Apparatus and method for continuous electronic monitoring and tracking of individuals

• US 6,100,806 A
• Filed: 07/07/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Business Sciences, Inc. (Sage Analytics International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Business Sciences, Inc. (Sage Analytics International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaukel, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US09/110,655
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/539, 340/693.5, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.49, 340/825.54, 342/357, 364/449.6, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0225 Monitoring making use of different thresholds, e.g. for different alarm levels
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An apparatus and method of monitoring mobile objects or persons utilizes the Global Positioning System satellites and cellular telephone communications. The apparatus may include first and second remote units adapted to be worn on the monitored person or object. These remote units would comprise the position and data sensors as well as the transmitter device to transmit the information back to a central tracking station. The remote units may be operative to monitor many data items such as system integrity, motion, temperature, audio, and the like in addition to position. This data would then be transmitted back to a central monitoring station operative to process and display the information. The system is also adapted to monitor persons in hazardous environments such as radioactivity or poisonous gases or even to monitor inanimate objects such as automobiles.

Claims

1. Apparatus for tracking and monitoring a remote unit from a central control station, comprising:

a remote unit having means for determining the geographic position of the remote unit at predetermined time intervals;

a programmable central processing unit (CPU) having memory storage, carried on the remote unit, and connected to the position determining means, for receiving position signals from the position determining means, for processing each position signal with a time stamp, and for storing the time stamped signals in memory;

communication means carried on the remote unit and connected to the CPU, for transmitting data from the remote unit CPU to a central control station (CCS) and for receiving data from the CCS and transmitting the received data to the CPU;

said CPU programmed to accumulate said time stamped position signals for a predetermined time interval and to transmit accumulated signals as a download through the communication means to the CCS;

said CCS located remote from the remote unit and including communication means for receiving downloads from the remote unit and for transmitting uploads to the remote unit; and

said CCS including a programmable computer with memory storage, connected to the CCS communication means, for receiving, processing and storing downloads from the remote unit.

2. A method for use with a wireless communication system to determine by spatial coordinates the location of a portable tracking apparatus adapted to communicate with a subject'"'"'s body-worn device and a central data-base, the method comprising

(a) providing the portable tacking device with a means to communicate with a global positioning system satellite constellation to determine its position,

(b) the portable tracking device sending signals to the central data-base to report the position of the portable tracking device,

(c) the portable tracking device receiving wireless signals from the body-worn device,

(d) the portable tracking device sending an alarm to the central data-base if a subject tampers with the portable tracking device or body-worn device,

(e) the portable tracking device receiving communications from the central data-base to download updated schedule rules and location constraints on the subject,

(f) the portable tracking device providing a warning to the subject if the subject deviates from a programmed area of travel, and

(g) the central data-base providing warnings if a subject offender violates a zone of protection.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the central data-base builds reports on the subject based on signals from the portable tracking apparatus.

4. A tracking system to provide for locational tracking of a plurality of monitored persons, the tracking system comprising:

a) a portable monitoring device for each of the monitored persons, each portable monitoring device comprising;

1) securing means to provide for secure attachment of the portable monitoring device to a respective monitored person;

2) tamper detection means to provide for detecting tampering with the portable monitoring device attached to the respective monitored person;

3) receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by a detached sending unit;

4) transmitting means to provide for transmission of a signal;

b) transmission acquisition means to provide for receiving the signals sent out by each of the portable monitoring devices;

c) positional determining means to provide for generating a position reference indicative of the positional location of each of the portable monitoring devices based upon the distinct signal received by the respective receiving means;

d) temporal marking means to provide for indicating, within at least a range of temporal references, an associated occurrence reference indicative of when the position reference to the positional location of each of the portable monitoring devices occurred; and

3) storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of at least series of the position references and associated occurrence references of each of the portable monitoring devices of the tracking system,

whereby the tracking system locationally tracks each of the portable monitoring devices and stores within the locational tracking database each of the position references containing information regarding the location of the monitored person and each of the associated occurrence references containing information regarding within at least the range of temporal references when the position reference to the positional location occurred.

5. The tracking system defined in claim 4, wherein the receiving means of the portable monitoring device receives at least one additional distinct signal generated by at least one additional detached sending unit.

6. The tracking system defined in claim 4, wherein the occurrence reference of the temporal marking means is produced by the portable monitoring device and wherein the occurrence reference is transmitted with the signal of the transmitting means of the portable monitoring device.

7. The tracking system defined in claim 4, wherein the position reference of the positional determining means is produced by each respective portable monitoring device and transmitted with the signal of transmitting means of the respective portable monitoring device.

8. A tracking reference system to provide for a historic reference to a locational tracking of a plurality of monitored persons, the tracking reference system comprising:

a) a portable monitoring device for each of the monitored persons, each portable monitoring device comprising;

1) securing means to provide for secure attachment of the portable monitoring device to a respective monitored person;

2) tamper detection means to provide for detecting tampering with the portable monitoring device attached to the respective monitored person;

3) receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by a detached sending unit;

4) transmitting means to provide for transmission of a signal containing at least a position reference;

b) transmission acquisition means to provide for receiving the signals sent out by each of the portable monitoring devices;

c) positional determining means to provide for generating the position reference indicative of a positional location of each of the portable monitoring devices based upon the distinct signal received by the receiving means;

d) temporal marking means to provide for indicating, within at least a range of temporal references, an associated occurrence reference indicative of when the position reference to the positional location of the portable monitoring device occurred;

e) storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of at least a series of the position references and associated occurrence references of each of the portable monitoring devices of the tracking system;

f) comparative reference entry means to provide for entering a comparative location reference and a comparative temporal reference, the comparative location reference having a boundary comprising at least one location reference, the comparative temporal reference having at least a specific temporal reference; and

g) comparison means to provide for comparing the comparative location reference and the comparative temporal reference with the position references and the associated occurrence references of the locational tracking database to determine if any of the monitored persons were within the boundary of the comparative location reference during the comparative temporal reference,

whereby the tracking system locationally tracks each of the portable monitoring devices and stores within the locational tracking database at least the series of the position references containing information regarding the location of the monitored person and the associated occurrence references containing information regarding, within at least the range of temporal references, when the position reference to the positional location occurred and the comparative location reference and the comparative temporal reference may be entered for comparison with the position references and the associated occurrence references stored in the locational tracking database to determine if any of the monitored persons were within the boundary of the comparative location reference during the comparative temporal reference.

9. The tracking reference system defined in claim 8, wherein the receiving means of the portable monitoring device receives at least one additional distinct signal generated by at least one additional detached sending unit.

10. The tracking reference system defined in claim 8, wherein the occurrence reference of the temporal marking means is produced by the portable monitoring device and wherein the occurrence reference is transmitted with the signal of the transmitting means of the portable monitoring device.

11. The tracking reference system defined in claim 8 wherein the position reference of the positional determining means is produced by each respective portable monitoring device and transmitted with the signal of transmitting means of the respective portable monitoring device.