Self-locating remote monitoring systems

• US 6,198,390 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Original Assignee: Zoltar Satellite Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Baringer, William B., Schlager, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Glen
• Application Number:
  US09/325,030
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/984, 340/989, 340/990, 340/686.1, 340/573.1, 340/573.6, 340/539, 340/574, 340/601, 342/357, 342/126, 342/450, 342/457
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/0005 by means of alarm devices for persons falling into the water, e.g. by signalling, by controlling the propulsion or manoeuvring means of the boat alarms responsive to presence of persons in a body of water in general G08B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0222 Message structure or message content, e.g. message protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/088 by monitoring a device worn by the person, e.g. a bracelet attached to the swimmer
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/007 Wireless interrogation

Abstract

A personal alarm system remote unit (602) includes a navigational receiver (606) for receiving navigational information, a demodulator (608) for demodulating the received navigational information, timing circuits (610) for providing precise time-of-day information, a manually operated switch defining a panic button and having an output signal defining a switch status wherein operation of the panic button produces a change in the switch status, and a radio transmitter (614) for transmitting the demodulated navigational information, the precise time-of-day information, and the switch status. Additional embodiments define remote units for a man-over-board system, an invisible fence system, and a weather alarm system.

Claims

1. A man-over-board remote unit, comprising:

a navigational receiver for receiving navigational information defining a location of the remote unit;

a sensor having an output signal defining a sensor status; and

a radio transmitter connected for transmitting the remote unit location and the sensor status.

2. The remote unit as set forth in claim 1, further including:

the navigational receiver having a low power standby mode and a normal operating mode; and

means responsive to the sensor output signal for causing the navigational receiver to switch from the standby mode to the normal operating mode when a hazard is detected.

3. The remote unit as set forth in claim 1, further including a beacon activated by the sensor output signal when a hazard is detected.

4. The remote unit as set forth in claim 1, further including the sensor output signal being provided by a manually operated switch defining a panic button.

5. The remote unit as set forth in claim 4, further including a beacon activated by the panic button.

6. The remote unit as set forth in claim 1, further including a microphone connected to the radio transmitter for transmitting an audible message.

7. The remote unit as set forth in claim 6, further including a radio receiver connected to a speaker for receiving an audible message.

8. An invisible fence remote unit, comprising:

a navigational receiver providing a remote unit location;

means for providing time-of-day;

a radio transmitter;

a first memory for storing information defining a geographic region;

a second memory storing information defining a predetermined positional status and a predetermined time interval, and further defining a curfew;

a circuit for comparing the remote unit location, the defined geographic region, the predetermined positional status, the time-of-day, and defining a positional and time status; and

the circuit connected to the transmitter for communicating the positional and time status.

9. The remote unit as set forth in claim 8, further including the radio transmitter connected for communicating the remote unit location and the time-of-day.

10. An invisible fence remote unit, comprising:

a navigational receiver providing a remote unit location and a time-of-day;

a radio transmitter connected for transmitting the remote unit location and the time-of-day;

a radio receiver for receiving an enforcement command; and

alarm and enforcement means responsive to a received enforcement command.

11. A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:

a navigational receiver for receiving navigational information;

a demodulator for demodulating the received navigational information;

timing circuits for providing precise time-of-day information;

a manually operated switch defining a panic button and having an output signal defining a switch status wherein operation of the panic button produces a change in the switch status; and

a radio transmitter for transmitting the demodulated navigational information, the precise time-of-day information, and the switch status.

12. A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:

radio transmitting means and radio receiving means permitting two-way radio communication;

at least one sensor means for detecting a personal hazard, the transmitting means being responsive for communicating a detected personal hazard;

the radio transmitting means being able to transmit at more than one power level and defining a higher power level;

means for enabling transmission at the higher power level when a personal hazard is detected; and

means for enabling transmission at the higher power level when a transmit-at-high power command is received via the radio receiving means.

13. A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:

radio transmitting means and radio receiving means permitting two-way radio communication;

the radio transmitting means being able to transmit at more than one power level and defining a plurality of transmitting power levels;

the radio receiving means defining a received signal strength;

means responsive to the received signal strength for causing radio transmission at a power level selected by a predetermined power-level function of the received signal strength;

at least one sensor means for detecting a personal hazard;

means for communicating the detected hazard; and

means for communicating an alarm function of the received signal strength.

14. The remote unit as set forth in claim 13, wherein the received signal strength is further defined by a voltage level on a signal line and the control means includes an analog-to-digital converter connected to receive the signal line and to provide digital output signals connected to address input lines of a read-only memory, the memory containing information defining the power-level function, the memory having digital output lines connected for controlling the power level in response to the received signal strength.

15. The remote unit as set forth in claim 13, wherein the received signal strength is further defined by a voltage level on a signal line and the control means includes an analog-to-digital converter connected to receive the signal line and to provide digital output signals connected to address input lines of a read-only memory, the memory containing information defining the power-level function, the memory having digital output lines connected to the inputs of a digital-to-analog converter, the digital-to-analog converter having an analog output line providing a control voltage for selecting the remote unit transmission power level.

16. A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:

a transmitter and a receiver, permitting two-way communications;

the transmitter being capable of transmitting at more than one power level and defining a plurality of power levels;

a control circuit responsive to a received command for selecting the transmission power level; and

a sensor for detecting a hazard, the sensor defining a sensor status, and the transmitter connected for communicating the status.

17. A weather alarm system remote unit, comprising:

a navigational receiver providing a remote unit location;

a weather surveillance radar receiver providing weather parameters within a predetermined weather region, and identifying the weather region;

a first memory storing information defining a geographical zone relative to the remote unit location;

a circuit combining the remote unit location and the geographical zone to define a local weather zone;

a second memory storing information defining at least one weather parameter threshold,

means for determining that the local weather zone is within the identified weather region, and that a received weather parameter exceeds the at least one weather parameter threshold,

a transmitter connected to communicate the result of the determination.

18. The remote unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the navigational receiver also provides a time-of-day, and the transmitter also communicates the time-of-day.

19. The remote unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the transmitter also communicates weather parameters.

20. The remote unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the navigational receiver includes a low-power standby mode and a normal operating mode and is responsive to the determination for switching from the standby mode to the normal operating mode.

21. A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:

a global positioning system receiver providing a remote unit location;

a radio transmitter connected for transmitting the remote unit location;

a panic button connected for causing the radio transmitter to transmit the remote unit location; and

a water-proof vest containing the global positioning system receiver, the radio transmitter, and the panic button, and defining a man-over-board vest.