A PERSONAL LOCATOR SYSTEM

• US 20070171045A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Penny Henderson
• Original Assignee: Penny Henderson
• Inventors: Henderson, Penny
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A communications system for locating, tracking, and messaging between people, which preferably includes a satellite, global positioning satellites, ground monitoring units, and a portable-transmitter-receiver unit to locate and track objects and people. A communications satellite system can transmit and receive messages concerning the location and situation of an object or person. A location system may operate by way of global positioning satellites. The portable transmitter-receiver can activate a signal to the satellite system, which can inform the ground monitoring units that a person is in need of help. Each transmitter-receiver can contain memory that allows for identification of the wearer and can provide information such as address, medical problems, emergency contacts, etc.

Claims

1. A personal locator system comprising:

a portable transmitter-receiver having;

means for determining a position of the portable transmitter-receiver;

means for broadcasting the determined position;

means for broadcasting a distress signal; and

means for voice communication with a satellite communication system; and

a ground monitoring unit having;

means for data communication with the satellite communication system;

means for voice communication with the satellite communication system; and

means for displaying the portable transmitter-receiver determined position and distress signal.

2. The personal locator system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a search and rescue unit having;

an antenna for receiving a signal broadcast from the portable transmitter-receiver;

means for determining the location of the portable transmitter-receiver relative to the search and rescue unit; and

means for displaying the location of the portable transmitter-receiver relative to the search and rescue unit.

3. The personal locator system according to claim 2, wherein the search and rescue unit further comprises:

means for determining a position of the search and rescue unit;

means for communicating at least data with the satellite communication system; and

wherein the means for determining the location of the portable transmitter-receiver relative to the search and rescue unit is based on at least one of;

the portable transmitter-receiver determined position; and

the signal broadcast from the portable transmitter-receiver.

4. The personal locator system according to claim 3, wherein the search and rescue unit includes means for remotely initiating the portable transmitter-receiver means for determining a position of the portable transmitter-receiver and the portable transmitter-receiver means for broadcasting the determined position.

5. The personal locator system according to claim 1, wherein the ground monitoring unit includes means for remotely initiating the portable transmitter-receiver means for determining a position of the portable transmitter-receiver and the portable transmitter-receiver means for broadcasting the determined position.

6. The personal locator system according to claim 5, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver comprises a plurality of portable transmitter-receivers;

and

wherein the ground monitoring unit means for remotely initiating the portable transmitter-receiver means for determining a position of the portable transmitter-receiver, and the portable transmitter-receiver means for broadcasting the determined position comprises means for remotely initiating the portable transmitter-receiver means for determining a position of the portable transmitter-receiver and the portable transmitter-receiver means for broadcasting the determined position in one of;

a selected single portable transmitter-receiver, and a selected plurality of portable transmitter-receivers.

7. The personal locator system according to claim 1, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver comprises a wrist band.

8. The personal locator system according to claim 1, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver comprises a wrist watch.

9. The personal locator system according to claim 1, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver further comprises:

means for locating fish proximate to the portable transmitter-receiver.

10. The personal locator system according to claim 9, wherein the ground monitoring unit further comprises:

means for broadcasting fish related information to other portable transmitter-receivers proximate the portable transmitter-receiver having the means for locating fish.

11. The personal locator system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for broadcasting information to a plurality of portable transmitter-receivers, the information relating to at least one of;

weather information, emergency information, and hazard information.

12. The personal locator system according to claim 1, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver includes means for displaying information, the information comprising at least one of:

status information, weather information, audio information, and video information.

13. The personal locator system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an animal search and rescue unit having;

an antenna receiving a signal broadcast from the portable transmitter-receiver;

means for determining the location of the portable transmitter-receiver relative to the search and rescue unit; and

means for communicating the determined location of the portable transmitter-receiver to a location remote from the animal search and rescue unit.

14. The personal locator system according to claim 13, wherein the animal search and rescue unit is in the form of a collar.

15. A personal locator system comprising:

a portable transmitter-receiver having;

a position calculator;

a satellite voice and data communicator operatively connected to the position calculator; and

a display operatively connected to the position calculator and the satellite voice and data communicator; and

a ground monitoring unit having;

a satellite voice and data communicator operatively connected to the portable transmitter-receiver satellite voice and data communicator; and

a display operatively connected to the satellite voice and data communicator.

16. The personal locator system according to claim 15, wherein the ground monitoring unit includes a remote portable transmitter-receiver activator operatively connected to the ground monitoring unit satellite voice and data communicator.

17. The personal locator system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a search and rescue unit having;

a position calculator; and

an antenna operatively connected to the search and rescue unit position calculator, the antenna receiving position information from the portable transmitter-receiver.

18. The personal locator system according to claim 17, wherein the search and rescue unit includes a satellite communicator operatively connected to the search and rescue unit position calculator.

19. The personal locator system according to claim 17, wherein the search and rescue unit comprises an animal collar.

20. The personal locator system according to claim 15, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver further comprises a wrist band.

21. The personal locator system according to claim 15, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver further comprises a wrist watch.

22. The personal locator system according to claim 15, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver includes a fish finder.

23. The personal locator system according to claim 15, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver display includes both visual and audio displays.

24. The personal locator system according to claim 15, wherein the portable transmitter-receiver includes a camera.

25. A method of locating a person comprising:

locally receiving a trigger;

operating, in response to the trigger, a GPS system determining the location of the person;

transmitting to a remote location via a satellite the determined location of the person and a unique identifier;

receiving at the remote location the transmitted determined location of the person and the unique identifier;

displaying at the remote location the determined location of the person and information related to the unique identifier;

verbally communicating with the person via the satellite.

26. The method of locating a person according to claim 25, further comprising:

at the remote location generating the trigger.

27. The method of locating a person according to claim 25, further comprising:

locally generating the trigger.

28. The method of locating a person according to claim 25, further comprising:

the person being located transmitting visual information via the satellite.

29. The method of locating a person according to claim 25, further comprising:

the person transmitting via the satellite a distress signal to the remote location.

30. The method of locating a person according to claim 25, further comprising:

receiving at a search and rescue location a person position indicating signal from the person being located;

determining from the person position indicating signal the location of the person relative to the search and rescue location.

31. The method of locating a person according to claim 30, further comprising:

locally transmitting the person position indicating signal to the search and rescue location.

32. The method of locating a person according to claim 30, further comprising:

operating a GPS system determining the position of the search and rescue location;

transmitting to the search and rescue location the determined location of the person.

33. The method of locating a person according to claim 32, further comprising:

at the search and rescue location generating the trigger.

34. The method of locating a person according to claim 32, wherein the step of transmitting to the search and rescue location the determined location of the person comprises transmitting the determined location of the person from the remote location.

35. The method of locating a person according to claim 25, further comprising:

broadcasting information from the remote location to the person.

36. The method of locating a person according to claim 35, wherein the step of broadcasting information comprises:

transmitting the trigger from the remote location to a plurality of persons;

receiving at the remote location a plurality of transmitted determined locations of the persons;

selecting a subset of persons based on the transmitted determined locations;

broadcasting information to the selected subset of persons.