Personal alarm device
First Claim
1. A method of providing the location of a device to a remote site, wherein the device includes a transmitter and a receiver, comprising the steps of:
- (a) establishing a connection with the remote site using the transmitter, wherein the connection is established on a cellular frequency;
(b) receiving position location signals with the receiver, the signals being GPS signals modified for transmission at a cellular frequency and combined with cellular communication control data from a cellular signal and from a cellular site controller;
(c) communicating device location data to the remote site over the cellular frequency connection, wherein the device location data is derived from the position location signals;
(d) terminating the cellular connection after step (d); and
(e) periodically repeating steps (a)-(e), such that the connection is discontinuous and the device location data is intermittently communicated to the remote site.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A self-contained personal alarm device capable of signaling its location to a remote site such as a security station. The personal alarm device includes a housing enclosing a controller, an antenna, a cellular transmitter and a cellular receiver. The controller is coupled to the transmitter and receiver, which are in turn coupled to the antenna. The controller controls the transmitter and the receiver to receive position location signals such as Global Positioning System signals (GPS), establish a cellular connection with a remote site, and transmit device location data to the remote site on the cellular connection, wherein the device location data indicates the location of the device. The cellular connection is established via a cellular telecommunication network that includes an array of cell base stations. The GPS signals are transmitted to the device over the cellular network by providing each cell base station with a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) receiver. Using the DGPS receivers, GPS signals are repeated over the cellular network.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method of providing the location of a device to a remote site, wherein the device includes a transmitter and a receiver, comprising the steps of:
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(a) establishing a connection with the remote site using the transmitter, wherein the connection is established on a cellular frequency; (b) receiving position location signals with the receiver, the signals being GPS signals modified for transmission at a cellular frequency and combined with cellular communication control data from a cellular signal and from a cellular site controller; (c) communicating device location data to the remote site over the cellular frequency connection, wherein the device location data is derived from the position location signals; (d) terminating the cellular connection after step (d); and (e) periodically repeating steps (a)-(e), such that the connection is discontinuous and the device location data is intermittently communicated to the remote site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A self-contained personal location device capable of signaling its location to a remote site, comprising:
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(a) a housing; (b) an antenna enclosed within the housing; (c) a transmitter and a receiver, each coupled to the antenna and enclosed within the housing; (d) a controller, coupled to the transmitter and receiver, for controlling the transmitter and the receiver to receive position location signals, to establish a cellular connection with a remote site on a cellular frequency, and transmit device location data to the remote site on the cellular connection, wherein the device location data is derived from the position location signals, wherein there are means provided for use by the personal location device, such means being means for modifying GPS signals for transmission at the cellular frequency as the position location signals, and means for combining cellular communication control data with the modified GPS signals, and means for transmitting the modified GPS signal on the cellular frequency to the personal location device. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A self-contained personal location device capable of signaling its location to a remote site, comprising:
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(a)a housing; (b) an antenna enclosed within the housing; (c) a transmitter and a receiver, each coupled to the antenna and enclosed within the housing; (d) a controller, coupled to the transmitter and receiver, for controlling the transmitter and the receiver to receive position location signals, to establish a cellular connection with a remote site on a cellular frequency, and transmit device location data to the remote site on the cellular connection, wherein the device location data is derived from the position location signals;
wherein the housing has a volume on the order of 50 to 100 cubic centimeters; andwherein there are means provided for use by the personal location device, such means being means for modifying GPS signals for transmission at the cellular frequency; means for combining cellular communication control data with the modified GPS signal; and means for transmitting the modified GPS signals on the cellular frequency to the personal location device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 33, 34)
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26. A self-contained personal location device capable of signaling its location to a remote site, comprising:
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(a) a housing; (b) an antenna enclosed within the housing; (c) a transmitter and a receiver, each coupled to the antenna and enclosed within the housing; (d) a controller, coupled to the transmitter and receiver, for controlling the transmitter and the receiver to receive position location signals, to establish a cellular connection with a remote site on a cellular frequency, and transmit device location data to the remote site on the cellular connection, wherein the device location data is derived from the position location signals; and (e) a vibrator coupled to the controller, wherein the vibrator and the controller are configured to vibrate the device after the transmission of the received position location signal to the remote site; and wherein there are means provided for use by the personal location device, such means being means for modifying GPS signals for transmission at the cellular frequency, means for combining cellular communication control data with the modified GPS signals, and means for transmitting the modified GPS signals on the cellular frequency to the personal location device.
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27. A personal location system capable of signaling the location of an object to a remote station, comprising:
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a network of cellular base stations, each base station having a transmitter for transmitting a modified Global Positioning System (GPS) signal over a cellular frequency and means for combining the modified cellular GPS signals with cellular communication control data; a location signaling device associated with the object, including; a cellular transmitter and a cellular receiver; and a controller coupled to the transmitter and receiver, the controller configured to control the transmitter and the receiver to receive the modified cellular GPS signals, establish a cellular connection with the remote station, and transmit device location data to the remote station over the cellular connection, wherein the device location data is derived from the modified GPS signals; wherein the remote station includes a computing device configured to receive the device location data from the location signaling device to compute the location coordinates of the position signaling device using the device location data. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A personal location system capable of signaling the location of an object to a remote station, comprising:
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a network of cellular base stations, each base station having a transmitter for transmitting a modified Global Positioning System (GPS) signal over a cellular frequency; a location signaling device associated with the object, including; (a) a cellular transmitter and a cellular receiver; and (b) a controller coupled to the transmitter and receiver, the controller configured to control the transmitter and the receiver to receive the cellular GPS signals, establish a modified cellular connection with the remote station, and transmit device location data to the remote station over the cellular connection, wherein the device location data is derived from the GPS signals; wherein the remote station includes a computing device configured to receive the device location data from the location signaling device, and compute the location coordinates of the position signaling device using the device data; wherein each cellular base station includes a differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) receiver coupled to an antenna and the transmitter, the DGPS receiving GPS satellite signals and repeating the satellite signals over a cellular frequency; and wherein each cellular base station includes a data combiner coupled between the DGPS receiver and the transmitter, wherein the data combiner combines the GPS signal with cellular communication control data such that the control data and the GPS signal may be transmitted over the same cellular frequency channel. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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35. A method of providing the location of a device to a remote site, wherein the device includes a transmitter and a receiver, comprising the steps of:
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(a) establishing a connection with the remote site using the transmitter, wherein the connection is established on a cellular frequency; (b) receiving position location signals with the receiver, the signals being GPS signals modified for transmission at a cellular frequency; (c) communicating device location data to the remote site over the cellular frequency connection, wherein the device location data is derived from the position location signals; (d) modifying the GPS signal for transmission on a cellular frequency channel; (e) combining cellular communication control data from a cellular signal and from a cellular site controller; and (f) subsequently transmitting the modified GPS signal on the cellular radio frequency. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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Specification