wireless device;

means determining an exception if the comparison indicates that the geographic location of the at least one wireless device bears a predetermined relation to the geographic location of the other device; and

means responsive to the exception for generating an alert message relating to the exception.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the predetermined relation comprises a rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device relative to the at least one other wireless device; and

the means for determining operates to determine the exception if the rate of relative movement is outside a predetermined threshold rate of relative movement.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the predetermined relation comprises a certain threshold of geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other wireless device;

the means for comparing operates to compare the actual geographic location information for the at least one wireless device and the at least one other wireless device to determine the actual geographic separation between the devices; and

the means for determining operates to determine the exception when the actual geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other wireless device exceeds the threshold of geographic separation.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the predetermined relation comprises a certain threshold of geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other wireless device;

the means for comparing is operative to compare the actual geographic location information for the at least one wireless device and the at least one other wireless device to determine the actual geographic separation between the devices; and

the means for determining is operative to determine the exception when the actual geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other wireless device is less than the threshold of geographic separation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the means for determining is operative to determine a rate of movement of the at least one wireless device relative to the at least one other wireless device to constitute the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device; and

the means for comparing operates to adjust the threshold of separation in response to the rate of relative movement so that the threshold of separation required to determine the exception is a function of the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device.

15. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

receiving geographic location information identifying a geographic location of at least one wireless device;

comparing the geographic location information with geographic location information for at least one other device;

determining an exception if the comparison indicates that the geographic location of the at least one wireless device bears a predetermined relation to the geographic location of the other device; and

responsive to the exception, generating an alert message relating to the exception.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one other device comprises another wireless device; and

the processor receives the geographic location information for the other wireless device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

determining a rate of movement of the at least one wireless device relative to the at least one other device to constitute the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device; and

adjusting the rate of relative movement in response to the threshold of separation so that the rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device required to determine the exception is a function of the threshold of separation.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the predetermined relation comprises a rate of relative movement of the at least one wireless device relative to the other wireless device;

and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform;

determining the exception if the rate of relative movement is outside a predetermined threshold rate of relative movement.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the predetermined relation comprises a certain threshold of geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

comparing the actual geographic location information for the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device to determine the actual geographic separation between the devices; and

determining the exception when the actual geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device exceeds the threshold of geographic separation.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the predetermined relation comprises a certain threshold of geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device, and wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

comparing the actual geographic location information for the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device to determine the actual geographic separation between the devices; and

determining the exception when the actual geographic separation between the at least one wireless device and the at least one other device is less than the threshold of geographic separation.