Tracking device

• US 20020175820A1
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitaltrak Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vitaltrak Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Roger A., Oja, Raymond G., Hamilton, Milton E., Hreha, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,046,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0222 Message structure or message content, e.g. message protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0263 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the direction in which child or item is located
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A monitoring and locating device includes one or more remote child units and a parent unit in communication with each of the child units. The parent unit is adapted to assign and transmit an individual identifier to each child unit. The parent unit is constructed and arranged to continuously monitor each of the child units by transmitting and receiving signals to each of the child units using the individual identifiers assigned thereto. The monitoring and locating device may be used in a method for monitoring and tracking a living entity that includes acquiring the plurality of child units using the parent unit based at least in part on user input. Monitoring each of the plurality of child units individually with the parent unit. Tracking the location of each child unit with the parent unit and locating a selected child unit of the plurality of child units with the parent unit based upon the tracked location thereof.

Claims

1. A monitoring and locating device comprising:

at least one portable child unit; and

a parent unit in communication with the portable child unit, the parent unit being configured to assign an individual identifier to each portable child unit and configured to monitor each of the portable child units by transmitting and receiving signals to each of the portable child units based on the individual identifiers assigned thereto, the parent and child units being configured to provide directional information as to the position of the child unit with respect to the parent unit and a perimeter alarm when the child unit moves to a distance from the parent unit that is greater than a predetermined distance.

2. The monitoring and locating device according to claim 1, wherein each individual identifier is an 8 bit number generated by the parent unit, each 8 bit number including 6 bits assigned by the parent unit and 2 bits representing an identifier for individual child units.

3. The monitoring and locating device according to claim 1, wherein the parent unit includes:

a microprocessor configured to generate identifier commands representative of the individual identifiers to be transmitted to the plurality of portable child units;

a power supply coupled to the microprocessor to supply power thereto;

a power control circuit coupled to the microprocessor and to the power supply, the power control circuit being configured to regulate power supplied from the power supply to the microprocessor;

a transceiver system coupled to the microprocessor, the transceiver system;

two separate antennae constructed and arranged to transmit a command signal and the individual identifiers to each child unit and to receive a received signal from each child unit;

a direction detection circuit, coupled to the transceiver system and the microprocessor, the direction detection circuit configured to receive the identifier commands from the microprocessor and to generate phase differential signals indicative of a corresponding relative position of each child unit relative to the parent unit in response to interpreting the received signals from each of the child units;

a direction display coupled to the microprocessor constructed and arranged to display the relative position of a selected child unit relative to the parent unit based at least in part on the phase differential signals generated by the microprocessor for the selected child unit; and

an operating channel selection circuit coupled to the microprocessor, the operating channel selection circuit constructed and arranged to select an operating channel on a frequency band for the parent unit to transmit or receive thereon.

4. The monitoring and locating device according to claim 2, wherein a child unit includes:

a second microprocessor supplied with the respective identifier for each of the portable transmitter units, the microprocessor being constructed and arranged to generate a control signal representative of the respective individual identifier supplied thereto;

a second power supply operatively coupled to the second microprocessor to supply power thereto;

a second power control circuit operatively coupled to the second microprocessor and to the second power supply, the second power control circuit being configured to regulate power supplied to the second microprocessor;

a second transceiver system operatively coupled to the second microprocessor;

an antenna configured to receive the individual identifier and the command signals from the first transceiver system and to transmit a received signal to the first transceiver system through the second transceiver system;

an actuated circuit operatively coupled to the second microprocessor, the actuated circuit being configured to generate a signal which is transmitted to the parent unit using the second transceiver system; and

a plurality of sensing circuits operatively coupled to the second microprocessor, each of the plurality of sensing circuits being configured to sense a certain object.

5. The monitoring and locating device according to claim 1, wherein the parent unit is in radio frequency communication with each of the child units and the individual identifiers include a modulated RF signal carried by a RF carrier signal generated by the first microprocessor.

6. A method for monitoring a plurality of portable transmitters in radio frequency communication with a control unit, the method comprising:

identifying each portable transmitter, each identifying operation including the control unit assigning and transmitting an individual identifier to each portable transmitter, each of the plurality of portable transmitters receiving the individual identifier and sending an acknowledgement signal to the control unit, the control unit receiving each of the acknowledgement signals and activating each of the plurality of portable transmitters for monitoring; and

monitoring the portable transmitter, each monitoring operation includes the control unit selecting an operating channel and sending monitoring commands to each portable transmitter unit and the control unit receiving and monitoring received signals transmitted from each of the plurality of portable transmitter units.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising tracking at least one of the plurality of portable transmitters, each tracking operation includes the control unit sending search commands to each of the plurality of portable transmitter unit.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising locating at least one of the plurality of portable transmitters after the tracking operation.

9. A method for selecting an operating channel between two or more units in radio frequency communication with one another, the method comprising:

stepping incrementally through a plurality of channels on a frequency band to check the status thereof, the plurality of channels having a numbered sequence, the stepping operation stepping through the plurality of channels on the frequency band in sequential order from the lowest number of the numbered sequence to the highest number of the numbered sequence;

repeating the stepping operation when the stepping operation steps through the highest number of the numbered sequence; and

hopping randomly through the numbered sequence of channels to a selected operating channel based at least in part on the status thereof using a channel selecting algorithm, the selected operating channel being located at a portion of the frequency band.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the frequency band has a plurality of portions including a low portion, a middle portion and a high portion and the selected operating channel is located in one of these portions.

11. A method for monitoring and tracking a living entity comprising:

acquiring a plurality of portable transmitter units with the control unit based at least in part on user input;

monitoring each of the plurality of portable transmitter units individually with the control unit;

tracking the location of each portable transmitter unit with the control unit; and

locating a selected portable transmitter unit of the plurality of portable transmitter units with the control unit based upon the tracked location thereof.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the monitoring operation includes transmitting monitoring signals from a plurality of alternating transmitters to each of the portable transmitter units and receiving acknowledgement signals from each of the portable transmitter units corresponding to the transmitted monitoring signals, the monitoring operation being performed at spaced time intervals.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the tracking operation includes interpreting and comparing the acknowledgement signals of the selected portable transmitter unit and determining a voltage signal corresponding to a directional coordinate thereof based at least in part on the phase between the acknowledgement signals transmitted by the selected portable transmitter unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the voltage signal being less than or equal to 0.8 volts corresponds to the portable transmitter unit being at a location positioned to the left of the control unit.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the voltage signal being greater than 0.8 volts and less than or equal to 1.30 volts corresponds to the portable transmitter unit being at a location positioned in line with the control unit.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the voltage signal being greater than 1.30 volts corresponds to the portable transmitter unit being at a location positioned to the right of the control unit.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the voltage signal being less than or equal to 0.8 volts corresponds to the portable transmitter unit being at a location positioned to the left of the control unit, the voltage signal being greater than 0.8 volts and less than or equal to 1.30 volts corresponds to the portable transmitter unit being at a location positioned in line with the control unit and the voltage signal being greater than 1.30 volts corresponds to the portable transmitter unit being at a location positioned to the right of the control unit.