Automated tracking system

• US 6,674,368 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2001
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B.I. Incorporated (Geo Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Continental Divide Robotics, Incorporated
• Inventors: Kight, Robert D., Sandrin, Terrence J., Hawkins, Dale K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/940,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/572.1, 340/573.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.3, 340/5.33, 340/505, 340/10.1, 340/506, 340/572.8, 340/693.5, 340/539, 340/825.32, 340/825.49, 340/825.54, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for tracking the location of assets and persons are provided. According to the invention, position information is provided to a central monitoring station aperiodically. The central monitoring station utilizes software agents to analyze the information received from remote tags, and to determine the appropriate action to take with respect to that information. In particular, the central monitoring station provides aperiodic notifications to authorized users regarding the position and status of a monitored person or asset. The central monitoring station operates without requiring human analysis of the information received from remote tags. Furthermore, the use of aperiodic transmissions of information to the central monitoring station, and the use of software agents in the central monitoring station, allows the present invention to efficiently process information received from a large number of remote units.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a person using adaptive update techniques, comprising:

monitoring in a remote tag at least a first plurality of parameters;

analyzing in said remote tag at least two of said at least a first plurality of parameters to determine whether to transmit data from said remote tag to a central monitoring station; and

in response to determining that data is to be transmitted initiating the transmission of information to a central monitoring station, wherein in order for a determination to transmit information to be made, said at least two parameters must have a value favoring a transmission of data, and wherein a determination that data is not to be transmitted is made if only one of said at least a first plurality of parameters has a value favoring a transmission of data.

2. The method claim 1, wherein said monitoring of a first plurality of parameters is substantially continuous.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

monitoring at least a second plurality of parameters;

analyzing said at least a second plurality of parameters to obtain a second result of at least a first or a second type; and

in response to obtaining said second result of said first type, storing said at least a first set of information in said remote tag.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said monitoring of a second plurality of parameters is substantially continuous.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said second plurality of parameters comprises at least two of:

time since last transmission of a set of said information to said central monitoring station;

time since a set of said information was last stored in said remote tag;

a hardware parameter;

a proximity of said tag to a restriction zone;

positioning information quality; and

an alert status.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said hardware parameter comprises at least one of:

battery status;

failure to detect a companion device; and

hardware tampering.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said second result of said first type comprises a signal to store at least a first set of information in said remote tag;

and

wherein a second result of said second type comprises the absence of a signal of said first type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of parameters comprises at least three of:

time elapsed since a last transmission of said at least a first set of information to said central monitoring station;

distance traveled since said last transmission of said at least a first set of information to said central monitoring station;

a hardware parameter;

whether said remote tag is moving;

mode of communication available;

whether said remote tag is moving towards a restriction or exclusion zone boundary; and

a number of sets of information queued for transmission.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first plurality of parameters further comprises a status level of said person.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said hardware parameter comprises at least one of:

battery status;

failure to detect a companion device; and

hardware tampering.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said information comprises position information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a time is associated with each piece of position information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said information further comprises at least a first hardware parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least a first hardware parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

battery status;

failure to detect a companion device; and

hardware tampering.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said first result of said first type comprises a signal to transmit at least a first set of information to a central monitoring station;

and

wherein a first result of said second type comprises the absence of a signal of said first type.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote tag comprises a global positioning system receiver.

17. A method of distributing information concerning the position of a person, comprising:

providing first information as a first event to an event sewer, wherein said first information comprises position information;

distributing said first event to at least one of a plurality of software agents located in a central monitoring station;

in response to said at least one software agent determining from said position information that at least one of an inclusion zone or an exclusion zone violation has occurred, generating in said at least one of a plurality of software agents a second event;

providing said second event to said event server;

distributing said second event to at least a second of said plurality of software agents, wherein in response to said second event said second of said plurality of software agents determines an authorized user to notify of said second event; and

providing notification of said second event to an authorized user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of providing notification comprises providing notification by at least one of:

providing an output to a user interface;

e-mail;

pager;

telephone; and

facsimile.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing said first and second events in a database.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said first information comprises position information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said first information further comprises information concerning a status of a remote tag from to which said positioning information pertains.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of providing is repeated at indeterminate intervals.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating in a software agent in response to a third event at least one of:

an unauthorized contact alert;

a watchdog timer alert;

an equipment tamper alert;

a battery status alert; and

a sensor out of range alert.

24. A system for tracking persons, comprising:

a remote tag, comprising;

a microprocessor;

a positioning system receiver; and

a first communications interface, wherein first information is transmitted from said remote tag aperiodically in response to a decision to transmit made in consideration of at least two factors;

a central monitoring station, comprising;

a processor;

a second communications interface, wherein said aperiodically transmitted first information is received by said central monitoring station, wherein said first information comprises position information, wherein in response to determining in said central monitoring station that said position indicated by said first information is at least one of within an exclusion zone and outside of an inclusion zone an event is generated by said processor and is transmitted from said central monitoring station; and

a storage device for storing said event;

a user device, comprising;

a third communications interface, wherein said event is received by said user device; and

a user interface, wherein said event is presented to a user.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said positioning system receiver comprises a global positioning system receiver.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said first communication interface comprises a radio link.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein said first communications interface comprises a wireless modem.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said wireless modem comprises at least one of a cellular digital packet data modem, a digital cellular modem, an analog cellular modem, a Data TAC modem, a Reflex-25 modem, a two way pager modem, a Bluetooth transceiver, an IEEE 802.11A modem, an IEEE 802.11B modem, and an IrDA infrared modem.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein said first communications interface comprises a wireless phone interface.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein said second communications interface comprises a network interface.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said network interface is interconnected to the Internet.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein said third communications interface comprises a computer network interface.

