Internet of things (IoT) child tracking system

• US 10,008,086 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2017
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Inventors: Britt, Joe, Matsumura, Shin, Forood, Houman, Zakaria, Omar
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US15/785,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20180053391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0205 Specific application combined with child monitoring using a transmitter-receiver system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and method are described for an IoT security system. For example, one embodiment of the IoT security system comprises: one or more attachable security devices, each comprising an IoT device to establish local wireless connections with one or more IoT hubs within a location, each attachable security device to be attached to a child registered with the security system and comprising a switch to trigger upon detachment of the attachable security device from the child; a plurality of kiosks, each kiosk comprising: a monitor to provide instructions to parents for registering and de-registering children with the security system; an input device to receive input from the parents during a registration process and a de-registration process to register and de-register the children, respectively; a camera to capture a photo of a child to be registered with the security system; an IoT hub to establish a first set of local wireless communication channels with the IoT devices of the security bracelets, the IoT hub to further provide connectivity among each of the kiosks through a second set of one or more communication channels; the IoT hub to associate the photo of the child with an IoT device of a security bracelet provided to the child, the association being stored in one or more of the kiosks or in a network service; an IoT device of an attachable security device to transmit a first alarm to a first kiosk responsive to the switch triggering upon detachment of the attachable security device; the first kiosk to communicate the first alarm with other kiosks and the plurality of kiosks to display the photo.

Claims

1. An Internet of Things (IoT) security system comprising:

one or more attachable security devices, each comprising an IoT device to establish local wireless connections with one or more IoT hubs within a location, each attachable security device to be attached to a child registered with the security system and comprising a switch to trigger upon detachment of the attachable security device from the child; and

a plurality of kiosks, each kiosk comprising;

a monitor to provide instructions to parents for registering and de-registering children with the security system;

an input device to receive input from the parents during a registration process and a de-registration process to register and de-register the children, respectively;

a camera to capture a photo of a child to be registered with the security system;

an IoT hub to establish a first set of local wireless communication channels with the IoT devices of the security devices, the IoT hub to further provide connectivity among each of the kiosks through a second set of one or more communication channels, the IoT hub to associate the photo of the child with an IoT device of a security device provided to the child to create an association, the association being stored in one or more of the kiosks or in a network service;

a receipt printer to print a QR code or barcode responsive to the child being registered and/or logic for transmitting the QR code or barcode to a data processing device of a parent, the QR code or barcode being associated with the IoT device and the photo of the child;

wherein a first kiosk of the plurality of kiosks is to receive, from a parent of the child, the QR code or barcode and an indication as to whether the parent and the child are leaving or whether there is an emergency, wherein responsive to an indication of emergency, the first kiosk is to transmit a first alarm to other kiosks and the plurality of kiosks to display the photo, and wherein responsive to an indication of desire to leave, the first kiosk is to de-register the child.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the indication of emergency indicates that the child is lost.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein the attachable security devices comprise security bracelets and wherein the switch comprises an electromechanical coupling to couple the security bracelet to an arm of a child.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein each security bracelet further comprises a security button which, when selected, causes the security bracelet to transmit a second alarm to the first kiosk, the first kiosk to communicate the second alarm with other kiosks and the plurality of kiosks to display the photo.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein the first set of local wireless communication channels comprise Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) channels and the second set of one or more communication channels comprise at least one WiFi or cellular link.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein the IoT device is identified with a unique ID, the association comprising an association between the unique ID and the photo stored in a database, the photo of the child to be identified by querying the database with the unique ID of the IoT device which generated the alarm.

7. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

an IoT service communicatively coupled to the kiosks over the second set of one or more communication channels, the IoT service comprising a tracking module to manage associations between each photo and each unique by storing the associations in a database, the IoT service to respond to an alarm transmitted from a kiosk by querying the database and providing the photo to the querying kiosk.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a touchscreen device integrated in the monitor.

9. The system as in claim 8, wherein each kiosk further comprises:

a bracelet dispenser to dispense a security bracelet responsive to a child being registered with the security system.

10. The system as in claim 9, wherein the parent is to present the QR code or barcode at a kiosk upon de-registering the child with the security system, wherein if the security bracelet of the child is removed prior to presentation of the QR code or barcode, then an alarm condition is generated and each of the kiosks displays the photo of the child.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein each kiosk further comprises:

a bracelet return apparatus into which a parent is to return a security bracelet upon de-registering a child from the security system.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the first kiosk is to dispense a toy for the child after de-registering the child from the security system and receiving the returned security bracelet.

13. A method comprising:

providing one or more attachable security devices to one or more parents, each attachable security device comprising an Internet of Things (IoT) device to establish local wireless connections with one or more IoT hubs within a location, each attachable security device to be attached to a child registered with a security system and comprising a switch to trigger upon detachment of the attachable security device from the child;

providing instructions to parents for registering and de-registering children with the security system at a plurality of kiosks;

receiving input from a parent at a kiosk, the input used to register a child during a registration process and to de-register the child during a de-registration process, respectively;

capturing a photo of the child to be registered with the security system;

associating the photo of the child with an IoT device of a security bracelet provided to the child, the association being stored in one or more of the kiosks or in a network service;

establishing a first set of local wireless communication channels with the IoT devices of the security bracelets and the kiosks, each of the kiosks being interconnected through a second set of one or more communication channels;

printing a QR code or barcode or transmitting the a QR code or barcode to a data processing device of a parent responsive to the child being registered, the QR code or barcode being associated with the IoT device and the photo of the child;

receiving, from a parent of the child, the QR code or barcode and an indication as to whether the parent and the child are leaving or whether there is an emergency;

transmitting a first alarm to the plurality of kiosks responsive to an indication of emergency; and

de-registering the child responsive to an indication of desire to leave.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the indication of emergency indicates that the child is lost.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the attachable security devices comprise security bracelets and wherein the switch comprises an electromechanical coupling to couple the security bracelet to an arm of a child.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein each security bracelet further comprises a security button which, when selected, causes the security bracelet to transmit a second alarm to a first kiosk, the first kiosk to communicate the second alarm with other kiosks and the plurality of kiosks to display the photo.

17. The method as in claim 13, wherein the first set of local wireless communication channels comprise Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) channels and the second set of one or more communication channels comprise at least one WiFi or cellular link.

18. The method as in claim 13, wherein the IoT device is identified with a unique ID, the association comprising an association between the unique ID and the photo stored in a database, the photo of the child to be identified by querying the database with the unique ID of the IoT device which generated the alarm.

19. The method as in claim 13, further comprising:

communicatively coupling an IoT service to the kiosks over the second set of one or more communication channels, the IoT service comprising a tracking module to manage associations between each photo and each unique by storing the associations in a database, the IoT service to respond to an alarm transmitted from a kiosk by querying the database and providing the photo to the querying kiosk.

20. The method as in claim 13, wherein the input is received by an input device comprising a touchscreen device integrated in a monitor.

21. The method as in claim 20, further comprising:

dispensing a bracelet responsive to a child being registered with the security system.

22. The method as in claim 21, wherein the parent is to present the QR code or barcode at a kiosk upon de-registering the child with the security system, wherein if the security bracelet of the child is removed prior to presentation of the QR code or barcode, then an alarm condition is generated and each of the kiosks displays the photo of the child.

23. The method as in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a returned security bracelet upon de-registering a child from the security system in a bracelet return apparatus of a kiosk.

24. The method as in claim 23, further comprising:

dispensing a toy for the child after de-registering the child from the security system and receiving the returned security bracelet in the bracelet return apparatus of a kiosk.