Adaptable electronic monitoring and identification system

• US 4,952,928 A
• Filed: 08/29/1988
• Issued: 08/28/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B.I. Incorporated (Geo Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: B.I. Incorporated (Geo Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stinton, Vincent D., Pilmanis, George J., Carroll, Gary T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Magistre, Dervis
• Application Number:
  US07/237,860
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.54, 340/825.44, 340/825.35, 340/539, 340/573, 340/576, 128/901, 128/902, 128/903, 128/668, 128/644, 128/721, 364/141, 364/184, 364/188, 364/185, 379/93, 379/96, 379/106, 367/2
• US Class Current: 340/10.41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0222 Message structure or message content, e.g. message protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/007 Wireless interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A personnel monitoring system includes a transmitting or transponding unit that is worn or carried by the individual being monitored. This transmitting or transponder unit periodically, or upon request, transmits a uniquely encoded signal that identifies the person being monitored, as well as information about the condition or activities of the person being monitored. Such condition or activites are sensed by sensors, coupled to the transmitting unit, that monitor selected body functions or parameters, such as heart rate, amount of skin perspiration, muscle movement, and the like. The monitoring system also includes a field monitoring device, or FMD, that is positioned near the person being monitored (or at a location where the person being monitored should be found). The FMD receives, processes, and stores the periodic or requested signals transmitted from the transmitting unit as directed by a program stored in a factory-removable and replaceable memory pack. Hence, the operation of the FMD can be changed as required in order to fit different monitoring applications. The monitoring system further includes a central processing unit, or CPU, that automatically, or by request, receives and interprets data from the FMD. The communication link between the FMD and the CPU may be by way of existing telephone lines or other telecommunicative links. From this data, the CPU generates desired reports indicating the location, condition, and activities of the monitored individual as a function of time.

Claims

1. A personnel monitoring system for monitoring the compliance of a designated individual with a prescribed activity comprising:

sensing means carried by the individual for sensing whether the individual is engaging in said prescribed activity;

transmitting means carried by the individual and coupled to said sensing means for transmitting a unique identifying signal that indicates whether the occurrence of said prescribed activity has been sensed since said unique identifying signal was last transmitted;

local receiving means for receiving and preliminarily processing said identifying signal, including logging the time periods during which each unique identification signal is received;

remote processing means for interrogating said local receiving means on a regular basis and for receiving therefrom the preliminarily processed and logged data relating to said identifying signal received by said remote processing means since said remote processing means was last interrogated by said remote processing means, and for further processing and interpreting said preliminarily processed and logged data in accordance with at least one of a plurality of control programs that allow said remote processing means to be selectively configured for a particular application, whereby said identifying signal received from said transmitting means can be used and interpreted by said remote processing means for a variety of different purposes as controlled by a selected one or more of said plurality of control programs; and

report generating means within said remote processing means for generating a report that indicates the time periods during which the individual engaged in the prescribed activity in accordance with the particular application for which the remote processing means is selectively configured.

2. The personnel monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said local receiving means includes means for receiving a unique identification signal from each of a plurality of transmitting means carried by a plurality of individuals being monitored, each of said plurality of transmitting means having a respective sensing means associated therewith for sensing whether a prescribed activity has occurred relative to the particular individual carrying the sensing means.

3. The personnel monitoring system of claim 2 wherein the activity sensed by said sensing means constitutes pulse rate, perspiration rate, or physical activity of the individual being monitored.

4. The personnel monitoring system of claim 2 wherein said remote receiving means includes electronic circuits comprising:

a receiving circuit for receiving and holding said unique identifying signal;

a microprocessor circuit coupled to said receiving circuit for processing said received unique identifying signal as directed by said at least one of said plurality of control programs, which control programs are stored in a first memory circuit, said processing including the generation of a data word that represents the informational content of said unique identifying signal, and said processing further including the generation of an address word that represents a location where said data word is to be stored;

said first memory circuit comprising a removable memory circuit that is coupled to said microprocessor circuit and that is configured for storing program instructions that direction said microprocessor circuit how it is to process said unique identification signal, whereby said first memory circuit can be readily replaced with another memory circuit containing a different processing program; and

a second memory circuit coupled to said microprocessor circuit for storing the data word at a location within said second memory specified by the address word, said location being relatable to the particular transmitting means from which the unique identification signal was received, whereby the identity of the source of said data word can be maintained.

