Method for monitoring the movements of individuals in and around buildings, rooms and the like

• US 6,531,963 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jan Bengtsson, Leif Nyfelt
• Original Assignee: Jan Bengtsson, Leif Nyfelt
• Inventors: Nyfelt, Leif
• Primary Examiner(s): LA, ANH V
• Application Number:
  US09/529,274
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/10.1, 340/825.34, 340/573.4, 340/539, 340/540, 340/541, 342/42, 342/44
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

A method for monitoring the movement of an individual in and around buildings, rooms and like areas. A transponder is arranged for coaction with an active antenna which is connected to a surveillance center either directly or indirectly, and the individual carries on his/her person either a transponder or an antenna, or one or more antennas or a plurality of transponders are placed in or around the building under surveillance.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring movements of an individual within a building, comprising the steps of:

dividing the building into horizontal areas;

encircling each of the horizontal areas with a horizontally-oriented active antenna loop;

connecting the antenna loops to a surveillance center;

providing the individual with a transponder that coacts with the antenna loops;

determining that the individual is within a particular one of the horizontal areas based on the transponder coacting with the antenna loop encircling the particular one of the horizontal areas,

wherein the individual is provided with plural transponders attached to the individual at different body heights, and

whether the individual is standing or crawling is determined by the coaction of the plural transponders with one of the antennas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a corridor is divided into plural horizontal corridor areas and each of the plural corridor areas is encircled by a horizontally-oriented active antenna loop installed in a floor of the corridor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein when the transponder becomes located within one of the corridor areas encircled by an antenna loop installed in the floor, the individual is identified as being located within that one of the corridor areas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein plural of the horizontal areas are room areas having walls and the room areas encircled by horizontally-oriented active antenna loops installed in the walls.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein plural of the horizontal areas encircled by horizontally-oriented active antenna loops installed in ceilings over the horizontal areas.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein plural of the horizontally-oriented active antenna loops installed in a ceiling divide a room in plural horizontal areas.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein,

vertically-oriented active antenna loops are installed around and associated with vertical openings within the building, and

when the transponder coacts with the one of the vertically-oriented antenna loops, the individual is determined to have passed through the associated vertical opening.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the route of the individual is tracked by the order in which the transponder coacts with the antennas.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein,

the building includes rooms and a corridor,

each of the rooms is encircled by at least one of the plural horizontal corridor areas installed in floors of the rooms,

the corridor is encircled by a horizontally-oriented active antenna loop installed in a floor of the corridor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein,

vertically-oriented active antenna loops are installed around and associated with vertical openings within the building, and

when the transponder coacts with the one of the vertically-oriented antenna loops, the individual is determined to have passed through the associated vertical opening.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of installing transponders on objects within the building in order to monitor the location of the objects.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the objects are military exercise material.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna loops are connected to a main unit/reader sending data from the antenna loops to the surveillance center.

14. A method of monitoring movements of an individual within a building, comprising the steps of:

dividing the building into horizontal areas;

encircling each of the horizontal areas with a horizontally-oriented active antenna loop;

connecting the antenna loops to a surveillance center;

providing the individual with a transponder that coacts with the antenna loops;

determining that the individual is within a particular one of the horizontal areas based on the transponder coacting with the antenna loop encircling the particular one of the horizontal areas; and

installing transponders on objects within the building in order to monitor the location of the objects;

wherein the objects are military exercise material, and

wherein hit recognition detectors are installed in the building and are adapted to register simulated hits on the building, the detectors being interconnected to the antenna loops.

15. A method of monitoring movements of an individual within a building, comprising the steps of:

dividing the building into horizontal areas;

installing plural transponders throughout the building to define building locations;

connecting the plural transponders to a surveillance center;

providing the individual with at least one antenna;

connecting the at least one antenna to a surveillance center;

determining that the individual is within a particular one of the horizontal areas based on one of said plural transponders coacting with the at least one antenna.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the individual carries plural antennas located at differing heights of the person;

and

determining whether the person is standing, prone or crawling based on plural antennas coacting each with one of the transponders.