TRACKING AND MONITORING APPARATUS AND SYSTEM

• US 20140152435A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kinderguard Limited
• Original Assignee: Kinderguard Limited
• Inventors: Douglas, Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 9,898,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/00 Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using active systems G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• 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: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A programmable mobile unit for a portable host, such as a person, comprising a microcontroller in communication with each of a detachable freespace communication module for communication with a control centre, a GPS unit for communication with at least a GPS satellite system and a biometric sensor for monitoring and identifying the host.

Claims

1. A programmable mobile unit (4) for a portable host, such as a person (32), comprising a microcontroller in communication with each of

a detachable freespace communication module (9) for communication with a control centre (3),

a GPS unit (28) for communication with at least a GPS satellite system (34), and a biometric sensor (23) for monitoring and identifying the host (32).

2. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detachable freespace communication module (9) is selectable from a set of communication modules and each module is configured to interface with different freespace communication protocols.

3. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the microcontroller has a database (17) of acceptable behaviour parameters for the host (32) stored in a memory (14) of the unit (4).

4. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the database (17) defines the boundaries of acceptable geographical locations and acceptable biological values as a function of time for the host (32).

5. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the database (17) is remotely programmable to take new activities and routines of the host into account.

6. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the biometric sensor (23) and microcontroller are configured to identify the host (32) from biological data specific to the host.

7. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the original identification takes place when the biometric sensor (23) is first attached to the host (32) and the mobile unit (4) is initially powered up.

8. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the identification provides a reproducible, identifiable biometric signature (29) for the host (32).

9. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the biometric sensor (23) comprises a power source (22) and a flexible multi-sensor patch which continuously monitors the host'"'"'s ECG (26), body temperature (25) and respiration rate (27).

10. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the biometric sensor (23) is provided with flexible circuitry allowing the sensor (23) to adapt to the shape of the host'"'"'s body.

11. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the biometric sensor (23) and the microcontroller communicate using bluetooth technology.

12. A programmable mobile unit (4) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the microcontroller is pre-programmed to periodically monitor and download up-to-date information from the GPS unit (28) and the biometric sensor (23).

13. A system (31) for monitoring and tracking a host, such as a person (32), comprising a control centre (33) in freespace communication with a mobile unit (4) and a GPS satellite system (34), the mobile unit (4) comprising a microcontroller in communication with each of a detachable freespace communication module (9) for communication with the control centre (33), a GPS unit (28) for communication with at least a GPS satellite system (34) and a biometric sensor (23) for monitoring and identifying the host (32).

14. A system (31) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mobile unit (4) and the control centre (33) periodically communicate with each other using freespace communication protocols.

15. A system (31) as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein an acceptable behaviour database (17) is stored at the control centre (33) and on the mobile unit (4).

16. A system (31) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the system includes a web-based interface to a database driven secure environment for dynamic creation and modification of the acceptable behaviour database (17) stored in the control centre (33) and the mobile unit (4).

17. A system (31) as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the control centre (33) of the system and third parties are in communication using predetermined communication protocols.

18. A system (31) as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the control centre (33) includes means for alerting custodians and third parties of exception values via predetermined communication protocols.

19. A system (31) as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the third parties and the control centre (33) have means for contacting the mobile unit (4) via predetermined communication protocols.

20. A control program for controlling the operation of the monitoring and tracking system (31) as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the control program has means for generating and transmitting signals, interrogation means for receiving signals from a plurality of input means, interpretation means for analysing signals received from the interrogation means and alarm generating means operable in response to identification of exception values by the interpretation means.

21. A control program as claimed in claim 20, wherein the signals received from the input means include GPS input data and biometric input data.

22. A control program as claimed in claim 21, wherein the interpretation means comprises a database (17) of acceptable biological and geographical data for a specific host (32) as a function of time and a set of encoded instructions:

specifically scripted for processing information captured from the GPS input signals and biometric input signals against the database (17) to check for biological and geographical exception values falling outside acceptable tolerances defined by the database.

23. A programmable mobile unit (4) substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

24. A system (31) for monitoring and tracking a host (32) substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

25. A control program substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.