System and apparatus for tracking a person or an animal

• US 8,035,560 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mariusz Mikoda
• Original Assignee: Adrian Glodz, Peter Walega
• Inventors: Walega, Peter, Glodz, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Dao
• Application Number:
  US12/274,713
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.63, 342/357.71, 342/357.74, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.71
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

This invention relates to a system and apparatus for tracking a target object, such as a person or an animal, using at least one of a global positioning system (GPS) satellite network, a cellular network, a radio frequency network, a telephone network, and a computer network using a multifunctional transceiver carried or mounted on or by the target object being tracked. The transceiver may be configured for mounting on or integrally a belt or collar worn by the target object being tracked. The transceiver may relay position and/or location information of the transceiver, and ultimately the target object being tracked, to a remote user.

Claims

1. A GPS tracking apparatus, comprising:

a belt configured to releasably attach to a person or an animal;

a transceiver enclosure integrally formed with the belt, the enclosure comprising at least one flexible hinge on at least an interior surface of the enclosure for enhancing flexion of the enclosure; and

a GPS transceiver for transmitting the GPS position of the belt to, and for receiving at least one signal from, at least one of a plurality of remote devices, the transceiver comprising

a control module having a CPU for processing GPS-acquired position data, the control module including nonvolatile memory for storing the position data;

a GPS antenna electrically yet flexibly connected to the control module for receiving the position data from a GPS satellite network;

a communications module electrically yet flexibly connected to the control module for wirelessly transmitting the position data to at least one of the plurality of remote devices; and

a portable power source electrically yet flexibly connected to the control module for electrically powering the transceiver,

wherein the transceiver automatically selects one of a plurality of pathways for transmitting the position data to at least one of the plurality of remote devices depending on a signal strength of each of the plurality of pathways.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pathways comprises at least one of a cellular network, a wireless network, a public switched telephone network, and the Internet.