Proximity based ad-hoc messaging, alerting, and tracking system
AssigneeRedCritter Corp.
InventorsRobert M Beaty, David R Jenness, Randy M Whelan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A proximity based ad-hoc messaging, alerting, and tracking system can be employed to quickly and efficiently propagate alerts when a child or other individual becomes lost. Various types of alerts can be provided to facilitate locating a lost individual even in scenarios where a network connection or GPS is not available. The system can also be employed to track the presence of an individual after traveling in a vehicle to enable detecting when the individual has been separated from all guardians such as would be the case when the individual is left in the vehicle.
Claims16
A method, performed by a user device, for implementing an alerting system, the method comprising:
- monitoring for alerts that are transmitted using a short range wireless protocol;
- receiving, via the short wireless protocol, a first alert that includes an alert identifier that indicates that an individual is lost and an identifier of the lost individual;
- in response to receiving the first alert, generating and broadcasting, via the short range wireless protocol, a second alert that includes an alert identifier that indicates that an individual is lost and the identifier of the lost individual that was received in the first alert;
- and
- using the identifier of the lost individual to obtain and display information about the lost individual.
One or more computer storage media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed on a user device implement a method comprising:
- monitoring for alerts that are transmitted using a short range wireless protocol;
- receiving, via the short range wireless protocol, a child lost alert that includes an identifier of a lost individual;
- and
- in response to receiving the child lost alert, generating generating and periodically broadcasting, via the short range wireless protocol, a child lost forwarded alert that includes the identifier of the lost individual.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.