Systems and methods for pursuit governance in a monitoring system

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and method for supporting enhanced target pursuit. As an example, a system is disclosed that includes a monitoring device including: a location determination circuit and a controller circuit. The location determination circuit is operable to identify a location of the monitoring device. The controller circuit is operable to: receive a request to modify a schedule of location updates from a standard mode schedule to a pursuit mode schedule, where the standard mode schedule calls for updating the location of the monitoring device at a lower rate than the pursuit mode schedule; and cause an increase in the rate of updating and reporting the location in accordance with the request to modify.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising:
 a monitoring device; and 
 a central monitoring apparatus operable configured to:
 receive a user request to engage a pursuit mode; and 
 generate a request to modify operation of a the monitoring device; 
 
 wherein the monitoring device includingincludes:
 a location determination circuit operable configured to update a location of the monitor monitoring device in accordance with a location update mode; and   a controller circuit operable configured to:
 receive the request to modify operation of the monitoring device; 
 modify the location update mode from a first update mode to a pursuit update mode, wherein a rate of update in the pursuit update mode is different from a rate of update in the first update mode;and 
 report the location of the monitor monitoring device to the central monitoring apparatus; and 
 modify the location update mode from the pursuit update mode to the first update mode upon expiration of a defined maximum duration of operating the monitoring device in the pursuit update mode. 
   
 
     
     
       2. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the pursuit update mode includes an automatic update at the rate of update in the pursuit update mode. 
     
     
       3. The monitoring system of  claim 2 , wherein the rate of update in the pursuit update mode is once every fifteen seconds. 
     
     
       4. The monitoring system of  claim 2 , wherein the rate of update in the pursuit update mode is a second rate, wherein the first update mode includes an automatic update at a first rate, and wherein the first rate is less than the second rate. 
     
     
       5. The monitoring system of  claim 4 , wherein the first rate is once every three minutes, and wherein the second rate is once every fifteen seconds. 
     
     
       6. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the central monitoring apparatus is further operable configured to receive the location of the monitor monitoring device reported by the monitor monitoring device. 
     
     
       7. The monitoring system of  claim 6 , wherein the central monitoring apparatus is further operable to set a timeout condition corresponding to a maximum duration of operating the monitoring device in the pursuit update mode. 
     
     
       8. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller circuit is futher operable to modify the location update mode from the pursuit update mode to the first update mode upon expiration of a defined maximum duration of operating the monitoring device in the pursuit update mode. 
     
     
       9. The monitoring system of claim  8  1, wherein the defined maximum duration is greater than thirty minutes. 
     
     
       10. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller circuit is further operable configured to:
 update a power status of the monitoring device; and 
 report the power status to a the central monitoring apparatus. 
 
     
     
       11. The monitoring system of  claim 10 , wherein the central monitoring apparatus is further operable configured to:
 compare the power status of the monitoring device with a threshold value; and 
 provide a power status alert to a user where a combination of a power status being below the threshold value and modification of the schedule of location updates location update mode from the first update mode to the pursuit update mode schedule has been implemented. 
 
     
     
       12. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device is a single piece device, and wherein the monitoring system further comprises:
 a strap configured to attach the monitor monitoring device to a target. 
 
     
     
       13. The monitoring system of clam  1 , wherein the location determination circuit is further operable configured to identify a direction of movement of the monitoring device, and wherein the controller circuit is further configured to report the direction of movement of the monitoring device is reported when the monitoring device is operating in the pursuit update mode. 
     
     
       14. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the location determination circuit includes global positioning system circuitry. 
     
     
       15. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the location determination circuit includes cell tower triangulation circuitry. 
     
     
       16. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring system further comprises:
 a user interaction system operable configured to receive a command from a user, and wherein the user request to engage the pursuit update mode corresponds to the command from the user. 
 
     
     
       17. The monitoring system of claim  1  16, wherein the user interaction system is further operable configured to provide information about the monitoring device to the user. 
     
     
       18. The monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller circuit includes cellular network communication circuitry, and wherein the request to modify operation of the monitoring device is received by the monitor monitoring device via a the cellular network communication circuitry. 
     
