Monitored person tracking system

• US 5,867,103 A
• Filed: 09/10/1997
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michelle Enterprises LLC
• Original Assignee: John E. Taylor Jr
• Inventors: Taylor, John E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US08/926,746
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573, 340/572, 340/539, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/00 Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems

Abstract

A portable monitoring device is provided for each monitored person which secures to a respective monitored person and which has tamper detection means contained therein. The portable monitoring device receives a signal from a detached sending unit and transmits a signal for transfer to a central location. A position reference is arrived at following a mathematical computation. Storage of the position reference may occur within a locational tracking database along with associated occurrence references which identify when the portable monitoring device was at a specific positional location. The locational tracking database will be used as a law enforcement tool. Excluded sites may be designated within the system, which the monitored person may not enter. A dual tracking monitoring enables a restrictor person to be protected from a restrictee person by determining when the restrictee person comes within a predetermined distance measurement from the restrictor person and generating a notification.

Claims

1. A tracking system to provide for locational tracking of a plurality of monitored persons, the tracking system comprising:

a) a portable monitoring device for each of the monitored persons, each portable monitoring device comprising;

1) securing means to provide for secure attachment of the portable monitoring device to a respective monitored person;

2) tamper detection means to provide for detecting tampering with the portable monitoring device attached to the respective monitored person;

3) receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by a detached sending unit;

4) transmitting means to provide for transmission of a signal;

b) transmission acquisition means to provide for receiving the signals sent out by each of the portable monitoring devices;

c) positional determining means to provide for generating a position reference indicative of the positional location of each of the portable monitoring devices based upon the distinct signal received by the respective receiving means;

d) temporal marking means to provide for indicating, within at least a range of temporal references, an associated occurrence reference indicative of when the position reference to the positional location of each of the portable monitoring device occurred; and

e) storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of at least a series of the position references and associated occurrence references of each of the portable monitoring devices of the tracking system,

whereby the tracking system locationally tracks each of the portable monitoring devices and stores within the locational tracking database each of the position references containing information regarding the location of the monitored person and each of the associated occurrence references containing information regarding within at least the range of temporal references when the position reference to the positional location occurred.

2. The tracking system defined in claim 1 wherein the receiving means of the portable monitoring device receives at least one additional distinct signal generated by at least one additional detached sending unit.

3. The tracking system defined in claim 1 wherein the occurrence reference of the temporal marking means is produced by the portable monitoring device and wherein the occurrence reference is transmitted with the signal of the transmitting means of the portable monitoring device.

4. The tracking system defined in claim 1 wherein the position reference of the positional determining means is produced by each respective portable monitoring device and transmitted with the signal of transmitting means of the respective portable monitoring device.

5. A tracking reference system to provide for a historic reference to a locational tracking of a plurality of monitored persons, the tracking reference system comprising:

a) a portable monitoring device for each of the monitored persons, each portable monitoring device comprising;

1) securing means to provide for secure attachment of the portable monitoring device to a respective monitored person;

2) tamper detection means to provide for detecting tampering with the portable monitoring device attached to the respective monitored person;

3) receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by a detached sending unit;

4) transmitting means to provide for transmission of a signal containing at least a position reference;

b) transmission acquisition means to provide for receiving the signals sent out by each of the portable monitoring devices;

c) positional determining means to provide for generating the position reference indicative of a positional location of each of the portable monitoring devices based upon the distinct signal received by the receiving means;

d) temporal marking means to provide for indicating, within at least a range of temporal references, an associated occurrence reference indicative of when the position reference to the positional location of the portable monitoring device occurred;

e) storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of at least a series of the position references and associated occurrence references of each of the portable monitoring devices of the tracking system;

f) comparative reference entry means to provide for entering a comparative location reference and a comparative temporal reference, the comparative location reference having a boundary comprising at least one location reference, the comparative temporal reference having at least a specific temporal reference; and

g) comparison means to provide for comparing the comparative location reference and the comparative temporal reference with the position references and the associated occurrence references of the locational tracking database to determine if any of the monitored persons were within the boundary of the comparative location reference during the comparative temporal reference,

whereby the tracking system locationally tracks each of the portable monitoring devices and stores within the locational tracking database at least the series of the position references containing information regarding the location of the monitored person and the associated occurrence references containing information regarding, within at least the range of temporal references, when the position reference to the positional location occurred and the comparative location reference and the comparative temporal reference may be entered for comparison with the position references and the associated occurrence references stored in the locational tracking database to determine if any of the monitored persons were within the boundary of the comparative location reference during the comparative temporal reference.

6. The tracking reference system defined in claim 5 wherein the receiving means of the portable monitoring device receives at least one additional distinct signal generated by at least one additional detached sending unit.

7. The tracking reference system defined in claim 5 wherein the occurrence reference of the temporal marking means is produced by the portable monitoring device and wherein the occurrence reference is transmitted with the signal of the transmitting means of the portable monitoring device.

