Location recording system

• US 7,855,654 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobit Telecom Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Daniel A. Katz
• Inventors: Katz, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SIGMUND N
• Application Number:
  US11/625,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 340/442, 340/573.6, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/539.21, 340/539.23, 340/686.6, 34235701-35713, 342/353, 701/207
• US Class Current: 340/573.6
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/0005 by means of alarm devices for persons falling into the water, e.g. by signalling, by controlling the propulsion or manoeuvring means of the boat alarms responsive to presence of persons in a body of water in general G08B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/06 Emergency
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0246 involving frequency difference of arrival or Doppler measurements G01S5/02685 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/088 by monitoring a device worn by the person, e.g. a bracelet attached to the swimmer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a communication system and method for determining and recording the geographical location of an object attached with a short range wireless device, over a wide area, in a vicinity of a radio beacon that can be located by a remote control station, upon establishing or interrupting a wireless connection between said wireless device and said radio beacon. One embodiment of the invention relates to a system for search and rescue of a man overboard (person overboard), a quite frequent and fatal accident at sea.

Claims

1. A communication system for determining and recording the geographical location of an object falling overboard a moving vessel, comprising:

a) a short range wireless device (SRWD) attached to said object;

b) a radio beacon (RB) installed onboard said vessel;

c) a remote control station (RCS);

said RB configured to detect non positioning signals emitted by said SRWD while both RB and SRWD are onboard the vessel and upon detecting from said non positioning signals that said SRWD is exceeding a predetermined range away from the RB indicative that said SRWD is no longer onboard, while said onboard RB is on the move, transmit an alarm message comprising unique data identifying said RB and enabling determining the location of said RB;

said RCS configured to detect said RB alarm message but not said SRWD signals, and consequently determine the location of said RB, and consequently determine also the location of said SRWD to be the location of the RB at the time of detecting that said SRWD is no longer onboard, and record the SRWD location coordinates and said unique data and time of record;

said SRWD comprising;

a transmitter configured to emit low power;

control circuitry to activate the transmitter periodically or upon an input or a combination thereof;

said RB comprising;

a memory for storing the unique data;

a transmitter configured to transmit alarm messages;

a receiver configured to detect SRWD signals;

a controller configured to control the communications with the RCS and with the SRWD;

a speed sensor including a GPS receiver;

said RCS comprising;

a receiver or a plurality of receivers configured to receive alarm messages from said RB;

means to determine and record and display the RB and SRWD location coordinates.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the SRWD further comprises sensors to measure at least one of the following parameters, and means to modulate these measured parameters on said emitted signals:

a) immersion in water;

b) salt water;

c) hydrostatic pressure;

d) air pressure;

e) mechanical shock;

f) acceleration;

g) inclination;

h) heart beat rate;

i) blood pressure;

j) activation of “

panic”

(SOS) button;

k) temperature;

l) concentration of carbon monoxide or other gases;

m) blood sugar level;

n) electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) signal.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the SRWD periodically emits signals, and when the RB ceases to detect these signals for a predefined period of time, it transmits an alarm message.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the RB further comprises an input device enabling at least two choices, and an output device, one of said input choices is assigned as “

test”

, and while set to “

test”

, when the RB ceases to detect the signals of the SRWD for a predefined period of time, said output device is configured to indicate that, and wherein said “

test”

choice is configured to prevent been set permanently, by mechanical means.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the SRWD further comprises a memory storing unique data identifying said SRWD, and said unique data is embedded in the signals emitted by the SRWD.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein a local control station (LCS) is connected to the RB, configured to monitor the communications between the RB and the SRWD, and the communications between the RB and the RCS;

said LCS configured to detect that the RB transmits an alarm message, then output an alarm signal and record its own present location, as an estimation of the SRWD location, and the current time;

the LCS comprising;

a) a CPU, a non volatile memory and a display;

b) an output device configured to render at least one of;

audible and visual alarm indications;

c) a Global navigation satellite system receiver (also known as GPS).

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the communication between the RB and the RCS is either direct or over a network comprising a plurality of communication segments, wherein at least one of these segments being linked to a satellite.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said SRWD is configured to relay or retransmit signals that arrive from another SRWD, or said RB is configured to relay or retransmit signals that arrive from another RB, or a combination thereof.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the RB further comprises a second receiver and the RCS further comprises a transmitter, said RCS transmitter and RB second receiver configured to communicate with each other, and said RCS configured to acknowledge the RB upon receiving an alarm message.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the RB or SRWD further comprise an input device that upon activation, the RB is configured to transmit a “

test alarm”

message, and the RCS is configured to acknowledge the “

test alarm”

message to the RB, and wherein the RB further comprises an output device, configured to indicate that the “

test alarm”

message was acknowledged by the RCS.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the RB further comprises a second transmitter and the SRWD further comprises a receiver, said RB second transmitter and SRWD receiver configured to communicate with each other, and said RB configured to acknowledge said SRWD upon transmitting an alarm message.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the RB and SRWD further comprise an input device, and the RB configured to transmit a “

