System and method for tracking interaction between monitored population and unmonitored population
View Patent ↗A method and system for detecting interaction between monitored individuals and unmonitored individuals is provided. The method includes at each monitored individual: identifying a short range wireless access point that is proximate to the monitored individual; first determining the location of the monitored individual when the identified short range wireless access point was detected; and uploading, from the monitored individual to a central monitoring location, data corresponding to the identified short range wireless access point and the location of the monitored individual when the short range wireless access point was detected. The method include at the central monitoring location: second determining whether: (a) the identified short range wireless access point is a mobile wireless access point; and (b) two or more of the monitored individuals encountered the identified short range wireless access point.
1. A system adapted to track detecting interaction between monitored individuals and unmonitored individuals having mobile wireless access points, the system comprising:
a personal monitoring device attached to each monitored individual within a monitored population, each personal monitoring device comprising:
a wireless access point detector adapted to identify a short range wireless access point that is proximate to the monitored individual;
location circuitry adapted to determine a location of the monitored individual; a modem adapted to upload, from the personal monitoring device to a central monitoring location, data corresponding to the identified short range wireless access point and the location of the monitored individual when the short range wireless access point was detected;
a central monitoring location, comprising a combination of electronic computer hardware and software programed to:
second determine whether:
(a) the identified short range wireless access point is mobile; and
(b) two or more of the monitored individuals within the monitored population encountered the identified short range wireless access point;
notify, in response to at least a positive outcome of the second determining, a supervising authority that conditions are present indicating that the two or more of the monitored individuals are in indirect communication.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein (a) of the second determine comprises consulting a database of previously detected short range wireless access points for indication that the short range wireless access point was previously classified as mobile.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein (a) of the second determine comprises classifying the short range wireless access point as a mobile in response to the uploaded data from at least one of the monitored individuals indicating that the at least one of the monitored individuals were at significantly different locations when the short range wireless access point was detected.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the identify comprises detecting short range wireless access points that satisfy predetermined criteria.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined criteria includes a signal strength above a threshold, the threshold being consistent with proximity of less than about 10 feet.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein (b) of the second determine comprises disregarding stationary wireless access points.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein (b) of the second determine comprises determining whether two or more of the monitored individuals encountered the identified short range wireless access point within ranges of less than about 10 feet.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the central monitoring location being programed to invalidate, in response to at least (a) of the second determine, reliance on the short range wireless access point for layered location purposes.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second determine further comprises, in response to the identified short range wireless access point being authorized: (a) disregarding a result of the second determining in response to the identified short range wireless access point being authorized, or (b) excluding the identified short range wireless access point from the second determining.
10. A method for detecting interaction between monitored individuals and unmonitored individuals having mobile wireless access points, comprising: at each monitored individual:
identifying a short range wireless access point that is proximate to the monitored individual;
first determining a location of the monitored individual; uploading, from the monitored individual to a central monitoring location, data corresponding to the identified short range wireless access point and the location of the monitored individual when the short range wireless access point was detected; at the central monitoring location:
second determining whether:
(a) the identified short range wireless access point is mobile; and
(b) two or more of the monitored individuals encountered the identified short range wireless access point;
notifying, in response to at least a positive outcome of the second determining, a supervising authority that conditions are present indicating that the two or more of the monitored individuals are in indirect communication.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein (a) of the second determining comprises consulting a database of previously detected short range wireless access points for indication that the short range wireless access point was previously classified as mobile.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein (a) of the second determining comprises classifying the short range wireless access point as a mobile in response to the uploaded data from at least one of the monitored individuals indicating that the at least one of the monitored individuals were at significantly different locations when the short range wireless access point was detected.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifying comprises detecting short range wireless access points that satisfy predetermined criteria.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined criteria includes a signal strength above a threshold, the threshold being consistent with proximity of less than about 10 feet.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein (b) of the second determining comprises disregarding stationary wireless access points.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein (b) of the second determining comprises determining whether two or more of the monitored individuals encountered the identified short range wireless access point within ranges of less than about 10 feet.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising invalidating, in response to at least (a) of the second determining, reliance on the short range wireless access point for layered location purposes.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second determining further comprises, in response to the identified short range wireless access point being authorized: (a) disregarding a result of the second determining in response to the identified short range wireless access point being authorized, or (b) excluding the identified short range wireless access point from the second determining.
19. The method of claim 10 , wherein (b) of the second determining comprises two or more of the monitored individuals each encountered the identified short range wireless access point for longer than a non-zero predetermined period of time.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein (b) of the second determine comprises two or more of the monitored individuals each encountered the identified short range wireless access point for longer than a non-zero predetermined period of time.
21. The method of claim 10 , wherein indirect communication is defined by the two or more monitored individuals having common contact at substantially different locations with an unmonitored individual carrying the mobile wireless access point.
22. The system of claim 1 , wherein indirect communication is defined by the two or more monitored individuals having common contact at substantially different locations with an unmonitored individual carrying the mobile wireless access point.