PERSONNEL TRACKING SYSTEM

• US 20110121964A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth R. Bannard
• Original Assignee: Kenneth R. Bannard
• Inventors: Bannard, Kenneth R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,378,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

Disclosed is a tracking and Geofencing system. Zones are classified into three types: safe, hazardous and travel, with the travel zone being defined in the preferred embodiment as any territory not in a safe or hazardous zone. The system monitors an asset by determining whether the asset is within a safe zone, logging data as to when the asset arrives in or leaves the safe zone and at what time it did so, while in transit from the safe zone to a hazardous zone logging the route of travel which may vary from day to day and notifying the owner if the asset goes motionless while in route for a user defined period of time, logging data as to when the asset arrives and leaves a hazardous zone such as time and duration and alerting the owner if the asset has exceeded a predetermined time within a hazardous zone.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a tracking system with one or more tracking devices each associated with an asset, comprising the steps of:

defining at least a region of a first type;

defining at least a region of a second type;

defining at least a region of a third type; and

configuring the tracking system to treat each type of region differently.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to initiate an alarm if a tracking device associated with an asset remains within a region of the second type for a time exceeding a first preset time duration.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to perform at least a function if a tracking device associated with an asset is within a region of a third type, the function being one of the class of functions consisting of:

A) initiating an alarm if the tracking device remains stationary within the region for a time exceeding a second preset time duration; and

B) tracking the route of travel of the tracking device while it remains within the region.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to log the total number of tracking devices each associated with an asset within a region of the second type.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to record the time that any tracking device associated with an asset enters or exits a zone of the first type.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to record the time that any tracking device associated with an asset enters or exits a zone of the second type.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the at least a region of the first type corresponds to an area or areas in which an asset is present when off duty, the at least a region of the second type corresponds to an area or areas in which an asset is present while on duty, and the at least a region of the third type corresponds to an area or areas through which an asset travels between a region of the first type and a region of the second type.

4. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

10-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of configuring a tracking system with one or more tracking devices each associated with an asset, comprising the steps of:

defining at least a region of a first type;

defining at least a region of a second type;

defining at least a region of a third type;

configuring the tracking system to perform at least a first function relating to the second type of region, the first function being one of the class of functions consisting of;

A) initiating an alarm if a tracking device associated with an asset remains within a region of the second type for a time exceeding a first preset time duration; and

B) logging the total number of tracking devices each associated with an asset in a zone of the second type; and

configuring the tracking system to perform at least a second function relating to the third type of region, the second function being one of the class of functions consisting of;

C) initiating an alarm if a tracking device associated with an asset remains stationary within a region of the third type for a time exceeding a second preset time duration; and

D) tracking the route of travel of a tracking device while it remains within a region of the third type.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to record the time that any tracking device associated with an asset enters or exits a zone of the first type.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to record the time that any tracking device associated with an asset enters or exits a zone of the second type.

27. The method of claim 21 in which the at least a region of the first type corresponds to an area or areas in which an asset is present when off duty, the at least a region of the second type corresponds to an area or areas in which an asset is present while on duty, and the at least a region of the third type corresponds to an area or areas through which an asset travels between a region of the first type and a region of the second type.

22-23. -23. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

28-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A method of configuring a tracking system with one or more tracking devices each associated with an asset, comprising the steps of:

defining at least a region of one type; and

configuring the tracking system to log the number of tracking devices within a region of the one type each associated with an asset.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to initiate an alarm if a tracking device associated with an asset remains within the region for a time exceeding a first preset time duration.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to record the time that any tracking device associated with an asset enters or exits a zone of the one type.

33. The method of claim 30 in which the region of the one type corresponds to an area or areas in which an asset is present while on duty.

34. The method of claim 30 further comprising the step of defining at least a region of a different type.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of

configuring the tracking system to perform at least a function if a tracking device associated with an asset is within a region of a third type, the function being one of the class of functions consisting of:

A) initiating an alarm if the tracking device remains stationary within the region for a time exceeding a second preset time duration; and

B) tracking the route of travel of the tracking device while it remains within the region.

37. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of configuring the tracking system to record the time that any tracking device associated with an asset enters or exits a zone of the different type.

38. The method of claim 34 further comprising defining at least a region of a yet another different type.

40. The method of claim 34 in which the region of the different type corresponds to an area or areas in which an asset is present while off duty.

41. The method of claim 38 in which the region of the yet another different type corresponds to an area or areas between at least a region of the one type and at least a region of the different type.

36. (canceled)

39. (canceled)