Mobile unit communication via a network

• US 9,609,283 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NorthStar Systems LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fernandez, Dennis Sunga, Fernandez, Irene Hu
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUNG T
• Application Number:
  US12/394,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,951 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Integrated imaging and GPS network monitors remote object movement. Browser interface displays objects and detectors. Database stores object position movement. Cameras detect objects and generate image signal. Internet provides selectable connection between system controller and various cameras according to object positions.

Claims

1. A controller comprising:

a communicator configured to;

receive, via a network, first visual data from a first mobile unit and second visual data from a second mobile unit; and

transmit, via the network, the first visual data to the second mobile unit and the second visual data to the first mobile unit, to facilitate visual communication between the first mobile unit and the second mobile unit; and

recognition software configured to;

visually recognize a first object of observation associated with the first visual data and a second object of observation associated with the second visual data; and

verify that the first visual data was received from the first object of observation and verify that the second visual data was received from the second object of observation.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first mobile unit includes a first cellular phone that comprises a first detector configured to detect the first visual data and first audio data, and wherein the second mobile unit includes a second cellular phone configured to detect the second visual data and second audio data.

4. The controller of claim 3, wherein the first object of observation includes a first cellular phone user and the second object of observation includes a second cellular phone user, and wherein the controller is configured to facilitate visual and audio communication between the first cellular phone user and the second cellular phone user.

5. The controller of claim 3, wherein the first cellular phone is configured to communicate wirelessly with a first network device and the second cellular phone is configured to communicate wirelessly with a second network device, and wherein the first network device and the second network device are configured to communicate with the controller via the Internet.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein the first network device is the same device as the second network device.

7. The controller of claim 4, wherein the recognition software is further configured to recognize the first cellular phone user by recognizing the first audio data, and wherein the recognition software is further configured to recognize the second cellular phone user by recognizing the second audio data.

8. The controller of claim 3, wherein the first visual data and the second visual data individually include at least one of an embedded watermark or a digital certificate to facilitate securing the first visual data and the second visual data.

9. The controller of claim 3, wherein the communicator is further configured to receive third visual data and third audio data associated with a third object of observation from a third cellular phone comprising a third detector configured to detect the third visual data and the third audio data.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to facilitate a multi-cast chat between the first cellular phone, the second cellular phone, and the third cellular phone via the Internet.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the communicator is configured to:

transmit the first visual data, the first audio data, the second visual data, and the second audio data to the third cellular phone;

transmit the first visual data, the first audio data, the third visual data, and the third audio data to the second cellular phone; and

transmit the second visual data, the second audio data, the third visual data, and the third audio data to the first cellular phone.

12. The controller of claim 9, further comprising a network searchable list of a first location of the first cellular phone, a second location of the second cellular phone, and a third location of the third cellular phone, wherein the network searchable list facilitates locating the first cellular phone, the second cellular phone, and the third cellular phone.

13. The controller of claim 9, further comprising a software agent configured to automatically schedule at least one of a collaborative chat time or a meeting time between the first cellular phone, the second cellular phone, and the third cellular phone.

14. The controller of claim 1, further comprising a security module configured to receive a first digital certificate from the first mobile unit and receive a second digital certificate from the second mobile unit to facilitate authentication of the first mobile unit and the second mobile unit.

15. The controller of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to predict a location of at least one of the first object of observation and the second object of observation.

16. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first object of observation includes a vehicle, and the second object of observation includes a vehicle service provider, wherein the first mobile unit comprises a detector configured to detect a condition of the vehicle, and wherein the first visual data is associated with the condition of the vehicle.

17. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first object observation includes a patient and the second object of observation includes a physician, wherein the first mobile unit comprises a detector configured to detect a medical condition associated with the patient, and wherein the first visual data is associated with the medical condition.

18. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first object of observation includes a customer and the second object of observation includes a vendor, and wherein the second visual data comprises an advertisement provided by the vendor in response to a location of the customer.

19. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first object observation includes a house and the second object of observation is a person associated with the house, and wherein the first visual data includes information associated with a security condition of the house.

20. A method comprising:

receiving, via a network, first visual data from a first mobile unit;

receiving, via the network, second visual data from a second mobile unit;

visually recognizing a first object of observation associated with the first visual data;

visually recognizing a second object of observation associated with the second visual data;

verifying that the first visual data was received from the first object of observation in response to the visually recognizing the first object of observation;

verifying that the second visual data was received from the second object of observation in response to the visually recognizing the second object of observation;

transmitting, via the network, the first visual data to the second mobile unit; and

transmitting, via the network, the second visual data to the first mobile unit, to facilitate visual communication between the first mobile unit and the second mobile unit.

21. A mobile unit comprising:

a detector configured to detect first visual data associated with a first object of observation; and

a communicator configured to;

transmit the first visual data to a controller via a network;

visually recognize the first object of observation in response to the first visual data and verify that the first visual data was received from the first object of observation;

receive second visual data from the controller via the network, wherein the second visual data is associated with a second object of observation; and

transmit the first visual data to a second mobile unit associated with the second object of observation.

22. The mobile unit of claim 21, wherein the mobile unit includes a first cellular phone associated with a first cellular phone user and the second mobile unit includes a second cellular phone associated with a second cellular phone user.

23. The mobile unit of claim 22, wherein the first cellular phone comprises a sensor configured to facilitate authentication of a voice pattern of the first cellular phone user in order to authorize the first cellular phone user to use the first cellular phone.

24. A method, comprising:

detecting first visual data associated with a first object of observation;

transmitting the first visual data to a controller via a network, wherein the controller visually recognizes the first object of observation in response to the first visual data and verifies that the first visual data was received from the first object of observation; and

receiving second visual data from the communicator via the network, wherein the second visual data is associated with a second object of observation, and wherein the controller transmits the first visual data to a second mobile unit associated with the second object of observation.