Method and apparatus for high efficiency position information reporting

• US 6,300,875 B1
• Filed: 11/22/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Schafer, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/444,859
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/539, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/991, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/572.1, 342/457, 342/465, 342/456
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network

Abstract

A system for communicating the location of an object, the system including a transmitter, the transmitter being capable of communicating using any one of a plurality of possible non-switched communications networks; a GPS receiver coupled to the transmitter, the GPS receiver being configured to providing data representing position of the GPS receiver, such that the data generated by the GPS receiver can be transmitted by the transmitter; a common housing supporting the transmitter and the GPS receiver to define a portable package; and a monitoring device remote from the portable package, the transmitter being configured to transmit communications to the monitoring device via a non-switched wireless network without need for human intervention in initiating a call from either the transponder or the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method of determining and covertly communicating the location of a person, the method comprising:

providing a transponder, wherein the transponder is capable of communicating using any one of a plurality of possible non-switched networks;

providing a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver configured to provide data representing position of the receiver in terms of latitude and longitude, and coupling the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to the transponder such that the data generated by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver can be transmitted by the transponder;

providing a common housing supporting the transponder and the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to define a portable package;

concealing the portable package in an object configured to be borne by the person; and

transmitting coordinates, from the portable package, to a monitoring device remote from the portable package, the transponder of the portable package being configured to transmit communications to the monitoring device via a non-switched wireless network without need for human intervention in initiating a call from either the transponder or the monitoring device.

2. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transmitting comprises using a paging feature of a Personal Communication Service (PCS) network.

3. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transmitting comprises using a Personal Communication Service (PCS) network.

4. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transmitting comprises using an a Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS) network.

5. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transmitting comprises using an Automatic Position Reporting System (ARPS) network.

6. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1, the method further comprising selecting, using the transponder, a network for communication based on signal availability.

7. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1, the method further comprising selecting, using the transponder, a network for communication based on signal strength.

8. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising providing an alarm signal, if the portable package has been moved more than a predetermined distance from predefined acceptable coordinates, by calculating a spatial movement of the portable package which exceeds the predetermined distance based on information supplied by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the alarm signal initiating a communication transmission to the monitoring device indicating that an alarm condition exists.

9. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising providing an alarm signal, if the portable package moves at a speed greater than a predetermined speed, the speed being determined based on information supplied by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the alarm signal initiating a communication transmission to the monitoring device indicating that an alarm condition exists.

10. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising storing the time and the position of the portable package, as determined by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, at a plurality of time intervals.

11. A method for determining and communicating the location of a person in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising sewing the portable package into material of a clothing item configured to be borne by the person.

12. A system for communicating the location of an object, the system comprising:

a transmitter, the transmitter being capable of communicating using any one of a plurality of possible non-switched communications networks;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to the transmitter, the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver being configured to providing data representing position of the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, such that the data generated by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver can be transmitted by the transmitter;

a common housing supporting the transmitter and the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to define a portable package; and

a monitoring device remote from the portable package, the transmitter being configured to transmit communications to the monitoring device via a non-switched wireless network without need for human intervention in initiating a call from either the transponder or the monitoring device.

13. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the transmitter is configured to selectively transmit using a Personal Communication Service (PCS) network.

14. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the transmitter is configured to selectively transmit using a paging feature of a Personal Communication Service (PCS) network.

15. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the transmitter is configured to selectively transmit using a Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS) network.

16. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the transmitter is configured to selectively transmit using an Automatic Position Reporting System (ARPS) network.

17. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the transmitter is configured to select a communications network based on signal availability.

18. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the transmitter is configured to select a communications network based on signal strength.

19. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the portable package includes a processor coupled to the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and to the transmitter and configured to provide an alarm signal if the portable package has been moved more than a predetermined distance from a predefined acceptable position, by comparing position of the portable package, based on information supplied by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, with the position of the predefined acceptable position, the alarm signal causing the transmitter to transmit a communication to the monitoring device indicating that an alarm condition exists.

20. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the portable package includes a processor coupled to the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and to the transmitter and configured to provide an alarm signal if the portable moves at a speed greater than a predetermined speed, the speed being determined based on information supplied by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the alarm signal causing the transmitter to transmit a communication to the monitoring device indicting that an alarm condition exists.

21. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 20 and further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, the processor being configured to store the time and the position of the portable package, as determined by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, at a plurality of time intervals.

22. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit to the monitoring device on a periodic basis.

23. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 wherein the monitoring unit is configured to generate an alarm signal if the portable package moves away from the monitoring unit by more than a predetermined distance.

24. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 12 and further comprising a backpack concealingly supporting the portable package in a manner such that the portable package is not visible by merely opening the backpack.

25. A system for determining and covertly communicating the location of a person, the system comprising:

a transmitter, the transmitter being configured to periodically transmit the data representing position to a monitoring situation via any one of a plurality of possible non-switched communications networks including, at least a paging service of a Personal Communication Service (PCS) network;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to the transmitter, the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver being configured to provide data representing position of the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, such that the data generated by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver can be transmitted by the transmitter; and

a common housing supporting the transmitter and the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to define a portable package configured to be borne by the person.

26. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 25 wherein the portable package includes a processor coupled to the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and to the transmitter and configured to provide an alarm signal if the portable package has been moved more than a predetermined distance from a predefined acceptable position, by comparing position of the portable package, based on information supplied by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, with the position of the predefined acceptable position, the alarm signal causing the transmitter to transmit a communication to the monitoring station, different from the periodic transmission, indicating that an alarm condition exists.

27. A system for communicating the location of an object in accordance with claim 25 wherein the portable package includes a processor coupled to the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and to the transmitter and configured to provide an alarm signal if the portable moves at a speed greater than a predetermine speed, the speed being determined based on information supplied by the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the alarm signal causing the transmitter to transmit a communication to the monitoring station, different from the periodic transmission, indicating that an alarm condition exists.

28. A method of determining and communicating a location comprising:

receiving coordinate position information from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver;

determining a spatial location based on the coordinated position information from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver;

selecting a non-switched network with which to communicate from a plurality of possible non-switched networks;

transmitting the spatial location to the selected non-switched network.

29. The method recited above with respect to claim 28, wherein the non-switched network is a first non-switched network, the method further comprises:

selecting a second non-switched network with which to communicate from the plurality of possible non-switched networks;

transmitting the spatial location to the second selected non-switched network.

30. The method recited above with respect to claim 28 further comprises:

calculating a distance, wherein the distance is the difference between predefined coordinate position information and the coordinate position information from the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver;

determining if the distance exceeds a predetermined distance; and

initiating a communication transmission, wherein the communication transmission indicates that the predetermined distance has been exceeded.