Infrared personnel locator system
First Claim
1. A personnel locator system installable on a premises comprising a plurality of portable communication units, each adapted to be carried by an individual, a plurality of remote stations mounted in appropriate locations about the premises and a common control unitCHARACTERIZED IN THATeach portable unit includingmeans for establishing a coded signal unique to that unit,means coupled to said establishing means and responsive to said coded signal for generating a modulated pulse coded infrared signal unique to each said portable unit,battery means for providing power from an included battery source to power said portable unit;
- each remote station includingmeans responsive to received infrared signals from a portable unit for generating a corresponding coded signal identifying each said portable unit, andmeans for transmitting said generated corresponding coded portable unit signal to said common control unit; and
said control unit includingmeans for associating said generated corresponding coded portable unit signal with a remote station, andmeans for indicating the location of each portable unit,
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Accused Products
Abstract
An infrared personnel locator system using a periodic unique infrared identification code emitted from a battery-powered transmitter unit to identify the person carrying the transmitter unit to an overhead infrared receiver as the person enters the receiver'"'"'s monitoring zone. The transmitter unit identification code together with the receiver identification code is communicated to a common control unit which displays the location of all of the transmitter units. For paging, the system provides alerting units which are selectively operated in the zone closest to the person being paged. Additionally, the system controls electronic locks for restricting access of users to certain locations or equipment. A telephone interface provides system access from the telephone network.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A personnel locator system installable on a premises comprising a plurality of portable communication units, each adapted to be carried by an individual, a plurality of remote stations mounted in appropriate locations about the premises and a common control unit
CHARACTERIZED IN THAT each portable unit including means for establishing a coded signal unique to that unit, means coupled to said establishing means and responsive to said coded signal for generating a modulated pulse coded infrared signal unique to each said portable unit, battery means for providing power from an included battery source to power said portable unit; -
each remote station including means responsive to received infrared signals from a portable unit for generating a corresponding coded signal identifying each said portable unit, and means for transmitting said generated corresponding coded portable unit signal to said common control unit; and said control unit including means for associating said generated corresponding coded portable unit signal with a remote station, and means for indicating the location of each portable unit, - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An automatic telephone call forwarding system for ringing a selected telephone of a group of telephones on a premises served by said system, said ringing telephone selected according to the present location of the person associated with the called telephone number as determined from a data base established by an included personnel locator arrangement
CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said personnel locator arrangement includes a plurality of portable battery powered infrared communication units each adapted to be carried by a person desiring a telephone call forwarding capability said communication units arranged to periodically transmit a unique pulse coded infrared signal, and a plurality of remote infrared communication stations mounted throughout a premises and arranged to receive said unique infrared signal from said portable units and transmit a composite signal identifying said remote station and said portable unit to a common control unit having a data base defining the telephone station associated with said remote station defining the present location of the person carrying said portable units; - and
said call forwarding system further includes means for accessing said data base of said common control unit in response to a received telephone call for determining the appropriate telephone to ring to locate the person associated with the called telephone station. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A personnel locating system for locating a person carrying a portable transmitter unit which emits a unique signal identifying the transmitter unit to a plurality of remote receiving stations located about a premises said locating system comprising:
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a plurality of portable battery powered infrared transmitters arranged to periodically transmit unique pulse coded infrared signals having binary state amplitude modulation signal including the transmitter identification code and framing information; a plurality of remote receiving stations for receiving said infrared signals and transmitting a composite signal indicative of said received infrared signal and address of said receiving station; and a common control unit arranged to receive said composite signals from said remote receiving stations, said control unit including means for storing transmitter and remote station data in a data file, and means for displaying said data file.
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Specification