Remote mobile monitoring and communication system

• US 5,870,029 A
• Filed: 07/08/1996
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Otto, James C., Holt, Brian P., Stewart, Arthur L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERZ, EDWARD W
• Application Number:
  US08/676,503
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.36, 340/825.31, 340/573, 340/825.06, 340/825.54, 340/825.49, 340/572, 340/539, 340/568, 340/525, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring the location and/or presence of an object/person within a desired area includes a mobile base station, a central control center, a mobile signaling device carried by the monitored object/person, and a geolocating means. The mobile base station may be transported to an arbitrary site and retains the monitored object/person within a desired area. The central control center determines the acceptability of the location of the monitored object/person and may raise an alarm condition when the monitored object/person is not within the desired area.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring an entity'"'"'s location and for indicating that the entity has left a defined area around the location, the system comprising:

a mobile base for establishing a center from which the defined area is defined, said base comprising,

a portable power source so that said base may be transported,

first proximity means for indicating that the entity has left the defined area, and

means for transmitting the location of said base determined by a geolocating device and the indication that the entity has left the defined area provided by said first proximity means;

a tag for being carried by the entity comprising second proximity means operable with said first proximity means for setting a size of the defined area and determining that the entity has left the defined area; and

,

said geolocating device for determining a location of said base and for providing the location to said base; and

,

a control center for monitoring the location of said base and for providing an indication that the entity has left the defined area, said control center comprising,

means for receiving transmissions from said base,

means for selectivity displaying the location of said base, and

an alarm for indicating receipt of the indication that the entity has left the defined area.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for selectively varying the size of the defined area set by said first and second proximity means from said control center.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for selectively varying the size of the defined area set by said first and second proximity means from said base.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for selectively varying the size of the defined area set by said first and second proximity means from said tag.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting and said means for receiving comprise a computer network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said base further comprises a means for determining the distance between said base and said tag.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein

said base furthers comprises a means for transmitting the distance between said base and said tag to said tag, and said tag further comprises a means for indicating said distance to allow said entity carrying said tag to monitor the distance between said base and said tag.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said tag further comprises means for selectively causing said base to transmit to said control center to allow said entity to signal said control center.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein

said control center further comprises an alarm for indicating receipt of said signal transmission initiated by said entity and

said base further comprises an alarm for indicating the tag has initiated a signal transmission to the control center.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein

said control center further comprises means for selectively causing said base to transmit to said tag to allow said control center to signal said entity carrying said tag and

said tag further comprises an alarm for indicating receipt of said signal transmission initiated by said control center.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said geolocating device is at said mobile base.

12. A system for ascertaining whether an entity is within a defined area centered on a mobile base, said mobile base comprising:

a portable first power source so that said base may be transported,

a geolocating device for determining the present location of said base,

first proximity means for ascertaining whether the entity is within the defined area, said first proximity means being operable with a second proximity means carried by the entity for setting a size of the defined area and ascertaining whether the entity is within the defined area; and

means for transmitting the location of said base determined by said geolocating device and an indication of whether the entity is within the defined area provided by said first proximity means.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a control center for monitoring the location of said base and for providing an indication that the entity is not within the defined area, said control center comprising,

means for receiving transmissions from said base,

means for selectively displaying the location of said base, and

an alarm for indicating receipt of the indication that the entity is not within the defined area.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said control center further comprises means for varying the size of the defined area set by said first and second proximity means.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said base further comprises means for varying the size of the defined area set by said first and second proximity means.

16. The system of claim 12 further comprising a second power source to provide said base with an alternative power source.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the base further comprises

an alarm activated upon the first proximity means ascertaining the entity is not within the defined area and

a means for transmitting a notification signal to the second proximity means.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said means for transmitting a notification signal to said second means is responsive to said first proximity means.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said means for transmitting a notification signal to said second means is responsive to said base.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein said means for transmitting a notification signal to said second means is responsive to said control center.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein said first proximity means includes a means for determining the distance between said mobile base and said second proximity means.

22. A remote monitor operating with a central site and a mobile transceiver to provide supervising and communicating functions, the remote monitor comprising:

a portable power source so that said monitor may be mobile;

a communication section comprising,

means for receiving information concerning the location of said monitor,

means for transmitting information to and receiving information from said central site,

means for transmitting information to and receiving information from said transceiver;

a processing section comprising,

means for determining the location of said monitor from said information concerning the location of said monitor and for causing said communication section to transmit said location to said central site to allow the central site to supervise said monitor'"'"'s location,

means for operably transmitting information to and receiving information from said transceiver and therefrom determining the distance between said monitor and said transceiver in order to supervise the distance between said monitor and said transceiver,

means for determining the status of said transceiver from information received from said transceiver in order to permit said transceiver to communicate status reports to said monitor,

means operable with said transceiver for setting a reference distance between said monitor and said transceiver in order to establish a distance of supervision between said monitor and said transceiver,

means for establishing whether said transceiver is located within said reference distance and for causing said communication section to transmit said information to said central site so that said monitor may communication whether said transceiver is within said established distance of supervision with said central site.

23. The monitor of claim 22 further comprising an alarm section operably connected to said processing section, wherein the a first alarm activates responsive to the processor section determining the transceiver is not within said distance of supervision.

24. The monitor of claim 22 wherein the processor section further comprises a selectably enabled means to cause the communications section to send a signal to said transceiver upon determining said transceiver is not within said distance of supervision in order to communicate to said transceiver the distance between said transceiver and said monitor has exceeded said distance of supervision.

25. The monitor of claim 22, wherein the processor section further comprises means for causing the communication section to transmit said transceiver status reports to said central site.

26. The monitor of claim 22, wherein, upon the central site sending a message that it desires to communicate with the transceiver, the processor section further comprises means for determining the nature of said message and for causing the communication section to transmit said nature of said message to said transceiver.