Method and device for detecting and locating people buried E. G. under an avalanche

• US 5,955,982 A
• Filed: 02/06/1998
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asteelflash Europe (Asteelflash Group)
• Original Assignee: Opticonn Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Moulin, Jean Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US09/019,739
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 342/22, 342/146, 342/419, 340/573, 340/539
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 29/021 Means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/104 using several coupled or uncoupled coils G01V3/101 takes precedence

Abstract

To search for an avalanche victim wearing a radio transmitter continually transmitting at a standardized frequency, the method according to the invention comprises: a victim detection phase during which a rescue worker wearing a receiver methodically covers the zone snowed in by the avalanche during which time the receiver detects the moments when the amplitude of the signal received is greater than a lower threshold, a phase of directional search for the victim during which the rescue worker rotates with the receiver while the latter detects the moments when the amplitude of the signal received is at the maximum, and signals these moments to the rescue worker who is then pointed towards the victim, a phase during which the rescue worker advances towards the victim, during which the receiver checks that the amplitude of the signal remains at the maximum, and detects the moments when the amplitude of the signal received exceeds an upper threshold.

Claims

1. A method for guiding a rescue worker, carrying a radio receiver device for receiving signals at a standardized frequency, searching for an avalanche victim wearing a radio transmitter device continually transmitting signals in the form of electromagnetic waves at said standardized frequency, said signals received by said receiver device being analyzed by a processor coupled to receiving means of said receiver device, the method comprising successively:

a detection phase consisting in detecting presence of the transmitter device worn by the victim, during which the rescue worker methodically covers the zone snowed in by the avalanche with said receiver device, this phase comprising comparing amplitude of signals received by the receiver device with a lower threshold, and controlling a first signaling means to indicate to the rescue worker whether or not the signals received exceeds the lower threshold,

a directional search phase consisting of a directional searching for the victim, during which the rescue worker rotates the receiver device about a substantially vertical axis, this phase comprising measuring the amplitudes of the signals received by said receiver device in at least two directions, comparing said amplitudes with one another to determine a victim direction, and controlling a second signaling means to indicate to the rescue worker whether or not said receiver device is in a victim direction, in order to indicate the rescue worker whether or not he is headed in the victim direction,

an advancing phase consisting in the rescue worker advancing towards the victim, comprising measuring the amplitudes of the signals received to determine whether or not said receiver device is in said victim direction, while controlling said second signaling means, comparing the amplitude of the signal received with an upper threshold, and controlling a third signaling means to indicate the rescue worker whether or not the signal received exceeds the upper threshold.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection phase further comprises automatic setting sensitivity of the receiver device to a maximum, while the directional search and advancing phases comprise automatic setting the sensitivity of the receiver device in order for the amplitude of the signals received to remain within a predetermined range of values.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising subsequent to the transmitter device detection phase, a synchronization and learning phase during which the receiver device synchronizes itself with the signals received and determines a periodic time window in which said signals are received, said directional search and advancing phases only taking measurements during this periodic time window.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the directional search and advancing phases further comprise determining a direction in which the receiver device must be rotated, and indicating to the rescue worker this direction of rotation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising determining an angle formed by a direction in which the receiver device is pointed and the direction of the transmitter device worn by the victim, and indicating to the rescue worker a value of this angle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a phase consisting in accurately locating the victim, during which the rescue worker methodically covers the zone in which the signal received exceeds the upper threshold, this phase comprising analyzing the signals received, in order to determine at what instants the amplitude of said signals exceeds the upper threshold and at what instants said amplitude reaches a maximum value, and controlling the second and third signaling means depending on whether or not the amplitude of the signals received reaches a maximum value and whether or not it exceeds the upper threshold.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determination of the victim direction comprises determining instants at which the amplitude of the signals received reaches a maximum value by comparing said amplitude with a previous value thereof, the amplitude of the signals received being deemed maximum when it starts to decrease after having increased or been constant.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising transmitting audible signals at instants at which the amplitude of the signals received exceeds the lower threshold, reaches a maximum value and decreases, as well as at instants at which it exceeds the upper threshold.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining a distance between the receiver device and the transmitter device as a function of the amplitude of the signals received, as well as indicating to the rescue worker the value of said distance.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining a distance between the receiving device and the transmitting device as a function of the amplitude of the received signals, and indicating to the rescue worker a value of said distance by the transmission of bleeps having a transmission frequency varying as a function of said value.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising simultaneously measuring the amplitudes of signals received by said receiver device in two predetermined different directions with respect to a direction pointed by said receiver device, the victim direction with respect to the direction pointed by said receiver device being determined as a function of a relationship between said amplitudes.

11. A device for guiding a rescue worker towards an avalanche victim, comprising:

a transmitter device worn by the avalanche victim and comprising a transmitter module transmitting signals at the standardized frequency,

a receiver device carried by the rescue worker and comprising a receiver module designed to receive the signals transmitted by the transmitter device worn by the victim, signaling means and a computing and control module connected to an output of the receiver module and to said signaling means in order to control the signaling means as a function of amplitude of the signals received by the receiver module, said computing and control module comprising means for measuring the amplitude of the signals received, means for comparing said amplitude with predetermined lower and higher thresholds and for controlling the signaling means to indicate a value of said amplitude with respect to said thresholds, means for determining a victim direction using at least two amplitudes of the signals received in two respective directions and for controlling said signaling means to indicate whether or not said receiver device is in the victim direction.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the receiver module comprises a stage of preamplification and amplification of the signal received by at least a coil tuned to the standardized frequency, a bandpass filtering means centered on the standardized frequency to filter the signal coming from said stage, and a signal detection and gain control circuit which receives, at input, the signal coming from said filtering means in order to apply a logarithmic function thereto.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter for converting the signal coming from the detection and gain control circuit into a digital signal which is applied to an input of the computing and control module.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the computing and control module comprises a means for controlling a gain applied to the signals received by the preamplification and amplification stage.

15. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the receiver module is connected to two tuned coils and comprises two signal processing chains respectively connected to the tuned coils, each of said two chains comprising a preamplification and amplification stage, a filtering circuit and a signal detection and gain control circuit, these two sequences providing the computing module with two signals representative of the amplitudes of the signals received by the two coils.

16. The device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising an audible and an optical signaling means controlled by the computing module as a function of the amplitude of the signal received, the optical means comprising:

a first lamp indicating that a signal, at the standardized frequency and having an amplitude exceeding the lower threshold, has been received by the receiver module,

a second lamp indicating that the amplitude of the signal received is at a maximum value, and

a third lamp indicating that the amplitude of the signal received is in excess of the upper threshold.

17. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the computing module comprises a microcontroller controlled by a program stored in a non-volatile memory, for analyzing the signal received and digitized by an analog-to-digital converter, and for controlling a gain of a preamplification and amplification stage and the signaling means.

18. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the avalanche victim wears a device identical to that of the rescue worker, said device comprising a selector enabling the transmitter module or the receiver module to be activated alternately.

19. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the receiver device worn by the rescue worker comprises a strip of light emitting diodes or a digital display indicating a distance separating him from the avalanche victim and computed as a function of the amplitude of the signals received.