RADIANT WAVE LOCATING SYSTEM

• US 3,805,265 A
• Filed: 10/06/1971
• Issued: 04/16/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intersonics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Robert W. Lester
• Inventors: Lester, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borchelt, Benjamin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tudor, Harold
• Application Number:
  US05/186,877
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 343/6.5R,6.5LC,6.8R,6.8LC,112TC 340/311X,16R,312R,312X,164 325/8
• US Class Current: 342/44
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/74 Systems using reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1008 Personal calling arrangements or devices, i.e. paging systems selective calling systems and call receivers H04W84/00, H04W68/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/91 Portable sonar devices

Abstract

A radiant wave electronic locating system for automatically locating a select group of persons or objects within a selected area of surveillance. Room sensors and a central console are linked together by radiant wave energy signals, which as light waves, acoustic waves, ultrasonic waves, microwaves, etc., which are coded and transmitted from the central console to track, locate or page a particular person. In one embodiment, signal transducers are common to a hallway and a room and transmit a coded signal present in the hallway into each adjoining room to page a personal pocket unit. In another embodiment, transceivers transmit a coded radiant wave signal in chain reaction from room to room by means of transceivers having a remote transducer, disposed through the wall of the room, to transmit the coded signal to the adjoining room. In a third embodiment of the invention, coded signals are transmitted throughout the rooms by carrier current at a selected frequency and one of three transducers present in the room units are activated to page the personal pocket unit of the person to be located. The pocket units receive the transmitted signal at the selected frequency, and transmit a return signal at another selected frequency to the room unit, where this signal is encoded to a third frequency, and transmitted in chain reaction from room to room back to a transducer on the central console. The returned signal is then decoded to determine the location of the person. A pocket unit in the shape of a writing pen for use with the locating system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An electronic tracking and locating system for automatically locating at least one of a select group of individual objects disposed within a selected area of surveillance, comprising:

means for generating and transmitting a radiant wave identification signal throughout the selected area of surveillance which includes a plurality of separately defined areas separated by walls, the form of said signal being unique with respect to the individual or object to be located, including a keyboard having a plurality of manually operated buttons, each representing a selected numerical digit for enabling the identification code of a particular person or object to be entered therein, means for encoding the radiant wave identification signal representing the identification code of a person or object entered in said keyboard, and at least one signal transducer coupled to said encoding means for transmitting said identification signal to defined areas of surveillance of the locating system;

receiving and decoding means, remote from said identification signal generating and transmitting means, and carried by each individual or object within the select group, including a receiver for receiving said transmitted identification code signal, means for decoding said received signal, coupled to said receiver, an oscillator coupled to said decoding means, gate means coupled to said oscillator, and a transducer coupled to said gate for transmitting an acoustic output signal in response to an output signal generated by said oscillator in response to the reception of an identification code signal corresponding to the identification code of the person carrying said receiving and decoding means;

a set of signal transducers, one disposed within each of said separately defined areas of surveillance within the area of surveillance, and each being coupled to said Keyboard and encoding means through 115 volt 60 cycle electrical transmission wires;

carrier current transmission means, for transmitting said identification code signal at a selected frequency over said electrical transmission wires to said first set of transducers, said transducers being coupled to the wall outlet receptacles in each defined area of surveillance, for reproducing said identification code signal;

a set receiving and transmitting means, each having a transducer located in one of the selectively disposed separated areas throughout the area of surveillance, for receiving said acoustic transmitted output signal from said receiving and decoding means, and each having a transducer and coupling therefor extending into an adjacent area for transmitting a location identification signal the form of which uniquely identifies the location within the area of surveillance of the original receiving and transmitting means whereby to transmit said identification signal back to a central location within the area of surveillance; and

means, disposed at said central location within the area of surveillance, for receiving and decoding said location identification signal and indicating the location of the person or object located.

2. The electronic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 1, wherein said identification code signal transmitting means further comprises, a second signal transducer, disposed within each of said defined areas of surveillance for receiving an output signal from said identification code signal receiving and decoding means, said signal being transmitted at a second selected frequency, means, including a third signal transducer, coupled to said second transducer, for encoding said received output signal and transmitting said signal at a third selected frequency into said defined area of surveillance, a fourth transducer, coupled to said third transducer, and disposed in an adjoining defined area of surveillance, for radiating said encoded signal at said third selected frequency in said adjoining selected defined area of surveillance, and a fifth transducer, coupled to said location identification signal receiving means, for receiving signals transmitted from said third and fourth transducers at said third selected frequency, said location identification signal being transmitted successively in chain reaction from each adjoining defined area of surveillance to another to said location identification signal and decoding means, thereby indicating the location of the person to be located.

