Portable position determining device

• US 20020003493A1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pfizer Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jennifer Durst
• Inventors: McAlexander, Joseph C., Fowler, Eugene F., Durst, Jennifer
• Granted Patent: US 6,480,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A position determining device is disclosed comprising a satellite navigation receiver for automatically providing computed position information, when the device has changed its position relative to a predetermined location, to a paging transmitter for transmission to a paging receiver for readout of the computed position information. The readout may be in the form of coordinates and may be accompanied by a message or alarm. The device may be configured as a portable unit of small size and economical manufacture.

Claims

1. A position determining device, comprising:

a satellite navigation receiver for automatically providing computed position information from an output of said satellite navigation receiver for transmission to a host paging receiver when said computed position information indicates said device has changed its position relative to a predetermined location; and

a first two-way pager configured to transmit to said host paging receiver and having a transmitting input coupled to said output of said satellite navigation receiver wherein said computed position information is transmitted to said host paging receiver responsive to receiving said computed position information at said transmitting input for readout of said computed position information at said host paging receiver;

wherein said position determining device is configurable as a portable unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computed position information comprises coordinates of the location of said position determining device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computed position information includes an alarm signal to be output at said host paging receiver wherein said alarm signal corresponds to outward traversal of a boundary of said predetermined location by said position determining device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computed position information provided by said satellite navigation receiver is accompanied by a message in a predetermined format.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computed position information provided by said satellite navigation receiver is accompanied by a message in a predetermined format, said message including information related to said computed position information.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said message in a predetermined format comprises an alarm message when said position determining device has outwardly traversed a boundary of said predetermined location.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said message in a predetermined format comprises one or more statements from the group including a time stamp, an operational status or a battery condition.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said message in a predetermined format comprises one or more statements from the group including device has returned to area, last known position, last known heading, communication with host is marginal or satellite navigation signals not available.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said message in a predetermined format comprises identification information including one or more from the group including a name, an address, a phone number, a network address, or an item of medical information.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said message in a predetermined format comprises:

a statement about conditions associated with said computed position information of said position determining device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computed position information comprises locations indicated on a map.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said satellite navigation receiver comprises:

an antenna for acquiring navigation signals from a system of navigation satellites;

a receiving circuit fed by said antenna for processing said navigation signals and producing at said output said computed position information; and

a controller for effecting control of said receiving circuit and of communication between said receiving circuit and said paging transmitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said predetermined location comprises:

a region defined by one or more coordinates stored in said satellite navigation receiver during activation of said position determining device wherein said region includes an additional area surrounding said region corresponding to an allowance for an error of resolution intrinsic to said computed position information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said region is bounded by:

a substantially circular space having a first radius, when said region is defined by one coordinate wherein said first radius is substantially equivalent to an error of resolution intrinsic to said computed position information.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said region is bounded by:

a substantially oblong space having at least one pair of opposite sides defined by arcs having a first radius when said region is defined by first and second spaced apart coordinates and another pair of opposite sides defined by at least first and second lines parallel to a third line joining said at least first and second coordinates and each said first and second lines spaced apart from said third line by a distance substantially equivalent to said first radius wherein said first radius is substantially equivalent to an error of resolution intrinsic to said computed position information.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said predetermined location comprises:

a region defined by the locus of one or more coordinates, said region further including a margin surrounding said locus on all sides, said margin being substantially equal to an error of resolution intrinsic to said computed position information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said locus is defined as a point corresponding to a single said coordinate.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said locus is defined as a line connecting at least two said coordinates.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said locus is defined as an area enclosed by a plurality of lines connecting at least three said coordinates wherein at least one of said coordinates is not colinear with the remaining ones of said at least three said coordinates.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said area is defined as the largest said area that may be enclosed by a plurality of said lines connecting said at least three said coordinates.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said host paging receiver comprises:

a receiving portion of a second two-way pager having a display for reading out said computed position information upon receipt via a paging network from said paging transmitter in said position determining device.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said host paging receiver comprises:

a memory for storing said computed position information upon receipt for read out at a later time.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first two-way pager comprises:

a transmitting portion of a two-way paging transceiver having an input coupled to said output of said satellite navigation receiver and configured to transmit to said host paging receiver via a paging network said computed position information upon receipt from said output of said satellite navigation receiver.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first two-way pager comprises:

a transmitting portion of a two-way paging transceiver, said transceiver further including a controller portion coupled between said transmitting input and said transmitting portion for enabling said transmitting portion and assembling a message for transmission to said host paging receiver containing said computed position information.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said predetermined location comprises:

a region having a boundary such that said position determining device is activated by outward traverse of said boundary from said region to provide said computed position information,

wherein said region includes a defined origin premises surrounded by a margin, said margin having a dimension substantially equal to an error of resolution intrinsic to said computed position information.