Methods and apparatus for locationing emergency personnel

• US 7,737,850 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Malik, Ajay
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/831,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 340/10, 340/505
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/06 Emergency
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining the location of an individual (e.g., emergency personnel) within an environment. A system includes a wearable RFID tag removably attached to the individual (e.g., on his/her wrist, or uniform), wherein the wearable RFID tag is configured to send data to one or more access ports positioned external to the environment (e.g., on a fire truck or other such vehicle). A locationing module is communicatively coupled to the access port and is configured to determine the location of the individual within the site based on the data acquired from the wearable RFID tag.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of an individual within a site, comprising:

providing the individual with a wearable RFID tag;

transmitting data from the RFID tag to a plurality of wireless access ports external to the site; and

determining the location of the individual within the site based on a location algorithm utilizing the data acquired from the RFID tag, wherein the location algorithm utilizes the plurality of wireless access ports and the data acquired from the RFID tag to determine the location,

wherein transmitting the data to the plurality of wireless access ports includes transmitting the data to access ports on one or more vehicles located external to the site; and

wherein the location algorithm is configured to determine a distance between the RFID tag and one or more of the wireless access ports through an effective received signal strength indication (RSSI), the effective RSSI comprises RSSI seen by one of the wireless access ports adjusted for site layout, fingerprinting info, and runtime radio frequency environmental characteristics comprising signal to noise ratio, access port to access port beacon, and access port power.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the individual with a wearable RFID tag includes providing an active RFID tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data includes transmitting information associated with the identity of the individual.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location includes determining the location utilizing a locationing module located on the vehicle and in communication with the access ports.

5. The method of claim 1, further including providing a display configured to provide a graphical representation of the location of the individual within the site;

and

performing one of selecting a preloaded map and downloading a map of the site.

6. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting the data to a central office communicatively coupled to a wireless switch that is communicatively coupled to the access ports.

7. A system for determining the location of an individual within a site, comprising:

a wearable RFID tag removeably attached to the individual, the wearable RFID tag configured to transmit tag data;

a plurality of access ports external to the site, the access ports configured to receive the data from the wearable RFID tag; and

a locationing module communicatively coupled to the plurality of access ports, the locationing module configured to execute a location algorithm to determine the location of the individual within the site based on the data acquired from the wearable RFID tag, wherein the location algorithm utilizes reference data between the wearable RFID tag and one or more of the plurality of access ports to determine the location,

wherein the locationing module utilizes the signal strengths of the respective signals received by each of the plurality of wireless access ports from the wearable RFID tag, wherein the signal strengths each comprise effective received signal strength indication (RSSI), the effective RSSI comprises RSSI seen by one of the wireless access ports adjusted for site layout, fingerprinting info, and runtime radio frequency environmental characteristics comprising signal to noise ratio, access port to access port beacon, and access port power.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the RFID tag is an active RFID tag.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the data acquired from the RFID tag includes information associated with the identity of the individual.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of wireless access ports is located within a vehicle external to the site.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is an emergency vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the emergency vehicle is a fire response vehicle or a police vehicle having at least two of the access ports located therein.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the locationing module is located on the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 7, further including a display configured to provide a graphical representation of the location of the individual within the site.

15. A system comprising a wearable RFID tag configured to transmit tag data to a plurality of access ports located on one or more vehicles external to a site, and a locationing module coupled to the access ports that uses signal strength calculations associated with the tag data received by the plurality of access ports to determine the location of the wearable RFID tag within the site, wherein the signal strength calculations comprise effective received signal strength indication (RSSI), the effective RSSI comprises RSSI seen by one of the access ports adjusted for site layout, fingerprinting info, and runtime radio frequency environmental characteristics comprising signal to noise ratio, access port to access port beacon, and access port power.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wearable RFID tag is configured to be worn on the individual'"'"'s wrist or placed within a uniform worn by the individual.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is an emergency vehicle having a second access port.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle is a fire response vehicle having a cab portion and a ladder portion, wherein the first access port is located adjacent to the cab portion, and the second access port is located adjacent the ladder portion.