Monitoring device and security system

• US 7,703,671 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arrowhead Center, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Arrowhead Center, Inc.
• Inventors: Diemer, Joel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai; Thien T
• Application Number:
  US11/221,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20070228145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/492, 235/380, 235/384, 235/376, 235/449, 235/487, 194/202, 194/207, 194/213, 705/1, 705/855, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/540, 378/69, 707/1, 435/287.1, 436/1, 702/22, 738/638.1, 232/45
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu

Abstract

The present invention provides for an integrated global biological activity detection, traffic tracking and scheduling, and boundary/border security system. Detection apparatuses of the system are preferably placed in a stream of currency such as in financial institutions and other sites of currency exchange, and are also placed in or about transportation vehicles and linked into a data collection, analysis, and graphical information system to provide early warning for security activities. Detection apparatuses located in and about transportation vehicles are combined with a system for routing vehicles into security corridors and with a system of notification, scheduling, and monitoring to enhance the capacity of authorities to insure security and efficient trade movement particularly as it approaches boundaries and borders.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the activity of a targeted substance on a stream of currency comprising:

at least one multifunctional detection apparatus integrally disposed in a currency counter and currency shuffler device for disturbing the targeted substance and causing the targeted substance to be airborne;

said at least one multifunctional detection apparatus comprising at least one substance sensor for sampling and testing the targeted substance airborne from the stream of currency;

an apparatus for processing the stream of currency comprising an integrated apparatus enhancing movement of ambient air past the currency and directing the air to said at least one sensor for sampling and testing, wherein said sensors are remotely re-configurable; and

at least one data transmission component for transmission of data collected by the at least one sensor to a central data processor which processes said data from said transmission, said data processor comprising at least one computing component for processing transmitted data in real time to identify and ignore background noise and isolate and identify the targeted substance.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one targeted substance attraction component disposed in the currency to enhance detection by said at least one multifunctional detection apparatus.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a currency counter through which the stream of currency passes and in which said at least one multifunctional detection apparatus comprises at least one chip that integrates a traditional macroscopic laboratory process.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said data transmission component communicates with a global positioning system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the targeted substance comprises a biological, chemical, or radiological substance.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a secure communications transmission infrastructure linking said at least one multifunctional detection apparatus with the central data processor.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising an infrastructure comprising a system for forwarding data of interest with its geographic coordinates from said data transmission and mapping said information to a multilayered geographical information system in communication with security personnel.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising a central facility linking said multilayered geographical information system to security personnel to, in real time, graphically communicate said mapping information to the security personnel and to integrate said information with geographic specific data.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said geographic specific data comprises data selected from the group consisting of weather data, topography data, security response capability data, demographic data, geo-political data, agricultural data, and a combination thereof.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a purging apparatus for removing the targeted substance from the currency.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the targeted substance comprises a pathogen.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said data transmission component communicates with an Internet system.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein said data transmission component communicates with a bi-directional data transmission system.

11. A method for monitoring the activity of a targeted substance on currency comprising:

providing at least one multifunctional detection apparatus comprising at least one modular remotely re-configurable sensor for detecting a targeted substance airborne from the currency;

integrally disposing the at least one multifunctional detection apparatus into a currency counter and currency shuffler device;

shuffling the currency and disturbing the targeted substance and causing the targeted substance to be airborne;

moving ambient air past the currency and directing the air and airborne targeted substance to the sensor;

sampling and testing the targeted substance airborne from the currency;

adding geographic specific data to data collected from the currency by the sensor;

communicating about the targeted substance between the at least one multifunctional detection apparatus to a global positioning system, an Internet system, or a bi-directional data transmission system; and

transmitting the data to a central data processor.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising disposing a targeted substance attraction component in the currency to enhance detection by the multifunctional detection apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing a currency counter;

disposing the at least one multifunctional detection apparatus in the currency counter;

passing the stream of currency through the currency counter; and

detecting the targeted substance on the currency.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the targeted substance comprises a radiological, biological, or chemical substance.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising linking the detection apparatus with the central data processor via a secure communications transmission infrastructure.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising disposing computing components in the central data processor and processing the data transmitted in real time to screen out background noise and to isolate and identify the targeted substance.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

linking a mapping infrastructure with the central data processor;

sending geographic specific data from the central data processor to the mapping infrastructure; and

mapping the information to a multilayered geographical information system in communication with security personnel.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing a central facility linking the multilayered geographical information system to security personnel;

graphically communicating the mapping information to the security personnel in real time; and

integrating the information with geographic specific data in real time.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the geographic specific data comprises data selected from the group consisting of weather data, topography data, security response capability data, demographic data, geo-political data, agricultural data, and a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising purging the currency stream to remove the targeted substance from the currency stream.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the targeted substance comprises a pathogen.