System and method of tracking the movement of individuals and assets

• US 8,547,222 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless America Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Omnilink Systems Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Aninye, Steve, Rajala, Yoganand
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US11/935,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/10.1, 340/825.49, 340/568.1, 340/539.11, 340/572.1, 340/988, 701/468, 701/469, 342/357.23, 342/457
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A monitoring system is provided, by which location data and possibly other information from a wireless personal tracking device carried by an individual is transmitted to an administrative hub for processing and action according to defined rules. Simultaneous monitoring of a plurality of individuals with diverse tracking units and effective event recording and reporting can be implemented.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for monitoring the location of at least one individual or object comprising:

a wireless tracking device carried by the at least one individual or object;

an administrative hub monitoring locations of the at least one individual or object based upon data related to the wireless tracking device, and having a database with stored geo-coding information including location information, the administrative hub comparing the location of the at least one individual or object to the location information associated with the geo-coding information to determine if the location information is accurate and correcting the stored location information associated with the geo-coding information in the database based on the comparing so that the geo-coding information stored in the database changes to be accurate as a result of the correction.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the geo-coding information relates to an inclusion or exclusion zone and the administrative hub corrects the position of the inclusion or exclusion zone based on the comparison.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless tracking device carried by the at least one individual or object has at least first and second modes of operating by which the location of the wireless tracking device is determined, the wireless tracking device assuming the second mode of operation in response to at least one predetermined condition.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless tracking device carried by the at least one individual or object produces the location data based on a received signal; and

the administrative hub further determines and provides locational drift correction to the data related to the wireless tracking device, the locational drift correction correcting for variations in the signal received by the tracking device.

5. The monitoring system of claims 3 or 4, wherein:

the administrative hub includes a database containing a set of rules applicable to the individual or object; and

at least one of the rules applicable to the individual or object is a mobile inclusion zone that moves corresponding to the location of a second wireless tracking device that is monitored by the administrative hub.

6. The monitoring system of claim 4 wherein:

the administrative hub accepts information from a user for inclusion in the database, and the administrative hub also selectively publishes the information from a user for access by at least one other user.

7. The monitoring system of claim 3, 4, 6 or 1 wherein;

the administrative hub includes a database containing a set of rules applicable to the individual or object; and

at least one of the rules applicable to the individual or object is a mobile exclusion zone that moves corresponding to the location of a second wireless tracking device that is monitored by the administrative hub.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7 wherein the at least one of the rules is a plurality of mobile exclusion zones that move corresponding to the location of a plurality of second wireless tracking devices that are monitored by the administrative hub.

9. The monitoring system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of second wireless tracking devices are worn by individuals having a common characteristic.

10. The monitoring system of claim 3, 4, 6 or 1 wherein:

the administrative hub includes a database containing a set of rules applicable to the individual or object; and

at least one of the rules applicable to the individual or object are a plurality of exclusion zones, wherein the plurality of exclusion zones share a common characteristic.

11. The monitoring system of claim 7 wherein a user of the monitoring system is notified upon the administrative hub determining that one of the rules has been violated.

12. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein;

the administrative hub includes a database containing the set of rules applicable to the individual or object in addition to reportable events applicable to the individual or object; and

an event log created by the administrative hub that contains both violations of the rules and reportable events applicable to the individual or object.

13. The monitoring system of claim 12 wherein a reportable event includes the presence of the individual or object in a buffer zone.

14. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein;

the administrative hub includes a database containing a set of rules applicable to the individual or object, at least one of the rules being an inclusion zone for the individual or object; and

when the location of the individual in the inclusion zone is initially monitored over a defined period the reported locations are predominantly near a perimeter location of the inclusion zone, then the co-ordinates of the inclusion zone are automatically selected for recalibration to the predominantly reported location.

15. The monitoring system of claim 5 wherein a user of the monitoring system is notified upon the administrative hub determining that one of the rules has been violated.

16. The monitoring system of claim 3 wherein the wireless tracking device generates data related to the location of the wireless tracking device at a higher rate in the second mode of operation than in the first mode of operation.

17. The monitoring system of claim 16 wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes receipt by the wireless tracking device of an instruction from the administrative hub to implement the second mode of operation.

18. The monitoring system of claim 16 wherein the at least one predetermined condition is proximity of the wireless tracking device to a reference location.

19. The monitoring system of claim 3 wherein the second mode of operation of the wireless tracking device is an autonomous mode in which the wireless tracking device determines its location without cooperation of the administrative hub.

20. The monitoring device of claim 19 wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes proximity of the wireless tracking device to a reference location.

21. The monitoring device of claim 20 wherein, in the second mode, the wireless tracking device determines compliance with rules associated with proximity to the reference location.

22. The monitoring system of claim 19 wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes loss of communications between the wireless tracking device and the administrative hub.

23. The monitoring system of claim 19 wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes receipt by the wireless tracking device of an instruction from the administrative hub to implement the second mode of operation.

24. The monitoring system of claim 6 wherein the administrative hub displays the information from a user before the information is published.

25. The monitoring system of claim 6 wherein the administrative hub updates information in the database with information from a network.

26. The monitoring system of claim 25, wherein the network is the Internet.

27. The monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the administrative hub automatically locates the information from the Internet.