User tracking application

• US 20020070881A1
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Security & Detection Systems, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Security & Detection Systems, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Allan, Marcarelli, Louis G.
• Application Number:
  US09/975,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070881A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A user tracking system includes a first unit and a second unit. The first unit includes a first radio transceiver and a first printed circuit board that includes microprocessor circuitry and modem circuitry. The second unit includes a second radio transceiver and an enclosure enclosing a GPS antenna, a GPS receiver, and a second printed circuit board comprising microprocessor circuitry and modem circuitry.

Claims

1. A user tracking system comprising:

a first unit comprising a first radio transceiver and a first printed circuit board including microprocessor circuitry and modem circuitry; and

a second unit comprising a second radio transceiver and an enclosure enclosing a GPS antenna, a GPS receiver, and a second printed circuit board comprising circuitry for a microprocessor and circuitry for a modem.

2. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the enclosure has a volume that is less than approximately 5 cubic inches.

3. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the enclosure has a width that is less than two inches, a height that is less than two inches, and a depth that is less than one inch.

4. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the second printed circuit board has dimensions of between approximately 2 inches by 2 inches and 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches.

5. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the second printed circuit board further comprises power management circuitry.

6. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the second radio transceiver comprises radio transceiver circuitry and the enclosure farther includes the radio transceiver circuitry.

7. The user tracking system of claim 6 wherein the enclosure further includes an outer housing having a display screen.

8. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the modem circuitry is configured to convert data to a format that can be transmitted by the radio transceiver.

9. The user tracking system of claim 8 wherein the circuitry converts data using one or more of audio frequency shift keying, digital tone multiple frequency, or MSK techniques.

10. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the first unit further comprises a microprocessor and a display, and the microprocessor is configured to display a position of the second unit on the display.

11. The user tracking system of claim 9 wherein the software is configured to display a position of the second unit on one or more of a map display or an arrow display.

12. The user tracking system of claim 9 wherein the second unit is configured to transmit a signal that causes the first unit to activate a display procedure.

13. The user tracking system of claim 11 wherein the display procedure comprises one or more of a light indicator and a noise indicator.

14. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the second unit is in a vehicle and is configured to receive a signal from the first unit that causes the second unit to alter a vehicle function.

15. The user tracking system of claim 14 wherein the vehicle function comprises one or more of an ignition deactivation and a door lock or unlock.

16. The user tracking system of claim 1 wherein the second unit is in a vehicle and is configured to transmit a signal that is receivable by the first unit and contains one or more of an identification code, an emergency signal, position data, and vehicle operating information.

17. The user tracking system of claim 16 wherein the vehicle operating information comprises one or more of speed, fuel consumption, presence of a passenger, tire air pressure, and fare meter on or off.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein creating the data packet comprises:

receiving GPS data from the GPS receiver;

parsing and formatting the GPS data as a data packet in the microprocessor; and

converting the data packet in the modem to one or more audio tones.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein sending a first transmission comprises the second radio transceiver transmitting the audio tones.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein receiving the first transmission comprises the first radio transceiver receiving the first transmission.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein displaying location information about the second unit comprises:

converting the first transmission from one or more audio tones into a data packet;

extracting the location information from the data packet; and

using software to display the location information.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein displaying location information comprises displaying one or more of a position on a map and position coordinates.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

sending a second transmission from the first unit;

receiving the second transmission at the second unit; and

causing the microprocessor circuitry in the second unit to take an action based on the received second transmission.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the second transmission includes a data packet created in the microprocessor and converted in the modem to one or more audio tones.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the action comprises one or more of continuously activating a transmission from the second unit and turning off a speaker of the second unit.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein the enclosure has a volume that is less than approximately 5 cubic inches.

28. The method of claim 18 wherein the enclosure has a width that is less than two inches, a height that is less than two inches, and a depth that is less than one inch.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the second printed circuit board has dimensions of between approximately 2 inches by 2 inches and 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches.

30. The method of claim 18 wherein the second printed circuit board further comprises circuitry for a power management system.

18. A method of using a user tracking system, the method comprising:

providing a first unit comprising a first radio transceiver and a first printed circuit board comprising circuitry for a microprocessor and circuitry for a modem;

providing a second unit comprising a second radio transceiver and an enclosure enclosing a GPS antenna, a GPS receiver, and a second printed circuit board comprising circuitry for a microprocessor and circuitry for a modem;

creating a data packet;

sending a first transmission from the second unit, the first transmission including the data packet;

receiving the first transmission at the first unit; and

displaying location information about the second unit at the first unit.

31. A GPS transceiver comprising a printed circuit board including microprocessor circuitry, power management circuitry, and modem circuitry.

32. The GPS transceiver of claim 31 wherein the second printed circuit board has dimensions of between approximately 2 inches by 2 inches and 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches.

33. The GPS transceiver of claim 31 wherein the printed circuit board is positioned within an enclosure.

34. The GPS transceiver of claim 33 wherein the enclosure has a volume that is less than approximately 5 cubic inches.

35. The GPS transceiver of claim 33 wherein the enclosure has a width that is less than two inches, a height that is less than two inches, and a depth that is less than one inch.

36. The GPS transceiver of claim 33 wherein the enclosure further comprises radio transceiver circuitry.

37. The GPS transceiver of claim 36 further comprising a display screen, wherein the display screen is configured to display location information.

38. The GPS transceiver of claim 37 wherein the displayed location information is received by the GPS transceiver.

39. The GPS transceiver of claim 37 wherein the displayed location information is received by the radio transceiver circuitry.

40. The GPS transceiver of claim 38 wherein the information received by the GPS transceiver is converted to the displayed location information by the microprocessor circuitry.

41. The GPS transceiver of claim 38 further comprising a calibration button, wherein the calibration button causes the microprocessor circuitry to convert the information received by the GPS transceiver to display location information and to display the display location information on the display screen.

42. The GPS transceiver of claim 37 wherein the displayed location information is location information of a second GPS transceiver.

43. The GPS transceiver of claim 36 wherein further comprising a speaker, a microphone, and a push-to-talk button.