Device for Tethering a Person Wirelessly with a Cellular Telephone

• US 20070285258A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ehawk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kevin L. Hartman
• Inventors: Hartman, Kevin L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,382,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A system for monitoring activities of a person. The system has a tethering device with a battery-powered transceiver and a securement device that is attachable to a person. The securement device is configured to prevent and detect tampering and attempts to remove the securement device from the person. The system further has a cellular telephone with a transceiver operable to establish a shorter range wireless connection with the tethering device transceiver, thereby permitting tethering device information to be transmitted to the cellular telephone.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring activities of a person comprising:

a tethering device comprising

a battery-powered transceiver for transmitting and receiving data relating to the tethering device, and

a securement device adapted to be attachable to the person, the securement device being configured to prevent and detect tampering and attempts to remove the securement device from the person; and

a cellular telephone comprising a first transceiver operable to establish a shorter range wireless connection with the tethering device for receiving the information relating to the tethering device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the tethering device further comprises a Start push button connected to the wireless transceiver.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the a battery-powered wireless transceiver comprises:

a first microcontroller operable to establish the shorter range wireless connection with the cellular telephone; and

a second microcontroller in electrical communications with the first microcontroller and operable to switch the first microcontroller between an On state and an Off state.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone further comprises a keypad operable to program into the cellular telephone parametric values relating to an operation of the tethering device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone comprises a GPS data collection capability adapted to receive information from a GPS satellite system relating to a position of the cellular telephone.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the cellular telephone comprises a second transceiver adapted to be operable to establish a longer range communication link with a commercial cellular telephone network.

7. The system of any of claim 6 further comprising a remote computer system geographically remote from, and in wireless electrical communication with, the cellular telephone network, the computer system receiving and storing the information relating to the tethering device.

8. The electronic system of claim 7 further comprising a supervising agency having an agency computer system in electrical communication with the remote computer system.

9. A system for monitoring activities of a person comprising:

a tethering device module comprising

a battery, and

a programmable processor capable operable to transmit and receive data relating to the tethering device;

a start push button operatively connected to the programmable processor to initiate operation of the tethering device module;

powered transceiver;

a securement device adapted to be attachable to the person, the securement device being configured to prevent and detect tampering and attempts to remove the securement device from the person; and

a cellular telephone comprising

a transceiver operable to establish a shorter range wireless connection with the tethering device for receiving the information relating to the tethering device, and

a GPS data collection capability adapted to receive information from a GPS satellite system relating to a position of the cellular telephone.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the programmable processor comprises:

a first microcontroller operable to establish the shorter range wireless connection with the cellular telephone; and

a second microcontroller in electrical communications with the first microcontroller and operable to switch the first microcontroller between an On state and an Off state.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the cellular telephone comprises a second transceiver adapted to be operable to establish a longer range communication link with a commercial cellular telephone network.

12. A system for monitoring activities of a person comprising:

a tethering device comprising

a battery;

programmable tethering device module powered by the battery, and

a securement device adapted to be attachable to the person, the securement device being configured to prevent and detect tampering and attempts to remove the securement device from the person; and

a cellular telephone having a keypad and a display, the cellular telephone and tethering device module being operable to

establish shorter range wireless connection therebetween,

periodically determine a status state of the battery powering the tether device module, the status state representing one of a good battery voltage, a low but acceptable battery voltage and an inoperable battery voltage,

periodically transfer the status state over the shorter range wireless connection from the tethering device to the cellular telephone,

presenting the status state on the display of the cellular telephone.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the cellular telephone and tethering device being further operable to

produce with the keypad on the cellular telephone a parametric value for the tethering device module in response to the status state representing the low but acceptable battery voltage;

and

transfer the parametric value over the shorter range wireless connection from the cellular telephone to the tethering device.

14. A method of electronically tethering a person to a cellular telephone comprising:

establishing a shorter range wireless connection between the cellular telephone and a tethering device comprising a battery-powered microprocessor module, the tethering device being attachable to the person and being configured to prevent and detect tampering and attempts to remove the securement device from the person;

periodically determining with the cellular telephone a continued existence of the shorter range wireless connection with the tethering device; and

generating a signal with the cellular telephone in response to determining an absence of the shorter range wireless connection with the tethering device.