cancel alarm”

message upon invoking said input device.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the RB controller is configured to suspend the transmission of an alarm message for a predetermined period of time, and an input device, at the RB or at the SRWD or at both, wherein the RB is configured to cancel alarm message transmission upon detecting that said input device was invoked.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the SRWD further comprises an input device that upon activation, the SRWD is configured to transmit a “

test signal”

to the RB, and wherein the RB further comprises an output device, configured to indicate that the “

test signal”

was received.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the location of the RB is determined at the RCS by modulating on the alarm message data arrived from a navigation sensor such as GPS or GLONASS or Galileo integrated or attached to said RB, or by detecting the Doppler deviation of the RB transmission, or a combination thereof.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein the location determination of the SRWD is refined by measuring at least one of the distance or direction between SRWD and RB, at the SRWD or at the RB.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein the RB transmitter is configured to be detected by receivers installed onboard satellites, such as but not limited to:

SARSAT or COSPAS or COSPAS-SARSAT or ARGOS.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein the RB transmitter being 406 MHz transmitter for compatibility with the COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue system, and its alarm message is according to at least one of the following:

Emergency Position Indicating Radio beacon (EPIRB) for maritime use;

Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) for aviation use;

Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for portable use.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the RB alarm message includes a “

man over board”

code.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprised in said RB further comprising means to measure at least one of:

distance or direction to said SRWD.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein the SRWD is attached to an object from the following group:

persons;

animals;

pets;

vehicles;

containers;

goods;

valuables;

mailed/delivered items;

weapons;

ammunition;

hazardous materials.

22. A system according to claim 1, wherein said RB is configured to transmit an alarm message when detecting signals emitted by said SRWD at a lower than a predefined power level, or communicating a predefined code.

23. A system according to claim 1, wherein said SRWD transmitter is configured to comply with unlicensed transmission regulations.

24. A short range wireless device (SRWD), for determining and recording the geographical location of an object attached therewith falling overboard a moving vessel, linked to a radio beacon (RB) installed onboard said vessel, said RB configured to detect non positioning signals emitted by said SRWD while both RB and said SRWD are onboard the vessel and upon detecting from said non positioning signals that said SRWD is exceeding a predetermined range away from the RB indicative that said SRWD is no longer onboard, while said onboard RB is on the move, transmit an alarm message including unique data identifying said RB and enabling determining the location of said RB by a remote control station (RCS), wherein said remote control station (RCS) is configured to detect said RB alarm message but not said SRWD signals, and consequently determine also the location of said SRWD to be the location of the RB at the time of overboard detection, and record the SRWD location coordinates and said uniquely identifying data and time of record;

said SRWD comprising;

a) a transmitter configured to emit low power;

b) control circuitry to activate the transmitter periodically or upon an input or a combination thereof.

25. A radio beacon (RB) configured to be installed onboard a vessel, for determining and recording the geographical location of an object attached with a short range wireless device (SRWD) falling overboard said moving vessel, said RB configured to store uniquely identifying data and detect non positioning signals emitted by said SRWD while both RB and SRWD are onboard the vessel and upon detecting from said non positioning signals that said SRWD is exceeding a predetermined range away from the RB indicative that said SRWD is no longer onboard, transmit an alarm message including unique data identifying said RB and enabling determining the location of said RB, wherein a remote control station (RCS) is configured to detect said RB alarm message but not said SRWD signals, and consequently determine the location of said RB, and consequently determine also the location of said SRWD to be the location of the RB at the time of overboard detection, and record the SRWD location coordinates and said uniquely identifying data and time of record;

said RB comprising;

a) a memory for storing the unique data;

b) a transmitter configured to transmit alarm messages;

c) a receiver configured to detect SRWD signals;

d) means to assess the distance to the SRWD;

e) a controller configured to control the communications with the RCS and with the SRWD;

f) a speed sensor including a GPS receiver.

26. A remote control stations (RCS), for determining and recording the geographical location of an object attached with a short range wireless device (SRWD) falling overboard a moving vessel, said SRWD linked to a mobile radio beacon (RB) installed onboard said vessel, in which uniquely identifying data stored, said RB configured to detect non positioning signals emitted by said SRWD while both RB and SRWD are onboard the vessel and upon detecting from said non positioning signals that said SRWD is exceeding a predetermined range away from the RB indicative that said SRWD is no longer onboard, while said onboard RB is on the move transmit an alarm message including said uniquely identifying data and enabling determining the location of said RB, wherein said RCS is configured to detect said RB alarm message but not said SRWD signals, and consequently determine the location of said RB, and consequently determine also the location of said SRWD to be the location of the RB at the time of overboard detection, and record the SRWD location coordinates and said uniquely identifying data and time of record;

said RCS comprising;

a) a receiver or a plurality of receivers configured to receive alarm messages from said RB;

b) means to determine and record and display the RB and SRWD location coordinates.