Prisoner tracking and warning system and corresponding methods

• US 6,054,928 A
• Filed: 06/04/1998
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deceased, Jerome H. Lemelson, Dorothy Lemelson, John H. Hiett, Robert D. Pedersen
• Original Assignee: Deceased, Jerome H. Lemelson, Dorothy Lemelson, John H. Hiett, Robert D. Pedersen
• Inventors: Lemelson, deceased, Jerome H., Hiett, John H., Pedersen, Robert D., Lemelson, executrix, by Dorothy
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US09/090,665
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/539, 379/38, 455/100
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0233 System arrangements with pre-alarms, e.g. when a first distance is exceeded
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for tracking, monitoring and learning prisoner or parolee behavior involves obtaining prisoner or parolee data and monitoring data for at least one individual prisoner or parolee, storing the prisoner or parolee data and monitored data into a database, learning prisoner or parolee behavior from the prisoner or parolee data and the monitored data in the database, and updating the prisoner or parolee data and the monitored data in the database. Expert system (i.e. including but not limited to fuzzy logic, reinforcement learning, neural networks, artificial intelligence, etc.) algorithms are executed for determining and analyzing deviated behavior by the prisoner or parolee. A parole level is assigned to the prisoner or parolee and it is determined whether the prisoner or parolee is to be moved up or down a parole level depending on whether the prisoner or parolee behavior does not constitute or does constitute prisoner or parolee violations. Furthermore, the system tracks, monitors, and learns the behavior of the prisoner or parolee by controlling and regulating the permitted/prohibited locations or sectors, the permitted/prohibited location or sector dwell times, the permitted/prohibited travel routes, the permitted/prohibited travel times that the prisoner or parolee spends at or between various locations.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring and learning a subject'"'"'s behavior comprising the acts of:

a) creating and storing in a memory of a monitoring station computer a first file including reference behavior data defining several classes of individuals to be monitored, including at least one class to which the subject belongs;

b) creating and storing in the monitoring station computer memory a second file including behavior data defining the subject to be monitored;

c) defining and programming the monitoring station computer with data defining a set of allowed activities for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored;

d) defining and programming the monitoring station computer with data defining a set of allowed activities that are specific for the subject to be monitored, wherein the allowed activities include predefined routes and times of travel in a location remote from the monitoring station computer;

e) attaching a remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to the subject, wherein the receiver cooperates with a satellite global positioning system to determine the subject'"'"'s current location as the subject moves about in the area located remote from the monitoring station computer;

f) periodically transmitting data defining the subject'"'"'s location at a specific time from the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to the monitoring station computer;

g) computer analyzing the data transmitted from the remote monitoring transmitter by comparing the data responsive to the subject'"'"'s current location and time with the set of allowed activities that are specific for the subject and determining if there are any variations from the allowed activities;

h) generating a first alarm signal responsive to any determined variation from the allowed activities;

i) further analyzing any such first alarm signal defining the determined variation from the allowed activities using an expert system programmed to recognize a continuum of degrees of alarms based on a comparison of the determined variation, the behavior data defining the subject to be monitored, and the reference behavior data defining the class of individuals to which the subject belongs; and

j) generating from the expert system a second alarm signal defining a specific recommended course of action that is appropriate for the determined variation, the subject'"'"'s specific behavior data, and the data defining the class of individuals to which the subject belongs.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the acts of:

a) when any alarm has occurred more frequently analyzing the data defining the subject'"'"'s current location and time, the set of allowed activities that are specific for the subject and the second alarm signal defining the recommended course of action;

b) determining whether the second alarm condition has changed by becoming more or less critical; and

c) if necessary, modifying the second alarm condition to reflect any determined change.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising updating the data defining the allowed activities that are specific to the subject to include data defining the behavior of the monitored subject that caused the issuance of the alarm.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising, when the second alarm has been modified by becoming less critical, modifying the data defining the allowed behavior of the monitored subject.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference behavior data defining several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

criminal behavior data relating to the several classes of individuals.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference behavior data defining several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

criminal history and criminal record data from the several classes of individuals.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference behavior data defining several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

parole level information relating to the several classes of individuals.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference behavior data defining several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

data relating to a number of different types of crimes from the several classes of individuals.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference behavior data defining several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

data relating to a defined deviated behavior standard derived from the several classes of individuals.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference behavior data defining several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

crime probability data that compares various crime types with various location types wherein a crime probability for each of the various crime types is determined and assigned for each of the various location types.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the behavior data defining the subject to be monitored comprises:

criminal behavior data relating to the subject.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the behavior data defining the subject to be monitored comprises:

criminal history and criminal record data relating to the subject.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the behavior data defining the subject to be monitored comprises:

parole level information relating to the subject.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the behavior data defining the subject to be monitored comprises

data relating to types of crimes committed by the subject.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the data defining a set of allowed activities for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

permitted travel data for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the data defining a set of allowed activities for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

permitted location data for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the data defining a set of allowed activities for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

permitted location dwell time data for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the data defining a set of allowed activities for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored comprises:

permitted travel path data for each of the several classes of individuals to be monitored.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver includes an audible alarm, and further comprising transmitting a signal from the monitoring station computer to the monitoring transmitter and receiver attached to the subject, which signal activates the audible alarm to indicate to the subject that an alarm condition has been triggered.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating an expert system to analyze the first and second alarm conditions, and the data that generated the alarm conditions, and modifying the first and second data files to reflect learned activities that either should or should not generate an alarm.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the act of operating the expert system comprises:

a) using a criminology model to which the determined variation from the allowed activities is compared;

b) determining whether the variation from the allowed activities constitutes a crime based on the comparison;

c) recording the variation from the allowed activities into the second file of the monitoring station computer memory; and

d) recommending any necessary appropriate action responsive to the determination of the variation from the allowed activities.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating an expert system to learn behavior that unnecessarily generated an alarm, and modifying the behavior data defining the subject to be monitored.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating an expert system to learn behavior that unnecessarily generated an alarm, and modifying the data defining the set of allowed activities that are specific for the subject to be monitored so that the alarm is not generated in the future.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising continuing to periodically monitor the subject'"'"'s behavior, and after a predefined period without an alarm being generated, modifying the data defining the set of allowed activities that are specific for the subject to be monitored to provide for an increased area and longer allowed time of travel.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising communicating the increase area and longer time of travel to the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver attached to the subject.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising continuing to periodically monitor the subject'"'"'s behavior, and after an alarm is generated, modifying the data defining the set of allowed activities that are specific for the subject to be monitored to provide for a decreased area and shorter time of travel.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising communicating the decreased area and shorter allowed time of travel to the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver attached to the subject.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver attached to the subject to monitor a physical attribute of the subject;

b) transmitting defining the monitored physical attribute of the subject from the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to the monitoring station computer;

c) and wherein computer analyzing the data includes comparing the data defining the subject'"'"'s monitored location, time and physical attributes with the set of allowed activities that are specific for the subject and determining if there are any variations from the allowed activities.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the act of using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor the physical attribute of the subject includes the act of:

using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor speech of the subject.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the act of using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor the physical attribute includes the act of:

using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor alcoholic levels of the subject.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the act of using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor the physical attribute includes the act of:

using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor heart rate of the subject.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the act of using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor the physical attribute includes the act of:

using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor breath rate of the subject.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the act of using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver to monitor the physical attribute includes the act of:

using the remote monitoring transmitter and receiver, to monitor perspiration of the subject.