Micro-miniature beacon transmit-only geo-location emergency system for personal security

• US 6,028,551 A
• Filed: 04/06/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neil Charles Schoen, Wendy Ann Schoen
• Original Assignee: Neil Charles Schoen, Wendy Ann Schoen
• Inventors: Schoen, Neil Charles, Schoen, Wendy Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/052,066
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.05, 342/357.16, 342/357.01, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.07
• US Class Current: 342/357.37
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/0428 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2201/04 Emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

Novel transmit-only geo-location techniques which can operate synergistically with existing or newly designed satellite or ground-based wireless communications networks using micro-miniature emergency geo-location beacons to provide personal security are described. A combination of physical measurement parameters (Doppler shifts and/or time intervals obtained from clock or signal correlation data) allows geo-location with a reduced number of satellite or wireless receive nodes, thus reducing the cost or increasing the coverage of the system as compared to current geo-location systems. In addition, several of these techniques allow geo-location to be performed on optical and infra-red radiation sources, which can enable tracking of any emitter by existing or newly designed surveillance satellites, including commercial and military aircraft, and hostile missiles or other optically active targets. Intermittent single burst coded signals radiated by the emitting source, which for personal security applications can be extremely small and easily carried in a concealed fashion, can be detected at one or more satellites or receive nodes and relayed to a central monitoring station, or operations center, where signals are processed and the location of the source is determined. Existing communications channels can be used to relay the location from the central monitoring station to appropriate rescue or interdiction personnel.

Claims

1. A micro-miniature personal emergency geo-location transmitter unit beacon system of size less than 70 cubic centimeters comprising:

antenna means for radiation transmission or emission to provide intermittent single burst coded signals for geo-location purposes, said coded signals including data indicating the identity of a user of said transmitter unit beacon system, said antenna means providing power densities at locations of one or more nodes of satellite or ground communication networks sufficient for said coded signals to be detected for the purpose of determining the location of said beacon;

energy means to supply power to said transmitter unit beacon system and to provide broadcast power of at least five watts average to allow detection of a transmitted beacon system signal by said satellite or ground communication networks, said energy means comprising miniaturized batteries of at least 50 watt-hour per pound capacity;

communications processing means, comprising a local oscillator or radiation source, modulation circuitry receiving a carrier signal from said source, an amplifier receiving the modulated carrier signal from said modulation circuitry, and said antenna with impedance-matching circuitry receiving said modulated carrier signal from said amplifier to radiate a modulated carrier coded signal for geo-location containing the identity of said user of said beacon;

a central processor unit (CPU) means to control activation, operation and test of said beacon and provide transfer of said user identification data to said communications processing means;

satellite or ground communication networks means, comprising networks nodes solely for cellular telephone or wireless data communications applications, to detect said beacon system coded signals by acquiring the same single burst transmission from said transmitter unit beacon at a multiplicity of said satellite or ground site communication networks nodes within line of sight of said beacon system, and route said beacon system coded signals to an operations center;

an operations center, comprising means to determine a location of said beacon system from said single burst coded signals detected by said multiplicity of satellites or ground sites, including least squares minimization matrix methods, and means to track and report the location of said beacons that are activated.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said beacon system is activated by voice, mechanical, electromagnetic, or automatic timing circuitry means.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said ground communications network means are cellular telephone networks or RF/radio wireless data networks, which include mobile nodes to improve coverage, in addition to conventional wireless RF antenna towers or cell phone site ground structures.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said antenna means for said radiation transmission or emission include dipole, monopole, loop, patch, array or omni-directional antennas of fractional wavelength dimensions for compact construction, including configurations with back-plane geometries to increase range.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein micro-miniature is defined as a device of physical dimensions of the order of 70 cubic centimeters or less and is easily concealed in clothing or disguised as a wristwatch or jewelry.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said satellite communication networks means to detect said single burst coded signals and said operations center to determine its location comprise the following techniques for using Doppler shifts from multiple receiving node locations using said satellite communication networks, said techniques including;

use of least squares minimization matrix methods, applied to Doppler conical equations.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein said satellite or ground communication networks means to detect said single burst coded signals and said operations center to determine its location comprise the following forms of triangulation techniques using said satellite or ground communications networks multiple receiving node locations, said triangulation techniques including;

use of pseudo-random beacon signals and least squares minimization matrix methods applied to spherical equations for geo-location, or;

use of pseudo-random beacon signals and least squares minimization matrix methods applied to hyperboloidal equations for geo-location.

8. A device according to claim 1 wherein said satellite or ground communication networks are replaced by networks which more precisely record said single burst coded signals, including Doppler shifts and signal reception time, for more accurate geo-location.

9. A device according to claim 1 wherein said satellite or ground communication networks means to detect said single burst coded signals and said operations center to determine its location comprise the following forms of triangulation and Doppler shift techniques using said satellite communication networks multiple receiving node locations to determine said beacon location with use of fewer network nodes, said triangulation techniques including;

use of pseudo-random beacon signals and least squares minimization matrix methods applied to spherical equations for geo-location, or;

use of pseudo-random beacon signals and least squares minimization matrix methods applied to hyperboloidal equations for geo-location, wherein;

one of these triangulation techniques is used in combination with a Doppler technique, including;

use of least squares minimization matrix methods, applied to Doppler conical equations.

10. A device according to claim 1 wherein said beacon system emits radiation in the visible or IR spectrum, and said satellite or ground communications networks are replaced with satellite or airborne visible or IR detection systems, including gradient index lenses or telescopes designed for isotropic radiation patterns.