Tracking system and method

• US 9,137,970 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edith Cowan University
• Original Assignee: Edith Cowan University
• Inventors: Holme, Christopher Douglas, Karvinen, Reino Tauno
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US13/262,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20120092132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.34, 340/571.1, 340/573.1, 340/500, 340/539.1, 340/539.3, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.15, 340/539.23, 340/540, 340/572.1, 340/573.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/008 incorporating GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A tracking apparatus (1) comprising: a first mobile transceiver unit (2), and a second mobile transceiver unit (3), the first mobile transceiver unit being in wireless communication with the second mobile transceiver unit for the transfer of data therebetween, the first mobile transceiver unit being arranged for location within an environment and being operable to determine data regarding the environment and to emit some or all of the determined data which is received by the second mobile transceiver unit for storage thereon when it is determined by the first mobile transceiver unit that the second mobile transceiver unit is located within a distance of the first mobile transceiver unit.

Claims

1. An interaction recording system for recording data associated with an interaction between a first entity and a second entity, the system comprising:

a first unit associated with the first entity, the first unit comprising a first communication device for communicating data, a first controller, a first storage medium storing data associated with the first entity, and a passive detector; and

a second unit associated with the second entity, the second unit comprising a second communication device for communicating data, a second controller, and a second storage medium for storing data;

the passive detector comprising a passive detection circuit and being operable to determine the presence of the second unit within a range of the first unit indicating an interaction between the second entity and the first entity, the first controller being operable, following determination by the passive detector of the presence of the second unit within the range, to activate the first unit from a default lower power mode to a higher power mode in which the first unit is operable to communicate, via the first communication device, some or all of the data stored on the first storage medium, including the first entity data, to the second unit for receipt via the second communication device, the second controller being operable to determine data associated with the interaction other than the received communicated data and to record the data that is determined to be associated with the interaction and the received communicated data, including the first entity data, on the second storage medium, the second unit operates in a first mode comprising a default lower power mode and includes a sensor operable to change state when subject to a condition, the second unit be operable to change to a second mode comprising a higher power mode in response to a detected change in state of the sensor, providing an indication that the condition has been sensed by the sensor;

a data collection unit, wherein the first unit is operable to communicate data stored on the first storage medium, including the first entity data, to the data collection unit, and the second unit is operable to communicate data stored on the second storage medium, including the recorded data that is determined to be associated with the interaction and the first entity data, to the data collection unit; and

wherein the passive detector of the first unit is operable to determine the presence of the data collection unit within a range of the first unit, the first controller being operable, following determination by the passive detector of the presence of the data collection unit within the range, to activate the first unit from the default lower power mode to the higher power mode in which the first unit is operable to communicate, via the first communication device, some or all of the data stored on the first storage medium, including the first entity data, to the data collection unit, and the second unit comprises a second detector, the second detector being operable to determine the presence of the data collection unit within a range of the second unit, the second controller being operable, following determination by the second detector of the presence of the data collection unit within the range, to activate the second unit to communicate, via the second communication device, some or all of the data stored on the second storage medium, including the recorded data that is determined to be associated with the interaction and the first entity data to the data collection unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first unit is operable to communicate the data stored on the first storage medium, including the first entity data, to the second unit in response to a request signal communicated via the second communication device of the second unit and received by the first unit via the first communication device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the first entity is selected from the group comprising a unique first entity identifier, and a mortality status of the first entity, and the data associated with the interaction is selected from the group comprising an interaction time/date (time stamp), an interaction number, an indication of length of interaction, and a unique second entity identifier.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first unit includes one or more sensors operable to determine data associated with the first entity and/or regarding an environment in which the one or more sensors are located for storage on the first storage medium.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors is selected from the group comprising a temperature sensor, a power sensor, and a motion sensor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the power sensor comprises a battery voltage sensor operable to sense a voltage of a battery providing power to the first unit.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a motion detector, the condition comprises subjection of the motion detector to motion, and the indication provided is that the second unit is in, or has been subjected to, motion.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second storage medium stores data associated with the second entity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the data associated with the second entity includes a unique second entity identifier.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication device and/or the second communication device comprises a transceiver.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transceiver comprises a radio frequency transceiver operating at 433 MHz.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first unit is arranged for location proximate the first entity and/or the second unit is arranged for location proximate the second entity.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first unit and/or the second unit comprise mobile or portable modules.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises wireless communication.

25. A first unit that is adapted to be used as the first unit of the interaction recording system defined by claim 1.

16. An interaction recording method for recording data associated with an interaction between a first entity and a second entity, the method comprising:

associating a first unit with the first entity;

associating a second unit with the second entity;

storing data associated with the first entity on a first storage medium of the first unit;

passively detecting with a passive detection circuit the presence of the second unit within a range of the first unit indicating an interaction between the second entity and the first entity;

activating the first unit from a default lower power mode to a higher power mode following detection of the presence of the second unit within the range;

communicating some or all of the data stored on the first storage medium, including the first entity data, to the second unit;

determining data associated with the interaction other than the communicated data;

recording the data that is determined to be associated with the interaction and the received communicated data, including the first entity data, on a second storage medium of the second unit;

operating the second unit in a first mode comprising a default lower power mode;

changing a state of a sensor of the second unit when the sensor is subject to a condition;

operating the second unit to change to a second mode comprising a higher power mode in response to a detected change in state of the sensor so as to provide an indication that the condition has been sensed by the sensor;

passively detecting the presence of a data collection unit within a range of the first unit, activating the first unit from the default lower power mode to the higher power mode following detection of the presence of the data collection unit within the range, and communicating some or all of the data stored on the first storage medium, including the first entity data, to the data collection unit; and

determining the presence of the data collection unit within a range of the second unit, and communicating some or all of the data stored on the second storage medium, including the recorded data that is determined to be associated with the interaction and first entity data, to the data collection unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data associated with the first entity relates to the first entity and/or to an environment of the first entity.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising receiving a request and communicating some or all of the data stored on the first storage medium, including the first entity data, to the second unit in response to the request.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the range is predetermined.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the data associated with the first entity includes a temperature of the first entity.

21. The method of claim 16, including determining whether the first entity and/or the second entity is in motion.

22. The method of claim 16, comprising sensing data associated with the first entity and or regarding an environment in which one or more sensors are located and storing the sensed data on the first storage means.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein associating the first unit with the first entity comprises mounting the first unit on the first entity or implanting the first unit at least partially within the first entity, and/or associating the second unit with the second entity comprises mounting the second unit on the second entity or implanting the second unit at least partially within the second entity.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the second unit comprises a data collection module.