Methods, systems, and computer program products for monitoring a target entity using one or more geographic rules

• US 7,545,282 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hong Thi, Adamczyk, Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/294,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/573.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/426.19, 340/426.22, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 340/539.1, 340/539.15, 340/539.19, 340/539.22, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A target entity is monitored by defining a geographic rule for the target entity. A location signal for the target entity is received that represents a current location of the target entity. A determination is made whether the current location of the target entity satisfies the geographic rule. Notification is provided if the current location of the target entity satisfies the geographic rule.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a target entity, comprising:

defining a geographic rule for the target entity;

receiving a location signal for the target entity, the location signal representing a current location of the target entity;

determining whether the current location of the target entity satisfies the geographic rule; and

providing a notification if the current location of the target entity satisfies the geographic rule;

wherein the target entity is a first target entity, and the geographic rule is based on a distance between the first target entity and a second target entity, the first and second target entities being mobile.

2. A monitoring system, comprising:

means for defining a geographic rule for a target entity;

means for receiving a location signal for the target entity, the location signal representing a current location of the target entity;

means for determining whether the current location of the target entity satisfies the geographic rule; and

means for providing a notification if the current location of the target entity satisfies the geographic rule;

wherein the target entity is a first target entity, and the geographic rule is based on a distance between the first target entity and a second target entity, the first and second target entities being mobile.