Mobile locator system

• US 6,331,825 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PeopleNet Communications Corporation (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PeopleNet Communications Corporation (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Konezny, Ronald E., Ladner, David L., Grazzini, Andrea J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/047,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/539, 340/573.1, 340/988, 340/573.4, 340/426, 340/989, 340/991, 340/990, 340/995, 342/457, 342/357, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213, 701/300
• US Class Current: 340/988
• 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: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A locator system comprises a locator device, a control center, a workstation and a computerized interface. The control center and the locator device are configured to communicate via cellular and pager signals.

Claims

1. A locator system, comprising:

a locator device including a locator unit for obtaining geographical location information identifying a location of the locator device;

a control center coupled to the locator device for bi-directional communication with the locator device;

a remote workstation coupled through a global computer network to the control center, the control center providing a computerized user interface to the workstation through the computer network; and

wherein the computerized user interface facilitates bi-directional communication between the locator device and the workstation;

a data base containing at least location history information associated with the locator device; and

a controller configured to combine the location history information with external database information to provide an indication of a number of people being in a vicinity of the locator device during a time period corresponding to the location history information.

2. The locator system of claim 1 wherein the computerized user interface comprises:

a display for depicting a location of the locator device on a computer-generated map.

3. The locator system of claim 1 wherein the locator device comprises:

a memory for storing a first pre-programmed message; and

an operator input device receiving an operator input and initiating transmission of the first pre-programmed message to the control center in response to the operator input.

4. The locator system of claim 3 wherein the controller is adapted to receive the preprogrammed message and generate an electronic notification to a pre-selected workstation based upon a priority associated with the pre-programmed message.

5. The locator system of claim 4 wherein the electronic notification comprises electronic mail and wherein the controller transmits the electronic mail to the pre-selected workstation through the global computer network.

6. The locator system of claim 1 wherein the controller receives a communication from the workstation and is configured to selectively transmit the communication to the locator device.

7. The locator system of claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to transmit the communication to the locator device based upon a priority associated with the communication.

8. The locator system of claim 2 wherein the computerized user interface further comprises an overview field comprising:

an identification field displaying an identification of an entity carrying the locator device;

a status field displaying a status of the entity carrying the locator device;

a last message field displaying a most recent message received by the control center from the locator device;

a location field displaying a textual description of a location of the locator device; and

a date-time field displaying a date and a time when a specific message was received by the control center from the locator device.

9. The locator system of claim 1 wherein the locator device includes:

an alarm for sensing a predetermined parameter and providing a signal, when enabled, indicative of the parameter; and

a controller configured to enable the alarm in response to a communication from the control center.

10. The locator system of claim 9 wherein the alarm comprises a movement alarm which automatically causes the locator device to transmit a communication signal to the control center if the locator device is moved a preselected distance.

11. The locator system of claim 1 and further including:

a cellular transceiver associated with the control center;

a cellular transceiver associated with the locator device; and

a pager associated with the locator device configured to receive pager information from the control center wherein the locator device transmits a cellular signal in response to receiving the first signal.

12. The locator system of claim 1 wherein the locator device is configured to periodically establish communication with the control center.

13. A locator system, comprising:

a locator device including a locator unit for obtaining geographical location information identifying a location of the locator device;

a control center coupled to the locator device for bi-directional communication with the locator device;

a remote workstation coupled through a global computer network to the control center, the control center providing a computerized user interface to the workstation through the computer network; and

wherein the computerized user interface facilitates bi-directional communication between the locator device and the workstation; and

a controller configured to receive a distance signal from the control center and to automatically transmit a communication signal to the control center if the locator device is within a distance, indicated by the distance signal, from a location, indicated by the distance signal.

14. The locator system of claim 13 wherein the computerized user interface comprises:

a display for depicting a location of the locator device on a computer-generated map.

15. The locator system of claim 13 wherein the locator device comprises:

a memory for storing a first pre-programmed message; and

an operator input device receiving an operator input and initiating transmission of the first pre-programmed message to the control center in response to the operator input.

16. The locator system of claim 15 wherein is adapted to receive the preprogrammed message and generate an electronic notification to a pre-selected workstation based upon a priority associated with the pre-programmed message.

17. The locator system of claim 16 wherein the electronic notification comprises electronic mail and wherein the controller transmits the electronic mail to the pre-selected workstation through the global computer network.

18. The locator system of claim 13 wherein the controller receives a communication from the workstation and is configured to selectively transmit the communication to the locator device.

19. The locator system of claim 18 wherein the controller is configured to transmit the communication to the locator device based upon a priority associated with the communication.

20. The locator system of claim 14 wherein the computerized user interface further comprises an overview field comprising:

an identification field displaying an identification of an entity carrying the locator device;

a status field displaying a status of the entity carrying the locator device;

a last message field displaying an most recent message received by the control center from the locator device;

a location field displaying a textual description of a location of the locator device; and

a date-time field displaying a date and a time when a specific message was received by the control center from the locator device.

21. The locator system of claim 13 wherein the locator device includes:

an alarm for sensing a predetermined parameter and providing a signal, when enabled, indicative of the parameter; and

a controller configured to enable the alarm in response to a communication from the control center.

22. The locator system of claim 21 wherein the alarm comprises a movement alarm which automatically causes the locator device to transmit a communication signal to the control center if the locator device is moved a preselected distance.

23. The locator system of claim 13 and further including:

a cellular transceiver associated with the control center;

a cellular transceiver associated with the locator device; and

a pager associated with the locator device configured to receive pager information from the control center wherein the locator device transmits a cellular signal in response to receiving the first signal.

24. The locator system of claim 13 wherein the locator device is configured to periodically establish communication with the control center.