Real-Time Tracking System Using Assisted GPS and Cellular Networks

The patent applies universality by enabling standard mass-market devices (cell phones, GPS receivers) to serve dual purposes: their original functions plus tracking functionality. The system makes these ubiquitous devices perform monitoring tasks through software integration, eliminating the need for expensive custom-built tracking devices while maintaining reliable tracking capability.

The patent uses copying by replicating tracking functionality across multiple standard devices rather than creating specialized hardware. Each cell phone or GPS receiver becomes a tracking unit through software, allowing the system to leverage existing mass-produced device architectures and reduce component costs through standardization.

The patent extracts the communication function from dedicated infrastructure (phone lines) and relocates it to the existing cellular network. By removing the requirement for dedicated communication lines and using standard cellular telephony for all communications between tracking devices and monitoring centers, the system reduces infrastructure complexity while maintaining communication reliability through the widespread cellular network.

The system applies self-service by enabling standard cell phones to handle their own communication needs without requiring specialized dedicated lines. The devices use their built-in cellular capabilities to communicate with monitoring centers, eliminating the need for separate communication infrastructure and reducing overall system complexity.

The patent applies universality by using devices (cell phones, GPS receivers) that individuals already carry or use regularly. These ubiquitous devices provide tracking accuracy without being perceived as obtrusive monitoring equipment, since they are familiar items already integrated into daily life. The tracking function is added to devices users already have, rather than requiring specialized monitoring hardware.

The system uses copying by replicating tracking functionality through standard devices that users already possess. Instead of requiring specialized obtrusive hardware, the patent copies the tracking capability onto everyday devices like cell phones, making the tracking system unobtrusive while maintaining accuracy through the device's existing sensors and communication capabilities.

The patent introduces an intermediary approach by combining multiple location determination methods (GPS, cellular tower triangulation, WiFi positioning) rather than relying solely on GPS. This mediator system cross-validates location data from different sources to correct GPS drift and signal errors, maintaining location accuracy without requiring expensive specialized GPS correction hardware or services.

The system applies the composite principle by creating a composite location determination system that integrates multiple positioning technologies. Rather than using a single GPS receiver that is susceptible to drift, the patent combines GPS data with cellular network positioning and other location methods to create a more robust and accurate location system that corrects GPS errors through data fusion from multiple sources.

The patent applies periodic action by implementing communication at variable intervals rather than continuous real-time transmission. The system monitors location continuously but communicates updates periodically or event-driven (only when location changes significantly or alarm conditions occur). This approach maintains the ability to respond quickly to alarm conditions while reducing energy consumption by avoiding constant communication transmissions.

The system uses dynamics by making communication frequency adaptive rather than static. Communication intensity and frequency adjust based on conditions: higher frequency during alarm states or significant location changes, lower frequency during normal monitoring. This dynamic approach optimizes the balance between response time to emergencies and energy consumption during routine operation.