Object detection and tracking system

• US 10,111,031 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Air Force
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Blowers, Misty, Choi, Baek-Young, Song, Sejun, Williams, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/003,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 455457, 455 412, 455456, 4554042, 4554561, 455567, 455406, 455407
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for automated crowd sensing object detection. The invention senses a missing object'"'"'s presence in proximity which is conducted using a smartphone, with a software application running in the background that opportunistically collects and reports the data without the active involvement of the user. A small tag is attached to a tracked object or worn by a person who does not carry a smartphone (i.e., a young child), and emits a secure wireless signal periodically for geo-fencing and geo-tracking by caregivers. The information is sent to a cloud server so that the commander may be able to confirm the whereabouts of the tagged object or person in this case.

Claims

1. A tracking system, comprising:

a radio frequency emitter collocated with an object to be tracked;

at least one first personal communications device having a first software application which runs in the background;

at least one second personal communications device having a second software application;

a computer server having a third software application capable of bidirectional communication with the first personal communications device and the second at least one personal communications devices;

a geo-tracking function of the third software application which sends a geo-tracking service request to the at least one first and second personal communications devices, causing the first and said second personal communications devices to send a probe request that triggers a probe response from the radio frequency emitter in a sensing distance of a range from 40 to 100 meters;

wherein either of the at least one first or second personal communications device surreptitiously uploads its own location to the server upon reception of an emission from the radio frequency emitter;

when the at least one first personal communications device fails to receive an emission from the radio frequency emitter, the at least one first personal communications device uploads an alert message to the server whereupon the server broadcasts a signal that activates the second software application;

upon activation of the second software application the at least one second personal communications device surreptitiously uploads its own location to the server upon reception of an emission from the radio frequency emitter; and

wherein the third software application logs the uploaded locations from first and the second at least one personal communications devices.

2. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the first and the second personal communications devices are smartphones.

3. A method for detecting and tracking an object co-locating a radio frequency emitter with the object to be detected and tracked configuring computer-implementable instructions in a first software application so as to cause at least one first personal communications device to upload its location to a computer server configuring computer-implementable instructions in a second software application so as to cause at least one second personal communications device to upload its location to a computer server;

configuring computer-implementable instructions in a third software application to cause a computer server to perform bidirectional communications with the first and the second at least one personal communications devices;

a geo-tracking function of the third software application which sends a geo-tracking service request to the at least one first and second personal communications devices, causing the first and said second personal communications devices to send a probe request that triggers a probe response from the radio frequency emitter in a sensing distance of a range from 40 to 100 meters;

further configuring computer-implementable instructions in the first and the second software applications to cause either of the at least one first or second personal communications device to surreptitiously upload their location to the computer server upon reception of an emission from the radio frequency emitter;

further configuring the computer-implementable instructions in the first software application to upload an alert message to the computer server when the at least one first personal communications device fails to receive an emission from the radio frequency emitter;

further configuring the computer-implementable instructions in the third software application to cause the computer server to broadcast a signal that activates the second software application upon reception of the alert message;

further configuring the second software application to surreptitiously upload the location of the at least one second personal communications device to the computer server upon activation of the second software application; and

further configuring the third software application to cause the computer server to log the uploaded locations of the first and the second at least one personal communications devices.

4. The method for detecting and tracking an object of claim 3, wherein the personal communications devices are smartphones.