Personal security system with guard tour features

• US 5,572,192 A
• Filed: 03/17/1994
• Issued: 11/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Detection Systems, Inc. (IKUSI - Angel Iglesias SA)
• Original Assignee: Detection Systems, Inc. (IKUSI - Angel Iglesias SA)
• Inventors: Berube, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/214,276
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573-74, 340/311.1, 340/825.44, 340/539, 340/825.49, 340/306, 340/305, 340/287, 379/49, 455/88-90, 455/95, 455/49.1, 455/53.1
• US Class Current: 340/574
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/20 Checking timed patrols, e.g. of watchman
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• 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

Abstract

A personal security system including features for monitoring guard tours and other surveillance by security personnel. The security system includes a plurality of hand-portable transmitters, a plurality of fixed receivers and a control station. The transmitters are actuated to emit radio frequency signals including a class code that identifies first and second sets of the transmitters. The first set is assigned to security personnel and the second set to system subscribers. The receivers decode the signals from the transmitters and provide an output representing the receiver and the received class code. The control station identifies the location of the transmission using information from the receiver output, and records the time of the transmission. If the class code represents a security-assigned transmitter, the control station reports the information as a security function, such as a guard tour. If the class code represents a subscriber, the control station initiates actions appropriate for a subscriber transmission.

Claims

1. A personal security system comprising:

a plurality of hand-portable devices for transmitting radio frequency signals, said signals including a code identifying first and second sets of said hand-portable devices, respectively;

a plurality of fixed devices for receiving said radio frequency signals, said fixed devices

     1) decoding said signals to identify said first and second sets, respectively, and

     2) registering the strengths of the received signals; and

,

means using only a strongest of the received signals for locating a respective hand-portable device in said first set and using the received signals at a plurality of said fixed devices for locating a respective hand-portable device in said second set.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said locating means records time of day when said hand-portable devices in said first set transmit said signals.

3. A personal security system for use by subscribers and security personnel, said system comprising:

a plurality of transmitters assigned to said subscribers and said security personnel, each of said transmitters including means for transmitting a radio frequency signal including a code uniquely identifying the respective transmitter;

a plurality of fixed devices in predetermined locations, each fixed device including means for receiving and decoding the signals from said transmitters and for recording the strengths of the received signals;

means for identifying the fixed devices receiving said signals to locate said transmitters of said signals; and

,

means using said unique codes for differentiating between said transmitters assigned to said subscribers and said transmitters assigned to said security personnel, said last mentioned means a) locating respective ones of said transmitters assigned to subscribers using said recorded signal strengths at multiple said fixed devices and b) locating respective ones of said transmitters assigned to security personnel using said recorded signal strengths to identify a single said fixed device.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein said differentiating means adds said location of transmitters assigned to security personnel to a guard tour record.