System for monitoring in real-time movement or location and method thereof

• US 8,781,504 B1
• Filed: 12/24/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: YI-Phone, Inc.
• Original Assignee: YI-Phone, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Wen Hsiung
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/726,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20140179259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.5, 455/456.1, 455/403, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for monitoring in real-time movement or location, comprising at least one sensor, at least one receiver, a server unit and a database unit. Regarding the system of the present invention, the signals of the sensors attached on users or articles are transmitted to a website via a Wireless Ad Hoc Network and a local area network to real-time monitor movement or location for users or articles. The present invention further provides a method for monitoring in real-time movement or location for users or articles.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring in real-time movement or location, comprising:

(a) at least one sensor, comprising a three-axis accelerometer chip and a first radio frequency chip (RFIC), for detecting movement of at least one user or at least one article and transmitting a signal, comprising at least one parameter data, via a wireless ad hoc network system periodically;

(b) at least one receiver, comprising a second radio frequency chip (RFIC) and being connected to the sensor via the wireless ad hoc network system, in which the second RFIC measures strength of the signal transmitted by the sensor, to receive the parameter data of the user or the article, and via a local area network system the parameter data is transferred to a network address periodically;

(c) a server unit for setting at least one information of the user or the article, linking the information to the parameter data received from the receiver, and converting the parameter data into signal data by an operation unit of the server unit; and

(d) a database unit being connected to the server unit for storing the signal data of the user or the article, for editing and publishing the signal data in a website via the server unit, and presenting the movement or location of the user or the article in a web browser.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises a detachable pulse sensor probe for transmitting a pulse signal to the receiver by the first RFIC via the wireless ad hoc network system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises an emergency button, using the first RFIC to transmit the parameter data and the signal of the user or the article, which are transferred to the receiver via the wireless ad hoc network and further transmitted from receiver to the server unit via internet, thereby reminding a management staff to notice a condition of the user or the article.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter data comprises an identification number of the sensor, the movement status measured by the three-axis accelerometer chip, the pulse signal or a condition of the emergency button.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises a power amplifier to increase wireless strength of the signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver further comprises a wireless network transceiver module and a local area network module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a first microprocessor and the receiver comprises a second microprocessor.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first microprocessor receives at least one analog signal of the sensor, converts the analog signal into a digital signal and transmits the digital signal to the wireless network transceiver module, and the second microprocessor collects the parameter data and the signal received from the wireless network transceiver module, and transmits the same to the local area network module.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the server unit comprises an emergency contact unit, in which when a value of the parameter data sent by the sensor is lower or higher than a critical value set by the server unit, the emergency contact unit actively informs the management staff to confirm the movement or location of the user or the article.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the local area network system is an Ethernet network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the server unit and the database unit is a cloud computing device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is personal information, article information, movement, pulse signal, signal value or location.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is a living alone person, a dementia person or a bed-ridden person.

14. A method for monitoring in real-time movement or location, comprising steps of:

(a) setting at least one information of a user or an article in a server unit;

(b) detecting movement of the user or the article by a three-axis accelerometer chip, included in a sensor carried thereby, and transmitting at least one signal, comprising parameter data, periodically by a first radio frequency chip, included in the sensor, via a wireless ad hoc network system;

(c) measuring strength of the signal transmitted by the sensor, and receiving the parameter data of the user or the article by a second radio frequency chip;

(d) transmitting the parameter data and the signal to a network address periodically by the receiver via a local area network system;

(e) linking the information of the step (a) to the parameter data received from the receiver;

(f) converting the parameter data and the signal into signal data by an operation unit of the server unit; and

(g) storing the signal data in a database unit, and editing and publishing in a website by the server unit so as to present the movement or location of the user or the article in a web browser.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of providing a wireless network transceiver module and a local area network module for the receiver.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of providing a first microprocessor for the sensor and providing a second microprocessor for the receiver.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first microprocessor receives at least one analog signal of the sensor, converting the analog signal into a digital signal, and transmitting the digital signal to the wireless network transceiver module, and the second microprocessor collects the parameter data and the signal received from the wireless network transceiver module, and transmitting the parameter data and the wireless signal strength to the local area network module.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the parameter data comprises an identification number of the sensor, a movement status measured by the three-axis accelerometer chip, a pulse signal or a condition of an emergency button.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the local area network system is an Ethernet network.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the information is personal information, article information, movement, pulse signal, signal value or location.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the user is a living alone person, a dementia person or a bed-ridden person.