Location tracking system

• US 9,007,378 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2010
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nextronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nextronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Sung-Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Phi
• Application Number:
  US13/696,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20130050244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/573.4, 340/539.22, 725/52, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0233 System arrangements with pre-alarms, e.g. when a first distance is exceeded

Abstract

Provided is a location tracking system in which a main terminal and a plurality of sub-terminals are configured to conduct wireless communication within a preset distance range which the sub-terminals should keep from the main terminal, and in which the main terminal has a plurality of display parts displaying the respective sub-terminals, whereas each sub-terminal has a warning sound output part. Thereby, when any sub-terminal deviates from a boundary of the preset distance range, the sub-terminal deviating from the boundary of the preset distance range is configured to be immediately displayed on the main terminal and to output a warning sound. Thus, during an outdoor group event (e.g., domestic or foreign travel, mountain climbing, an excursion, etc.), both a leader and participants are able to easily recognize the deviation from the boundary, and any participant can be prevented from becoming accidentally separated from a group. Further, a schedule for the group event, information (e.g. tourist resort) corresponding to the schedule, and a list of the participants are stored in the main terminal and each sub-terminal so as to be readable. The leader and the participants are able to easily read the schedule for the group event at any time, and the participants can maintain closer familiarity through the reading of information among them.

Claims

1. A location tracking system in which

a main terminal mounted with a first wireless communication module and a plurality of sub-terminals, each of which is mounted with a second wireless communication module and has an identification code, are configured to conduct wireless communication within a preset range,

the main terminal includes a deviation display part that displays the plurality of sub-terminals having the identification code in a different color when at least one of the sub-terminals deviates from a preset safety range and enters a deviation boundary range, and

each sub-terminal includes a warning sound output part that receives a control signal sent from the main terminal to output a warning sound when the deviation display part displays the deviation of the sub-terminal,

wherein:

the deviation display part includes a plurality of lamps that are displayed as numbers on a touch screen of the main terminal, and each of the lamps corresponds to one of the plurality of sub-terminals;

the plurality of lamps are arranged in rows and columns so as to be displayed on the touch screen of the main terminal in a manner that is neutral to distances of the corresponding sub-terminals from the main terminal;

each of the plurality of lamps is turned green or blue when the corresponding sub-terminal is within the preset safety range under the control of the first micro-computer, and red when the corresponding sub-terminal is within the deviation boundary range beyond the preset safety range under the control of the first micro-computer;

the main terminal further includes an enter key that outputs a signal for instructing the first micro-computer to output a control signal for a warning sound to all of the sub-terminals of which the corresponding lamps are turned red; and

each sub-terminal further includes a second micro-computer that controls the second wireless communication module and the warning sound output part when receiving the control signal for the warning sound from first wireless communication module by wireless.

2. The location tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the main terminal further includes:

in addition to the first wireless communication module and the deviation display part,

a memory part configured to store the identification codes of the plurality of sub-terminals and information about users carrying the respective sub-terminals;

a first micro-computer configured to retrieve the information stored in the memory part and to control operations of the first wireless communication module, a first global positioning system (GPS) module, and the deviation display part; and

a key input part including a retrieval key that outputs a signal for instructing the first micro-computer to retrieve the information stored in the memory part, and a power key.

3. The location tracking system according to claim 2, wherein the main terminal further includes a universal serial bus (USB) port configured to be able to input the information about the users and the information about the sub-terminals, and to delete and correct the input information.

4. The location tracking system according to claim 1, wherein the main terminal and the sub-terminals conduct the wireless communication with a radio frequency (RF) signal, the preset safety range between the main terminal and each sub-terminal ranges from 0 to 20 meters, and the deviation boundary range between the main terminal and each sub-terminal ranges from 20 to 30 meters.

5. The location tracking system according to claim 1, wherein:

the main terminal and each sub-terminal have the same configuration and include first and second GPS modules so as to be able to carry out mutual location tracking; and

the main terminal and each sub-terminal have respective memory parts in which a schedule for a group event, information corresponding to the schedule, and a list of participants are stored so as to be readable, so that a leader using the main terminal and each participant using a sub-terminal share the same schedule, the same information and the same list through respective key input parts of the main terminal or the sub-terminal.