GEOGRAPHIC LOCALIZATION SYSTEM

• US 20110140849A1
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RFID Mexico SA de CV
• Original Assignee: RFID Mexico SA de CV
• Inventors: MATUS, Jose Adalberto Teran, ELIZONDO, Rafael Guillermo Ramos
• Granted Patent: US 8,754,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• 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: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A geographic localization system and method, which is able to accurately calculate its current location anywhere in the world based on the processing of information received from at least one of several wireless sources available at the moment, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, etc and from available positioning means such as GPS.

Claims

1. A geographic localization system comprising:

positioning means for calculating the approximate position of the geographic localization device;

means for connecting to at least one data channel;

location inference means receiving communication information about at least one data channel from the means for connecting to at least one data channel and inferring the location of the geographic localization system;

location resolution means, receiving location information from at least one of the following sources;

from the location inference means, from the positioning means or from at least one data channel and obtaining the best location information;

transmission control means for controlling the transmission of data to and from the geographic localization system by means of at least one data channel; and

power supply means.

2. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning means comprising a global positioning system, receiving information from dedicated satellites and calculating the approximate location;

calculating speed, altitude and bearing in the current location and providing timing information.

3. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for connecting to at least one data channel comprising at least:

means for connecting to Bluetooth networks;

means for connecting to WiFi networks;

transceiver means comprising a transceiver module such as Zigbee, ASK/OOK or proprietary;

means for connecting to cellular networks comprising a cellular data module, said means for connecting to a cellular network capable of calculate an approximate location coordinate based on proprietary algorithms using the data signal, timing and other characteristics intrinsic to each particular network which are processed in the module to be available to the geographic positioning device; and

means for connecting to a satellite or to satellite networks comprising a satellite up/down link for sending and receiving information to and from a satellite or network of satellites, such as Inmarsat, to allow concentration of information on a main server as well as propagating information from a server connected to the geographic localization system to other devices around the world.

4. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location inference means comprising a location inference unit, receiving information from at least one data channel, about communication links, such as signal intensity, transmission time of fly and transmission time differential, and inferring an approximate location of the geographic localization device by using several parameters of the information about said communication links, such as signal intensity, signal difference between bases, frequency shift, time difference between signals received, time of flight for a data packet, and wherein the approximate location is calculated by using said parameters in order to locate a nearest base communication station and if the parameters of said communication with said nearest communication base station are within a predetermined range, the location inference means assumes that the geographic localization system is within a position.

5. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location inference means including means for increasing the accuracy of the location information, comprising a deduction algorithm processed by the location inference means.

6. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location resolution means additionally interpolate or include hysteresis by merging all the different location information.

7. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, further including memory means for storing information related to the geographic localization system.

8. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory means, comprises an internal or removable memory for storing information such as data from for sensors for acquiring data from the environment of the geographic localization system, input means data from input means, approximate location data from the location inference means, location information from the location resolution means, transmission parameters used by transmission control means, timing information produced by timing means which provide the components of the geographic localization system with a pulse to operate, for later processing by the components of the geographic localization system.

9. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory means, temporally or permanently store information to be transmitted to an external computer or server.

10. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission control means, receive transmission parameters stored in memory means and data packets stored in memory means and determine the optimal transmission parameters for the transmission of the location information of the geographic localization system in accordance with preconfigured rules which may be sent wirelessly to the geographic localization system and received by the means for connecting to data channels.

11. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power supply means are selected from at least one of the following supply means:

battery, ac, dc, and solar power means.

12. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sensors for acquiring data from the environment of the geographic localization system, such as:

environment, presence and movement sensor means, and image and sound acquisition sensors.

13. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 12 further including input means such as one or more buttons or a keypad for allowing a user to interact with the geographic localization system.

14. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 13, further including sensor data acquisition means, comprising a sensor data acquisition unit for gathering data from the environment, presence and movement sensor means, from the image and sound acquisition sensors and from the input means.

15. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1 further including command decoding means comprising a command decoding unit, for decoding command information and petitions which are received from a remote server by the means for connecting to data channels, and sending decoded command information to the components of the geographic localization system in order to initiate at least one activity.

16. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one activity is selected from the group comprising at least:

getting the most recent location coordinate and send it back to an external server, get data from sensors for acquiring data from the environment of the geographic localization system and send it back to an external server, get the most recent location and data from sensors and send a processed version to an external server, get a number of old processed records from memory means, send raw data from memory means to a server, send system status to a server, and respond estimated location accuracy to a server.

17. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the command decoding means decompress a data packet received from a remote server by the means for connecting to data channels, for the internal use of the components of the geographic localization system, to a format that could be used by the components of the geographic localization system.

18. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, further including computer interface means for connecting to an external computer or any kind of data processing means.

19. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, further including audible and display means for communicating messages, alarms or audible alerts to an user.

20. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, further including timing means for providing the components of the geographic localization system with a pulse to operate.

21. A geographic localization system as claimed in claim 1, further including timing means for performing operations such as, but not limited to:

providing a timestamp for incoming data packets received by the means for connecting to data channels, as well as the data produced by components of the geographic localization system;

providing a timestamp for measurements of sensors for acquiring data from the environment of the geographic localization system, alerting the geographic localization system of impending events, alerting the geographic localization system of sensing cycles, giving the geographic localization system a way of measuring elapsed time between received data packets, sensing intervals or other time sensitive information that can help the geographic localization system to change state.

22. A geographic localization method comprising:

obtaining communication information from at least one available data channel and from available positioning means and inferring a location;

obtaining available location information from at least one available data channel, from available positioning means and processing said available location information together with the inferred position information and obtaining the best location information.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the at least one data channel is selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to:

Bluetooth networks, WiFi networks, transceiver means, cellular networks, satellite networks.

24. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the positioning means is selected, but no limited to GPS.

25. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the processing of said available location information together with the inferred position is carried out by data processing means processing a deduction algorithm.

26. The method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising sending the best location information by means of transmission means.

27. The method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising obtaining environment information from a current location.

28. The method in accordance with claim 27, wherein the sensorial information selected from, but not limited to:

temperature and pressure.

29. The method in accordance with claim 27, wherein said environment information is send together with the best location information by means of transmission means.

30. The method in accordance with claim 22, further comprising obtaining images and sounds from a current location.

31. The method in accordance with claim 30, wherein said images and sounds are send together with the best location information by means of transmission means.

32. The method in accordance with claim 22, further comprising obtaining presence information about the presence or absence of persons of objects in the current location.

33. The method in accordance with claim 32, wherein said presence information is send together with the best location information by means of transmission means.

34. The method in accordance with claim 22, further comprising obtaining information about the detection of movements in the current location.

35. The method in accordance with claim 34, wherein said information about detection of movements is send together with the best location information by means of transmission means.