Child position monitoring and locating device

• US 5,289,163 A
• Filed: 09/16/1992
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bertha D. Perez, Carla D. Perez
• Original Assignee: Bertha D. Perez, Carla D. Perez
• Inventors: Perez, Carla D., Perez, Bertha D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/945,371
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539, 340/531, 340/525, 340/573, 340/571, 340/572, 340/691, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 455/67.1, 455/9, 455/115, 455/134, 455/226.2, 455/228, 455/229, 342/56, 342/385, 342/386, 342/417, 342/419, 342/450
• US Class Current: 340/539.32
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0263 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the direction in which child or item is located

Abstract

A child position monitoring device monitors the position of a child by detecting the signal strength of a radio frequency carrier from a transmitter attached to the child. If the signal of the radio frequency carrier is to weak, the child is to far away from the adult who has the child position monitoring device. When this happens, the adult is informed that the child has wandered to far away through the use on an audio tone or through the use of vibrations coming from the device. Once the adult is notified that the child is too far away, the device also has a locating display for indicating the relative direction of the child with respect to the adult. The display uses eight LEDs arranged around an emblem used to represent the position of the adult. The LED which lights up indicates the relative direction of the child.

Claims

1. A location monitoring device for alerting a user when a locating transmitter which transmits a carrier having a predetermined frequency with a predetermined signal strength is located outside a predetermined proximity radius from said location monitoring device, wherein said location monitoring device displays the relative location of the transmitter once outside the predetermined proximity radius, the location monitoring device comprising:

a compact portable outer housing having a front side and a back side;

a display having a plurality of light generators located around a center of said display on said front side of said outer housing;

carrier reception means for detecting said carrier propagating in a given linear direction from said locating transmitter to said location monitoring device;

direction detecting means for determining a propagation angle as measured between said given linear direction as detected by said carrier reception means and a reference linear direction;

signal strength detection means for determining the signal strength of said carrier detected by said carrier reception means;

threshold detection means for generating an alert signal whenever said signal strength as determined by said signal strength detection means drops below a predetermined signal strength threshold value, thereby indicating that said locating transmitter is located outside of said predetermined proximity radius;

alert signal indication means responsive to said alert signal for indicating to the user that said locating transmitter is outside of said predetermined proximity radius;

a display driver having an input for receiving display digital control signals for controlling said display driver to activate at least one of said plurality of light generators;

an emblem located at said center of said display with said plurality of lights located around said emblem at equal angular distances from each other when measured from any one of said plurality of light generators to said emblem and then to another successive one of said plurality of light generators and wherein said reference linear direction is defined by that direction from said emblem to a first light generator of said plurality of light generators; and

,

a controller having a first display controller means for supplying said display driver with said display digital control signals so as to activate one of said plurality of light generators in response to the reception of said alert signal,

wherein said one of said plurality of light generators defines a locating linear direction when measured from said emblem to said one of said plurality of light generators and wherein a locating angular direction defined by the angle between said reference linear direction and said locating linear direction is substantially equal to said propagation angle within a given predetermined tolerance.

2. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for varying said predetermined signal strength threshold value.

3. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising means displaying a numeric value, wherein said numeric value is equal to the maximum distance the locating transmitter can be without activating said alert signal indication means.

4. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said alert signal indication means comprises an audio tone generator for generating an audible signal.

5. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said alert signal indication means comprises vibrator.

6. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carrier reception means comprises:

a first linear antenna array having a first plurality of successive antenna pairs; and

a second linear antenna array arranged orthogonally to said first linear antenna array and having a second plurality of successive antenna pairs,

wherein each of said first plurality of successive antenna pairs has all of the other prior first plurality of successive antenna pairs thereof located therebetween and wherein each of said second plurality of successive antenna pairs has all other prior second plurality of successive antenna pairs thereof located therebetween.

7. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said direction detecting means comprises:

a first plurality of phase discriminators, wherein each one thereof receives output signals from one of said first plurality of successive antenna pairs;

a first plurality of logic circuits, wherein each one thereof receives output signals from one of said first plurality of phase discriminators;

a second plurality of phase discriminators, wherein each one thereof receives output signals from one of said second plurality of successive antenna pairs; and

a second plurality of logic circuits, wherein each one thereof receives outputs signals from one of said second plurality of phase discriminators,

wherein said first plurality of logic circuits provide a Cartesian coordinate along said reference linear direction and wherein said second plurality of logic circuits provide a Cartesian coordinate along a linear direction orthogonal to said reference linear direction and passing through said center of said display.

8. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said first and second plurality of phase discriminators comprise:

a first frequency conversion channel having a plurality of mixing stages located therein for down shifting the frequency of a signal input thereto to produce a first down shifted frequency signal at an output thereof while maintaining the phase integrity of said signal input thereto within said first down shifted frequency signal;

a second frequency conversion channel having a plurality of mixing stages located therein for down shifting the frequency of a signal input thereto to produce a second down shifted frequency signal at an output thereof while maintaining the phase integrity of said signal input thereto within said second down shifted frequency signal;

oscillator circuitry for producing mixing frequencies for said first and second frequency conversion channels; and

a phase detector circuit for receiving said first and second down shifted frequencies and producing an output signals for one of said first and second plurality of phase discriminators,

wherein said signal input to said first frequency conversion channel receives an output signal from one antenna of one pair member of the first and second plurality of successive antenna pairs and wherein said signal input to said second frequency conversion channel receives an output signal from the other pair member of said one of the first and second plurality of successive antenna pairs.

9. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said first and second frequency conversion channels include automatic gain control circuits, wherein said signal strength detection means includes an output connected to one of said automatic gain control circuits, and wherein said controller is a microprocessor controller.

10. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said threshold detection means is connected to said output of one of said automatic gain control circuits and outputs said alert signal when said output of one of said automatic gain control circuits drops below said predetermined value, wherein said predetermined value represents a particular average voltage level.

11. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said alert signal indication means includes a manual switch for selectively routing said alert signal to an audio generator activated upon the receipt of said alert signal and a vibration device activated upon the receipt of said alert signal.

12. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said threshold detector receives a predetermined digital signal from said microprocessor controller indicating the value of said predetermined value.

13. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 12, further including a user input to said microprocessor controller for allowing said user to control said predetermined digital value and a user display for displaying a numeric value indicating the maximum distance the locating transmitter can be without activating said alert signal indication as set by said predetermined digital value.

14. A location monitoring device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said microprocessor controller further includes a second display controller means for including into said display digital control signals, digital information for activating another one of said plurality of light generators besides said one of said plurality of light generators in response to said alert signal if another locating linear direction defined by a direction passing from said emblem to said another one of said plurality of light generators defines an another angle between said reference linear direction and said another locating linear direction also substantially equal to said propagation angle within another given predetermined tolerance.