APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR GEOLOCATING AN INDIVIDUAL WITH RESPECT TO A PERIMETER

• US 20170316677A1
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safetracks Gps Canada Inc.
• Original Assignee: Safetracks Gps Canada Inc.
• Inventors: MESSIER, Yves, FAMA, Antonio, MILLER, Brian, GERVAIS, Franois, BARON, Jerome, MARQUIS, Patrick-Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 10,453,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0225 Monitoring making use of different thresholds, e.g. for different alarm levels
• 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 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or 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 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 : Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 : Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 : Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 : carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An improved wearable locator has an ultra-low power RF transceiver, GPS receiver, cellular network RF transceiver, processor, programmable non-volatile memory, LCD display, accelerometer and rechargeable battery. To ensure that the locator is within a perimeter, it can cooperate with a subordinate unit that includes an ultra-low power RF transceiver, processor, power supply, DC charging output, rechargeable battery, visual, audible and tactile enunciators and pushbutton, and can be plugged into an outlet or be unplugged and be mobile. Other wireless units can be used to define a perimeter.

Claims

1. An individual locator system comprising:

at least one individual locator to be worn by at least one corresponding individual, said locator unit having a local wireless transceiver and a GPS receiver;

a plurality of battery powered wireless beacons configured to transmit an identification signal with a predetermined signal strength and installed in different locations within an indoor or an outdoor facility for reception by said local wireless transceiver of said at least one individual locator within a designated room or area associated with said facility, said beacons being arranged within said facility such that said individual locator receives the identification signal of one or more of said beacons; and

said individual locator being configured to determine its location by detecting said identification signal of said beacons and selecting as its location a location of one of said beacons, to remove power supplied to said GPS receiver when location can be determined from said beacons, and to provide power to said GPS receiver to determine location by GPS when location cannot be determined from said beacons.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said beacons comprise Bluetooth low energy protocol transceivers.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said individual locator comprises a long range communications transceiver for providing the whereabouts of the individual locator to a monitoring station.

4. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said long range communications transceiver is one of a cellular telephone network transceiver and a satellite telephone network transceiver, said long range communications transceiver being configured to obtain a geolocation from a corresponding long range communications network.

5. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the said locator comprises a locator processor, said locator processor being configured attempt to obtain position information via the long range communications transceiver if a GPS fix cannot be obtained.

6. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said locator processor is further configured to transmit to said monitoring station a last known location if an Assisted GPS (A-GPS) location cannot be obtained from a cellular telephone network via the long range communications transceiver.

7. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising persistent storage for storing at least one of:

a perimeter definition and Bluetooth communications state data for pairing said individual locator with at least one remote sensor, said locator processor being configured to command the individual locator in a monitoring mode for alerting said monitoring station of at least one condition form;

location information cannot be determined from at least one of said beacons and a remote sensor value received from one of said sensors is out of valid range.

8. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said individual locator is further configured to receive a programming signal and configured to place said individual locator in a programming mode, wherein during programming mode said locator processor is configured to continue one of:

periodic location reporting and remote sensor value reporting.

9. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, comprising a housing, said housing being one of wrist mounted device, ankle mounted device, a pendant and a personal name tag.

10. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein said housing further comprises a button, wherein said individual locator is configured to receive a programming signal for placing the individual locator in an airplane mode preventing wireless transmissions, and configured to place the individual locator in said monitoring mode after the locator processor detects a specific interaction pattern with the button in airplane mode.

11. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein said individual locator further comprises an accelerometer and a display, said accelerometer being configured provide at least one of:

cause said display to be powered when said individual locator is oriented horizontally and implement a button push action when said accelerometer registers a sequence of measurements representative of a button push gesture.

12. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein one of said battery powered wireless beacons comprises a passive beacon, said passive beacon being configured to provide at least one of:

a beacon device type identifier, a location specification, a location identifier, a beacon identifier, a passive beacon signal and a monitored individual identifier.

13. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein one of said battery powered wireless beacons comprises a relay passive beacon, said relay passive beacon, being configured to provide at least one of:

a beacon device type identifier, a location specification, a location identifier, a beacon identifier, a passive beacon signal and a monitored individual identifier, said relay beacon being further configured to provide at least one of;

a contact and a digital output signal when at least one particular individual locator is in communications range.

14. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein one of said battery powered wireless beacons comprises a reed switch passive beacon, said reed switch passive beacon, being configured to provide at least one of:

a beacon device type identifier, a location specification, a location identifier, a beacon identifier, a passive beacon signal, an active beacon signal and a monitored individual identifier, said reed switch passive beacon being further configured to provide at least one of;

a contact and a digital output signal when at least one particular individual locator is in communications range and the reed switch status is changed.

15. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein one of said wireless beacons comprises a motion sensor passive beacon, said motion sensor passive beacon, being configured to provide at least one of:

a beacon device type identifier, a location specification, a location identifier, a beacon identifier, a passive beacon signal, an active beacon signal and a monitored individual identifier, said motion sensor passive beacon being further configured to provide at least one of;

said active beacon signal, a contact and a digital output signal when at least one particular individual locator is in communications range and the motion sensor is tripped.

