Method and system to transfer and to display location information about an object

• US 7,672,677 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compass Holdings Incorporated (Compass Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: CompassCom Software Corp.
• Inventors: Main, James David II, Howard, William Brant
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Huy D
• Application Number:
  US10/999,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/569.2, 455/566, 455/575.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system to display information about an object. The system includes a mobile device to relay information about an object to a location content provider. The location content provider formats the information into a visual representation and transmits the information to one or more digital television provides. One or more of the digital television provides can forward the information to a recipient to display on the recipient'"'"'s television.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing information regarding one or more mobile devices, comprising:

establishing a location content provider for transferring location information regarding a mobile device from a location source to a target service provider;

establishing a defined message format for receiving messages from said location source such that a received location message includes service provider information identifying a target service provider, location information for a mobile device and mobile device identification information;

receiving, at said location content provider, a first location message in said defined message format regarding a first mobile device;

first processing said first location message to obtain first service information regarding a first target service provider of said first location message;

providing storage, accessible by said location content provider for storing relay instructions, specific to each of multiple service providers, for relaying location messages for use by the service providers in providing location content to requestors;

based on said first target service provider information obtained from said first location message, second operating said location content provider to access said storage to obtain a set of relay instructions specific to said first target service provider; and

third operating said location content provider to transmit a second location message to said first target service provider in accordance with said set of relay instructions, said second location message including location information and identification information regarding said first mobile device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving said first location message via a wireless network.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless network is a cellular network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first location message includes one of, a condition, an activity, or a human directed message.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the location message includes one of GPS coordinates, directions, a speed, a LORAN position, a RFID position, or a street address.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the GPS coordinates are provided by a GPS receiver communicatively coupled to the mobile device.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the mobile device is attached to a vehicle.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the condition is information about one of speed, direction, airbag deployed, engine on, tire pressure, or fuel level.

9. A method according to claim 4, wherein the mobile device is carried by a person.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the location content provider includes at least one parser and a message switch.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the message switch receives and processes signals from a plurality of mobile devices.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a cellular device or an RFID unit.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising multiplexing two or more items of information into a single data stream that is transmitted over a single channel of television data.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising addressing an information data packet to the requestor.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing data of said second location message in memory.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the stored data is played back to the requestor.

17. A communication system to display location information about an object carrying a mobile device, comprising:

a processor for transferring location information regarding a mobile device from a location source to a target service provider, said processor being operative for processing messages in a defined message format including service provider information identifying a target service provider, location information for a mobile device and mobile device identification information;

an input module, operatively associated with said processor, for receiving a first location message in said defined message format regarding a first mobile device;

storage, accessible by said processor, for storing relay instructions, specific to each of multiple service providers, for relaying location messages for use by the service providers and providing location content to requestors;

said processor being operative for processing said first location message to obtain first service provider information regarding a first target service provider of said first location message;

said processor further being operative for accessing such storage, based on said first target service provider information obtained from said first location message, to obtain a set of relay instructions specific to said first target service provider; and

an output module for transmitting a second location message to said first target service provider in accordance with said set of relay instructions, said second location message including location information and identification information regarding said first mobile device.

18. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the mobile device is a cellular device.

19. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein said input module receiver said first location message via a wireless network.

20. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the wireless network is one of a cellular network or an RFID network.

21. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the location information pertains to a position of mobile device.

22. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the first location message includes one of GPS coordinates, directions, speed, LORAN position, an RFID position, or a street address.

23. A communication system according to claim 22, wherein the GPS coordinates are provided by a GPS receiver communicatively coupled to the mobile device.

24. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the location information includes at least one telemetry measure pertaining to a condition of the object.

25. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the location information is determined in relation to one of a vehicle, a person, a weather station, an ATM machine, a credit card reader, or a pet.

26. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the location information includes information about one of speed direction, airbag deployed, engine on, tire pressure, fuel level.

27. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the processor includes comprises:

a. a plurality of parsers; and

b. a message switch coupled in communication to the plurality of parsers.

28. A communication system according to claim 27, wherein the parser receives and sends information to the mobile device.

29. A communication system according to claim 27, wherein the message switch routes the information.

30. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the service provider is one of a satellite television service, a cable television service, a telephone service, an ISP, or a content provider.