INDOOR POSITIONING AND COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20180103353A1
• Filed: 12/13/2017
• Published: 04/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Livesentinel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Livesentinel Incorporated
• Inventors: Giordano, John, Gordon, Mark A., Moroz, Kevin, Rawal, Pratik, Lica, Vadim
• Granted Patent: US 10,165,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• 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 25/12 Manually actuated calamity alarm transmitting arrangements emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm, activators, e.g. details of alarm push buttons mounted on an infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing

Abstract

The inventive concepts provides indoor positioning capabilities and door monitoring to facilities including but not limiting to day care providers and elderly care facilities in order for them to be able to quickly position someone inside the building as well as to be forewarned when they are going somewhere they shouldn'"'"'t be i.e. near an exit way. The system also offers two way communications to the staff in the facility when a management server is implemented.

Claims

1. A system for positioning, comprising:

a position beacon device that generates an energizing signal, and includes an antenna that is energized to output the energizing signal for energizing at least one electronic device;

at least one satellite beacon device that extends the range of the energizing signal; and

an event management server that tracks location changes of the at least at one electronic device in response to the energizing at least one electronic device being energized by the energizing signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the position beacon device communicates with the at least one electronic device over a 433 MHz communication in response to the at least one electronic device being excited by the energizing signal received from the position beacon device or the at least one satellite beacon device at a 125 kHz frequency.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one satellite beacon device communicates with the position beacon device to increase the range of an area to be monitored.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one satellite beacon device is powered from the position beacon device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the energizing signal includes a low frequency energizer radio frequency identification (RFID) wakeup beam.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one satellite beacon device outputs a unique identifier to the position beacon device which in turn transmits data to the event management server in order to distinguish whether the at least one electronic device is closer the position beacon device or the at least one satellite because device based upon a signal strength in the event that both the position beacon device and at least one satellite beacon device establish a communication with the at least one electronic device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the position beacon device includes a processor that polls the antenna and antennas of the at least one satellite beacon device, for changes in an ACK list of the at least one electronic device, permitting the position beacon device to inform the event management server of the location changes.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein in response to a failure to detect the event management server, information regarding the location changes is generated and output as an electronic message.

9. A system for positioning, comprising:

a position beacon device that generates an energizing signal; and

at least one electronic device that is energized by the energizing signal, and further includes a button that when pressed generates a signal to provide a last beacon ID that energized it to determine a location of the at least one electronic device, the at least one electronic device contacting the position beacon device in response to being energized by the energizing signal.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an event management server that receives data regarding the location of the at least one electronic device in response to the at least one electronic device being energized by the energizing signal.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one satellite beacon device that extends the range of the energizing signal.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the position beacon device communicates with the at least one electronic device over a 433 MHz communication in response to the at least one electronic device being excited by the energizing signal received from the position beacon device at a 125 kHz frequency.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic device determines whether to make a supervisory call to the position beacon device in order to alert the server that a new electronic device has been energized by the beacon that has come into its proximity, and wherein the signal uses a different Industrial, Scientific or Medical (ISM) frequency to call the position beacon device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein a supervisory signal is generated by the at least one electronic device when it thinks it encountered a new beacon, wherein if the at least one electronic device stays under the same beacon it should not generate a lot of supervisory calls which increases battery life.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the position beacon device includes an antenna that is energized to output the energizing signal for energizing at least one electronic device, and wherein in response the at least one electronic device responds to the position beacon device, which in turn generates and outputs a data packet with information that an event has occurred.

16. A system for positioning, comprising:

a plurality of position beacon devices that each tracks a plurality of electronic devices constructed and arranged to include a button that when activated generates a signal that serves as a call for help, each position beacon device further constructed and arranged to listen for events corresponding to the signal generated when the button is activated, each position beacon device further constructed and arranged to output an energizing signal for energizing the electronic devices; and

an event management server that manages communications received from the position beacon devices and ascertains a position and distance of the electronic devices from the position beacon devices.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the position beacon devices listen for the events at or about a 433 MHz frequency.