     
       19. A monitoring device including:
 a strap configured for attaching to a target; 
 a location determination circuit operable configured to update a location of the a target at a selected update rate; and 
 a controller circuit communicably coupled to a user request station, and operable configured to:
 receive a request to modify the selected update rate from a first rate to a second rate, wherein the first rate is less than the second rate, and wherein the request to modify is based at least in part on a user request received via the user request station; and 
 increase a rate of reporting the location of the monitor monitoring device in accordance with the request to modify; and 
 cause a decrease in the rate of updating and reporting the location upon expiration of a defined maximum duration of operating the monitoring device at the second rate. 
 
 
     
     
       20. A monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising:
 a monitoring device including:
 a location determination circuit operable configured to update a location of the monitor monitoring device in accordance with a location update mode; and 
 a controller circuit communicably coupled to a user request station, and operable configured to:
 receive a request to modify operation of the monitoring device, wherein the request to modify is based at least in part on a user request received via the user request station; 
 modify the location update mode from a first update mode to a pursuit update mode, wherein a rate of update in the pursuit update mode is different from a rate of update in the first update mode; and 
 report the location of the monitor monitoring device to a central monitoring apparatus; and 
 modify the location update mode from the pursuit update mode to the first update mode upon expiration of a defined maximum duration of operating the monitoring device in the pursuit update mode. 
 
 
 
     
     
       21. A monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising:
 a central monitoring apparatus operable to:
 generate a request to modify operation of a monitoring device; and 
 receive a location of the monitor device; 
   the monitoring device including:
 a location determination circuit including global positioning system circuitry and operable to update the location of the monitor device in accordance with a location update mode; and 
 a controller circuit operable to:
 receive the request to modify operation of the monitoring device via a cellular network; 
 modify the location update mode from a first update mode to a pursuit update mode, wherein a rate of update in the pursuit update mode is different from a rate of update in the first update mode, and wherein the pursuit update mode includes an automatic update at the rate; and 
 report the location of the monitor device to the central monitoring apparatus; 
 
   a user interaction system operable to:
 receive a command from a user, wherein the request to modify operation of the monitoring device is generated in response to the command from the user; and 
 provide information about the monitoring device monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising: 
   a monitoring device including:
 a location determination circuit operable to identify a location of the monitoring device; and 
 a controller circuit operable to:
 receive a request to modify a schedule of location updates from a standard mode schedule to a pursuit mode schedule, wherein the standard mode schedule calls for updating the location of the monitoring device at a lower rate than the pursuit mode schedule; and 
 cause an increase in the rate of updating and reporting the location in accordance with the request to modify. 
 
   
     
     
       22. The monitoring device of claim 19, wherein the second rate is once every fifteen seconds. 
     
     
       23. The monitoring device of claim 19, wherein the first rate is once every three minutes, and wherein the second rate is once every fifteen seconds. 
     
     
       24. The monitoring device of claim 19, wherein the defined maximum duration is greater than thirty minutes. 
     
     
       25. The monitoring device of claim 19, wherein the location determination circuit is further configured to identify a direction of movement of the monitoring device, and wherein the controller circuit is further configured to report the direction of movement of the monitoring device when the monitoring device is operating at the second rate. 
     
     
       26. The monitoring device of claim 19, wherein the location determination circuit includes satellite positioning system circuitry. 
     
     
       27. The monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the pursuit update mode includes an automatic update at the rate of update in the pursuit update mode. 
     
     
       28. The monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the rate of update in the pursuit update mode is once every fifteen seconds. 
     
     
       29. The monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the rate of update in the pursuit update mode is a second rate, wherein the first update mode includes an automatic update at a first rate, and wherein the first rate is less than the second rate. 
     
     
       30. The monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the first rate is once every three minutes, and wherein the second rate is once every fifteen seconds. 
     
     
       31. The monitoring system of claim 30, wherein the defined maximum duration is greater than thirty minutes. 
     
     
       32. The monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the controller circuit is further configured to:
 update a power status of the monitoring device; and   report the power status to a central monitoring apparatus.   
     
