Mobile object monitoring system
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring the location of and providing security for persons in a facility having entrances at which ingress to and egress from said facility is controlled, said monitoring system comprising:
- a plurality of first transmitters, one of said first transmitters being assigned and attached to each person to be monitored and tracked within said facility, each of said first transmitters transmitting a unique identification signal;
a plurality of first receivers placed around said facility for receiving said unique identification signals transmitted by ones of said first transmitters;
a second receiver being located with each of the plurality of first transmitters;
means associated with said plurality of first receivers for processing said identification signals received by multiple ones of said first receivers to locate and store the physical location of said persons in said facility;
a plurality of video cameras placed around inside said facility, each video camera providing a video output signal showing a portion of the interior of said facility in its view;
a plurality of communication stations distributed around said facility;
at least one video display with each of the plurality of communication stations;
a second transmitter for transmitting signals to ones of the second receivers, wherein said second transmitter can be enabled from ones of said communication stations to send a signal to selected ones of said second receivers; and
said processing means determining which video camera has each person in its view in order to provide a video image of any specific person on said video display when requested.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A security monitoring system providing security for mobile objects in any location, including children in a dining and child entertainment facility. The location of each object or child in the facility is tracked using a transmitter attached to the object or child when it/they enter the facility, and a video image of each child is mapped to and displayed on a video display at a table to which the child'"'"'s family or group is assigned. Any unauthorized attempt at removing a child from the facility, or at a child attempting to leave the facility without authorization, or unauthorized removal of a transmitter, or a transmitter ceasing to operate, causes notification to be given to appropriate personnel and entrance/exits are locked until the child is located. Ordering of food and drinks is done using touch screen technology on the video display at each table. The transmitters can also be used to control access to video games or specific play areas as specified by a parent or guardian. When playing video games or using play facilities for which there is an extra charge, the transmitters are used for authorizing access and for billing purposes. To map physical positions within the facility to positions on a video display, a transmitter is placed in various locations about the facility and the touch screen video display is used to map the physical positions with positions on the video display for different video cameras.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring the location of and providing security for persons in a facility having entrances at which ingress to and egress from said facility is controlled, said monitoring system comprising:
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a plurality of first transmitters, one of said first transmitters being assigned and attached to each person to be monitored and tracked within said facility, each of said first transmitters transmitting a unique identification signal; a plurality of first receivers placed around said facility for receiving said unique identification signals transmitted by ones of said first transmitters; a second receiver being located with each of the plurality of first transmitters; means associated with said plurality of first receivers for processing said identification signals received by multiple ones of said first receivers to locate and store the physical location of said persons in said facility; a plurality of video cameras placed around inside said facility, each video camera providing a video output signal showing a portion of the interior of said facility in its view; a plurality of communication stations distributed around said facility; at least one video display with each of the plurality of communication stations; a second transmitter for transmitting signals to ones of the second receivers, wherein said second transmitter can be enabled from ones of said communication stations to send a signal to selected ones of said second receivers; and said processing means determining which video camera has each person in its view in order to provide a video image of any specific person on said video display when requested. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for monitoring the location of, and providing security for, children in a play facility having entrances at which ingress to and egress from said facility is controlled by facility personnel, said monitoring system comprising:
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a first transmitter assigned and attached to each child to be monitored and tracked within said facility, each of said first transmitters periodically transmitting a unique identification signal; a plurality of receivers placed around said facility for receiving said unique identification signals transmitted by said first transmitters; means associated with said plurality of receivers for processing said unique identification signals received by said receivers to locate the physical position of each child in said facility to which a first transmitter is attached;
a plurality of video cameras placed inside said facility, each video camera providing a video output signal showing a portion of the interior of said facility;a plurality of video displays; the processing means storing the physical location of each child and determining which video camera has each child in its view in order to provide a video image of each child on specific ones of said video displays, and when a first transmitter is either removed in an unauthorized manner from a child or ceases transmitting, the processing means causes the video output signal from the one of the video cameras showing the child with the last mentioned first transmitter to automatically be forwarded to and displayed on specific ones of the video display. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for monitoring and tracking the location of, and providing security for, children with their parent(s) or guardians(s) in a play facility having entrances at which ingress to and egress from the facility is controlled at first gates that are selectively controlled by restaurant personnel, and said facility has a plurality of tables to which groups including children are assigned, said method comprising the steps of:
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attaching a transceiver to each child who is to be monitored and tracked within said facility, each transceiver periodically transmitting a unique identification signal, each said transceiver transmitting a unique trouble signal if it is either removed in an unauthorized manner from the child to whom it is attached or it ceases transmitting its unique identification signal; receiving the unique identification signal transmitted by each transceiver; locating the position of each child in the facility using the unique identification signal transmitted by each transceiver; taking a picture of each child and their parent(s) or guardians(s) when they enter the facility and comparing that picture with the child and whomever they are with when exiting the facility to assure that an unauthorized person or persons are not attempting to leave with the child; and blocking egress from said facility when said unique trouble signal is received from any transceiver until said child wearing the transceiver that sent the last mentioned unique trouble signal can be located. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. In a computer controlled system for monitoring the location of persons in a facility having video displays, and video cameras located throughout the facility that provide video signals to the video displays, and the persons each have a transmitter attached to them and each transmitter transmits a unique identification signal that is tracked by location monitoring equipment, a method for correlating the position of the persons as determined by the location monitoring equipment with images seen on the video displays so that as persons are selected to be viewed they may be shown on the video monitors, said method comprising the steps of:
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sequentially positioning one of said transmitters in different physical positions in the viewing area of each of said video cameras; indicating to said computer controlled system where said one of said transmitters is shown on a video display for each of said different physical positions; and storing the information of transmitter position and corresponding video display location for each of said video cameras, said stored information being used by said computer controlled system to determine which of said plurality of video cameras has each person with transmitter in its view, and when there is a request to display a particular person on a selected video display the video signal output from the proper video camera is displayed thereon. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification