System and method for information communications

Abstract

A method for locating a displaced person enables a third party tracker to track and locate a person by way of a personal transmitter, otherwise usable to order and pay for goods and/or services. The personal transmitter is normally used to remotely transmit order and/or payment preference data to a vendor to facilitate sales transactions. The personal transmitter may further, function, however to transmit a signal to the vendor when the customer approaches the vendor, which signal comprises not only preferred order information for vendor processing, but also person-identifying data. A web site acknowledges receipt of personal data sent from the transmitter as present at the vendor establishment site or area, and thus enables third party tracker to track movements of the transmitter carrier by way of the transmitted personal data at the vendor establishment site.

1 . A method for locating a displaced person by way of a personal transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:
 identifying a to-be-tracked person;   uploading data that identifies the to-be-tracked person to a web-site, thereby uploading person-identifying data;   storing the person-identifying data upon a server associated with the web-site;   downloading the person-identifying data to a personal transmitter;   providing the to-be-tracked person with the personal transmitter with downloaded person-identifying data;   carrying the personal transmitter by the to-be-tracked person to a vendor establishment site;   transmitting the person-identifying data to the vendor establishment site from the personal transmitter by the to-be-tracked person;   receiving the person-identifying data at the vendor establishment site;   linking the person-identifying data to vendor site-identifying data;   uploading the linked person-identifying data and vendor site-identifying data from the vendor establishment site to the web-site;   tracking the to-be-tracked person by way of the uploaded and linked vendor site-identifying data; and   locating the to-be-tracked person by way of the vendor site-identifying data as uploaded from the vendor establishment site.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  comprising the step of a creating a profile for the to-be-tracked person at the web-site before uploading data that identifies the to-be-tracked person to the web-site. 
     
     
         3 . A method for locating a displaced person by way of a personal transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:
 identifying a to-be-tracked person;   creating a profile for the to-be-tracked person upon a server;   transferring person-identifying data of to-be-tracked person to the server;   storing the person-identifying data upon the server;   transferring the person-identifying data to a personal transmitter;   providing the to-be-tracked person with the personal transmitter with transferred person-identifying data;   carrying the personal transmitter by the to-be-tracked person to a vendor establishment site;   transmitting the person-identifying data to the vendor establishment site from the personal transmitter by the to-be-tracked person;   receiving the person-identifying data at the vendor establishment site;   transferring the person-identifying data and vendor site-identifying data from the vendor establishment site to the web-site; and   tracking the to-be-tracked person by way of the uploaded vendor site-identifying data.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the person-identifying data is linked to the vendor site-identifying data before transferring the person-identifying data and vendor site-identifying data from the vendor establishment site to the server. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  comprising the step of locating the to-be-tracked person by way of the vendor site-identifying data as transferred from the vendor establishment site. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the server supports an on-line portal, the person-identifying data and vendor site-identifying data being transferrable via the on-line portal. 
     
     
         7 . A method for locating a displaced person by way of a personal transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:
 inputting personal data at a web-site;   downloading the personal data to a transmitter;   carrying the transmitter with personal data to a vendor establishment area;   transmitting transmitter-carried personal data to the vendor establishment area from the transmitter; and   locating a displaced person by way of the personal data as transmitted to the vendor establishment area.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the step of identifying a to-be-tracked person before inputting personal data at the web-site, the personal data for identifying the to-be-tracked person. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  comprising the step of providing the to-be-tracked person with the transmitter after downloading the personal data to the transmitter. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the step of receiving the transmitted, transmitter-carried personal data after the stop of transmitting the transmitter-carried personal data. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  comprising the step of forwarding the personal data from the vendor establishment area to the web-site after receiving the transmitted, transmitter-carried personal data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the personal data is linked to vendor establishment area data before locating the displaced person. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the step of tracking the displaced person by way of the transmitted transmitter-carried personal data. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the web-site is supported by a server, the personal data being stored upon the server after being input at the web-site.