Method and system of data collection and mapping from a remote position reporting device

• US 7,822,817 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US11/042,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,099 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A computer-implemented system, method, and computer-program product for tracking and mapping a position of mobile object. A global position satellite receiver and information from at least two global position satellites is used to determine a position of a mobile object with the global position satellite receiver. The position of the mobile object is reported via the Internet to a recipient in search of the mobile object. A remote position reporting device of the monitoring system can be part of or attached to any mobile object such as a child, a skier, a car, and expensive items. The remote position reporting device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, monitoring software and an Internet access module. The monitoring software (e.g., a dynamic link library) supports multiple data formats and multiple protocols to communicate the position information. The GPS receiver provides the monitoring software with position information at prescribed times, and the monitoring software records the position information. The monitoring software communicates the position information at prescribed times to a desired party through the Internet access module. The recipient of the position information can provide the information to a mapping software application that identifies the remote position reporting device and the current location of the device on a map. The mapping software can place all the previous position information from the remote position reporting device on the map to show the path of the device. The mapping software can use the services of a POP3 server or an FTP server to obtain position information at any time to map the current location and the past location of the remote position reporting device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented position tracking system, comprising:

a position reporting device including means for selecting a destination of position information related to the position reporting device, wherein the selected destination is user configurable and defines an address of a monitoring device to which the position information is to be transmitted;

the position reporting device including means for automatically transmitting, without user input, said position information directly to the monitoring device corresponding to said selected destination, said position information being automatically transmitted under normal usage on a periodic basis and independent of a request from the monitoring device;

the monitoring device including means for receiving said position information from the position reporting device via a wide area network using a protocol; and

the monitoring device including means for mapping the received position information as location indicators on a map.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said position reporting device is a handheld device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the wide area network comprises the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said protocol comprises one of a store-and-forward protocol and a direct connection protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said protocol comprises one of a file transfer protocol and a simple mail transfer protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said position information comprises historical position information corresponding to a time when said system was inactive; and

said means for mapping further comprises means for mapping the historical information as location indicators on the map.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said location indicators indicate at least one of a current position of said position reporting device and a path taken by said position reporting device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

storing means, in the position reporting device, for storing the selected destination of the position information.

9. A method for mapping a position of a position reporting device, comprising:

selecting, at the position reporting device, a destination of position information related to said position reporting device, wherein the selected destination is user configurable and defines an address of a monitoring device to which the position information is to be transmitted;

transmitting, automatically and without user input, from the position reporting device said position information directly to the monitoring device corresponding to said selected destination, said position information being automatically transmitted under normal usage on a periodic basis and independent of a request from the monitoring device;

receiving, in the monitoring device, said position information from the position reporting device via a wide area network using a protocol; and

mapping, at the monitoring device, the received position information as location indicators on a displayable map.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said position reporting device is a handheld device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the wide area network comprises the Internet.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said protocol comprises one of a store-and-forward protocol and a direct connection protocol.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said protocol comprises one of a file transfer protocol and a simple mail transfer protocol.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving historical position information from the position reporting device via the wide area network using the protocol, the historical position information corresponding to past position information of the position reporting device;

mapping the received historical position information as location indicators on the displayable map.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said location indicators indicate at least one of a current position of said position reporting device and a path taken by said position reporting device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting said position information to the monitoring device corresponding to said selected destination stored in the position reporting device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embedded therein instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for mapping a position of a position reporting device, comprising:

selecting, at the position reporting device, a destination of position information related to the position reporting device, wherein the selected destination is user configurable and defines an address of a monitoring device to which the position information is to be transmitted;

transmitting, automatically and without user input, from the position reporting device the position information directly to the monitoring station corresponding to said selected destination via a wide area network using a protocol, said position information being automatically transmitted under normal usage on a periodic basis and independent of a request from the monitoring device;

receiving, in the monitoring device, said position information from the position reporting device via a wide area network using a protocol; and

mapping, at the monitoring device, the received position information as location indicators on a displayable map.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said position reporting device is a handheld device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said transmitting comprises transmitting historical position information via the wide area network using the protocol, said historical position information corresponding to past position information of the position reporting device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said instructions comprise at least one of a dynamic link library, a static link library, a script, a JAVA class, a C++ class, and a C library routine.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the wide area network comprises the Internet.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said protocol comprises one of a store-and-forward protocol and a direct connection protocol.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said protocol comprises one of a file transfer protocol and a simple mail transfer protocol.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the position information to the monitoring station corresponding to said selected destination stored in the position reporting device.

25. A computer-implemented position tracking system, comprising:

a position reporting device including a selecting unit configured to select a destination of position information related to the position reporting device, wherein the selected destination is user configurable and defines an address of a monitoring device to which the position information is to be transmitted;

the position reporting device including a transmitting unit configured to automatically transmit, without user input, from the position reporting device said position information directly to the monitoring device corresponding to said selected destination, said position information being automatically transmitted under normal usage on a periodic basis and independent of a request from the monitoring device;

the monitoring device including a receiving unit configured to receive said position information from the position reporting device via a wide area network using a protocol; and

the monitoring device including a mapping unit configured to map the received position information as location indicators on a map.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

a storing unit, in the position reporting device, configured to store the selected destination of the position information.