RTLS TAG DEVICE AND REAL TIME LOCATION SYSTEM

• US 20120249798A1
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LSIS Co. Ltd. (LS Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LSIS Co. Ltd. (LS Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Bum Youl
• Application Number:
  US13/425,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/012 Identifying whether indoors or outdoors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• 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 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Provided, according to the present invention, is an RTLS tag device generating a power through a shock applied to a piezoelectric element and transmitting tag information or an emergency signal to the wireless LAN APs, and a real time location system including an integrated management server receiving the tag information through the wireless LAN APs to extract location information of the RTLS tag device and providing the extracted location information to a client, and transmitting an alarm signal to the client, if it is determined that the emergency signal has been received or the location information deviates from a predetermined scope.

Claims

1. An RTLS tag device for measuring a location of a mobile object, the device comprising:

a Wi-Fi module unit communicating with a wireless LAN AP;

a GPS module unit receiving GPS information from GPS satellites;

a main power unit generating a driving power through a piezoelectric element generating an electric energy when applied with a pressure; and

a controller collecting tag information and transmitting the tag information to the Wi-Fi module unit by selectively and controllably operating the Wi-Fi module unit or the GPS module unit in response to an SSID (Service Set Identification) included in a signal received from the wireless LAN AP.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the tag information includes at least any one of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), a received time information of a signal received from the wireless LAN AP and GPS information.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operatively controls the Wi-Fi module unit, if it is determined that the RTLS tag device is located indoors in response to the SSID (Service Set Identification), and operatively controls the GPS module unit, if it is determined that the RTLS tag device is located outdoors in response to the SSID (Service Set Identification).

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising an acceleration sensor detecting a velocity change of the mobile object, wherein the controller, if it is determined that the velocity change of the mobile object detected by the acceleration sensor has surpassed a predetermined reference value, determines that the occurrence is an emergency event, and transmits an emergency signal to the Wi-Fi module unit.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising an input unit formed with an emergency button configured to manipulate the occurrence of emergency, wherein the controller determines that there has occurred emergency, if it is determined that the emergency button of the input unit has been manipulated, and transmits the emergency signal to the Wi-Fi module unit.

6. The device of claim 4, further comprising an auxiliary battery, wherein the controller controls supply of a driving power through the auxiliary battery if the emergency event occurs.

7. The device of claim 5, further comprising an auxiliary battery, wherein the controller controls supply of a driving power through the auxiliary battery if the emergency event occurs.

8. A real time location system tracking a location of a mobile object, the system comprising:

a plurality of wireless LAN APs;

an RTLS tag device generating a power through a pressure applied to a piezoelectric element and transmitting tag information or an emergency signal to the wireless LAN APs; and

an integrated management server receiving the tag information through the wireless LAN APs to extract location information of the RTLS tag device and providing the extracted location information to a client, and transmitting an alarm signal to the client, if it is determined that the emergency signal has been received or the location information deviates from a predetermined scope.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the RTLS tag device includes:

a Wi-Fi module unit communicating with a wireless LAN AP;

a GPS module unit receiving GPS information from GPS satellites;

a main power unit generating a driving power through a piezoelectric element generating an electric energy when applied with a pressure; and

a controller collecting tag information and transmitting the tag information to the Wi-Fi module unit by selectively and controllably operating the Wi-Fi module unit or the GPS module unit in response to an SSID (Service Set Identification) included in a signal received from the wireless LAN AP.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the tag information includes at least any one of RSSIs (Received Signal Strength Indicators), a received time information of a signal received from the wireless LAN AP and GPS information.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller operatively controls the Wi-Fi module unit, if it is determined that the RTLS tag device is located indoors in response to the SSID (Service Set Identification), and operatively controls the GPS module unit, if it is determined that the RTLS tag device is located outdoors in response to the SSID (Service Set Identification).

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising an acceleration sensor detecting a velocity change of the mobile object, wherein the controller, if it is determined that the velocity change of the mobile object detected by the acceleration sensor has surpassed a predetermined reference value, determines that the occurrence is an emergency event, and transmits an emergency signal to the Wi-Fi module unit.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising an input unit formed with an emergency button configured to manipulate the occurrence of emergency, and the controller determines that there has occurred emergency, if it is determined that the emergency button of the input unit has been manipulated, and transmits the emergency signal to the Wi-Fi module unit.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an auxiliary battery, and the controller controls supply of a driving power through the auxiliary battery if the emergency event occurs.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising an auxiliary battery, and the controller controls supply of a driving power through the auxiliary battery if the emergency event occurs.

16. The system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of network cameras, and the integrated management server further includes an image information DB (Database) storing an image captured by the network camera.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the integrated management server includes an RTLS server extracting location information of the RTLS tag device from the tag information or the GPS information, and a network camera server receiving an image from the network camera and providing an image of a network camera adjacent to the location information of a relevant RTLS tag device if an image request signal is received from outside.