Safety and tracking system and related devices

• US 8,787,961 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gene Ryan Skalicky
• Original Assignee: Gene Ryan Skalicky
• Inventors: Skalicky, Gene Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Aminzay, Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US13/205,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20120034946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 455/521, 455/3.03, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/500, 455/507, 455/63.4, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.22, 340/539.23, 315/291, 342/456, 702/28
• US Class Current: 455/521
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

The present invention is a safety and tracking system that includes a master or master control unit with visual and audible signal intensity indicators, a numerical indicator, a plurality of manual control buttons that provide input data to the master control unit, a plurality of indicator lights with audible sounder, a controlled gain antenna array that exchanges, sends and receives the input data, a transceiver that provides a communications link between the master control unit and a locator tag and a microprocessor. There are also one or more corresponding target or locator tags that include a panic button, an indicator lights with a sounder, an antenna that exchanges, sends and receives the input data, a transceiver and a microprocessor to coordinate the input data to the master control unit.

Claims

1. A safety and tracking system, comprising:

a master or master control unit that includes signal intensity indicators to indicate a relative strength of a received signal, a numerical indicator that indicates an identity of a tracked receiving unit, a plurality of manual control buttons that provide input data to said master control unit, a plurality of indicator lights with a sounder to display various tracking functions, a controlled gain antenna array that exchanges, sends and receives said input data, a transceiver that provides a communications link between said master control unit and said tracked receiving unit and a microprocessor that manages said transceiver, said controlled antenna array, said signal intensity indicator, said numerical indicator, said manual control buttons, and said indicator lights; and

one or more target or locator tags that serve as said tracked receiving units to said master control unit that include a panic button to send said received signal to said master control unit, an indicator light with a sounder that illuminates when said input data from said master control unit is received, an antenna that exchanges, sends and receives said input data, a transceiver and a microprocessor to coordinate said input data to said master control unit, and wherein said master control unit includes software composed of system kernel that performs high-level task function management for ISM (industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) radio bands) radio frequency selection, ISM radio RSSI (received signal strength indicator) detection, antenna gain management, said locator tag pairing and unpairing, signal threshold management, alarm signal detection and processing, RSSI indication, said locator tag indication and said sounder indication and will not cross talk with other locator tags.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said signal intensity indicator is an illuminated bar graph with LED lights disposed in a column that rise and fall along said column to indicate said relative signal strength.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said numerical indicator is a display that is a number or any upper or lower case letter.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said manual control buttons include a scroll button, a select button, a mute button and a power button.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said indicator lights include a temperature warning light, a lost warning light, a low battery light and a call light.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transceivers are RF ISM transceivers that include RSSI.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said master control unit microprocessor utilizes firmware to send and receive said input data to said locator tags.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said firmware manage said transceivers and said controlled gain antenna array, exchanges, sends and receives data with said transceivers, manages a power supply and low-power states of domains, illuminates said plurality of indicator lights and activates said sounders that generates audio sounds when said indicator lights are activated.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said master control unit sounder is an electromechanical sound generating device.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said master control unit and said locator tag are each disposed on and integrated on one or more PCB substrate.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said controlled antenna array utilizes a unidirectional antenna to monitor said locator tags and a directional antenna to track said locator tags and can switch between said unidirectional antenna to said directional antenna.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transceivers interact with said microprocessors by including said received signal strength, providing said input data, accepting frequency and transmitted controls and accepting said input data for transmission.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said locator tag includes software composed of a system kernel that manages precise timing and services necessary for operation of higher-level functions such as ISM radio frequency selection, said locator tag pairing and unpairing, alarm signal initiation, visual indication and sounder indication.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said locator tag sounder is an electromechanical sound generating device.

15. A safety and tracking system, comprising:

a master or master control unit that includes a signal intensity indicator with an illuminated bar graph with LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights disposed in a column that rise and fall along said column to indicate a relative signal strength, a sound of rising and falling frequency to indicate a relative signal strength, a numerical indicator that is a number letter that indicates an identity of a tracked receiving unit, a plurality of manual control buttons that include a scroll button, a select button, a mute button and a power button that provide input data to said master control unit, a plurality of indicator lights with a sounder that is an electromechanical sound generating device that include a temperature warning light, a lost warning light, a low battery light and a call light to display various tracking functions, a controlled gain antenna array that utilizes a unidirectional antenna to monitor said locator tags and a directional antenna to track said locator tags and can switch between said unidirectional antenna to said directional antenna, an RF ISM (industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) transceiver that RSSI (received signal strength indicator) that provides a communications link between said master control unit and said tracked receiving unit and a microprocessor with firmware to send and receive said input data to said locator tags that manages said transceiver, said controlled antenna array, said signal intensity indicator, said numerical indicator, said manual control buttons, said indicator lights, and said sounding device, said master control unit is disposed on and integrated on one or more PCB (Print Circuit Board) substrate; and

one or more target or locator tags that serve as said tracked receiving units to said master control unit that include a panic button to send said received signal to said master control unit, an indicator light with a sounder that is an electromechanical sound generating device that illuminates when said input data from said master control unit is received, a single antenna is a omni-directional antenna that exchanges, sends and receives said input data, a RF ISM (industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) transceiver that includes RSSI (received signal strength indicator) and a microprocessor to coordinate said input data to said master control unit, said master control unit is disposed on and integrated on one or more PCB (Print Circuit Board) substrate.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said firmware manage said transceivers and said controlled gain antenna array, exchanges, sends and receives data with said transceivers, manages a power supply and low-power states of domains, illuminates said plurality of indicator lights and activates said sounders that generates audio sounds when said indicator lights are activated.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said master control unit includes software composed of a first system kernel that performs high-level task function management for ISM radio frequency selection, ISM radio RSSI detection, antenna gain management, said locator tag pairing and unpairing, signal threshold management, alarm signal detection and processing, RSSI indication, said locator tag indication and said sounder indication and will not cross talk with other locator tags.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein said transceivers interact with said microprocessors by including said received signal strength, providing said input data, accepting frequency and transmitted controls and accepting said input data for transmission.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein said locator tag is composed of a second system kernel that manages precise timing and services necessary for operation of higher-level functions such as ISM radio frequency selection, said locator tag pairing and unpairing, alarm signal initiation, visual indication and sounder indication.