33. The system of claim 24, further comprising a proximity verification device, comprising:

an identification transmitter; and

a battery, wherein an identification code is output from said transmitter.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said remote tag further comprises a proximity detector, wherein said identification code is received by said proximity detector when said proximity verification device is within a first distance from said remote tag.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said first distance is about 25 feet.

36. The system of claim 33, further comprising a base station, comprising:

a fourth communication interface for interconnecting said base station to said central monitoring station; and

an enhanced proximity detector, wherein said identification code is received by said enhanced proximity detector when said proximity verification device is within a second distance from said remote tag.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said second distance is about 150 feet.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein said base station further comprises:

a fifth communications interface for selectively interconnecting said base station to said remote tag, wherein said first information is aperiodically transmitted to said central monitoring station.

39. The system of claim 24, wherein said storage device stores said first information and said event.

40. The system of claim 24, wherein said second communications interface comprises an interface for communicating with said remote tag and an interface for communicating with said user interface.

41. The system of claim 24, wherein said remote tag is adapted to being worn on an ankle of a person.

42. A system involved in the tracking of persons, comprising:

at least a first remote tag including a positioning receiver that provides positioning information concerning said remote tag, and a processor that determines when first information is to be transmitted, wherein said first information is transmitted aperiodically according to a first set of criteria;

a central monitoring station in communication with said first remote tag that receives said first information from said at least a first remote tag, said central monitoring station including a processor and a storage device, said central monitoring station comparing position information included in said first information to at least a first set of predetermined boundaries, wherein at least a first alert is generated if said first information indicates that said at least a first remote tag has crossed at least a one of said at least a first set of predetermined boundaries; and

at least a first user interface in communication with said central monitoring station, said at least a first user interface enabling at least a first authorized user to receive at least said first information and said first alert from said central monitoring station.

43. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein said first set of criteria comprises at least one of a:

distance traveled since last set transmission of first information to said central monitoring station;

battery status;

whether said remote tag is moving;

mode of communication available;

whether remote tag is moving towards a restriction zone; and

number of events queued for transmission.

44. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein said central monitoring station compares said first information received from said first remote tag to second information received from a second remote tag, and wherein at least a second alert is generated if said first remote tag is within a predetermined distance from said second remote tag, and wherein said at least a first user interface enables said at least a first authorized user to receive said second alert.

45. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein said central monitoring station compares said first information received from said first remote tag to second information received from a second remote tag, wherein at least second and third alerts are generated if said first remote tag is within a predetermined distance from said second remote tag, and wherein said first user interface enables the first authorized user to receive said second alert, and wherein at least a second user interface enables at least a second authorized user to receive said third alert.

46. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein at least a third alert is generated by said central monitoring station after at least a first predetermined amount of time has elapsed since said first information was last received from said at least a first remote tag.

47. A system as claimed in claim 42, wherein at least a second alert is generated in response to said at least a first remote tag being removed from a person being tracked.

48. A method for distributing position information, comprising:

receiving said information at a central monitoring station from a remote tag, wherein said information includes position information, wherein a decision to send said information is made by said remote tag based on at least first and second factors, and said information is not sent if only one of said factors favors sending said information;

processing said information in said central monitoring station; and

selectively routing at least a portion of said information associated with a first tracked object to an output device located remotely from said central monitoring station and associated with a first authorized user.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said step of processing comprises determining whether a position associated with said first tracked object included in said position information is within an authorized area.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein said step of processing comprises determining whether a first position associated with said first tracked object included in said information is within a predetermined distance of a second position associated with a second tracked object included in said position information.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising generating first and second alerts in response to a determination that said first position associated with said first tracked object is within a predetermined distance of said second position associated with said second tracked object, wherein said first alert is provided to said first authorized user, and wherein said second alert is provided to a second authorized user associated with said second tracked object.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein said information comprises hardware health information concerning a first remote unit, and wherein step of processing comprises determining whether said hardware health information indicates a problem associate with said first remote unit.

53. The method of claim 48, further comprising routing a second selected portion of said information associated with a second tracked object to an output device located remotely from said central monitoring station and associated with a second authorized user.

54. The method of claim 48, wherein said selected information is only seen by said authorized user.

55. The method of claim 48, wherein said step of processing is completed with respect to said information without human intervention.

56. The method of claim 48, wherein said central monitoring station comprises at least a first computer.

57. A method for tracking a person, comprising:

receiving at least a first communication from an electronic monitor associated with a monitored person at a central control system located remotely from the monitored person, wherein said first communication is sent in response to at least two factors favoring said communication, and wherein a communication is not sent if only one of said factors favors said communication;

processing said communication by said central control system without and independently of human operator input and control; and

sending processed information related to said first communication and based on said processing step without and independently of human operator input and control to a predetermined destination remote from said central control system.

58. A method, as claimed in claim 57, wherein:

said processing step includes analyzing information associated with said first communication.

59. A method, as claimed in claim 57, wherein:

said processing step includes checking information different from information of said first communication.

60. A method, as claimed in claim 57, wherein:

said processing step includes checking stored information available at said central control system related to determining whether to conduct said sending step.

61. A method, as claimed in claim 57, wherein:

said first communication includes information related to a geographic location of the monitored person.

62. A method, as claimed in claim 57, wherein said receiving step is conducted without and independently of human operator input and control.