Hand portable monitoring device for monitoring personnel presence at a location

• US 6,956,474 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amano Cincinnati Incorporated (Amano Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Amano Cincinnati Incorporated (Amano Corporation)
• Inventors: Jakubowski, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHMOOD, JENNIFER
• Application Number:
  US10/093,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/686.1, 340/687, 340/539.1, 34053911-53925, 340/573.1, 340/5.21, 340/5.3
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

This invention describes a method and a system that is used to provide a list of personnel who were present in a building or area that has been evacuated due to an emergency, such as a fire or earthquake. The monitor stores data from a time clock or access control system in parallel with a separate server. The monitor is portable and can be taken out of the building. The monitor can be connected to central alarm monitoring company, who can act as a backup system with the ability to provide the data to a responding fire department. The portable unit can display the names, communicate the data to other display devices including printers.

Claims

1. A hand portable monitoring device for monitoring personnel presence at a location, the hand portable monitoring device comprising:

a. a hand portable casing removably engageable to a mount;

b. a communications port disposed on the casing and in electrical communication with a personnel data system when the casing is engaged to the mount, operative to receive personnel presence data-from the personnel data system;

c. a processor and memory internal to the casing and in electrical communication with the communications port, operative to serve as a backup by storing the personnel presence data received from the personnel data system;

d. a display disposed on the casing, operative to display the personnel presence data;

e. a communications path operative to transmit a signal to a remote monitoring station; and

f. a power source internal to the casing, operative to enable functioning of the hand portable monitoring device in the absence of an external power source.

2. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising an output connector disposed on the casing, operative to communicate the personnel presence data to a connectable external device.

3. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a RF transmitter disposed on the casing, operative to transmit the personnel presence data to an external device.

4. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 3, wherein the radio transmitter uses Bluetooth technology.

5. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising an infrared transmitter disposed on the casing, operative to transmit the personnel presence data to an external device.

7. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the personnel presence data displayed by the display includes the time and attendance information.

8. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a sender circuit, operative to communicate data to the personnel presence data system with respect to which employees have left without clocking out.

9. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the memory is non-volatile memory.

14. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the personnel data system receives personnel presence data from a computerized time clock, operative to indicate that personnel are present or have left the building.

6. A hand portable monitoring device for monitoring personnel presence at a location, the hand portable monitoring device comprising:

a. a casing removably engageable to a mount;

b. a communications port disposed on the casing and in electrical communication with a personnel data system when the casing is engaged to the mount, operative to receive personnel presence data from the personnel data system;

c. a processor and memory internal to the casing and in electrical communication with the communications port, operative to process and store the personnel presence data received from the personnel data system;

d. a display disposed on the casing, operative to display the personnel presence data;

e. a power source internal to the casing, operative to enable functioning of the hand portable monitoring device in the absence of an external power source; and

f. a quick release mechanism, operative to activate a fire alarm when the hand portable monitoring device is removed from the mount.

16. The hand portable monitoring device of claim 6, further comprising a bypass switch, operative to allow the hand portable monitoring device to be disengaged from its mount without activating the alarm.

10. A personnel presence monitoring backup system, the personnel presence monitoring backup system comprising:

a. a data collection device operative to collect data in response to personnel check in and check out activities at a location;

b. a data processing device in electrical communication with the data collection device, the data processing device being operative to process and store the collected data; and

c. a hand portable monitoring device in detachable electrical communication with the data processing device, operative as a backup by receiving and storing personnel presence data received from the data processing device.

11. The personnel presence monitoring backup system of claim 10, wherein the hand portable monitoring backup device is disposed on an exterior building surface when engaged so as to be in electrical communication with the data processing device.

12. The personnel presence monitoring backup system of claim 10, wherein the data collection device is a computerized time clock, operative to indicate that personnel are present or have left the building.

13. A hand portable monitoring device for monitoring-personnel presence at a location, the hand portable monitoring device comprising:

a. a hand portable casing removably engageable to a mount;

b. a communications port disposed on the casing and in electrical communication with a personnel data system when the casing is engaged to the mount, operative to receive personnel presence data-from the personnel data system;

c. a processor and memory internal to the casing and in electrical communication with the communications port, operative to serve as a backup by storing the personnel presence data received from the personnel data system;

d. a display disposed on the casing, operative to display the personnel presence data;

e. a power source internal to the casing, operative to enable functioning of the hand portable monitoring device in the absence of an external power source; and

f. a communication path, wherein a remote monitoring station is provided with current personnel presence data when the hand portable monitoring and fire alarm device is disengaged from its mount.

15. A hand portable monitoring device for monitoring-personnel presence at a location, the hand portable monitoring device comprising:

a. a hand portable casing removably engageable to a mount;

b. a communications port disposed on the casing and in electrical communication with a personnel data system when the casing is engaged to the mount, operative to receive personnel presence data-from the personnel data system;

c. a processor and memory internal to the casing and in electrical communication with the communications port, operative to serve as a backup by storing the personnel presence data received from the personnel data system;

d. a display disposed on the casing, operative to display the personnel presence data;

e. a power source internal to the casing, operative to enable functioning of the hand portable monitoring device in the absence of an external power source; and

f. a telephone transmitter disposed on the casing, operative to transmit a signal to a remote monitoring station.

17. A hand portable monitoring emergency notification device for alerting emergency response personnel and monitoring personnel presence at a location, the hand portable monitoring emergency notification device comprising:

a. a hand held casing removably engageable to a mount;

b. a personnel data system including attendance records generated in response to personnel check in and check out activities

c. a communications port disposed on the casing and in electrical communication with the personnel data system, when the casing is engaged to the mount, operative to receive personnel presence data from the personnel data system;

d. a processor and memory internal to the casing and in electrical communication with the communications port, operative to receive and store the personnel presence data received from the personnel data system;

e. a display disposed on the casing, operative to display the personnel presence data;

f. a power source internal to the casing, operative to enable functioning of the hand portable monitoring device in the absence of an external power source; and

g. a quick release mechanism, operative to alert emergency response personnel when the hand portable monitoring device is removed from the mount.

18. A hand portable personnel backup system, the hand portable personnel backup system comprising:

a. a data collection device, operative to collect personnel presence data representative of the presence of personnel at a location;

b. a data processing device in electrical communication with the data collection device, the data processing device being operative to receive and store the collected personnel presence data;

c. a hand portable device in detachable electrical communication with the data processing device, operative to receive and store a backup record of the personnel presence data stored in the data processing device; and

d. wherein the hand portable device comprises a sender circuit, operative to communicate data to the data processing device.