Perimeter monitoring alarm method and system

• US 6,961,001 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, E-Lee, Roberts, Linda A.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/112,688
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/691.3, 340/568.1, 340/572.1, 340/571, 340/539.1, 340/539.15, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit

Abstract

A system and method are provided for monitoring the location of a person, pet, or inanimate object relative to the location of a monitoring device. If the person, pet, or inanimate object (“monitored object”) travels from or is taken from a specified monitoring perimeter, for example 50 meters, an alarm is activated at the monitoring device to notify the guardian of the monitored object that the monitored object has moved beyond the specified perimeter. A signaling device is attached to the monitored object for signaling its location to the base station. A device for establishing the precise location of the signaling device relative to the base station are provided. If the monitored object becomes lost from the control of the guardian, devices are provided for identifying the monitored object from information stored in a distributed computing network, and devices are provided for contacting the guardian of the monitored object at the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the movement of an object relative to a monitoring perimeter, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a location of a monitoring device;

obtaining a first location of a signaling device;

at the monitoring device, setting a monitoring perimeter distance;

attaching the signaling device to a monitored object;

obtaining a second location of the signaling device;

sending the second location to the monitoring device;

at the monitoring device, comparing the second location of the signaling device with the location of the monitoring device;

determining whether a distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance;

if the distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance, presenting an alarm at the monitoring device; and

at the monitoring device, placing a telephone call via a wireless telecommunications system to the signaling device to transmit a voice communication to the signaling device.

2. The method of claim 1, whereby the steps of obtaining a location of a monitoring device and obtaining a first location of a signaling device include receiving location data from a global positioning satellite system at each of the monitoring device and the signaling device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored object is a person.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored object is an animal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored object is an inanimate object.

6. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of sending the second location to the monitoring device includes the step of:

sending data representing the second location to the monitoring device via a wireless telecommunications system.

7. The method of claim 1, prior to the step of determining whether the distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance, including the step of:

at the monitoring device, processing the second location of the signaling device and the location of the monitoring device to determine the linear distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device.

8. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of presenting an alarm at the monitoring device includes the step of:

displaying a visual alarm at the monitoring device.

9. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of presenting an alarm at the monitoring device includes:

presenting an audible alarm at the monitoring device.

10. The method of claim 1, whereby the step of presenting an alarm at the monitoring device includes:

presenting a tactile alarm at the monitoring device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if the distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance, presenting an alarm at the signaling device.

12. The method of claim 11, whereby the step of presenting an alarm at the signaling device includes depressing an alarm button at the monitoring device.

13. The method of claim 11, whereby the step of presenting an alarm at the signaling device includes displaying a visual alarm at the signaling device.

14. The method of claim 11, whereby the step of presenting an alarm at the signaling device includes the step of presenting an audible alarm at the signaling device.

15. The method of claim 11, whereby the step of presenting an alarm at the signaling device includes the step of presenting a tactile alarm at the signaling device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

connecting to an information server via a distributed computing network;

obtaining an identification number from the signaling device;

entering the identification number into the information server; and

retrieving identification information for the monitored object from the information server.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

at the signaling device, placing a telephone call via the wireless telecommunications system to the monitoring device to transmit a voice communication to the monitoring device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a representative location for the second location of the signaling device based on the second location of the signaling device; and

displaying the representative location at the monitoring device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein placing a telephone call to the signaling device includes selecting a preset wireless telephone directory number to automatically place the telephone call to the signaling device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the representative location for the second location of the signaling device is a street address.

21. A method of monitoring the movement of an object relative to a monitoring perimeter, comprising the steps of:

establishing a radio frequency signal between a monitoring device and a signaling device;

at the monitoring device, setting a monitoring perimeter distance;

attaching the signaling device to the monitored object;

determining whether the distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance;

if the distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance, presenting an alarm at the monitoring device; and

at the monitoring device, placing a telephone call via a telecommunications system to the signaling device to transmit a voice communication to the signaling device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining whether the distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance includes the step of:

determining that the signal strength of the radio frequency signal between the monitoring device and the signaling device is less than a minimum signal strength required for communication between the monitoring device and the signaling device at the monitoring perimeter distance.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

at the signaling device, placing a telephone call to the monitoring device to transmit a voice communication to the monitoring device.

24. A system for monitoring the movement of an object relative to a monitoring perimeter, comprising the steps of:

a monitoring device operative

to obtain a location of the monitoring device;

to obtain a first location of a signaling device;

to set a monitoring perimeter distance;

to obtain a second location of the signaling device;

the signaling device operative

for attachment to a monitored object;

to send the second location to the monitoring device;

the monitoring device further operative

to compare the second location of the signaling device with the location of the monitoring device;

to determine whether a distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance;

to present an alarm at the monitoring device if the distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance;

to place a telephone call via a wireless telecommunications system to the signaling device to transmit a voice communication to the signaling device.

25. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitoring device is further operative to obtain a location of a monitoring device and to obtain a first location of a signaling device by receiving location data from a global positioning satellite system at each of the monitoring device and the signaling device.

26. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitored object is a person.

27. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitored object is an animal.

28. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitored object is an inanimate object.

29. The system of claim 24, whereby the signaling device is further operative to place a telephone call via a wireless telecommunications system to the monitoring device to transmit a voice communication to the monitoring device.

30. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitoring device is further operative to process the second location of the signaling device and the location of the monitoring device to determine the linear distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device.

31. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitoring device is further operative to present an alarm by displaying a visual alarm at the monitoring device.

32. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitoring device is further operative to present an alarm by displaying an audible alarm at the monitoring device.

33. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitoring device is further operative to present an alarm by displaying a tactile alarm at the monitoring device.

34. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitoring device is further operative to present an alarm at the signaling device if the distance between the signaling device and the monitoring device is greater than the monitoring perimeter distance.

35. The system of claim 34, whereby the signaling device is further operative to present an alarm by displaying a visual alarm at the signaling device.

36. The system of claim 34, whereby the signaling device is further operative to present an alarm by displaying an audible alarm at the signaling device.

37. The system of claim 34, whereby the signaling device is further operative to present an alarm by presenting a tactile alarm at the signaling device.

38. The system of claim 24, whereby the monitoring device is further operative

to determine a street address for the second location of the signaling device;

and

to display the street address at the monitoring device.