Portable position determining device

• US 20080055154A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pfizer Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pfizer Inc.
• Inventors: Martucci, Jennifer, McAlexander, Joseph, Fowler, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

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 method comprising:

wirelessly receiving location signals at a device coupled to a person;

activating at least a portion of the device to process location signals for determining location information;

automatically deactivating the portion of the mobile device after determining the location information;

identifying a location threshold associated with the person;

determining a violation of the location threshold based, at least in part, on the location information, wherein the violation is determined by the device coupled to the person.

2. A system comprising:

a memory operable to store a location threshold associated with person;

one or more processors operable to;

wirelessly receive location signals;

activate at least a portion of the device to process location signals for determining location information;

automatically deactivate the portion of the mobile device after determining the location information;

identify the location threshold associated with the person; and

determine a violation of the location threshold based, at least in part, on the location information, wherein the system is operable to be coupled to the person.

3. A mobile communication unit for locating or tracking a person and operable in a system including a wireless communication network and a base station, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive data transmissions from a satellite navigation system responsive to an activation signal provided at select intervals in time;

a transmitter operable to transmit processed location data via said wireless communication network to a user at said base station; and

a controller operatively coupled to said receiver and said transmitter operable to provide said activation signal to control said receiver, the controller operable to process said data transmissions received from said satellite navigation system and to couple said processed location data to said transmitter for communication of said processed location data from said transmitting means to said user at said base station wherein said mobile communication unit is configured for carrying by said person.

4. A method for providing information about a location of person to a user at a base station, wherein a mobile control device carried by the person and coupled with a satellite navigation receiver and a transmitter in communication via a wireless communication network with the base station is operable to obtain location information from the satellite navigation receiver according to the steps of:

activating the satellite navigation receiver responsive to an activation signal generated in the mobile control device at a predetermined time to acquire the location information from satellite transmissions of a satellite navigation system;

processing the location information output from the satellite navigation receiver to said control device for coupling processed location information to the transmitter; and

transmitting the processed location information from the transmitter to the base station via the wireless communication network to communicate the information about the location of the person carrying the control device.

5. A mobile communication unit (MCU) for locating or tracking person, comprising:

a satellite navigation system receiver having a receiver enable input and an output, said receiver coupled to a first antenna for receiving transmissions from a satellite navigation system upon activation at select intervals in time to provide location data from said output;

a transmitter having a transmit enable input and a data input, said transmitter coupled to a second antenna for communication to a base station when said location data is provided at said data input;

a controller for generating activation signals at select intervals in time to activate said satellite navigation system receiver and for processing said location data and controlling communication of proposed location data to said base station at select intervals, said controller having a location data input responsive to said output of said satellite navigation system receiver, a transmit data output for providing said processed location data to said data input of said transmitter, a receiver enable output for coupling a receiver enable signal to said receiver enable input of said receiver and a transmit enable output for coupling a transmit signal to said transmit enable input of said transmitter; and

a carrier for supporting said MCU upon said person.

6. A mobile communication unit (MCU) for locating or tracking a person and operable in a system including a wireless communication network and a base station, comprising:

satellite receiving means for receiving data transmissions from a satellite navigation system responsive to an activation signal provided at select intervals in time;

transmitting means for transmitting processed location data via said wireless communication network to a user at said base station;

controlling means operatively coupled to said satellite receiving means and said transmitting means for providing said activation signal to control said satellite receiving means,

processing said data transmissions received from said satellite navigation system and for coupling said processed location data to said transmitting means for communication of said processed location data from said transmitting means to said user at said base station; and

secondary receiving means in said mobile communication unit for receiving transmissions from said base station via said wireless communication network wherein said mobile communication unit is configured for carrying by said person.

7. A method for locating or tracking a person, comprising the steps of:

attaching a mobile communications unit having at least one antenna coupled thereto to the person;

accessing transmission of a GPS system at the mobile communications unit to obtain location coordinates of the mobile communications unit;

communicating the location coordinates from the mobile communication unit via a wireless link to a mobile base station;

determining location coordinates of the mobile base station; and

determining from the received location coordinates of the mobile communications unit and the determined coordinates of the mobile station the relative location of the mobile base station to the mobile communications unit.

8. A method for locating or tracking a person, comprising the steps of:

receiving transmission of a GPS system at a mobile communications unit to obtain location coordinates of the mobile communications unit, the mobile communications unit having at least one antenna coupled thereto to the person;

communicating the location coordinates from the mobile communication unit via a wireless link to a mobile base station;

determining location coordinates of the mobile base station; and

determining from the received location coordinates of the mobile communications unit and the determined coordinates of the mobile station the relative location of the mobile base station to the mobile communications unit.