Portable locating system

• US 5,389,934 A
• Filed: 06/21/1993
• Issued: 02/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carole Kass
• Original Assignee: Business Edge Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Kass, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/078,637
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357
• US Class Current: 342/357.34
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable tracking system that includes one or more portable units for determining their respective locations and communicating it to another unit or to a remote telephone unit. Each unit includes a global positioning system GPS for determining latitude and longitude, a micro-computer, a cellular telephone, and a digital data to voice for converter and batteries.

Claims

1. A portable tracking system, comprising:

a) at least first and second portable tracking units for communicating with each other to monitor and track each other as they each change location, said first and second portable tracking units each including an electronic calculator for converting latitude and longitude information to the distance and direction between said first and second units, and each of said first and second units including a visual display for displaying an arrow pointing in the direction of the other unit, and for displaying the distance between said first and second units;

b) a global positioning system for determining the latitude and longitude of said system as it changes location in response to a telephone call from a remote telephone unit in said second portable tracking unit;

c) a memory unit for storing location information in digital data form supplied by said global positioning system;

d) a clock for supplying time and date information to said system;

e) a micro-computer for controlling the operation of said system;

f) cellular telephone equipment for communicating with said remote telephone unit via a telephone network for transmitting said location information in voice form and for triggering said global positioning system;

g) means for converting digital data from said global positioning system to voice form for responding via said cellular telephone equipment to a telephone call from said remote telephone unit to provide location information, including latitude and longitude, in voice form to the person calling on said remote telephone unit;

h) batteries for supplying power to said system; and

i) said entire system being portable so as to be carried by a person or vehicle to be located.

2. A portable tracking system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said memory unit receives information from said GPS system to record the history of travel of said system.

3. A portable tracking system in accordance with claim 1, further including a memory unit containing address information corresponding to said latitude and longitude information.

4. A portable tracking system in accordance with claim 1, further including a computer modem for transmitting and receiving data via a telephone network.

5. A portable tracking system in accordance with claim 1, further including means for sensing and storing temperature information of the vehicle in a memory unit.

6. A portable tracking system, comprising:

a) at least first and second portable tracking units for communicating with each other to monitor and track each other as they each change location, at least one of said first and second portable tracking units including an electronic calculator for converting latitude and longitude information to the distance and direction between said first and second units, and at least one of said first and second units including a visual display for displaying an arrow pointing in the direction of the other unit, and for displaying the distance between said first and second units;

b) a global positioning system for determining the latitude and longitude of said system as it changes location in response to a telephone call from a remote telephone unit in said second portable tracking unit;

c) a memory unit for storing location information in digital data form supplied by said global positioning system;

d) a clock for supplying time and date information to said system;

e) a micro-computer for controlling the operation of said system;

f) cellular telephone equipment for communicating with said remote telephone unit via a telephone network for transmitting said location information in voice form and for triggering said global positioning system;

g) means for converting digital data from said global positioning system to voice form for responding via said cellular telephone equipment to a telephone call from said remote telephone unit to provide location information, including latitude and longitude, in voice form to the person calling on said remote telephone unit;

h) batteries for supplying power to said system; and

i) said entire system being portable so as to be carried by a person or vehicle to be located.

7. A portable tracking system in accordance with claim 6, further including a memory unit for storing location information supplied by said global positioning system.