Systems and methods for condition and location monitoring of mobile entities

• US 20060246922A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Frederking, Jay, Carpenter, Joseph Edwin, Bieber, Brian, Gasbarro, Henry Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.600
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for condition and location monitoring of mobile entities. One embodiment of a system may comprise a sensor system that measures at least one real time parameter associated with the mobile entity and compares the measured at least one real time parameter to at least one predetermined threshold to determine at least one condition of the mobile entity. The system may also comprise a situational awareness (SA) beacon having a global position satellite (GPS) device that determines a location of the mobile entity and a transceiver, wherein the SA beacon periodically transmits location information and condition information via the transceiver to a central control for display.

Claims

1. A system for condition and location monitoring of a mobile entity, the system comprising:

a sense system that measures at least one real time parameter associated with the mobile entity and compares the measured at least one real time parameter to at least one predetermined threshold to determine at least one condition of the mobile entity; and

a situational awareness (SA) beacon comprising a global position satellite (GPS) device that determines a location of the mobile entity and a transceiver, wherein the SA beacon periodically transmits location information and condition information via the transceiver to a central control for display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the SA beacon transmits location information and condition information to the central control in response to a status request from the central control.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the SA beacon transmits location information and condition information the central control upon a change of condition of the mobile entity indicating an event has occurred with respect to the mobile entity.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the SA beacon also transmits parameter information with the location information and condition information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises at least one sensor for measuring at least one real time parameter and a sensor control for comparing the measured at least one parameter to the at least one predetermined threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the SA beacon comprises a communication interface coupled to a communication port of the sensor system, and a controller operative to communicate to the sensor system through the communication interface and the communication port, the communication interface being one of an infrared interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface or a wired interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is operative to receive location information from the global position satellite (GPS) device and condition information from the sensor system and transmit the location information and condition information through the transceiver to the central control.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is operative to receive status requests, reset commands and software updates for at least one of the SA beacon and the sensor system from the central control.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a base station that routes communication between the system and the central control, wherein the base station translates radio communications from the system to a text markup language for display at the central control.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one real-time parameter is one of a living entity parameter, a non-living entity parameter and an environmental parameter.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a central control that receives condition information and location information from a plurality of SA beacons associated with a plurality of mobile entities, and displays the location and condition information associated with the plurality of mobile entities in a geographic map.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the condition information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed in a geographic map by varying an icon color associated with an icon representing a respective mobile entity, and the location information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed by locating the icon in a location of the geographic map associated with an area in which the mobile entities move.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is integrated into a Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) training vest and the SA beacon is a separate unit coupled to the sensor system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is integrated into a heart monitor operative to monitor a heart condition and location of a heart patient.

15. A situational awareness system comprising:

a plurality of condition and location monitoring systems that determine at least one condition and a location of an associated mobile entity, wherein the at least one condition is based on a measured real time parameter value associated with an associated mobile entity being compared to at least one predetermined threshold; and

a central control that receives the condition information and location information from the plurality of condition and location monitoring systems and displays icons representing the plurality of mobile entities in a geographic map representing an area in which the plurality of mobile entities move, wherein the condition information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed in a geographic map by varying an icon color associated with an icon representing a respective mobile entity, and the location information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed by locating the icon in a location of the geographic map.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the condition is based on a measured real time parameter value being within a threshold range for a predetermined amount of time.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of condition and location monitoring systems comprise:

a sensing system having at least one sensor and a sensor control that determines the at least one condition by comparing the measured real time parameter value provided by the at least one sensor to the at least one predetermined threshold; and

a situational awareness (SA) beacon comprising a global position satellite (GPS) device that determines a location of the mobile entity and a transceiver, wherein the SA beacon periodically transmits location information and condition information via the transceiver to the central control for display.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein a given condition and location monitoring systems transmits location information and condition information to a central control in response to a change in condition of the respective mobile entity.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the central control is operative to transmit status poll requests, reset commands and software updates to each of the condition and location monitoring systems.

20. A condition and location monitoring system comprising:

means for measuring at least one real time parameter associated with a mobile entity;

means for determining a condition of the mobile entity based on a comparison of the at least one real time parameter to at least one predetermined threshold;

means for determining a location of the mobile entity; and

means for periodically transmitting condition and location information of the mobile entity to a central control.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for converting the condition and location information into a displayable format, and means for displaying the condition and location information in a geographic map in which the mobile entity moves.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for determining a condition of the mobile entity determines a condition based on a measured parameter falling with a predetermined threshold range for a predetermined time period.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for periodically transmitting condition and location information of the mobile entity transmits condition and location information in response to one of a status request from the central control and a change in condition indicating an event has occurred.

24. A method for condition and location monitoring of a mobile entity, the method comprising:

comparing at least one measured real time parameter associated with a mobile entity to at least one predetermined threshold to determine at least one condition associated with the mobile entity;

determining a location of the mobile entity; and

transmitting condition information and location information associated with the mobile entity to a central control.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising performing the comparing, determining and transmitting for a plurality of mobile entities for display at the central control.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising displaying the condition information and location information for the plurality of mobile entities, performing the comparing, determining and transmitting for a plurality of mobile entities for display at the central control, wherein the condition information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed in a geographic map by varying an icon color associated with an icon representing a respective mobile entity, and the location information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed by locating the icon in a location of the geographic map.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein transmitting condition and location information of the mobile entity is performed in response to one of a status request from the central control and a change in condition of a respective mobile entity indicating an event has occurred with respect to the respective mobile entity.