5. The personnel monitoring system of claim 4 wherein said microprocessor circuit includes a real time clock and wherein the address word generated by said microprocessor circuit is further related to the time of receipt of said unique identification signal, whereby the time of receipt of said data word can be maintained as a function of the location within said second memory circuit where said data word is stored.

6. An adaptable personnel monitoring and identification system comprising:

a tag worn by an individual being monitored, said tag including means for transmitting an identification signal and means for receiving an interrogation signal, said tag further including configuration means for selectively configuring said tag in either a transmitting mode or a transponder mode, said identification signal being regularly transmitted by said transmitting means when said tag is configured in said transmitting mode, and said identification signal being transmitted by said transmitting means only in response to receipt of said interrogation signal when said tag is configured in said transponder mode;

a central processing unit in telecommunicative contact with said tag, said central processing unit having a control program selectively stored therein that controls the operation of said central processing unit, said central processing unit further including;

means for generating and transmitting said interrogation signal,

means for receiving said identification signal from said tag, and

means for processing said identification signal in accordance with said control program.

7. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 6 further including a field monitoring unit for relaying the interrogation and identification signals between said central processing unit and said tag, said field monitoring unit being located in an area frequented by the individual wearing the tag who is being monitored.

8. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 7 wherein said field monitoring unit is telecommunicatively coupled to said central processing unit by way of a telephone line.

9. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 7 wherein said field monitoring unit is telecommunicatively coupled to said central processing unit by way of a cellular telephone link.

10. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 7 wherein said field monitoring unit is telecommunicatively coupled to said central processing unit by way of an RF modem.

11. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 7 wherein said field monitoring unit is telecommunicatively coupled to said central processing unit by way of a cable television link.

12. An adaptable personnel monitoring and identification system comprising:

a tag worn by an individual being monitored, said tag including means for transmitting an identification signal and means for receiving an interrogation signal;

a central processing unit in telecommunicative contact with said tag, said central processing unit having a plurality of software program submodules adapted to be transferred thereto and selectively stored therein, each one of said software program submodules comprising a control program that can be used to help control said personnel monitoring and identification system for a particular application, said central processing unit further including;

means for generating and transmitting said interrogation signal,

means for receiving said identification signal from said tag, and

means for processing said identification signal in accordance with at least one of the control programs of said plurality of software program submodules.

13. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 12 wherein said tag further includes

means for sensing a prescribed parameter that identifies an activity in which said individual who is wearing the tag has engaged, and

means for including said sensed parameter within the identification signal that is sent to said CPU.

14. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 13 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag identifies whether the individual has consumed drugs or alcohol.

15. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 13 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag identifies whether the individual is in a horizontal or vertical position.

16. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 13 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag identifies whether the individual is physically active.

17. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 13 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag identifies whether the individual is sleeping.

18. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 12 wherein said tag further includes

means for sensing a prescribed parameter associated with the individual who is wearing the tag, and

means for including said sensed parameter within the identification signal that is sent to said CPU.

19. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 18 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag comprises a parameter that measures skin temperature.

20. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 18 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag comprises a parameter that measures heart rate.

21. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 18 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag comprises a parameter that measures changes in the diameter of a limb of said individual.

22. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 18 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag comprises a parameter that measures the relative content of skin perspiration.

23. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 18 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag comprises a parameter that electronically measures a voice print from said individual.

24. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 18 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag comprises a parameter that electronically measures a fingerprint of said individual.

25. The personnel monitoring and identification system of claim 18 wherein the prescribed parameter that is sensed by said tag comprises a parameter that electronically measures the breath content of said individual to determine if said individual has been drinking alcoholic beverages.

26. An improved adaptable electronic monitoring and identification system comprising a portable tag unit, generator means within said tag unit for periodically generating an identifying signal, receiving means remote from said tag unit for receiving said identifying signal, and processing means coupled to said receiving means for storing and processing the identifying signals received over a prescribed period of time and for generating a report indicating the information contained in said identifying signals, the improvement comprising:

sensor means within said tag unit for sensing a plurality of prescribed parameters associated with the environment of said tag unit;

means within said tag for selectively adapting said sensor means for sensing at least one of said plurality of prescribed parameters associated with the environment of said tag unit, and processing said at least one prescribed parameters to determine if a prescribed condition exists;

means within said tag for including within the generated identifying signal an indication as to whether said prescribed condition exists.

27. The improved adaptable electronic monitoring and identification system of claim 26 wherein said adaptable means includes means for selectively adapting said processing means to process and report the information derived from said sensed parameter in one of a plurality of different manners.