Systems and methods for object location notification

• US 7,236,798 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Beuck, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/260,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-444, 4554561-457, 455/466, 370331-334, 701/207, 701213-214, 701/216, 340/988, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.12
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system and a method for determining and reporting a location of an object are provided. The method may include receiving a message, the message including information identifying a locator device and information identifying a location of the locator device. The method may also include determining whether the locator device is within a monitored area based on the location information. The method may also include retrieving contact information based on the locator device identification when the locator device is determined to be within the monitored area. The method may also include retrieving information identifying an object associated with the locator device based on the locator device identification. In addition, the method may include generating a notification using the retrieved contact information, the notification including the object identification.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a message, the message including information identifying a locator device, a location of the locator device, and a wireless access point that is available to the locator device;

determining whether the locator device is within a monitored area defined by a communication range associated with the wireless access point based on the location information;

retrieving contact information based on the identified locator device and the identified wireless access point when the locator device is determined to be within the monitored area;

retrieving information identifying an object associated with the locator device based on the locator device identity;

generating a notification using the retrieved contact information, the notification identifying the object;

communicating the notification to a contact associated with the wireless access point and identified in the retrieved contact information;

waiting a predetermined amount of time in which to receive a subsequent message via the wireless access point; and

generating a subsequent notification after the predetermined amount of time lapses when the subsequent message is not received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises:

global positioning system (GPS) information acquired by the locator device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the message occurs upon establishment of a communication session between the locator device and the wireless access point.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving another message via the wireless access point, the other message being received prior to the communicating the notification.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an action level associated with the notification based on at least one of the object or the monitored area; and

communicating the notification to a second contact identified in the retrieved contact information based on the determined action level.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a subsequent message via a second wireless access point, the subsequent message including information identifying the locator device and information identifying a subsequent location of the locator device;

determining whether the locator device is within a second monitored area based on the subsequent location information; and

generating another notification when the locator device is determined to be within the second monitored area.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

communicating the other notification to the contact, and

communicating the other notification to a second contact identified in the retrieved contact information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second contact includes a law enforcement agency.

9. A network device comprising:

a database to store information associated with a locator device and an object associated with the locator device, and information associated with a wireless access point having a communication range that defines a monitored area; and

logic to;

receive a message from the locator device via the wireless access point, the message including information identifying the locator device, a location of the locator device, and the wireless access point,

determine whether the locator device is within the monitored area based on the location information,

retrieve contact information based on the identified locator device and the identified wireless access point when the locator device is determined to be within the monitored area,

retrieve the stored information associated with the object based on the locator device identity,

generate a notification using the retrieved contact information, the notification identifying the object,

transmit the notification to a contact associated with the wireless access point and identified in the retrieved contact information,

wait a predetermined amount of time in which to receive a subsequent message via the wireless access point, and

generate a subsequent notification after the predetermined amount of time lapses when the subsequent message is not received.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to:

wait until another message is received from the locator device via the wireless access point before transmitting the notification.

11. The network device of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to:

determine an action level associated with the presence of the object in the monitored area based on at least one of the monitored area or the object; and

transmit the notification to a second contact associated with the monitored area, based on the determined action level.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the second contact includes a law enforcement agency.

13. The network device of claim 9, wherein:

the database is further configured to store information associated with another wireless access point having a different communication range that defines a second monitored area; and

the logic is further configured to receive a subsequent message from the locator device via the other wireless access point indicating that the locator device has entered the second monitored area, and generate another notification based on the subsequent message, the other notification indicating the presence of the object within the second monitored area.

14. The network device of claim 13, the logic being further configured to:

transmit the other notification to the contact and a second contact identified in the stored information associated with the second monitored area.

15. The network device of claim 9, the logic being further configured to:

determine a geographic location of the object relative to the monitored area based on global positioning system (GPS) information included in the message.

16. The network device of claim 15, the notification further indicating the determined geographic location.

17. The network device of claim 15, the logic being further configured to:

transmit the notification to a law enforcement agency based on the determined geographic location.

18. A server comprising:

means for receiving a message, the message including an identifier for a locator device, an identifier for a wireless access point, and information identifying a location of the locator device relative to a communication range of the wireless access point;

means for determining whether the locator device is within a designated area of the communication range based on the locator identifier and the wireless access point identifier;

means for retrieving contact information based on the locator identifier and the wireless access point identifier when the locator device is determined to be within the designated area;

means for retrieving information identifying an object associated with the locator device based on the locator identifier;

means for generating a notification using the retrieved contact information, the notification identifying the object;

means for communicating the notification to a contact associated with the wireless access point and identified in the retrieved contact information;

means for waiting a predetermined amount of time in which to receive a subsequent message via the wireless access point; and

means for generating a subsequent notification after the predetermined amount of time lapses when the subsequent message is not received.