8. The tracking reference system defined in claim 5 wherein the position reference of the positional determining means is produced by each respective portable monitoring device and transmitted with the signal of transmitting means of the respective portable monitoring device.

9. A dual tracking monitoring system to provide for locational monitor tracking of at least one pair of monitored persons, the pair of monitored persons having a restrictee person and a restrictor person, the dual tracking monitoring system comprising:

a) a restrictee portable monitoring device for the restrictee person of the pair of monitored persons, the restrictee portable monitoring device comprising;

1) securing means to provide for secure attachment of the restrictee portable monitoring device to the restrictee person;

2) tamper detection means to provide for detection of tampering with the restrictee portable monitoring device attached to the restrictee person;

3) restrictee receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by a detached sending unit;

4) restrictee transmitting means to provide for restrictee transmission of a restrictee signal;

b) a restrictor portable monitoring device for the restrictor person of the pair of monitored persons, the restrictor portable monitoring device comprising;

1) transport means to provide for the restrictor person to transport the restrictor portable monitoring device therewith;

2) restrictor receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by the detached sending unit;

3) restrictor transmitting means to provide for restrictor transmission of a restrictor signal containing at least a restrictor position reference;

c) transmission acquisition means to provide for receiving the restrictee signal and the restrictor signal;

d) restrictee positional determining means to provide for generating a restrictee position reference indicative of the restrictee positional location of the restrictee portable monitoring device;

e) restrictor positional determining means to provide for generating a restrictor position reference indicative of the restrictor positional location of the restrictor portable monitoring device;

f) comparison means to provide for comparing the restrictee position reference and the restrictor position reference subsequent to the transmission acquisition means receiving the restrictee signal and the restrictor signal; and

g) notification means to provide for generating a notification in the event that the restrictee position reference and the restrictor position reference are within a predetermined distance measurement range;

h) temporal marking means to provide for indicating within at least a range of temporal references an associative restrictee occurrence reference indicative of when the restrictee receiving means received the distinct signal; and

i) storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of at least a series of the restrictee position references and associative restrictee occurrence references,

whereby the dual tracking monitoring system locationally monitors the restrictee person and the restrictor person and generates the notification in the event that the restrictee person and the restrictor person are within the predetermined distance measurement range.

10. A dual tracking monitoring system to provide for locational monitor tracking of at least one pair of monitored persons, the pair of monitored persons having a restrictee person and a restrictor person, the dual tracking monitoring system comprising:

a) a restrictee portable monitoring device for the restrictee person of the pair of monitored persons, the restrictee portable monitoring device comprising;

1) securing means to provide for secure attachment of the restrictee portable monitoring device to the restrictee person;

2) tamper detection means to provide for detection of tampering with the restrictee portable monitoring device attached to the restrictee person;

3) restrictee receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by a detached sending unit;

4) restrictee transmitting means to provide for restrictee transmission of a restrictee signal;

b) a restrictor portable monitoring device for the restrictor person of the pair of monitored persons, the restrictor portable monitoring device comprising;

1) transport means to provide for the restrictor person to transport the restrictor portable monitoring device therewith;

2) restrictor receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by the detached sending unit;

3) restrictor transmitting means to provide for restrictor transmission of a restrictor signal containing at least a restrictor position reference;

c) transmission acquisition means to provide for receiving the restrictee signal and the restrictor signal;

d) restrictee positional determining means to provide for generating a restrictee position reference indicative of the restrictee positional location of the restrictee portable monitoring device;

e) restrictor positional determining means to provide for generating a restrictor position reference indicative of the restrictor positional location of the restrictor portable monitoring device;

f) comparison means to provide for comparing the restrictee position reference and the restrictor position reference subsequent to the transmission acquisition means receiving the restrictee signal and the restrictor signal; and

g) notification means to provide for generating a notification in the event that the restrictee position reference and the restrictor position reference are within a predetermined distance measurement range;

h) restrictee temporal marking means to provide for indicating within at least a range of restrictee temporal references an associative restrictee occurrence reference indicative of when the restrictee receiving means received the distinct signal;

i) restrictor temporal marking means to provide for indicating within at least a range of restrictor temporal references an associative restrictor occurrence reference indicative of when the restrictor receiving means received the distinct signal; and

j) storage means to provide for an archival retention of data within a locational tracking database, the archival retention occurring at least during those time periods when the restrictee position reference and the restrictor position reference are within the predetermined distance measurement range, the data comprising;

1) the restrictee position references;

2) the associative restrictee occurrence references;

3) the restrictor position references;

4) the associative restrictor occurrence references,

whereby the dual tracking monitoring system locationally monitors the restrictee person and the restrictor person and generates the notification in the event that the restrictee person and the restrictor person are within the predetermined distance measurement range.