TRACKING SYSTEM WITH REDUNDANT SECURITY AND RETRANSMISSION FEATURES

• US 20100134280A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vision Sistemas De Localizacion, S.L.
• Original Assignee: Vision Sistemas De Localizacion, S.L.
• Inventors: Garcia Rivera, Francisca, Caetano Pereira, Abilio
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.170
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• 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 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/222 wherein jamming detection includes detecting the absence or impossibility of intelligible communication on at least one channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/90 related to allowing or preventing navigation or positioning, e.g. GPS

Abstract

The invention relates to a tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features. The invention comprises one or more positioning devices (2), one or more localisers (1), one or more communication networks and one or more control centres (3). The localisers (1) and the positioning devices (2) comprise two or more communication interfaces and two or more positioning systems. The positioning devices (2) can calculate the position thereof using one of the positioning systems and send said position using one of the communication interfaces, thereby ensuring that the system functions if one of the positioning systems or one of the communication interfaces stops operating. The localisers can serve as nodes (4) and retransmit position-related data from a positioning device to a localiser requesting said information. Both the positioning devices and the localisers are mobile. In addition, the control centres can monitor the position of the positioning devices if necessary.

Claims

1. Tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, characterized in that it comprises

At least one positioning devices (2),

At least one localiser (1),

wherein;

the positioning devices or positioning devices employed have two or more different positioning systems and the localiser or localisers employed are mobile units.

2. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the localiser or the localisers have two or more different positioning systems.

3. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the positioning devices or the positioning devices have the possibility of using two or more different communication interfaces.

4. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the positioning devices or the positioning devices have the possibility of using two or more different communication interfaces.

5. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the localiser or the localisers (1) and the positioning devices or the positioning devices (2) communicate between each other in a direct form either through a radio-link or one or more multi-purpose network infrastructures.

6. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the localiser or the localisers (1) and the positioning devices or the positioning devices (2) communicate between each other in an indirect form through a network of dynamic/changing topology formed by node localisers.

7. The trading system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 6, characterized in that the localisers (1) and the positioning devices (2) incorporate functions for establishing themselves as network nodes (4).

8. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the localiser or the localisers (1) and the positioning devices or the positioning devices (2) communicate between each other in a deferred form using an intermediate centre (3) which monitors, stores and forwards the messages.

9. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 8, characterized in that the data centre (3) monitors the position of the positioning devices and is accessible for the localiser or other device with access permission.

10. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 9, characterized in having a data centre which holds geo-referenced maps that can be downloaded by the localiser if required.

11. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 5, characterized in that the localiser (1) and the positioning devices (2) communicate with each other in a hybrid form using one or more forms of communication, among direct, indirect and deferred.

12. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 3, characterized in that the communication interfaces can be GSM, DCS, PCS, CDMA, UMTS, TETRA, Bluetooth, 802.11 in any one of the variants or versions thereof, Wimax, and the like.

13. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 12, characterized in that when the communication cannot be set up in direct or indirect form the positioning devices abandons the communication interface used and changes to another communication interface.

14. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to any one of the claim 1, characterized in that if the localiser or the positioning devices detect that the communication interface which is being used is inoperative, it will switch to another communication interface that is operative in order to communicate.

15. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 14, characterized in that the selection of the communication interface is governed by a system of priorities.

16. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 15, characterized in that the system of priorities is fixed at all times.

17. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 15, characterized in that the system of priorities depends upon environmental parameters.

18. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the localiser and the positioning devices use different communication interfaces, a gateway existing between them which performs the pertinent conversion of protocol, frequency or modulation.

19. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the different positioning systems can be GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS, GALILEO, GSM, or similar.

20. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 3, characterized in that if the localiser or the positioning devices detect that the positioning system which is being used is inoperative, it will switch to another positioning system that is operative.

21. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features according to claim 1, characterized in that the positioning devices communicates with several localisers simultaneously.

22. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features according to claim 1, characterized in that the localiser communicates with several positioning devices simultaneously.

23. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that the localiser (1) is mobile, and incorporates a display screen or monitor (11) whereon are shown in graphic terms the position of the positioning devices (2) and its own position.

24. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 1, characterized in that it incorporates a system of coding messages which uses encryption.

25. The tracking system with redundant security and retransmission features, according to claim 8, characterized in having a data centre (3) with a web interface accessible through Internet and where a user can carry out any of the actions that he can carry out with a localiser (1), provided the user has access permission for the positioning devices (2).