Portable Position Determining Device

• US 20080167816A1
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pfizer Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pfizer Inc.
• Inventors: McAlexander, Joseph C., Fowler, Eugene F., Durst, Jennifer
• Granted Patent: US 7,764,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/215
• 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

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A system for locating an animate object beyond a designated area, comprising:

a wireless bidirectional communication system;

a first transceiver operable as a base station in said communication system to receive and display location information and transmit command signals; and

a locating device enclosed in a housing configured to be attached to said animate object and operable as a mobile station in said communication system to respond to said commands and, upon activation, to automatically obtain location information and transmit said location information to said first transceiver, said locating device further comprising;

a controller having an input for location data and a first communication port;

a satellite navigation system receiver coupled to a first antenna and having a location data output coupled to said location data input of said controller; and

a second transceiver coupled to a second antenna for receiving and transmitting communications between said locating device and said first transceiver and having a second communication port coupled to said first communication port of said controller, and,

a data entry device operatively associated with said base station for enabling entry of said commands, data or information related to locating said mobile object beyond said designated area, said commands, data or information communicated via said first transceiver to said controller,

wherein said controller is automatically activated, in response to a received command signal, to obtain location information of said animate object; and

, transmit, via said second transceiver device, said location information to said first transceiver when a location of said animate object is determined to exceed said designated area.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein first transceiver comprises:

a receiver interfaced to a first antenna via a duplexer during a reception mode to receive location data from said locating device via said communication system, and

a transmitter interfaced to said first antenna via said duplexer during a transmission mode to transmit said commands to said locating device via said communication system.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said base station includes a fixed base station or a mobile base station.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said satellite navigation system receiver comprises:

a receiving device having an RF input coupled to said first antenna;

an enable input to receive an activation signal; and

a location data output coupled to said controller to provide a location data signal;

wherein said satellite navigation system receiver is configured to receive and process navigation signals to provide said location data signal.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said navigation signals comprise:

differential GPS signals to enable determination of location data signals.

31. A method for locating an animate object beyond a designated area, comprising:

providing a first transceiver device operable as a base station in a wireless bidirectional communication system, said base station for receiving and displaying location information and transmitting commands; and

attaching, to said animate object, a locating device enclosed in a housing configured and operable as a mobile station in said communication system to respond to said commands,

said locating device further comprising;

a controller having an input for location data and a first communication port;

a satellite navigation system receiver coupled to a first antenna and having a location data output coupled to said location data input of said controller; and

a second transceiver coupled to a second antenna for receiving and transmitting communications between said locating device and said first transceiver and having a second communication port coupled to said first communication port of said controller, and,

entering, via a data entry device operatively associated with said base station, commands, data or information related to locating said mobile object beyond said designated area; and

,

communicating to said controller, via said first transceiver device and said communication system, said commands, data or information related to locating said mobile object beyond said designated area; and

,

automatically activating said controller, in response to a received command signal, to obtain location information of said animate object; and

,

automatically transmitting, via said second transceiver device, said location information to said first transceiver when a location of said animate object is determined to exceed said designated area.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein first transceiver comprises:

a receiver interfaced to a first antenna via a duplexer during a reception mode to receive location data from said locating device via said communication system, and

a transmitter interfaced to said first antenna via said duplexer during a transmission mode to transmit said commands to said locating device via said communication system.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said base station includes a fixed base station or a mobile base station.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving, at an enable input of said satellite navigation system receiver, an activation signal associated with a received command signal; and

receiving, at said satellite navigation system receiver, navigation signals and processing said navigation signals to provide a location data output signal; and

,

coupling said location data output signal to said controller via said location data input.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said navigation signals comprise:

differential GPS signals to enable determination of location data.