Systems and methods for condition and location monitoring of mobile entities

• US 7,499,713 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Frederking, Jay, Carpenter, Joseph Edwin, Bieber, Brian, Gasbarro, Henry Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; John J
• Application Number:
  US11/116,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/457, 455/67.7, 4554041-4042, 455/67.11, 455/100, 455/556.1, 4554141-4142, 340/572.1, 340/573.4, 340/539, 340/852.49
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for condition and location monitoring of mobile entities. One embodiment of a system may comprise a sensor system that measures at least one real time parameter associated with the mobile entity and compares the measured at least one real time parameter to at least one predetermined threshold to determine at least one condition of the mobile entity. The system may also comprise a situational awareness (SA) beacon having a global position satellite (GPS) device that determines a location of the mobile entity and a transceiver, wherein the SA beacon periodically transmits location information and condition information via the transceiver to a central control for display.

Claims

1. A system for condition and location monitoring of mobile entities in a Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) training exercise, the system comprising:

a situational awareness (SA) beacon associated with each of a given MILES training sensor system, the SA beacon comprising;

a global position satellite (GPS) device that determines a location of the MILES training sensor system;

a communication interface configured to provide communications with the MILES training sensor system through an infrared communication port of the MILES training sensor system;

a controller configured to transmit commands to and receive condition information from a sensor control of the MILES training sensor system through the communication interface and the infrared communication port;

a fastening mechanism that couples the SA beacon to the MILES training sensor system and communicatively couples the communication interface to the infrared communication port; and

a transceiver that transmits location information and condition information associated with the MILES training sensor system to a remote device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a central control that receives condition information and location information from a plurality of SA beacons associated with respective ones of the plurality of MILES training sensor systems in a geographic map.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the SA beacon transmits location information and condition information to the central control in response to a status request from the central control.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the SA beacon transmits location information and condition information to a central control upon a change of condition of a MILES training sensor system indicting that an event has occurred with respect to the MILES training sensor system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the MILES training sensor systems is a MILES training vest configured to be worn by a player in the MILES training exercise.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the condition information is whether a mobile entity is live, dead or injured due to laser fire from a weapon received or not received by the MILES training vest.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the SA beacon also transmits parameter information with the location information and the condition information, the parameter information being at least one of current player identification, a type of weapon which a current player was hit, a player identification of which player hit a current player, a location information of a hit, and a time of a hit.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is operative to receive status requests, reset commands and software updates for at least one of the SA beacon and the MILES training sensor systems from a central control.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a base station that routes communication between SA beacons and the central control, wherein the base station translates radio communications from the SA beacons to a text markup language for display at a central control.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the condition information associated with each of the plurality of MILES training sensor systems is displayed in a geographic map at a central control by varying an icon color associated with an icon representing a respective mobile entity employing a respective MILES training sensor system, and the location information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed by locating the icon in a location of the geographic map associated with an area in which the respective MILES training sensor system is moving.

11. A situational awareness system comprising:

a plurality of condition and location monitoring systems that determine at least one condition and a location of an associated mobile entity, wherein the at least one condition is based on a measured real time parameter value associated with an associated mobile entity being compared to at least one predetermined threshold; and

a central control that receives the condition information and location information from the plurality of condition and location monitoring systems and displays icons representing the plurality of mobile entities in a geographic map representing an area in which the plurality of mobile entities move, wherein the condition information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed in a geographic map by varying an icon color associated with an icon representing a respective mobile entity, and the location information associated with each of the plurality of mobile entities is displayed by locating the icon in a location of the geographic map.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the condition is based on a measured real time parameter value being within a threshold range for a predetermined amount of time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of condition and location monitoring systems comprise:

a sensing system having at least one sensor and a sensor control that determines the at least one condition by comparing the measured real time parameter value provided by the at least one sensor to the at least one predetermined threshold; and

a situational awareness (SA) beacon comprising a global position satellite (GPS) device that determines a location of the mobile entity and a transceiver, wherein the SA beacon periodically transmits location information and condition information via the transceiver to the central control for display.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein a given condition and location monitoring systems transmits location information and condition information to a central control in response to a change in condition of the respective mobile entity.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the central control is operative to transmit status poll requests, reset commands and software updates to each of the condition and location monitoring systems.

16. A condition and location monitoring system for mobile entities in a Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) training exercise, the system comprising:

a situational awareness (SA) beacon associated with each of a given MILES training sensor system, the SA beacon comprising;

means for measuring at least one real time parameter associated with the MILES training sensor system;

means for determining a condition of the mobile entity based on a comparison of the at least one real time parameter to at least one predetermined threshold;

means for determining a location of the mobile entity;

means for sending and receiving infrared communications of commands and condition information with the MILES training sensor system;

means for fastening the SA beacon to the MILES training sensor system such that the SA beacon and the MILES training sensor system are in infrared communication; and

means for periodically transmitting condition and location information of the mobile entity to a central control.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for converting the condition and location information into a displayable format, and means for displaying the condition and location information in a geographic map in which the MILES training sensor system is moving.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the condition information is whether a mobile entity is live, dead or injured due to laser fire from a weapon received or not received by the MILES training sensor system.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for periodically transmitting condition and location information of the MILES training sensor system transmits condition and location information in response to one of a status request from the central control and a change in condition indicating an event has occurred.

20. A method for condition and location monitoring of a mobile entities in a Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) training exercise, the method comprising:

fastening a situational awareness (SA) beacon to a given MILES training sensor system such that the SA beacon and the MILES training sensor system are in infrared communication;

comparing at least one measured real time parameter associated with a a MILES training sensor system to at least one predetermined threshold to determine at least one condition associated with the mobile entity;

determining a location of the mobile entity; and

transmitting condition information and location information associated with the MILES training sensor system to a central control.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising performing the comparing, determining and transmitting for a plurality of MILES training sensor systems for display at the central control.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying the condition information and location information for the plurality MILES training sensor systems, performing the comparing, determining and transmitting for the plurality of MILES training sensor systems for display at the central control, wherein the condition information associated with each of the MILES training sensor systems is displayed in a geographic map by varying an icon color associated with an icon representing a respective mobile entity, and the location information associated with each of the plurality MILES training sensor systems is displayed by locating the icon in a location of the geographic map.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting condition and location information of the MILES training sensor system is performed in response to one of a status request from the central control and a change in condition of a respective mobile entity indicating an event has occurred with respect to the respective MILES training sensor system.