Position and proximity detection systems and methods

• US 8,624,723 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Research Institute, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Robert Ernest Troxler
• Inventors: Troxler, Robert Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/398,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.23, 340/573.1, 340/686.1, 701/1, 701/3, 701/23, 701/24, 701/30, 318/480, 318/587, 370/328, 370/350, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.12
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• 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 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]

Abstract

According to an aspect, a computing device may include a processor configured to determine a position coordinate of a first movable device. Further, the processor is configured to determine whether the position coordinate of the first movable device is a predetermined distance from a second movable device. The processor is also configured to signal the second movable device in response to determining that the position coordinate of the first movable device is a predetermined distance from a second movable device.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a processor module configured to;

receive identification information of a first movable device and a second movable device;

receive, from one of a processor module and the second movable device, an instruction to monitor a position of the first movable device;

in response to receiving the instruction;

determine a position of the first movable device;

determine whether the position of the first movable device is one of a predetermined location and distance from the second movable device; and

control communication with the second movable device in response to determining that the position of the first movable device is the one of the predetermined location and distance from the second movable device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a communications module configured to receive the position from the first movable device.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first movable device is a mobile phone.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control a communications module to communicate with the second movable device for identifying the first movable device.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control a communications module to communicate with the second movable device for identifying the first movable device in response to determining that the position of the first movable device is one of a predetermined location and distance from a second movable device.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control a communications module to communicate with the second movable device for identifying the position of the first movable device in response to determining that the position of the first movable device is one of a predetermined location and distance from a second movable device.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor module is configured to:

determine one of a location and a distance between the first movable device and a computing device; and

use the one of the location and the determined distance to determine whether the position of the first movable device is the predetermined distance from the second movable device.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the position is a first position, and

wherein the processor is configured to receive a second position of the movable device.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the position defines one of an area, zone, point, space, and location, and

wherein the processor module is configured to receive identification of the second movable device when the second movable device is within a predetermined area, zone, point, space, location, or distance of the first movable device.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor module is configured to control communication of a notification to the second movable device that the first movable device is one of the predetermined location and distance from the second movable device in in response to determining that the position of the first movable device is one of a location and a predetermined distance from a second movable device.

11. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the position defines one of an area, zone, point, space, and location.

29. The computing device of claim 1 or 24, wherein the processor module is configured to locate the first movable device based on one of a radio frequency signal and triangulation.

30. The computing device of claim 29, wherein the radio frequency signal is within a short range.

31. The computing device of claim 29, wherein the radio frequency signal is a Bluetooth signal.

38. The computing device of claim 1, 12, 24, or 33, wherein the computing device resides on a one of the first mobile computing, the second computing device, another computing device, a host, and a server.

39. The computing device of claim 1, 12, 24, or 33, wherein the identification information is a digital address.

12. A method comprising:

receiving identification information of a first movable device and a second movable device;

receiving, from one of a processor module and the second movable device, an instruction to monitor a position of the first movable device;

in response to receiving the instruction;

determining a position of the first movable device;

determining whether the position of the first movable device is one of a predetermined location and distance from the second movable device; and

communicating with the second movable device in response to determining that the position of the first movable device is the one of the predetermined location and distance from the second movable device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the position from the first movable device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first movable device is a mobile phone.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising communicating with the second movable device for identifying the first movable device.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising communicating with the second movable device for identifying the first movable device in response to determining that the position of the first movable device is one of a predetermined location and distance from a second movable device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising communicating with the second movable device for identifying the position of the first movable device in response to determining that the position of the first movable device is one of a predetermined location and distance from a second movable device.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining one of a predetermined location and distance between the first movable device and a computing device; and

using the determined one of the predetermined location and distance to determine whether the position of the first movable device is the one of the predetermined location and distance from the second movable device.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the position is a first position, and wherein the method further comprises receiving a second position of the second movable device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving identification of the second movable device when the second movable device is within one of a predetermined distance and location of the first movable device.

21. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the second position is a location.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising communicating a notification to the second movable device that the first movable device is one of a predetermined location and distance from the second movable device in response to determining that the position of the first movable device is a predetermined distance from a second movable device.

23. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the position defines one of an area, zone, point, space, and location.

24. A computing device comprising:

a memory configured to associate a plurality of predefined events with a plurality of predefined actions, wherein one of the predefined events is predefined movement; and

a processor module configured to;

receive identification information of one of a first movable device and a second movable device;

receive, instruction to monitor a position of the first or second movable devices;

in response to receiving the instruction;

determine whether movement of the first or second movable device meets the predefined movement; and

control implementation of a predefined action associated with the one of the events in response to determining that movement of the one of the first and second movable devices meets the predefined movement.

25. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the one of the predefined events is positioning of the first or second movable devices at a predetermined distance from a predefined position, area, zone, location, or place, and

wherein the processor module is configured to:

determine whether an actual position of the first or second movable device is the predetermined distance from the predefined position; and

control implementation of the predefined action in response to determining that the actual position of the first or second movable device is the predetermined distance, zone, area, place or location from the predefined position.

26. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the predefined action includes communicating a message to another computing device.

27. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the predefined action includes using a text messaging service to communicate a message to another computing device.

28. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the predefined action includes calling a predefined telephone number, communicating a message to another computing device, using a text messaging service to communicate a message to another computing device, calling a predefined telephone number, and sending an email.

32. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the position defines one of an area, zone, point, space, and location.

33. A method comprising:

associating a plurality of predefined events with a plurality of predefined actions, wherein one of the predefined events is predefined movement;

receiving identification information of a first movable device and a second movable device;

receiving, from the second movable device, an instruction to monitor a position of the first movable device;

in response to receiving the instruction;

determining whether movement of the first movable device meets the predefined movement; and

controlling implementation of a predefined action associated with the one of the events in response to determining that movement of the first movable device meets the predefined movement.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the one of the predefined events is positioning of the first movable device at a predetermined location or distance from a predefined position, and

wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether an actual position of the first movable device is one of the predetermined location and distance from the predefined position; and

controlling implementation of the predefined action in response to determining that the actual position of the first movable device is one of the predetermined location and distance from the predefined position.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the predefined action includes communicating a message to another computing device.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the predefined action includes using a text messaging service to communicate a message to another computing device.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the predefined action includes calling a predefined telephone number.

40. The computing device of claim 33, wherein the position defines one of an area, zone, point, space, and location.