US 10,856,099 B2Granted

Application-based two-way tracking and mapping function with selected individuals

AssigneeX One, Inc.

InventorRichard D. Haney

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Abstract

A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between wireless devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application and a TalkControl application. The Buddy Watch application communicates with the GPS receiver and other wireless devices operated by buddies registered in the users phone as part of buddy groups or individually. GPS position data and historical GPS position data can be exchanged between cell phones of buddies and instant buddies such as tow truck drivers via a buddy watch server. Emergency monitoring services can be set up with notifications to programmable individuals in case an individual does not respond. Positions and tracks can be displayed. TalkControl simplifies and automates the process of joining talk groups for walkie talkie services such as that provided by Nextel.

Claims39

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising instructions stored on non-transitory machine-readable media, the instructions adapted for download via the internet to web-enabled cell phones, the instructions when executed by a respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to:

install a software application on the respective one of web-enabled cell phones;
and
permit a user associated with the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to selectively launch the software application on the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones;
wherein the software application is to cause, conditioned on establishment of an account by the user, the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to
receive a selection by the user of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones of an individual associated with another of the web-enabled cell phones, made via the software application on respective one of the web-enabled cell phones, provided that the other of the internet and installed, and responsively configure the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to establish a mutual tracking and position-mapping function with the one of the others,
as part of the mutual tracking and position-mapping function, transmit GPS position information of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to the software application installed on the one of the others, on an encrypted, packetized basis, and receive GPS position information from the one of the others also on an encrypted, packetized basis, each via a cellular wireless service, and each without requiring concurrent voice communications between the user of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones and the selected individual, and
display, via a user interface of the web-enabled cell phone, a map retrieved from a server, with position of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones and position of the one of the others marked thereon.

4 more elements

An apparatus comprising instructions stored on non-transitory machine-readable media, the instructions adapted for download via the internet to web-enabled cell phones, in an encrypted format, the instructions when executed by a respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to:

decrypt a software application on the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones;
install the software application on the respective one of web-enabled cell phones;
and
permit a user associated with the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to selectively launch the software application on the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones;
wherein the software application is to cause, conditioned on establishment of an account by the user, the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones, to
receive a selection by the user of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones of an individual associated with another of the web-enabled cell phones, made via the software application on the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones, provided that the other of the web-enabled cell phones has had the software application downloaded via the internet and installed, and responsively configure the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to establish a mutual tracking and position-mapping function with the one of the others,
as part of the mutual tracking and position-mapping function, transmit GPS position information of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to the software application installed on the one of the others, on an encrypted, packetized basis, and receive GPS position information from the one of the others also on an encrypted, packetized basis, each via a cellular wireless service, and each without requiring concurrent voice communications between the user of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones and the selected individual, and
display, via a user interface of the web-enabled cell phone, a map retrieved from a server, with position of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones and position of the one of the others marked thereon;
and
wherein the mutual tracking and position mapping function is established in manner associated with an IP address and port number for the software application on the respective-one of the cell phones, such that the GPS position information received from the one of the others is formatted in a manner specifically directed to said software application on the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones.

7 more elements

install a software application on the respective one of web-enabled cell phones;
and
permit a user associated with the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to selectively launch the software application on the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones;
wherein the software application is to cause, conditioned on establishment of an account by the user, the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to
receive a selection by the user of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones of an individual associated with another of the web-enabled cell phones, made via the software application on the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones, provided that the other of the web-enabled cell phones has had the software application downloaded via the internet and installed, and responsively configure the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to establish a mutual tracking and position-mapping function with the one of the others,
as part of the mutual tracking and position-mapping function, transmit GPS position information of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones to the software application installed on the one of the others, on an encrypted, packetized basis, and receive GPS position information from the one of the others also on an encrypted, packetized basis, each via a cellular wireless service, and each without requiring concurrent voice communications between the user of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones and the selected individual, and
display, via a user interface of the web-enabled cell phone, a map retrieved from a server, with position of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones and position of the one of the others marked thereon;
and
wherein said instructions, when executed, are to cause the web-enabled cell phone to initiate a packet-based two-way live voice call with the one of the others, on a basis that is selective with the user of the respective one of the web-enabled cell phones, with packet exchange being performed at least in part via the cellular service.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/781,250Filed 4 Feb 2020 · continuation
Priority: 4 Apr 2005
Published: US 2020/0178021 A14 Jun 2020
Granted: 1 Dec 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification54 codes

H04W 4/02
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: services making use of location information
G01C 21/20
Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00: instruments for performing navigational calculations
G01S 19/01
Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems: satellite radio…
G01S 19/03
Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting…:…

Family

Application11/099,362Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Apr 2005
Application12/075,408Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Mar 2008
Application13/889,132Parent of this continuation · filed 7 May 2013
Application14/139,695Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Dec 2013
Application15/404,481Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jan 2017
Application15/428,981Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Feb 2017
Application16/201,780Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Nov 2018
Application16/392,488Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Apr 2019
US 2020/0178021 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Jun 2020
US 10,341,808 B2Parent of this continuation
US 10,200,811 B1Parent of this continuation
US 9,749,790 B1Parent of this continuation
US 9,584,960 B1Parent of this continuation
US 8,798,593 B2Parent of this continuation
US 8,538,458 B2Parent of this continuation
US 7,353,034 B2Parent of this continuation
US 10,791,414 B2Related patent
US 2006/0223518 A1Published application
US 2008/0227473 A1Published application
US 2014/0148135 A1Published application
US 2019/0098439 A1Published application
US 2019/0387355 A1Published application
US 10,856,099 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.