System, method, and apparatus for detecting wireless devices

• US 8,981,925 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Attenti Electronic Monitoring Ltd., SDC, Inc. (Iowa)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Defant, John C., Segal, David, Chapin, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US13/792,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A system provides for radio frequency detection of an offending device within a specific range of a body worn device. Upon detection of the radio frequency signal, the body worn device communicates to an infrastructure to alert of the presence and optionally the location of the radio frequency signal, and therefore the offending device. The user and/or location of the body worn device is/are revealed and the source of the radio frequency signal is readily determined for confiscation of the offending device. Other features include locating/tracking of the body worn device (and wearer) detection of tampering with the body worn device, and detection of cloaking of the body worn device (e.g. submerging in water or covering with aluminum foil, etc.).

Claims

1. A system for detecting radio frequency emitting devices, the system comprising:

at least one base station, the base station including a base station processor and a base station transceiver, the base station transceiver operatively coupled to the base station processor;

a plurality of body worn devices, each body worn device comprising a processor, a transceiver operatively coupled to the processor, a radio frequency detector, the radio frequency detector operatively coupled to the processor, and a source of power, the source of power providing operational power to the processor, to the transceiver, and to the radio frequency detector;

software running on the processor of the body worn device communicates with the radio frequency detector and, if a target radio frequency is detected by the radio frequency detector, the software initiates a communication from the transceiver to the base station transceiver indicating that the target radio frequency was detected; and

upon receipt of the communication indicating that the target radio frequency was detected by the base station transceiver, software running on the base station processor determines the offending body worn device and signals an alert.

2. The system for detecting radio frequency emitting devices of claim 1, wherein the body worn devices further comprise a positioning system and a location of the body worn device is included in the communication.

3. The system for detecting radio frequency emitting devices of claim 2, wherein the location is represented as numeric values representing a longitude and a latitude.

4. The system for detecting radio frequency emitting devices of claim 1, wherein the base station comprises at least three transceivers, each having an antenna and the antenna are spatially distributed such that, using signal timing and/or signal strength, the base station determines the location of the body worn device after the communication is sent from the body worn device.

5. The system for detecting radio frequency emitting devices of claim 1, wherein the body worn devices further comprise a tamper detection system and upon detection of any tampering or removal of the body worn device, the processor receives a signal from the tamper detection system and the processor initiates a communication from the transceiver to the base station transceiver indicating the occurrence of tampering.

6. The system for detecting radio frequency emitting devices of claim 5, wherein upon receipt of the tamper communication from the transceiver, the software running on the base station processor signals the occurrence of the tampering.

7. A method of detecting a radio frequency emission, the method comprising:

(a) monitoring a predetermined radio frequency at a body worn device;

(b) if the predetermined radio frequency of at least a predetermined radio frequency strength is detected, transmitting a signal from a transmitter of the body worn device to a receiver of a base station, the signal including an identification of the body worn device; and

(c) upon receiving the signal, issuing an alarm indicative of the predetermined radio frequency and the identification of the body worn device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a location of the body worn device and including the location of the body worn device in the alarm.

9. The method of claim 8, whereas the step of determining the location of the body worn device is performed by a position measurement device of the body worn device.

10. The method of claim 8, whereas the step of determining the location of the body worn device comprises the step of triangulating of the signal by the base station.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the body worn device has been tampered at the body worn device;

responsive to determining the body worn device has been tampered, sending a second signal from the body worn device to the base station indicating the body worn device has been tampered, the second signal including an indication of the tamper and the identification of the body worn device;

receiving the second signal by the base station; and

responsive to the second signal, issuing a second alarm indicative of the tampering and the identification of the body worn device.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the body worn device has been cloaked;

responsive to determining that the body worn device has been cloaked, sending a third signal from the body worn device to the base station indicating that the body worn device has been cloaked, the third signal including an indication of the cloak and the identification of the body worn device;

receiving the third signal by the base station; and

responsive to the third signal, issuing a third alarm indicative of the cloaking and the identification of the body worn device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of determining if the body worn device has been cloaked comprises:

periodically sending a heartbeat signal from the base station to the body worn device;

responsive to the body worn device receiving the heartbeat signal, the body worn device acknowledges receipt of the heartbeat signal;

if the body worn device does not acknowledge receipt of the heartbeat signal, issuing a cloaking alarm.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

Periodically sending a heartbeat signal from the body worn device to the base station;

if the base station does not receive the heartbeat signal from the body worn device at least once during a predetermined interval, issuing a third alarm indicative that the body worn device was cloaked and the identification of the body worn device.

15. A computer-based system for detecting radio frequency transmissions, the computer-base system comprising:

a body worn device, the body worn device comprising a processor, a wireless transceiver communicatively coupled to the processor, and a radio frequency transmission detector interfaced to the processor, the radio frequency transmission detector adapted to detect a radio frequency transmission of at least one frequency and at a power level above a predetermined threshold for each of the at least one frequency;

a base station, the base station comprising a base station processor and a base station transceiver, the base station transceiver wirelessly coupled to the wireless transceiver, thereby providing a wireless communication channel between the processor and the base station processor;

software running on the processor monitors the radio frequency transmission detector and, upon detection of any of the at least one frequency exceeding a corresponding threshold of the predetermined threshold for each of the at least one frequency, the processor formats a signal and sends the signal through the wireless communication channel to the base station processor; and

software running on the base station processor monitors the base station transceiver and upon detection of the signal, the software running on the base station processor signals an alarm.

16. The computer-based system for detecting radio frequency transmissions of claim 15, wherein the signal comprises an identification of the body worn device.

17. The computer-based system for detecting radio frequency transmissions of claim 15, wherein the body worn device further comprises a location determining device and the processor encodes a location of the body worn device into the signal.

18. The computer-based system for detecting radio frequency transmissions of claim 17, wherein the location determining device is a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver.

19. The computer-based system for detecting radio frequency transmissions of claim 15, wherein the body worn device further comprises a tamper determining device operatively coupled to the processor and upon tampering, the software running on the processor detects the tampering, formats a tamper signal comprising an identification of the body worn device, and sends the tamper signal to the base station processor through the communication channel, and upon receipt of the tamper signal, the software running on the base station signals a tamper alarm.

20. The computer-based system for detecting radio frequency transmissions of claim 15, wherein the software running on the body worn device periodically formats a heartbeat signal comprising an identification of the body worn device, and sends the tamper signal to the base station processor through the communication channel, and upon receipt of the tamper signal, the software running on the base station resets a heartbeat timer, whereas, upon expiration of the heartbeat timer, the software running on the base station signals a lost-communications alarm.