Virtual barrier system and method

• US 10,347,106 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lone Worker Solutions Ltd. (TotalMobile Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lone Worker Solutions Ltd. (TotalMobile Ltd.)
• Inventors: White, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US15/553,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20180137730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/06 for warning men working on the route
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A virtual barrier system for determining a position of a mobile device relative to a virtual barrier comprises: a plurality of transmitters configured to broadcast a unique identifier; a management platform for storing positional data for each transmitter; a mobile application for installation on a mobile device. The management platform is configured to communicate with the mobile application. The plurality of transmitters are arranged in pairs, one of each corresponding with a first or second zone. The pairs are positioned to define the virtual barrier between said first and second zones. The management platform is configured to: (a) map the barrier; (b) receive transmitted data from the mobile application when the mobile application detects the unique identifier, and (c) send an alert to the mobile application for display. The first zone and second zone comprise different statuses, and the status of the second zone is dependent upon a specific user.

Claims

1. A virtual barrier system for determining a position of a mobile device relative to a virtual barrier, comprising:

a plurality of transmitters each configured to broadcast a unique identifier;

a management platform for storing positional data for each transmitter; and

a mobile application for installation on a mobile device,

the management platform being configured to communicate with the mobile application, wherein the plurality of transmitters are arranged in pairs, one of each pair corresponding with a first zone and the other corresponding with a second zone, the pairs being positioned so as to define the virtual barrier between said first zone and said second zone, and the management platform is configured to;

(a) map the barrier defined by said pairs of transmitters dependent upon the positional data stored;

(b) receive transmitted data from the mobile application when the mobile application detects the unique identifier of one or more of the transmitters and thereby determine a proximate location of the mobile device relative to the barrier; and

(c) send an alert to the mobile application for display on said mobile device depending upon said proximate location,

wherein the first zone and the second zone comprise different statuses, and the status of the second zone is dependent upon a specific user; and

wherein each of the pairs of transmitters are mounted on a transmitter stand, a first side comprising a first transmitter presenting information about the second zone and a second side comprising a second transmitter presenting information about the first zone.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual barrier comprises a wireless barrier.

3. The system according to any one of claim 1, wherein the first zone (first side and first transmitter) corresponds with a safe status and the second zone (second side and second transmitter) corresponds with an unsafe status.

4. The system according to any one of claim 1, wherein the first zone (first side and first transmitter) corresponds with an authorised status and the second zone (second side and second transmitter) corresponds with an unauthorised status.

5. The system according to any one of claim 2, wherein the transmitters comprise wireless technology configured to exchange data over short distances.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the transmitters comprise Bluetooth®

Low Energy (BLE) technology.

7. The system according to any one of claim 1, wherein the unique identifiers comprise universally unique identifiers (UUI).

8. The system according to any one of claim 1, wherein the positional data comprises a position within the barrier.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the barrier comprises a barrier profile stored on the management platform, comprising the UUI and the positional data for each transmitter in each pair.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein each barrier profile comprises a barrier identifier, e.g. information regarding the geographical location of the barrier, and zone information.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein each barrier profile comprises:

one or more alert messages and/or one or more alert procedures and/or one or more alert conditions.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the management platform comprises a barrier module comprising one or more of said barrier profiles.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the proximate location of the mobile device is determined using said transmitted data.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the transmitted data comprises at least the UUI of at least one pair of transmitters and a unique user personal identifier.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the management platform comprises individual user profiles for each user comprising the user personal identifier and user permissions for the respective user.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the management platform is configured to receive transmitted data and transmit alerts over the internet to and from the mobile application.

17. The system according to claim 9, wherein the barrier module is configured to receive the transmitted data from the mobile application and identify the respective barrier profile by cross-referencing the received UUIs with the stored UUIs of each barrier profile.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the barrier module is configured to identify a respective user and store the proximity location within the user'"'"'s profile.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the barrier module is configured to select an appropriate alert to said mobile application by cross-referencing the alerts in the barrier profile with the user'"'"'s permissions in the user profile.