16. An individual locator system comprising:

at least one individual locator component to be worn by at least one corresponding individual, said individual locator having a local wireless transceiver and a GPS receiver;

a monitoring component having a local wireless transceiver, a battery and a mains power supply;

said monitoring component being configured to communicate with said individual locator over said local wireless transceiver and to provide one of;

a visual and an audible warning signal at least when one of;

a permitted range and location is exceeded when said monitoring component is supplied with power from the mains power supply;

said monitoring component being configured to communicate with said individual locator over said local wireless transceiver in a tether monitoring mode to send a signal to said individual locator indicating that said individual locator is to tether to said monitoring component, and to provide one of;

a vibratory, a visual and an audible warning signal when said permitted range is exceeded when said monitoring component is disconnected from the mains power supply; and

said individual locator being configured to remove power supplied to said GPS receiver when no alert condition is detected and said monitoring component is not in said tether monitoring mode, and to provide power to said GPS receiver to determine a geolocation when in said tether monitoring mode.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said monitoring component is configured to operate as one of:

a passive beacon when said monitoring component is supplied with power from said mains power supply and an active beacon when said monitoring component is disconnected from the mains power supply.

18. A system as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein said monitoring component is comprises a beacon, said beacon being configured to provide at least one of:

a beacon device type identifier, a location specification, a location identifier, a beacon identifier and a monitored individual identifier, said monitoring component being further configured to transmit passive beacon signal when said monitoring component is supplied with power from said mains power supply and to transmit an active beacon signal when said monitoring component is disconnected from the mains power supply.

19. A system as claimed in any of claims 16 to 18, wherein said monitoring component further comprises a button configured to provide one of:

silencing an alarm and interact with said monitoring component.

20. A system as claimed in any of claims 16 to 19, wherein said monitoring component further comprises a charger for said individual locator.

21. A system as claimed in any of claims 16 to 20, wherein said monitoring component is further configured to interface with a docking base, wherein said monitoring component is configured to operate as a passive beacon while connected to said docking base, said monitoring component transmitting a passive beacon signal via said local wireless transmitter.

22. A system as claimed in any of claims 16 to 21, wherein said monitoring component is further configured to operate as an active beacon while connected to said docking base.

23. A wearable locator and communications device comprising:

a main housing;

at least one strap connected to the housing; and

a flexible printed circuit board extending in said housing and into the strap, a portion of said flexible printed circuit board in the strap providing an antenna.

24. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein closure of the at least one strap is detected using circuitry on said flexible printed circuit board in the strap.

36. The device as claimed in any one of claims 23 to 35, wherein said device is adapted for wrist wearing.

37. The device as claimed in any one of claims 23 to 36, wherein said device is waterproof to at least a depth of 3 m.

25. A wearable locator and communications device comprising:

a main housing;

at least one strap molded to the housing and having electronic components in the strap; and

a circuit board in said main housing connected to said components in the strap.

38. The device as claimed in claim 25, wherein said electronic components in the strap include a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board including tensioning nibs for positioning and tensioning flexible circuit board during a polymer over-molding process.

26. A wearable locator and communications device comprising:

a housing having a wrist or ankle side that has a central portion between first and second adjacent portions, said first and said second adjacent portions being angled or curved in a body direction from the central portion to fit over a wrist or ankle;

a pair of straps connected to said first and said second adjacent portions to fasten the device to a wrist or ankle; and

a flexible printed circuit board having at least three segments mounted respectively to said central portion, said first adjacent portion and said second adjacent portion.

27. The device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the device has a display face and a bezel surrounding the display face, the bezel merging with said first portion and said second portion.

28. The device as claimed in claim 26, further comprising an extension of said flexible printed circuit board turned upright from one of said segments corresponding to said central portion, said extension providing circuitry using a side port on said central portion.

29. The device as claimed in claim 28, wherein said circuitry includes a microphone, and said side port comprises at least one orifice covered on the inside by a waterproof/breathable fabric.

30. A wearable locator and communications device comprising:

a housing having a front cover and a rear cover;

a circuit board mounted in the front cover of said housing and having a speaker; and

a sound box between said circuit board and said front cover enclosing the speaker on the circuit board and having a sound port in said front cover.

31. The device as claimed in claim 30, wherein said sound port comprises at least one orifice covered on the inside by a waterproof/breathable fabric.

32. A wearable locator and communications device comprising:

a housing having a inner side and an outer side, the inner side to be worn against a wearer;

at least one strap connected to the housing and configured to attach the device to a wearer with the inner side against a wearer; and

a charging or data port located on the inner side, said port being accessible only when the device is removed from the wearer.

33. The device as claimed in claim 32, comprising a rechargeable battery mounted in the housing and a charging circuit, said battery and charging circuit being configured to generate sufficient heat at the battery during charging to cause discomfort or injury if the device were worn by the wearer.

34. The device as claimed in claim 32 or 33, wherein said strap comprises a lock for locking the device to the wearer.

35. The device as claimed in claim 32, 33 or 34, wherein said port comprises a waterproof seal.