Personnel monitoring system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for monitoring a plurality of persons at a plurality of preselected monitoring locations comprising:
- (a) a plurality of local units each disposed at a monitoring location and associated with a person to be monitored at such monitoring location, each said local unit including detector means for determining the presence or absence of the associated person to be monitored and providing presence or absence information accordingly, each said local unit further including report signal sending means for transmitting a report radio signal bearing said presence or absence information through free space from the monitoring location; and
(b) a mobile unit including report signal receiving means for detecting the report signal from the local unit at each said monitoring location while the mobile unit is within range thereof and recovering the presence information from the detected report signal, whereby presence information regarding all of the persons to be monitored can be recovered by bringing said mobile unit within range of all said monitoring locations seriatim.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring presence of persons at preselected monitoring locations. A plurality of local units, one at each monitoring location, determines whether the monitored person is present or absent at the monitoring location and sends report signals via free space radio transmission. A mobile unit, preferably mounted in a vehicle, passes within range of the various local units in order, and hence recovers status information. Desirably, the mobile unit provides a perceptible signal to an officer in the vehicle if the monitored person is absent. Each local unit may be arranged to receive radio signals from a tag carried by the monitored person and to provide an absence indication if the tag signals are no longer received. The same radio receiver as employed to receive the tag signals may also be employed to receive a callout signal sent by the mobile unit. The local unit may be arranged to provide an audible signal to the monitored person upon receipt of a callout signal, thus instructing the monitored person to present himself for inspection by the monitoring officer. The system permits an officer driving an automobile or walking a route carrying the mobile unit to monitor the status of any individuals in a house arrest program.
91 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for monitoring a plurality of persons at a plurality of preselected monitoring locations comprising:
-
(a) a plurality of local units each disposed at a monitoring location and associated with a person to be monitored at such monitoring location, each said local unit including detector means for determining the presence or absence of the associated person to be monitored and providing presence or absence information accordingly, each said local unit further including report signal sending means for transmitting a report radio signal bearing said presence or absence information through free space from the monitoring location; and (b) a mobile unit including report signal receiving means for detecting the report signal from the local unit at each said monitoring location while the mobile unit is within range thereof and recovering the presence information from the detected report signal, whereby presence information regarding all of the persons to be monitored can be recovered by bringing said mobile unit within range of all said monitoring locations seriatim. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
- 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim wherein said mobile unit further includes presence status indication means for providing a perceptible indication at said mobile unit of the presence or absence information recovered from each report signal.
-
19. A mobile unit for use in monitoring persons at a plurality of monitoring locations a said mobile unit comprising report signal receiving means for detecting a report signal bearing presence information concerning the presence or absence of a monitored person from a local unit at each said monitoring location while the mobile unit is within range thereof and recovering the presence information from the detected report signal, whereby presence information regarding all of the persons to be monitored can be recovered by bringing said mobile unit within range of all said monitoring locations seriatim, said mobile unit further including presence status indication means for providing a perceptible indication at said mobile unit of the presence information recovered from each report signal.
- 20. A local monitoring unit for monitoring a person at a monitoring location comprising detector means for determining the presence or absence a person to be monitored and providing presence information accordingly, report signal sending means for transmitting a report radio signal bearing said presence information through free space from the monitoring location, and a local unit radio receiver adapted to receive a callout signal, and callout signal indicating means for providing a perceptible indication at the local unit that a callout signal has been received upon reception of said callout signal by the local unit radio receiver.
-
22. A method of monitoring a plurality of persons at a plurality of preselected monitoring locations comprising:
-
(a) operating a plurality of local units, each disposed at a monitoring location and associated with a person to be monitored at such monitoring location, so that each said local unit automatically determines the presence or absence of the associated person to be monitored and provides presence or absence information accordingly, and so that each said local unit automatically transmits a report radio signal bearing said presence or absence information through free space from the monitoring location; and (b) bringing a mobile unit within range of all said monitoring location seriatim, detecting the report signal from the local unit at each said monitoring location while the mobile unit is within range thereof and recovering the presence information from the detected report signal, whereby presence information regarding all of the persons to be monitored is recovered.
-
Specification