Real time location system and method

• US 20060085813A1
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Guest Technologies
• Original Assignee: Safetzone Technologies
• Inventors: Giraldin, Patrick W., Giraldin, Timothy W., Kelly, Regan E.
• Application Number:
  US11/249,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for tracking in real time the location of a person, animal, or other object in a community having a cable infrastructure. The system may include at least one identification tag, at least one stationary reader adapted to track the identification tag, and a controlling device adapted to receive information from the stationary reader and transmit information on the cable infrastructure. The method may include defining a plurality of zones within the community; locating a person, animal, or other object in the plurality of zones; determining a location of the person, animal, or other object; and providing the location of the person, animal, or other object on the cable infrastructure of the community.

Claims

1. A real time community locating system for a community having a cable infrastructure, comprising

at least one identification tag;

at least one stationary reader adapted to track the identification tag; and

a controlling device adapted to receive information from the stationary reader and transmit information on the cable infrastructure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the stationary reader is electrically coupled to a cable box.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the stationary reader is electrically coupled to a pedestal box.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controlling device is a rack server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controlling device is a programmable logic device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controlling device is an application-specific integrated circuit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controlling device is a personal computer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification tag is attached to one of the group comprising a person, an animal, and an object.

9. The system of claim 1, further including a graphical display showing the location of the identification tag.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphical display includes at least one stationary object.

11. A method of tracking people, animals, or objects in real time in a community having a cable infrastructure, comprising:

defining a plurality of zones within the community;

locating an object in the plurality of zones;

determining a location of the object; and

providing the location of the object on the cable infrastructure of the community.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the object is a person.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the object is an animal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the zones includes at least one house.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the zones includes a school.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the zones includes a park.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the zones includes a community mall.

18. The method of claim 11, further including attaching an identification tag to the object.

19. The method of claim 11, further including placing a stationary reader in each of the zones.

20. The method of claim 19, further including connecting the stationary readers to the cable infrastructure.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the location includes providing a graphical display of the location of the object in relation to geographic boundaries of a specific zone.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the graphical display includes at least one stationary object.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the graphical display includes at least two of the zones.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the location includes transmitting the location onto the Internet.

25. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the location includes notifying a user when the object moves out of a particular zone.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the location includes notifying a user when the object moves into a particular zone.