Personnel locator system

• US 4,990,892 A
• Filed: 08/07/1989
• Issued: 02/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wesco Incorporated (HF HOLDINGS INC)
• Original Assignee: Westcom
• Inventors: Fredrickson, Dennis K., Laney, Leslie C., Guest, Barnie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mullen, Jr., Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US07/396,895
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573, 340/825.49, 340/825.63, 340/825.69, 455/618-619, 370/32
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems

Abstract

A personnel locator system for monitoring the locations of classes of pernel. Members of classes of personnel carry portable, infrared transmitters which transmit pulse trains during discrete burst periods. Transmitters carried by members of different classes of personnel transmit pulse trains of different, predetermined frequencies to identify the classes, and transmit the pulse trains during distinct burst periods to prevent phase synchronization between pulse trains transmitted by the different transmitters. Infrared receivers are positioned to receive the transmitted pulse trains in order to monitor the continued presence locations of the members of the classes of personnel. The system utilizes pulse trains having pulses of short pulse widths during a relatively long time period in order to allow increased battery life while transmitting at high energy levels to saturate the area of reception. The pulses are of less than 40 microseconds during a 55 millisecond time frame.

Claims

1. A personnel locator system installable on a premises comprising at least one portable communication unit adapted to be carried by an individual and monitored at appropriate locations about the premises, said system including:

means for generating pulses defining a pulse train wherein said pulses occur at a predetermined frequency;

means for determining discrete time intervals defining burst periods, wherein groups of said burst periods define a burst spectrum;

infrared means for transmitting said pulse train generated by said means for generating pulses during selected ones of said burst periods; and

means responsive to said pulse train transmitted during said selected ones of the burst periods for producing a signal responsive thereto.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for generating pulses includes a multivibrator means for generating a pulse train having square wave pulses occurring at said predetermined frequencies.

3. The system of claim 2 further including a pulse shaping means coupled to receive said pulse train generated by the multivibrator means for shaping the pulses of the pulse train into pulses having precisely defined pulse widths.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for determining defines ten burst periods per burst spectrum.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said means for transmitting transmits said pulse train for two burst periods during each burst spectrum.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the pulse widths of the pulse train shaped by the pulse shaping means are of five microseconds for minimizing power consumption.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein each burst period is of fifty-five milliseconds in duration

8. The system of claim 7 wherein eight or fewer of the pulses shaped by the pulse shaping means are transmitted during one burst period.

9. The system of claim 4 including a plurality of said portable communication units wherein said plurality of portable communication units are grouped into classes, said classes being defined by the predetermined frequencies of the pulse train generated by the means for generating pulses of each of the plurality of portable communication units.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for transmitting of each portable communication unit transmits said pulse train for two burst periods during each burst spectrum, said burst periods being selected such that the communication units of different ones of said classes transmit said pulse trains for nonidentical burst periods.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said means responsive to said pulse train includes a plurality of discrete receivers, each of said discrete receivers defining a separate defined reception range about a premises, wherein reception of said pulse train by a receiver indicates the presence of a portable communication unit within the location defined by the reception range thereof, and wherein the predetermined frequency of the pulse train identifies the class of portable communication unit.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting said periodic signal includes infrared light emitters.

13. The system of claim 12 further including means for powering said infrared light emitters, said means for powering including a battery connected in parallel with a capacitor.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said battery generates a current for charging the capacitor and wherein discharge of the capacitor powers the infrared emitters such that the infrared emitters operate at high intensity levels during said discharge.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said means responsive to said pulse train includes infrared detectors for detecting infrared emitted by said infrared emitters.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said means responsive to said pulse train generates a signal in response to those times in which transmission of said pulse train is detected.

17. The system of claim 16 further including a central recording means coupled to receive said signal generated by the means responsive to said pulse train for recording those times in which said pulse train is detected.

18. The system of claim 16 further including an annunciating means coupled to receive said signal generated by the means responsive to said pulse train for annunciating those times in which said pulse train is detected.

19. The system of claim 16 further including a control means coupled to receive said signal generated by the means responsive to said pulse train for providing control functions responsive to those times in which transmission of said pulse train is detected.

