METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING TRACKING SERVICES TO LOCATE AN ASSET

• US 20100225472A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James P. Vancleave, Jerry W. Culpepper, Lawrence M. Smith
• Original Assignee: James P. Vancleave, Jerry W. Culpepper, Lawrence M. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Lawrence M., CULPEPPER, Jerry W., VanCleave, James P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,944,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of asset location. Location data is received from a cellular transmitter associated with a selected asset, which location data includes data representative of a cellular receiver with which direct communication with the cellular transmitter is made. The location data is then communicated to a tracking service system, which tracking service system includes a database representative of geographic locations associated with a plurality of cellular receivers. The database is then queried with received location data so as to generate geographic tracking data associated with a location of the cellular receiver, the geographic tracking data including display data adapted to generate a map image including a representative of a location of the selected asset. The geographic tracking data is then communicated to an associated security agency so as to allow for viewing of an image generated in accordance with the display data and at least one of tracking and interception of the selected asset.

Claims

1. An asset tracking system comprising:

an input operable to receive device data representative of at least one property of a portable asset tracking device associated with a tracked asset, the at least one property including device identification data;

an asset identifier operable to identify the asset corresponding to received identification data;

an event data generator operable to generate event data corresponding to a commencement of a tracking event in connection with the portable asset tracking device;

an input operable to receive a signal from the portable asset tracking device into a tracking system having first and second locators;

the first locator operable to generate first location data representative of a first alternative calculated location area of the portable asset tracking device;

the second locator operable to generate second location data representative of a second alternative calculated location area of the portable asset tracking device calculated in accordance with the first location data;

wherein the tracking system includes a cellular communication system and wherein at least one locator is operable in conjunction with cellular location data communicated from the cellular communication system;

an input operable to receive geographic location data corresponding to a geographic area defined in accordance with at least one of the first and second location data;

an input operable to receive updated location data corresponding to a modified location of the portable asset tracking device relative to at least one of the location areas;

a progress data generator operable to generate progress data generated in accordance with at least one of the first location data and the second location data, relative to the updated location data, the progress data being representative of at a route of the portable asset tracking device;

an output operable to communicate the progress data to the tracking system;

an input operable to receive device operational data corresponding to an operational status of the portable asset tracking device via the cellular communication system;

an input operable to receive temporal data representative of at least one temporal property of the tracking event; and

a display generator operable to generate a display in accordance with display data from a set including the device data, the event data, the location data, device service data, and the temporal data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the cellular location data includes data corresponding to at least one cell tower identified as being in data communication with the tracking system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first locator includes a GPS position indicator.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the second locator includes a GPS position indicator.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the portable asset tracking device includes a direction signal transmitter, and wherein the second locator includes a position signal receiver operable to receive the direction signal.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the cellular location data further includes data corresponding to a sector of the at least one cell tower identified as being in data communication with the tracking system.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the display generator is further operable to display a map indicative of a position of the portable asset tracking device relative thereto.

8. An asset tracking method comprising:

receiving device data representative of at least one property of a portable asset tracking device associated with a tracked asset, the at least one property including device identification data;

identifying the asset corresponding to received identification data;

generating event data corresponding to a commencement of a tracking event in connection with the portable asset tracking device;

receiving a signal from the portable asset tracking device into a tracking system having first and second locators, wherein the tracking system includes a cellular communication system and wherein at least one locator is operable in conjunction with cellular location data communicated from the cellular communication system;

generating, via the first locator, first location data representative of a first alternative calculated location area of the portable asset tracking device;

generating, via the second locator, second location data representative of a second alternative calculated location area of the portable asset tracking device calculated in accordance with the first location data;

receiving geographic location data corresponding to a geographic area defined in accordance with at least one of the first and second location data;

receiving updated location data corresponding to a modified location of the portable asset tracking device relative to at least one of the location areas;

generating progress data generated in accordance with at least one of the first location data and the second location data, relative to the updated location data, the progress data being representative of at a route of the portable asset tracking device;

communicating the progress data to the tracking system;

receiving device operational data corresponding to an operational status of the portable asset tracking device via the cellular communication system;

receiving temporal data representative of at least one temporal property of the tracking event; and

generating a display in accordance with display data from a set including the device data, the event data, the location data, device service data, and the temporal data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the cellular location data includes data corresponding to at least one cell tower identified as being in data communication with the tracking system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first alternative calculated location area is determined using GPS position data.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the second alternative calculated location area is determined using GPS position data.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving a direction signal from the portable asset tracking device at the second locator.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the cellular location data further includes data corresponding to a sector of the at least one cell tower identified as being in data communication with the tracking system.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising displaying a map indicative of a position of the portable asset tracking device relative thereto.