Personal activity sensor and locator device

• US 20060035622A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ortovox Sportartikel GmbH (Schwanhäußer Industrie Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Gerald Kampel
• Inventors: Peterson, Marcus L., Kampel, Gerald, Wegner, Juergen W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 29/021 Means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0258 System arrangements wherein both parent and child units can emit and receive
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0415 detecting absence of activity per se
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A rescue device has a motion detector and a transceiver that operates either to transmit a locating signal, which can be tracked by others, or to receive and track a locating signal transmitted by another. A control logic circuit suppresses transmission of the locating signal by the transceiver unless a motion signal, generated by the motion detector responsive to the user'"'"'s movement, indicates that the user has not moved for a predetermined time interval. Thus, the rescue device can transmit the locating signal when the user is motionless, providing notice that the user is immobile and aiding others in locating the user. When the receiver is operating, it guides the user in locating the source of a transmitted locating signal to aid the user in locating an immobilized person or a building exit. An override can be provided to allow transmission of the locating signal regardless of movement.

Claims

1. A rescue device to be worn by a user and usable in combination with a remote mobile signal receiver for processing transmitted signals from a remote source, the rescue device serving to provide notice to others of the user being in trouble and to aid those others in locating the user, the rescue device comprising:

a housing adapted to be carried by the user;

a motion detector coupled to the user so as to monitor the motion of the user, said motion detector providing a motion detector signal indicative of any motion detected thereby;

a transceiver in said housing, said transceiver having,

a transmitter for transmitting a locating signal,

the locating signal being configured to be trackable by the remote mobile signal receiver,

a signal receiver configured for tracking signals transmitted from a remote source,

a mode switch for selectively directing power either to said transmitter, placing said transceiver in a transmit mode, or to said signal receiver, placing said transceiver in a receive mode, and

means for providing the user with output for instructing the user to move in a direction that will advance the user toward a remote source of transmitted signals when said transceiver is operating in the receive mode; and

a control logic circuit for processing the motion detector signal, said control logic circuit interacting with said transceiver so as to facilitate the locating signal being transmitted by said transmitter in response to the motion detector signal when the motion detector signal indicates that no motion has occurred for a predetermined time interval.

2. The rescue device of claim 1 further comprising:

a user override for allowing the user to cause said transceiver to transmit the locating signal.

3. The rescue device of claim 2 further comprising:

a safety associated with said user override for preventing accidental operation of said user override.

4. The rescue device of claim 1 wherein said control logic circuit facilitates transmission of the locating signal by said transmitter when the motion detector signal indicates that no motion has occurred for the predetermined time interval and assures suppression of the locating signal when the motion detector signal indicates that motion has occurred within the predetermined time interval when said transceiver is operating in its transmit mode.

5. The rescue device of claim 1 wherein said control logic circuit, when the rescue device is in the receive mode, switches the rescue device to the transmit mode and causes the locating signal to be transmitted when the motion detector signal indicates that no motion has occurred for the predetermined time interval while said transceiver is in the receive mode.

6. The rescue device of claim 4 wherein said control logic circuit, when the rescue device is in the receive mode, switches the rescue device to the transmit mode when the motion detector signal indicates that no motion has occurred for the predetermined time interval while said transceiver is in the receive mode.

7. The rescue device of claim 2 wherein said control logic circuit and said user override cause the locating signal to be sent by said transmitter only when said transceiver is operating in its transmit mode.

8. The rescue device of claim 2 wherein said control logic circuit, when said transceiver is operating in its receive mode, toggles said mode switch so as to place said transceiver in its transmit mode in response to the motion detector signal when the motion detector signal indicates that no-motion has occurred for the predetermined time interval.

9. The rescue device of claim 1 wherein said motion detector is affixed to said housing and said housing is coupled to the user so as to detect motion of the user.

10. The rescue device of claim 4 wherein said control logic circuit further operates to suppress transmission of the locating signal by said transmitter in response to reception of the motion detector signal indicating motion.

11. The rescue device of claim 10 wherein said control logic circuit, in response to the motion detector signal indicating that no motion has occurred for a predetermined warning time interval, which is shorter than the predetermined time interval for facilitating the locating signal being transmitted, causes a warning signal to be provided to the user.

12. The rescue device of claim 11 wherein the warning signal is selected from the group of:

audio signals; and

visual signals.

13. The rescue device of claim 4 wherein the predetermined time interval for facilitating the locating signal being transmitted is between about ½

and 1½

minutes.

14. The rescue device of claim 1 wherein the rescue device is further intended for optional use with at least one marker transmitter that transmits a marker signal which is distinct from the locating signal, said mode switch being further configured so as to selectively place said transceiver in one of said receive mode, in which said signal receiver is responsive to the locating signal, and a secondary receive mode, where said signal receiver is responsive to the marker signal.

15. An activity sensor and control circuit for a rescue device to be worn by a user for the control of an avalanche transceiver having,

a transceiver housing to be carried by the user,

a transmitter residing in the transceiver housing, the transmitter transmitting a locating signal when enabled,

a signal receiver residing in the transceiver housing, the signal receiver, when enabled, receiving and processing signals transmitted from a similar transceiver and providing output to aid the user in locating the similar transceiver, and

a mode switch for selectively placing the transceiver in either a transmit mode, where the transmitter is enabled, or a receive mode, where the signal receiver is enabled,

the activity sensor for control of the avalanche transceiver comprising:

a motion detector coupled to the user so as to respond to motion of the user, said motion detector providing a motion detector signal indicative of movement of the user; and

a control logic circuit for receiving the motion detector signal and responsive to such, which acts to disable the transmitter until there is a failure to receive the motion detector signal for a predetermined time.

16. The activity sensor of claim 15 wherein said motion detector is affixed to the transceiver housing and the transceiver housing is coupled to the user.

17. The activity sensor of claim 15 further comprising:

a motion detector housing coupled to the user, in which said motion detector is affixed; and

means for communicating from said motion detector housing to the transceiver housing.

18. The activity sensor of claim 15 wherein the avalanche transceiver has,

at least one magnetic field sensor for sensing the change in orientation of the transceiver housing with respect to the magnetic field of the earth, and

a microprocessor for analyzing the time dependance of the magnetic field with respect to the transceiver;

and

further wherein said motion detector is provided by the at least one magnetic field sensor of the avalanche transceiver, and

further wherein said control logic circuit is provided by software for running on the microprocessor of the transceiver.

19. The activity sensor of claim 16 wherein the avalanche transceiver has,

at least one magnetic field sensor for sensing the change in orientation of the transceiver housing with respect to the magnetic field of the earth, and

a microprocessor for analyzing the time dependance of the magnetic field with respect to the transceiver;

and

further wherein said motion detector is provided by the at least one magnetic field sensor of the avalanche transceiver, and

further wherein said control logic circuit is provided by software for running on the microprocessor of the transceiver.