Monitoring systems and methods

• US 9,215,578 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnilink Systems Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Omnilink Systems Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rajala, Yoganand, Graff-Radford, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US13/750,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Methods for operating monitoring systems may comprise receiving, with a monitoring station, an alert from a base station, the alert not related to the location of the base station. The methods may also comprise receiving, with the monitoring station, a message comprising current location data for the base station. The current location data may be compared to pre-established location data. Based on the comparing, it may be determined whether the base station is located substantially at a pre-established location. One process associated with responding to the alert may be performed when the base station is located substantially at the pre-established location. An alternate process associated with responding to the alert may be performed when the base station is not located substantially at the pre-established location.

Claims

1. A method of operating a monitoring system comprising:

performing processing associated with receiving, with a monitoring station, an alert from a base station, the alert not related to location of the base station;

performing processing associated with receiving, with the monitoring station, a message comprising current location data for the base station;

performing processing associated with comparing the current location data to pre-established location data for the base station;

performing processing associated with determining whether the base station is located substantially at a pre-established location based on the comparing;

performing processing associated with responding to the alert using one process when the base station is located substantially at the pre-established location; and

performing processing associated with responding to the alert using an alternate process when the base station is not located substantially at the pre-established location,

wherein a remote device is associated with the base station,

wherein the remote device comprises a GPS ankle bracelet for monitoring a first person,

wherein the remote device is operable to determine location using GPS technology,

wherein the alert is generated by the base station in response to the remote device having a low battery issue,

wherein the pre-established location data for the base station defines a primary location for the base station that the monitoring station receives via a network from a workstation of a second person with a capacity to monitor the first person,

wherein the alternate process comprises sending a notification to the workstation via the network for receipt by the second person, the notification notifying that the base station appears to have been moved from the primary location to a remote location based on comparing first location information for the base station to second location information for the base station,

wherein the one process comprises not sending the notification notifying that the base station appears to have been moved, and

wherein the method further comprises;

for each user in a plurality of users, taking user-specific actions if a second alert is generated that indicates a base station movement;

maintaining a list of actions provided in a particular order for a particular user; and

doing each action in the list of actions in the particular order until a new location of the base station is determined.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving with the monitoring station an emergency message comprising a notification that the remote device associated with the base station has been activated; and

/or

sending a notification comprising location data for the pre-established location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate process comprises transmitting an alternate alert to an alternate receiver, the alternate alert comprising location data for the current location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate process comprises transmitting a message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the message comprises:

an email message;

a text message;

a voice message;

or a fax message;

or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is wearable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a cellular phone.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing processing associated with storing the current location data in a memory.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-established location data comprises previously received location data for the base station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received via a cellular network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received via the Internet.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location data comprises GPS data and/or cellular triangulation data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-established location data comprises GPS data and/or cellular triangulation data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system comprises a house arrest monitoring system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing first location information for the base station to second location information for the base station comprises the monitoring station communicating with cell towers to determine the first location for the base station with the second location for the base station.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing first location information for the base station to second location information for the base station comprises the base station determining location through cellular communication.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing first location information for the base station to second location information for the base station comprises the base station determining location by satellite.

18. A monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring station constructed and arranged to;

receive an alert from a base station, the alert not related to location of the base station;

perform processing associated with receiving a message comprising current location data for the base station;

perform processing associated with comparing the current location data to pre-established location data for the base station;

perform processing associated with determining whether the base station is located substantially at a pre-established location based on the comparing;

perform processing associated with responding to the alert using one process when the base station is located substantially at the pre-established location; and

perform processing associated with responding to the alert using an alternate process when the base station is not located substantially at the pre-established location,

wherein a remote device is associated with the base station,

wherein the remote device comprises a GPS ankle bracelet for monitoring a first person,

wherein the remote device is operable to determine location using GPS technology,

wherein the alert is generated by the base station in response to the remote device having a low battery issue,

wherein the pre-established location data for the base station defines a primary location for the base station that the monitoring station receives via a network from a workstation of a second person with a capacity to monitor the first person,

wherein the alternate process comprises sending a notification to the workstation via the network for receipt by the second person, the notification notifying that the base station appears to have been moved from the primary location to a remote location based on comparing first location information for the base station to second location information for the base station,

wherein the one process comprises not sending the notification notifying that the base station appears to have been moved, and

wherein the monitoring station is further constructed and arranged to;

maintain user-specific lists of actions that have respective user-specific orders; and

in response to determining that the base station has moved, perform each action in one of the user-specific lists of actions in the respective user-specific order until a new location of the base station is determined.

19. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the monitoring station is further constructed and arranged to:

receive an emergency message comprising a notification that the remote device associated with the base station has been activated; and

/or

send another alert comprising location data for the pre-established location.

20. The monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the alternate process comprises transmitting an alternate alert to an alternate receiver, the alternate alert comprising location data for the current location.

21. The monitoring system of claim 20, wherein transmitting the alternate alert comprises transmitting a message.

22. The monitoring system of claim 21, the message comprising:

an email message;

a text message;

a voice message;

or a fax message;

or any combination thereof.

23. The monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the remote device is wearable.

24. The monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the remote device comprises a cellular phone.

25. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein:

the monitoring station comprises a memory; and

the monitoring station is further constructed and arranged to store the current location data in the memory.

26. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the pre-established location data comprises previously received location data for the base station.

27. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein:

the monitoring station is further constructed and arranged to communicate with a cellular network; and

the message is received via the cellular network.

28. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein:

the monitoring station is further constructed and arranged to communicate with the Internet; and

the message is received via the Internet.

29. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the current location data comprises GPS data and/or cellular triangulation data.

30. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the pre-established location data comprises GPS data and/or cellular triangulation data.

31. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the monitoring system comprises a house arrest monitoring system.

32. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein comparing first location information for the base station to second location information for the base station comprises the monitoring station communicating with cell towers to determine the first location for the base station with the second location for the base station.

33. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein comparing first location information for the base station to second location information for the base station comprises the base station determining location through cellular communication.

34. The monitoring system of claim 18, wherein comparing first location information for the base station to second location information for the base station comprises the base station determining location by satellite.