Drive-by personnel monitoring system with radio link

• US 5,103,474 A
• Filed: 05/08/1990
• Issued: 04/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digital Products Corp.
• Original Assignee: Digital Products Corp.
• Inventors: Davies, Ronald C., Stoodley, Veronica
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Application Number:
  US07/532,054
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 379/38, 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 379/63, 340/573
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A personnel monitoring system for monitoring presence or absence of particular individuals at preassigned monitoring locations. A local unit is provided at each monitoring location for detecting presence or absence. Each local unit is arranged for short range radio communication with a mobile unit, so that the presence or absence information from the local units may be obtained by brining the mobile unit into proximity with the various local units, as by an officer traveling near the various monitoring location in series. Each local unit may include the base unit of a standard cordless telephone, whereas the mobile unit may include the portable unit of such a telephone. The system desirably provides intercom communication between the mobile unit and the local unit when selected by the monitoring officer, so that the officer can communicate with the monitored person as desired.

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 one of said monitoring locations and associated with a person to be monitored at that location, each said local unit including detector means for determining the presence or absence of the associated person to be monitored and providing presence information accordingly, each said local unit including activation signal receiving mean for receiving a preselected activation signal transmitted through free space and report signal sending means connected to said detector means and to said receiver means for transmitting a report signal bearing said presence information through free space only in response to receipt of said activation signal; and

(b) a mobile unit including activation signal sending means for sending said activation signal through free space and report signal receiving means for detecting said report signal and recovering said presence information, whereby presence information regarding all of the persons to be monitored can be recovered by bringing said mobile unit within range of all of said monitoring locations seriatim and sending said activation signal while said mobile unit is within range of each said monitoring location.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said activation signal sending means is selectively operable.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said report signal sending means is operative to send a first report signal when said presence information indicates that the person to be monitored is present and a second report signal different from said first report signal when said presence information indicates that the person to be monitored is absent, whereby receipt of either said first report signal or said second report signal by said report signal receiving means indicates that the local unit is within range of the monitoring location and that said activation signal sending means, activation signal receiving means, report signal sending means and report signal receiving means are operative.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising mobile unit indicator means on said mobile unit for providing a perceptible indication at the mobile unit of the presence information recovered from each said report signal.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mobile unit further comprises selectively operable warning signal sending means for sending a warning signal through free space and wherein each said local unit further includes warning signal receiving means for providing a perceptible indication upon receipt of said warning signal.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said local unit further includes selectively operable contact request means for altering said report signal in response to actuation of said contact request means by the person to be monitored and wherein said mobile unit includes means for detecting such alteration and providing a perceptible indication thereof.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said local unit includes a radio receiver adapted to receive radio frequency signals bearing audio frequency information and recover said audio frequency information therefrom and a radio transmitter adapted to accept audio frequency information and transmit a radio frequency signal bearing said audio frequency information.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said mobile unit includes a mobile unit radio transmitter for accepting audio frequency signals and transmitting a radio frequency signal bearing said audio frequency signals and a mobile unit radio receiver for detecting radio signals bearing audio frequency information and recovering the audio frequency signals therefrom.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said detector means in each said local unit includes means for providing said presence information an audio frequency presence signal to the radio transmitter of that local unit, said report signal receiving means of said mobile unit including means for accepting audio frequency signals from said mobile unit radio receiver, detecting said audio frequency presence signal and discriminating between different audio frequency presence signals conveying different presence information.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said mobile unit further includes a mobile unit handset connected to said mobile unit radio receiver and mobile unit radio transmitter.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein each said local unit includes connection means for coupling the radio transmitter and receiver of that local unit to a telephone line at the monitoring location for transmission of audio frequency signals therebetween upon receipt of a line-connect signal by the receiver, and wherein said mobile unit includes selectively operable line signal means for actuating said mobile unit radio transmitter to send said line-connect signal, whereby said mobile unit handset may be connected to a telephone line through said mobile unit radio transmitter, said local unit radio receiver, said local unit radio transmitter and said mobile unit radio receiver upon operation of said line signal means.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said mobile unit further includes dialing input means for accepting manual entry of digits, generating digit signals responsive to the entered digits and passing said digit signals to said mobile unit radio transmitter, said radio receiver of each said local unit including means for recovering said digit signals.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said line-connect signal includes one or more preselected digit signals, said line signal means of said mobile unit including said dialing input means.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein each said local unit further includes a local unit handset, and intercom connect means responsive to reception of a predetermined intercom connect signal for connecting said local unit handset to said local unit radio transmitter and said local unit radio receiver, so that said local unit handset will be linked to said mobile unit handset for voice communication therebetween, said mobile unit further comprising selectively operable intercom connect signal means for activating said mobile unit radio transmitter to send said intercom connect signal.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said mobile unit further includes dialing input means for accepting manual entry of digits, generating digit signals responsive to the entered digits, generating digit signals responsive to the entered digits and passing said digit signals to said mobile unit radio transmitter, said radio receiver of each said local unit including means for recovering said digit signals, said intercom connect signal including one or more preselected digit signals, said intercom connect signal means of said mobile unit including said dialing input means.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein each said local unit includes means for connecting said local unit handset to a telephone line at the monitoring location and means for inhibiting operation of said intercom connect means while said local unit handset is in use with the telephone line.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detector means includes a tag signal receiver at said local unit for receiving a preselected ratio frequency tag signal and providing said presence information to indicate that the person to be monitored is absent if said tag signal is not received.