WIRELESS TRACKING DEVICE

• US 20110234397A1
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Fetzer, Dudley K., Doyle, Thomas F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,092,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• 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 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a tracking device to inconspicuously track a person to be monitored (such as a child or at-risk adult) are presented. Some embodiments of the present invention combine a positioning receiver (e.g., a GPS receiver) and a locking mechanism to act as a tracking device, which attaches to an article of clothing or fabric wearable by the person to be monitored. Some embodiments of the present invention keep a positioning receiver and a radio frequency identification tag (RFID tag) or other RF tag, which are physically separate but in RF proximity of each other.

Claims

1. A tracking device for wirelessly tracking an attached-to wearable article, the device comprising:

housing comprising a locking mechanism attachable to the wearable article; and

electronic circuitry within the housing comprising

a positioning receiver;

a wide area network transmitter (WAN transmitter); and

a processor coupled with memory, coupled to the positioning receiver and WAN transmitter in order to report a determined position.

2. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises a first section and a second section, wherein the first and second sections are detachable from each other; and

the locking mechanism comprises

a pin in the first section and positioned to pierce the wearable article; and

a latch in the second section and positioned to detachably lock the pin in the first section.

3. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the positioning receiver comprises a Global Positioning System receiver (GPS receiver).

4. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the WAN transmitter comprises a mobile radio transceiver.

5. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises an electronic lock.

6. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises at least one of:

a tamper detection circuit;

an inertial sensor;

a panic button;

at least one auxiliary button; and

a display.

7. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises an alert mechanism.

8. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises a geo-fence trigger.

9. A tracking system for wirelessly tracking a person, the tracking system comprising:

a radio frequency tag (RF tag) fixable to the person; and

electronic circuitry physically unattached to the RF tag, the electronic circuitry comprising

a positioning receiver;

a wide area network transmitter (WAN transmitter) to report;

a personal area network receiver (PAN receiver) coupled to the RF tag with PAN communication; and

a processor with memory, coupled to the positioning receiver, WAN transmitter and the PAN receiver to report a determined position.

10. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the RF tag fixable to the person comprises one of a bracelet or an anklet.

11. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the RF tag fixable to the person comprises an passive radio frequency identification tag (passive RFID tag).

12. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the positioning receiver comprises Global Positioning System receiver (GPS receiver).

13. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the WAN transmitter comprises a mobile radio transceiver.

14. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the PAN transmitter comprises a radio frequency identification transceiver (RFID transceiver) and the RF tag comprise a passive RF device.

15. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the PAN transmitter comprises a Bluetooth-type transceiver.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises at least one of:

a tamper detection circuit;

an inertial sensor;

a panic button;

at least one auxiliary button; and

a display.

17. A method for wirelessly tracking, the method comprising:

attaching a tracking device to a wearable article of clothing, wherein the tracking device including electronic circuitry;

locking the tracking device to the wearable article of clothing;

receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;

estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals; and

reporting the position estimate over a wide area network interface (WAN interface).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the article of clothing is one of a shirt, jacket, or pants.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein reporting the position estimate over the WAN interface comprises reporting a cause, and wherein estimating the position estimate is a result of the cause.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the cause comprises detecting a geo-fence violation.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the cause comprises detecting a tampering.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the cause comprises detecting excessive inertia.

23. A method for wirelessly tracking, the method comprising:

attaching a radio frequency tag (RF tag) to a person to be monitored;

placing a tracking device into a pocket in proximity to the RF tag, wherein the tracking device including electronic circuitry, and wherein the tracking device and RF tag form a personal area network (PAN);

receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;

estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals; and

reporting the position estimate over a wide area network interface (WAN interface).

24. The method of claim 23, wherein attaching the RF tag to the person comprises inserting the RF tag into a shoe.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein attaching the RF tag to the person comprises wearing the RF tag as one of a bracelet or a anklet.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein reporting the position estimate over the WAN interface comprises reporting a cause, and wherein estimating the position estimate is a result of the cause.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the cause comprises detecting a geo-fence violation.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the cause comprises detecting a tampering.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the cause comprises detecting excessive inertia.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the cause comprises detecting the RF tag is not within the PAN.

31. A method for wirelessly tracking, the method comprising:

attaching a radio frequency tag (RF tag) to one of a wrist, angle or shoe;

placing a tracking device into a pocket in proximity to the RF tag, wherein the tracking device includes electronic circuitry;

communicating between the RF tag and the electronic circuitry over a personal area network (PAN);

receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;

estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;

determining the RF tag is not within the PAN; and

reporting the position estimate over a WAN interface in response to determining the RF tag is not within the PAN.

32. A tracking device for wirelessly tracking, the tracking device comprising:

means for attaching a tracking device to a wearable article of clothing, wherein the tracking device including electronic circuitry;

means for locking the tracking device to the wearable article of clothing;

means for receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;

means for estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals; and

means for reporting the position estimate over a wide area network (WAN interface).

33. A tracking system for wirelessly tracking a person, the tracking system comprising:

means for attaching a radio frequency tag (RF tag) to one of a wrist, angle or shoe of the person;

means for placing a tracking device into a pocket in proximity to the RF tag, wherein the tracking device includes electronic circuitry;

means for communicating between the RF tag and the electronic circuitry over a personal area network (PAN);

means for receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;

means for estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals; and

means for determining the RF tag is not within the PAN; and

means for reporting the position estimate over a wide area network interface (WAN interface) in response to determining the RF tag is not within the PAN.

34. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for wirelessly tracking, said method comprising operations of:

controlling electronic circuitry; and

detecting a cause and in response to the cause;

receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;

estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals; and

reporting the position estimate and the cause over a wide area network interface (WAN interface).

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the cause comprises detecting a geo-fence violation.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the cause comprises detecting a tampering.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the cause comprises detecting excessive inertia.

38. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for wirelessly tracking, said method comprising operations of:

communicating between a radio frequency tag (RF tag) and an electronic circuitry over a personal area network (PAN); and

detecting a cause and in response to the cause;

receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;

estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;

determining the RF tag is not within the PAN; and

reporting the position estimate and the cause over a wide area network interface (WAN interface) in response to determining the RF tag is not within the PAN.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the cause comprises detecting a geo-fence violation.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the cause comprises detecting a tampering.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the cause comprises detecting excessive inertia.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the cause comprises determining the RF tag is not within the PAN.