20. A registry system for maintaining a registry of the locations of defined classes of personnel, said registry system including:

a portable transmitter carried by each of the members of each of the defined classes of personnel, each portable transmitter including means for generating pulses defining a pulse train, wherein said pulses occur at a predetermined frequency, said predetermined frequency identifying the portable transmitter carried by the members of each of the classes;

means for determining discrete time intervals defining burst periods wherein groups of said burst periods form a burst spectrum; and

a transmitting means for transmitting said pulse train during selected ones of said burst periods wherein the predetermined frequency defining the pulse train generated by each portable transmitter carried by members of each of the defined classes of personnel has values for differentiating between said classes of personnel;

receiving means comprised of a plurality of spaced-apart discrete receivers, each of said discrete receivers having a defined reception range, for receiving said pulse trains generated by the portable transmitters when any of said transmitters is within the defined reception range of individual ones of the discrete receivers; and

central recording means coupled to the receiving means for recording those times in which a particular discrete receiver receives pulse train generated by a portable transmitter to thereby register the location of a member of a class of personnel carrying the transmitter.

21. The registry system of claim 20 wherein said transmitting means of the portable transmitter includes infrared emitters.

22. The registry system of claim 21 wherein said spaced-apart discrete receivers comprising said receiving means include infrared detectors for detecting infrared generated by the infrared emitters.

23. The registry system of claim 21 further including a power means comprised of a battery and a capacitor connected in a parallel connection.

24. The registry system of claim 23 wherein said battery generates a current for charging a capacitor and wherein discharge of the capacitor powers the infrared emitters such that the infrared emitters operate at high energy levels during such discharge.

25. The registry system of claim 20 wherein said means for generating pulses includes a multivibrator means for generating square wave pulse trains of desired frequencies and pulse shaping means coupled to receive said pulse trains for shaping individual pulses of the pulse trains into pulses of precisely defined pulse widths

26. A personnel locator system installable on a premises comprising at least one portable communication unit adapted to be carried by an individual and monitored at appropriate locations about the premises, said system including:

multivibrator means for generating a pulse train having square wave pulses occurring at predetermined frequencies;

pulse shaping means coupled to receive said pulse train generated by the multivibrator means for shaping the pulses of the pulse train into pulses having pulse widths of five microseconds;

means for determining discrete time intervals defining burst periods of fifty-five milliseconds in duration, wherein groups of ten burst periods define a burst spectrum;

infrared emitters for transmitting said pulses of the pulse train during two of said burst periods of each burst spectrum;

means for powering said infrared emitters, said means for powering including a battery connected in parallel with a capacitor, wherein said battery generates a current for charging the capacitor, and wherein discharge of the capacitor powers the infrared emitters such that the infrared emitters operate at high intensity levels during said discharge;

infrared detectors for detecting infrared emitted by the infrared emitters;

means for generating a signal in response to those times in which said infrared detectors detect transmission of the pulse train; and

annunciating means coupled to receive said signal generated by said means for annunciating those times in which said pulse train is detected.

27. The system of claim 26 further including a central recording means coupled to receive said signal generated by the means for generating for recording those times in which said pulse train is detected.

28. The system of claim 27 further including a control means coupled to receive said signal generated by the means for generating for providing control functions responsive to those times in which transmission of said pulse train is detected.

29. The system of claim 28 including a plurality of said portable communication units wherein said plurality of portable communication units are grouped into classes, said classes being defined by the predetermined frequencies of the pulse train generated by the multivibrator means of each of the plurality of portable communication units.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said infrared emitters of each portable communication unit transmit said pulse train for said two burst periods during each burst spectrum, wherein said two burst periods are selected such that the communication units of different ones of said classes transmit said pulse trains for nonidentical burst periods.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said infrared detectors are coupled to a plurality of discrete receivers, each of said discrete receivers defining a separate defined reception range about a premises, wherein reception of said pulse train by an infrared detector coupled to a receiver indicates the presence of a portable communication unit within the location defined by the reception range thereof, and wherein the predetermined frequency of the pulse train identifies the class of portable communication unit.

32. An infrared transmitter including:

means for generating pulses defining a pulse train wherein said pulses occur at a predetermined frequency;

means for determining discrete time intervals defining burst periods, wherein groups of said burst periods define a burst spectrum; and

infrared means for transmitting said pulse train generated by said means for generating pulses during selected ones of said burst periods.