Systems and methods for providing notification of a location of a restrained party

• US 7,098,795 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adamczyk, Maria, Nguyen, Hong Thi
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US10/930,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

Systems and methods for notifying a user that a restrained party is within a specified distance of a specified location are disclosed. A method according to the invention includes storing identity data that represents an identity of a restrained party, location data that represents a specified location, and distance data that represents a specified distance from the specified location. A restrained party location signal that represents a current location of the restrained party is received. From the location data and the distance data, a determination is made as to whether the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location. If the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location, an alert is transmitted to one or more contacts.

Claims

1. A system for providing notification of a location of a restrained party, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a restrained party location signal that represents a current location of the restrained party;

a data store hosted on a signal control point (SCP) of a telecommunications network, said data store containing location data that represents a specified location and distance data that represents a specified distance from the specified location;

an alerting service implemented on a (SCP) of the telecommunications network for determining if the current location of the restrained party is within a specified distance of a specified location, the SCP being a network element in communication with a PSTN and Internet, allowing a user to connect to the alerting service through the PSTN and the Internet;

a media server in communication with the alerting service, wherein the media server is notified if the alerting service determines that the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance of the specified location;

the media server generating an alert if the current location of the restrained party is within the specified distance from the specified location, said alert being transmitted on an associated calling line to one or more pieces of terminating equipment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media server transmits the alert to an authority.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data store contains data that represents a communication pathway via which the alert can be transmitted to the authority.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the media server transmits the alert to a user-specified contact.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user-specified contact is a restraining party.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the data store contains data that represents a communication pathway via which the alert can be transmitted to the user-specified contact.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified location is a location associated with a restraining party.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the specified location is a current location of the restraining party.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving the restraining party location signal that represents the current location of the restraining party.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a restraining party location device that is adapted to be worn or carried by the restraining party and to transmit the restraining party location signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the restraining party location device comprises a global positioning system signal receiver that is adapted to receive global positioning signals from each of a plurality of global positioning system satellites.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the specified location is a location corresponding to the restraining party'"'"'s house.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the specified location is a location corresponding to the restraining party'"'"'s place of business.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the specified location is a location specified in a restraining order.

15. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a receiver for receiving a restraining party location signal that represents a current location of the restraining party.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a restrained party location device that is adapted to be worn or carried by the restrained party and to transmit the restrained party location signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the restrained party location device comprises a global positioning system signal receiver that is adapted to receive global positioning signals from each of a plurality of global positioning system satellites.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the restrained party location signal includes the global positioning signals.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the restrained party location signal includes a longitude and a latitude associated with a location of the restrained party.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface via which a user can provide at least one of the location data and the distance data.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface via which a user can provide data that represents a communication pathway via which the alert can be transmitted.