Global positioning systems and methods for asset and infrastructure protection

• US 8,471,700 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kontek Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kontek Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Merrill, Charles, Nolte, Roger Allen, Tullis, Barclay J., Kriegel, Kevin Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LAURA N
• Application Number:
  US12/877,816
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/541, 340/506, 3405391-53932, 701/412
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/01 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

Security systems may include sensing, networked communications, stealth, alarms, and countermeasures, any or all of which may adapt to threats. These systems may also include armor and barriers of concrete and/or steel. They can adapt to severity of threats, weather, and/or other situational aspects. They can anticipate at least some threats in order to obtain early warning and react more quickly to those threats. They can adapt by altering their configurations, including alterations in communication networking structures and methods, and changes in data-storage and processing duties at processing nodes. Defensive and/or offensive countermeasures can be employed to deter, confuse, trap, and/or disable terrorists. The systems are capable of self-maintenance, self-healing, and self-restoration as threats subside. The systems can include subsystems capable of autonomous operation. At least some of the systems and/or their subsystems are capable of allocating power among subsystems, and of regulating bandwidth utilizations.

Claims

1. A security system comprising:

a. a physical barrier separating a protected side from an unprotected side of ground area;

b. at least one monitoring subsystem; and

c. at least one position locating device communicatively connected to the at least one monitoring subsystem and co-located with a physical component of the security system or with an object that the security system guards or protects;

wherein the position locating device determines a correct geographical location of the physical component or object; and

wherein the position locating device at least once communicates an incorrect geographical location unrelated to the correct geographical location in order to misdirect an eavesdropper away from the physical component or object.

2. The security system of claim 1, wherein the object is one selected from the group consisting of a person and a physical asset.

3. The security system of claim 1, wherein the physical component is one selected from the group consisting of a barrier component, a building component, a barrier module, an armored building module, a countermeasure subsystem, a sensor subsystem, an autonomous sensor subsystem, a disturbance subsystem, a network node, a server, a browser, an alarm subsystem, a network operation center, and a tactical operations center.

4. The security system of claim 1, wherein the correct geographical location provides location information useful in locating a security threat.

5. The security system of claim 1, wherein the incorrect geographical location is used to entrap the eavesdropper.

6. The security system of claim 1, wherein the incorrect geographical location is used for stealth.

7. The security system of claim 1, wherein the incorrect geographical location is used for deception.

8. The security system of claim 1, wherein the incorrect geographical location cannot be converted into the correct geographical location.

9. The security system of claim 1, wherein the position locating device is a global positioning device.

10. The security system of claim 1, wherein changes in the correct geographical location of the physical component or object are used to track the geographical location of the physical component or object respectively.

11. The security system of claim 1, wherein a change in the geographical location of the physical component or object results in a security alarm from the security system.

12. The security system of claim 11, wherein the monitoring subsystem receives the security alarm from the position locating device.

13. The security system of claim 11, wherein the monitoring subsystem generates the security alarm.

14. A global positioning system, comprising:

a. a communication interface for connection to a communications network; and

b. a global positioning device communicatively connected to the communication interface;

wherein the global positioning device at least once communicates a different geographical location, not including or otherwise combined with its own geographical location, in order to misdirect an eavesdropper to the different geographical location or to entrap the eavesdropper at the different geographical location purposefully reports false position information to the communications network.

15. The global positioning system of claim 14;

wherein the global positioning device is co-located with one selected from the group consisting of a sensor subsystem, an autonomous sensor subsystem, a countermeasure subsystem, a disturbance emitter, and a network node.

16. The global positioning system of claim 15;

wherein the one selected from the group is installed within a barrier module or an armored building module.

17. The global positioning system of claim 16;

wherein a change in geographical location of the global positioning device is an indicator that a barrier module or armored building module has been breached or moved.

18. A method of falsifying coordinate values obtained by a geographical positioning system, the method comprising:

a. obtaining coordinate values from a geographical positioning device;

b. making an irreversible change to the coordinate values;

wherein no recipient of the changed coordinate values can reverse the change.

19. The method of falsifying coordinate values as in claim 18, wherein the changed coordinate values provide misinformation to an eavesdropper.

20. The method of falsifying coordinate values as in claim 18, further comprising:

purposefully displaying the changed coordinate values that are false.