3. The electronic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 2, wherein said remote receiving and decoding means receives said identification code signal at a first selected frequency, and transmits said output signal in response thereto at a second selected frequency.

4. An electronic paging system for automatically locating at least one of a select group of individuals or objects disposed within a selected area of surveillance, comprising:

means for generating and transmitting a radiant wave identification signal throughout the selected area of surveillance which includes a plurality of separately defined areas separated by walls, the form of said signal being unique with respect to the individual or object to be located, including a keyboard having a plurality of manually operated buttons, each representing a selected numerical digit for enabling the identification code of a particular person or object to be entered therein, means for encoding the radiant wave identification signal representing the identification code of a person or object entered in said keyboard, and at least one signal transducer coupled to said encoding means for transmitting said identification signal to defined areas of surveillance of the locating system;

receiving and decoding means, remote from said identification signal generating and transmitting means, carried by each individual or object within the select group, including an ultrasonic receiver for receiving sAid transmitted identification code signal, means for decoding said received signal coupled to said receiver, an oscillator coupled to said decoding means, and an audible tone transmitter, coupled to said oscillator, for transmitting an audible tone perceptible by the person carrying said remote receiving and decoding means, upon reception of an identification code signal corresponding to the identification code of the person or object carrying said receiving and decoding means;

said means for generating and transmitting the radiant wave identification signal including a plurality of ultrasonic transceivers, each having a first transducer disposed within one of said separately defined areas of surveillance, and a second transducer;

coupled to its tranceiver by a cable, and disposed in an adjacent one of said separately defined areas of surveillance for transmitting said identification code signal in chain reaction throughout said separately defined areas of surveillance.

5. The electronic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 4 wherein said remote receiving means further comprises, an elongated tubular casing open at one end, having a threaded portion provided on the inside surface thereof at said open end, a detachable cap, having said transducer disposed therein and an electrical coupling element affixed thereto for electrically and mechanically coupling said transducer head and said decoder, receiver, oscillator and gate, a threaded portion being provided on the outside surface thereof, for threadably engaging the open end of said casing, and thereby securing the electronic circuits of the unit therein.

6. The electronic tracking and locating system as recited in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of manually operated rotary switches, coupled to said decoding means, receiver, oscillator and gate, of said remote receiving and decoding means, for setting said remote receiving and decoding means to respond to a selected identification code.

7. An electronic tracking and locating system for automatically locating at least one of a select group of individuals or objects disposed within a selected area of surveillance, comprising:

means for generating and transmitting a radiant wave identification signal throughout the selected area of surveillance, which includes a plurality of separately defined areas separated by walls, the form of said signal being unique with respect to the individual or object to be located, including a keyboard having a plurality of manually operated buttons, each representing a selected numerical digit for enabling the identification code of a particular person or object to be entered therein, means for encoding the radiant wave identification signal representing the identification code of a person or object entered in said keyboard, and at least one signal transducer coupled to said encoding means for transmitting said identification signal to defined areas of surveillance of the locating system;

receiving and decoding means, remote from said identification signal generating and transmitting means, and carried by each individual or object within the select group, including a receiver for receiving said transmitted identification code signal, means for decoding said received signal, coupled to said receiver, an oscillator coupled to said decoding means, gate means coupled to said oscillator, and a transducer coupled to said gate for transmitting an ultrasonic output signal in response to an output signal generated by said oscillator in response to the reception of an identification code signal corresponding to the identification code of the person carrying said receiving and decoding means;

said means for transmitting said identification signal to defined areas of surveillance including a plurality of two-way transceivers, each having a first transducer disposed within, one of said separately defined areas of surveillance and a second transducer coupled thereto by a cable and disposed in an aDjacent one of said separately defined areas of surveillance for transmitting said radiant wave identification signals in chain reaction throughout said separately defined areas of surveillance in both directions means disposed at a central location within the area of surveillance including means having a transducer for receiving the transmitted locating identification signal, means for decoding said received location identification signal, and means for displaying a plurality of numerical digits corresponding to the identification code of the location from which said location identification signal is transmitted, thereby indicating the location of the person or object carrying said receiving and decoding means.