Tamper-alert resistant bands for human limbs and associated monitoring systems and methods

• US 9,064,391 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2013
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dov Ehrman
• Original Assignee: TechIP International Limited
• Inventors: Vardi, Eyal Dov, Ehrman, Dov
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/741,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20130182382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 3405681-5682, 340/539.13, 3405721-5729, 340/568.6, 340/568.8, 340/571, 340/686.6, 340/691.6, 340/692
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/02 Mechanical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1463 Physical arrangements, e.g. housings devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags A45C13/18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• 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 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• 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 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A tamper alert band is provided that includes a strap with conductive and non-conductive elements or layers. The tamper alert band includes an electronic or RFID device that is configured to communicate with RFID readers and/or exciters. The strap may be a single unitary body that has a conductive layer and a non-conductive layer.

Claims

1. An apparatus adapted for secure affixation around a human extremity via a flexible electrically conductive strap, said apparatus comprising:

a housing assembly;

an electronic circuit disposed in the housing assembly and configured to perform wireless communication;

a pair of conductive elements electrically coupled to the electronic circuit and disposed on opposing sides of the housing assembly, each of the conductive elements including at least one protruding conductive structure configured to pierce, and electrically connect with, the flexible electrically conductive strap; and

a pair of movable clamping structures disposed at each of said opposing sides of the housing and movable (a) from an open position defining a slot through which a free end of the inserted electrically conductive strap is inserted and (b) to a closed and locked position covering the respectively associated conductive structure and clamping an inserted end portion of the inserted conductive strap therein to complete an electrical circuit with said electronic circuit though said conductive strap and said conductive elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a one-way ripping element disposed on each of the opposing sides of the housing and configured to permit only one-way passage of said inserted electrically conductive strap though said defined slot and to assist in severing an excess strap portion extending above said define slots after said movable clamping structure is closed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

each movable clamping structure includes a first pressure bulge and a first pressure groove;

each of the opposing sides includes a second pressure bulge and a second pressure groove; and

in the closed and locked position of each movable clamping structure, the first pressure bulge interfaces with the second pressure groove and the first pressure groove interfaces with the second pressure bulge.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second pressure groove and the second pressure bulge of each movable clamping structure are positioned on opposing sides of a respectively corresponding one of the conductive elements to secure there-between a clamped portion of the strap when the movable clamp structure is in the closed and locked position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, in combination with the inserted electrically conductive strap to define an assembled extremity band.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the electrically conductive strap includes at least one polyethylene layer and at least one conductive ribbon configured to electrically contact with the conductive elements when pierced thereby.

7. An apparatus adapted for secure affixation around a human extremity via a flexible electrically conductive strap, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

an electronic circuit disposed in the housing and configured to perform wireless communication;

a pair of conductive elements electrically coupled to the electronic circuit and disposed on opposing sides of the housing, each of the conductive elements including at least one protruding conductive structure configured to electrically connect with the flexible electrically conductive strap; and

a clamping structure disposed at each of the opposing sides of the housing and moveable between (a) an open position in which a free end of the electrically conductive strap can be inserted and (b) to a closed position in which the clamping structure covers the respectively associated protruding conductive structure and clamps an inserted end portion of the inserted conductive strap therein to complete an electrical circuit with the electronic circuit though the conductive strap and the conductive elements.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter disposed within the housing as part of the electronic circuit, the wireless transmitter configured to;

send a first wireless data message in response to determination of completion of the electrical circuit; and

send a second wireless data message in response to determination of interruption of the electrical circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed with the housing as part of the electronic circuit.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the clamping structures are each movable in a direction transverse to a respectively associated opposing side of the housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein an openable and closable slot path is defined by an outer surface of the housing and an inner surface of one of the clamping structures.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 in combination with a position tracking system, comprising;

a wireless transmitter disposed in the housing of the apparatus as part of the electronic circuit;

at least one remote wireless receiver configured to receive transmissions from the wireless transmitter of the apparatus; and

a remote computer system coupled to the at least one wireless receiver and configured to determine a position of the apparatus based on the received transmissions.

13. An apparatus adapted for secure affixation around a human extremity via a flexible electrically conductive strap, the apparatus comprising:

a housing assembly;

an electronic circuit disposed in the housing assembly and configured to perform wireless communication;

a pair of conductive elements electrically coupled to the electronic circuit and disposed on opposing sides of the housing assembly, each of the conductive elements including at least one protruding conductive structure configured to electrically connect with the flexible electrically conductive strap; and

a pair of movable clamping structures disposed at each of the opposing sides of the housing and movable (a) from an open position where a free end of the flexible electrically conductive strap can be inserted into a slot path (b) to a closed and locked position covering the respectively associated protruding conductive structure and clamping an inserted end portion of the inserted flexible electrically conductive strap therein to complete an electrical circuit with the electronic circuit though the conductive strap and the conductive elements.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronic circuit disposed in the housing includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the pair of movable clamping structures includes at least one prong structure configured to pass through an aperture in the housing assembly to facilitate closing the pair of movable clamping structures.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronic circuit disposed in the housing is configured to:

detect that the electrical circuit has been completed; and

detect that the electrical circuit, if previously completed, has been interrupted.