     
       33. The monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the monitoring system further comprises:
 a strap configured to attach the monitoring device to a target.   
     
     
       34. The monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the location determination circuit is further configured to identify a direction of movement of the monitoring device, and wherein the controller circuit is further configured to report the direction of movement of the monitoring devicewhen the monitoring device is operating in the pursuit update mode. 
     
     
       35. The monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the location determination circuit includes satellite positioning system circuitry. 
     
     
       36. A monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising:
 a monitoring device; and   a central monitoring apparatus configured to:
 generate a request to modify operation of the monitoring device; and 
 set a timeout condition corresponding to a maximum duration of operating the monitoring device in a pursuit update mode; 
   wherein the monitoring device includes:
 a location determination circuit configured to update the location of the monitoring device in accordance with a location update mode; and 
 a controller circuit configured to:
 receive the request to modify operation of the monitoring device via a wireless communication link, wherein the request to modify operation of the monitoring device includes a request to modify the location update mode from a standard mode to the pursuit mode, and wherein a rate of location updates in the standard mode is less than a rate of location updates in the pursuit mode; 
 modify the location update mode from the standard mode to the pursuit mode, wherein the pursuit mode includes an automatic update at the rate of location updates in the pursuit mode; and 
 transmit the location of the monitoring device via the wireless communication link; 
 
   a user interaction system configured to:
 receive a command from a user, wherein the request to modify operation of the monitoring device is generated in response to the command from the user; and 
 provide information about the monitoring device. 
   
     
     
       37. A monitoring device, the monitoring device comprising:
 a location determination circuit configured to update a location of the monitoring device in accordance with an update rate; and   a controller circuit communicably coupled to a user request station and configured to:
 receive a first request to modify the update rate, wherein the request to modify is based at least in part on a user request received via the user request station; 
 modify the update rate from a first rate to a second rate based at least in part on the first request to modify the update rate; and 
 subsequent to modifying the update rate from the first rate to the second rate based at least in part on the first request to modify the update rate, modify the update rate from the second rate to a third rate based at least in part upon expiration of a defined duration of operating the monitoring device at the second rate. 
   
     
     
       38. The monitoring device of claim 37, wherein the defined duration is greater than thirty minutes. 
     
     
       39. The monitoring device of claim 37, wherein the first rate is less than the second rate. 
     
     
       40. The monitoring device of claim 37, wherein the third rate is equal to the first rate. 
     
     
       41. The monitoring device of claim 37, wherein the controller circuit is further configured to:
 coincident with modifying the update rate from the first rate to the second rate, modify a rate at which the monitoring device wirelessly transmits the location of the monitoring device.   
     
     
       42. The monitoring device of claim 37, wherein the monitoring device is included as part of a monitoring system, and wherein the monitoring system further includes:
 a central monitoring device configured to receive the location of the monitoring device from the monitoring device.   
     
     
       43. The monitoring device of claim 37, wherein the location determination circuit is further configured to identify a direction of movement of the monitoring device, and wherein the controller circuit is further configured to wirelessly transmit the direction of movement of the monitoring device when updating the location of the monitoring device is done at the second rate. 
     
     
       44. The monitoring device of claim 37, wherein the monitoring device is included as part of a monitoring system, and wherein the monitoring system further includes:
 a central monitoring device configured to generate the first request to modify the update rate based at least in part on a user request.   
     
     
       45. A monitoring device, the monitoring device comprising:
 a location determination circuit configured to update a location of the monitoring device; and   a controller circuit communicably coupled to a user request station and configured to:
 communicate the location of the monitoring device to a recipient device at an update rate; 
 receive a request to modify the update rate, wherein the request to modify is based at least in part on a user request received via the user request station; 
 modify the update rate from a first rate to a second rate based at least in part on the request to modify the update rate; and 
 subsequent to modifying the update rate from the first rate to the second rate based at least in part on the request to modify the update rate, modify the update rate from the second rate to a third rate based at least in part upon expiration of a time period. 
   
     
     
       46. The monitoring device of claim 45, wherein the first rate is the same as the third rate.