SHORT RANGE RF MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20110098001A1
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: APSU USA Limited
• Original Assignee: Bigger Than The Wheel Limited
• Inventors: Morris, Steve P., Elsom-cook, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,167,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/20 derived by sampling signal received by an antenna system having periodically-varied orientation of directivity characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless short range radio-frequency master device adapted to create and maintain a portable private network of wireless short range radio-frequency slave devices wherein the master device is configured to detect and register suitable slave devices for a network, and is capable of determining the proximity of any registered slave device with respect to the master device in use, the master device further being adapted to enable a user to define two or more groups of registered slave devices selected from the total number of registered slave devices and to enable a user to select a defined group of such registered slave devices as an active group, thereby forming an active portable private network of wireless short range radio frequency devices comprising the master device and selected registered slave devices within the selected group.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A wireless short range radio-frequency master device adapted to create and maintain a portable private network of wireless short range radio-frequency slave devices wherein

the master device is configured to detect and register suitable slave devices for a network, and

is capable of determining the separation and direction of any registered slave device with respect to the master device in use, the master device further being adapted to enable a user to define two or more groups of registered slave devices selected from the total number of registered slave devices and to enable a user to select a defined group of such registered slave devices as an active group, thereby forming an active portable private network of wireless short range radio frequency devices comprising the master device and selected registered slave devices within the selected group.

23. A wireless short range radio frequency master device as in claim 22 where the master device is adapted to inform a user if any of the slave devices within the active group is not within a predetermined proximity to the master device, and preferably wherein the user is informed by means of an audible alarm, and/or wherein the user is informed by means of a visual alarm.

24. A wireless short range radio frequency master device as in claim 22 where the master device is enabled to display the status of the registered devices.

25. A wireless short range radio frequency master device as in claim 22 that conforms to the Bluetooth standards.

26. A wireless short range radio frequency master device as in claim 22 where the master device is a mobile telecommunications device.

27. A method of creating and maintaining a portable private network of wireless short range radio-frequency device, comprising a master device and one or more slave devices, the method comprising the steps of;

detection of the slave devices by the master device,

registration of the slave device to the master device and assigning the slave device to one or more groups,

selection and activation of a group of slave devices, the group defining the active slave devices that form the portable private network;

the master device determining the separation and direction of one or more of the active devices.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the method for determining the separation between a master and slave device comprises the steps of:

detection of one or more slave devices within communication range of the master device, measurement of the received and transmitted signal strength between the master and slave devices, determination of the range of the slave devices with respect to the master device based on the measured signal strength, where the signal strength is determined by a combination of one or more of the following;

a measure of the strength of the master transmitted signal as received by a slave device,

a ratio of the strength of the signal received by the slave device to the strength of the signal transmitted by the master device,

a ratio of the strength of the signal received by the master device to the strength of the signal transmitted by the slave device,

a determination of the threshold of detection of a slave device by variation of the strength of the master transmitter signal,

a determination of the path loss rate as decibel loss of signal strength between the master and slave devices,

a determination of the bit error rate by measure of number of packets of data lost between the master device and a slave device,

a calibration of the change in signal strength received by a slave device due to a change in the separation between the master and slave devices, by measurement of the strength of the signal received by the slave device from the master device at one or more known separations from the master device,

a calibration of the slave device transmitter and receiver by querying the device for manufacturer information, comparing the response to a list of known previously calibrated devices.

29. A method according to claim 27 wherein the method for determining the bearing of one or more wireless short range radio-frequency slave devices comprises the steps of;

the master device assessing the strength of the radio signal between itself and a slave device at an initial orientation,

the master device being rotated to one or more secondary orientations with respect to the initial orientation and assessment of the strength of the radio signal between itself and a slave device at each of the secondary orientations,

determining the bearing of the slave devices based on a comparison of the radio signal strengths at the initial and secondary orientations.

30. A method as in claim 29 where the number of distinct orientations is four and the angle of rotation between each orientation is approximately 90 degrees.

31. A method as in claim 29 where the signal strength is determined by a combination of one or more of the following;

a measure of the strength of the master transmitted signal as received by a slave device,

a ratio of the strength of the signal received by the slave device to the strength of the signal transmitted by the master device,

a ratio of the strength of the signal received by the master device to the strength of the signal transmitted by the slave device,

a determination of the threshold of detection of a slave device by variation of the strength of the master transmitter signal,

a determination of the path loss rate as decibel loss of signal strength between the master and slave devices,

a determination of the bit error rate by measure of number of packets of data lost between the master device and a slave device,

a calibration of the change in signal strength received by a slave device due to a change in the separation between the master and slave devices, by measurement of the strength of the signal received by the slave device from the master device at one or more known separations from the master device,

a calibration of the slave device transmitter and receiver by querying the device for manufacturer information, comparing the response to a list of known previously calibrated devices.

35. A method for determining the location of one or more wireless short range radio-frequency devices slave devices relative to a master wireless short range radio-frequency device comprising the steps of the method of claim 27.

37. A computer program product having encoded thereon computer readable instructions which instructions when implemented enable the determination of the position of one or more slave devices by the master device according to the steps of the method of claim 27.

32. A system for the creation of maintaining of a portable private network of wireless short range radio-frequency devices, comprising a master device, adapted to create and maintain a portable private network of wireless short range radio-frequency slave devices wherein the master device is configured to detect and register suitable slave devices for a network, that are enabled to form a portable private network when activated by the master device.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the master device is configured to measure the received and/or transmitted signal strength between the master and slave devices, and being enabled to calculate the range between itself and the slave devices based in the measured signal strength.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein device is configured to assess the strength of the radio signal between itself and a slave device at a plurality of orientations, the master device being enabled to determine the relative position of the slave devices with respect to the master device based on a comparison of the signal strengths at different orientations.

36. A wireless short range radio-frequency master device for determining the position of one or more slave devices incorporating the features of the devices of claims 34.