Tracking device

• US 7,046,153 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vitaltrak Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vitaltrak Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Roger A., Oja, Raymond G., Hamilton, Milton E., Hreha, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/096,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20020175820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539, 340/539.1, 340/535.15, 340/573.4, 340/539.15, 340/539.19, 340/539.21, 340/539.23, 340/825.36, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/571, 340/568.1
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0222 Message structure or message content, e.g. message protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0263 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the direction in which child or item is located
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A monitoring and locating device includes one or more remote child units and a parent unit in communication with each of the child units. The parent unit is adapted to assign and transmit an individual identifier to each child unit. The parent unit is constructed and arranged to continuously monitor each of the child units by transmitting and receiving signals to each of the child units using the individual identifiers assigned thereto. The monitoring and locating device may be used in a method for monitoring and tracking a living entity that includes acquiring the plurality of child units using the parent unit based at least in part on user input. Monitoring each of the plurality of child units individually with the parent unit. Tracking the location of each child unit with the parent unit and locating a selected child unit of the plurality of child units with the parent unit based upon the tracked location thereof.

Claims

1. A monitoring and locating device comprising:

at least one portable child unit; and

a parent unit in communication with the portable child unit, the parent unit being configured to assign an individual identifier to each portable child unit by wireless radio frequency signal and configured to monitor each of the portable child units by transmitting and receiving signals to each of the portable child units based on the individual identifiers assigned thereto the parent and child units being configured to provide directional information as to a position of the child units with respect to the parent unit and a perimeter alarm when the child unit moves to a distance from the parent unit that is greater than a predetermined distance; and

a directional display coupled to a microprocessor constructed and arranged to display the position of a selected child unit relative to the parent unit based on phase differential signals generated by the microprocessor for the selected child unit; and

an operating channel selection circuit coupled to the microprocessor, the operating channel selection circuit constructed and arranged to select an operating channel on a frequency band for the parent unit to transmit or receive thereon.

2. The monitoring and locating device according to claim 1, wherein each individual identifier is an 8 bit number generated by the parent unit, each 8 bit number including 6 bits assigned by the parent unit and 2 bits representing an identifier for individual child units.

3. The monitoring and locating device according to claim 1, wherein the parent unit includes:

a microprocessor configured to generate identifier commands representative of the individual identifiers to be transmitted to a plurality of portable child units;

a power supply coupled to the microprocessor to supply power thereto;

a power control circuit coupled to the microprocessor and to the power supply, the power control circuit being configured to regulate power supplied from the power supply to the microprocessor;

a transceiver system coupled to the microprocessor, the transceiver system;

two separate antennae constructed and arranged to transmit a command signal and the individual identifiers to each child unit and to receive a received signal from each child unit;

a direction detection circuit, coupled to the transceiver system and the microprocessor, the direction detection circuit configured to receive the identifier commands from the microprocessor and to generate phase differential signals indicative of a corresponding relative position of each child unit relative to the parent unit in response to interpreting the received signals from each of the child units.

4. The monitoring and locating device according to claim 2, wherein a child unit includes:

a second microprocessor supplied with the respective identifier for each of the portable transmitter units, the microprocessor being constructed and arranged to generate a control signal representative of the respective individual identifier supplied thereto;

a second power supply operatively coupled to the second microprocessor to supply power thereto;

a second power control circuit operatively coupled to the second microprocessor and to the second power supply, the second power control circuit being configured to regulate power supplied to the second microprocessor;

a second transceiver system operatively coupled to the second microprocessor;

an antenna configured to receive the individual identifier and the command signals from the first transceiver system and to transmit a received signal to the first transceiver system through the second transceiver system;

an actuated circuit operatively coupled to the second microprocessor, the actuated circuit being configured to generate a signal which is transmitted to the parent unit using the second transceiver system; and

a plurality of sensing circuits operatively coupled to the second microprocessor, each of the plurality of sensing circuits being configured to sense a certain object.

5. The monitoring and locating device according to claim 1, wherein the parent unit is in radio frequency communication with each of the child units and the individual identifiers include a modulated RF signal carried by a RE carrier signal generated by the first microprocessor.

6. A method for monitoring a plurality of portable transmitters in radio frequency communication with a control unit, the method comprising:

identifying each portable transmitter, each identifying operation including the control unit assigning and transmitting an individual identifier to each portable transmitter by wireless radio frequency signal, each of the plurality of portable transmitters receiving the individual identifier and sending an acknowledgement signal to the control unit, the control unit receiving each of the acknowledgement signals and activating each of the plurality of portable transmitters for monitoring; and

monitoring the portable transmitter, each monitoring operation includes the control unit selecting an operating channel and sending monitoring commands to each portable transmitter unit and the control unit receiving and monitoring received signals transmitted from each of the plurality of portable transmitter units.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising tracking at least one of the plurality of portable transmitters, each tracking operation includes the control unit sending search commands to each of the plurality of portable transmitter unit.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising locating at least one of the plurality of portable transmitters after the tracking operation.