Personal security and tracking system

• US 6,624,754 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hoffman Resources LLC
• Inventors: Doe, David, Hoffman, Ann, Hoffman, Judd, Hoffman, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US09/284,598
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539, 340/825.49, 340/825.36, 340/10.1, 340/825.69, 342/357, 342/450, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• 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: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

The personal security and tracking system that enables an individual in distress to initiate an alarm to alert appropriate personnel combined with a locating and tracking system that enables the alerted personnel to monitor the location of the individual in distress. The system comprises a portable signaling unit includes a locating system and a manual trigger switch to provide the priority alarm levels. The central processing station receiving signals from the portable signaling unit to process and analyze the signal of interpreting the geographical location and the priority alarm signal.

Claims

1. A personal security and tracking system that provides for an individual to be monitored, the personal security and tracking system comprising:

a portable signaling unit that provides communication information and that receives communication information, wherein the portable signaling unit includes at least one manual trigger that is capable of being triggered manually to provide one or more priority levels of an alarm signal data;

a locating system that determines a geographic location of the portable signaling unit;

a central processing station capable of receiving and interpreting a signal indicative of the geographic location, including a processor capable of interpreting the geographical location of the portable signaling unit, validating the alarm signal data and analyzing the alarm signal data to determine the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data, and a data structure that stores any of the geographical location, the alarm signal data and the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data; and

a remote alarm switch unit functionally related to the portable signaling unit, that transmits a periodic signal to the portable signaling unit that does not include alarm signal data when the remote alarm switch unit is in a non-triggered state, and that does include alarm signal data when the remote alarm switch unit is in a triggered state, caused by a triggering condition.

2. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central processing station automatically dispatches appropriate emergency assistance to the geographic location of the individual in response to the one or more priority levels of alarm signal data.

3. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display and wherein the processor presents on the display any of the alarm signal data, the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data, and the geographical location of the portable signaling unit to allow a person monitoring the central processing station to dispatch appropriate emergency assistance.

4. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the central processing station also includes a data and voice communication unit that provides the person monitoring the central processing station with capability to communicate data and voice information with the individual.

5. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote alarm switch unit further comprises an automatic alarm generating unit that automatically generates the alarm signal data in response to the triggering condition.

6. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote alarm switch unit includes at least one manual trigger that is capable of being triggered manually to provide the triggering condition.

8. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote alarm switch unit is incorporated into a wearable wristband.

9. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable signaling unit provides data and voice communication information and receives data and voice communication information.

10. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the data and voice communications are provided by any of a cellular telephone system, a digital personal communication system, and a communications satellite system.

11. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locating system determines the geographic location of the portable signaling unit by cellular automatic location identification.

12. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable signaling unit is sized and configured to be small enough so that it can be worn by the individual without hindering personal activity.

13. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central processing station and the central processor can be configured to automatically monitor the geographic location of the individual within preset boundaries, and to automatically trigger an alarm when the preset boundaries are violated.

14. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central processing station and the central processor are configured to periodically and remotely interrogate and test the portable signaling unit for malfunction, to provide periodic interrogation data.

15. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable signaling unit further comprises a display to present data from the central processing station.

7. The personal security and tracking system as claimed 1, wherein the triggering condition can be generated by any of unauthorized removal of the remote alarm switch unit from the individual and separation of the portable signaling unit from a proximity of the remote alarm switch.

16. A personal security and tracking system that provides for an individual to be monitored, the personal security and tracking system comprising:

a portable signaling unit that provides communication information and that receives communication information;

a locating system that determines a geographic location of the portable signaling unit, wherein the locating system determines the geographic location of the portable signaling unit via cellular automatic location identification;

a central processing station capable of receiving and interpreting a signal indicative of the geographic location, including a processor capable of interpreting the geographical location of the portable signaling unit, and a data structure that stores the geographical location; and

a remote alarm switch unit functionally related to the portable signaling unit, that transmits a periodic signal to the portable signaling unit that does not include alarm signal data when the remote alarm switch unit is in a non-triggered state, and that does include alarm signal data when the remote alarm switch unit is in a triggered state, caused by a triggering condition.

17. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the portable signaling unit includes at least one manual trigger that is capable of being triggered manually to provide one or more priority levels of an alarm signal data.

18. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processor also validates the alarm signal data and analyzes the alarm signal data to determine the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data;

and

wherein the data structure stores any of the alarm signal data and the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data.

19. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the central processing station automatically dispatches appropriate emergency assistance to the geographic location of the individual in response to the one or more priority levels of alarm signal data.

20. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a display and wherein the processor presents on the display any of the alarm signal data, the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data, and the geographical location of the portable signaling unit to allow a person monitoring the central processing station to dispatch appropriate emergency assistance.

21. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the central processing station also includes a data and voice communication unit that provides the person monitoring the central processing station with capability to communicate data and voice information with the individual.

22. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the remote alarm switch units further comprises an automatic alarm generating unit that automatically generates the alarm signal data in response to the triggering condition.

23. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the remote alarm switch unit includes at least one manual trigger that is capable of being triggered manually to provide the triggering condition.

24. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the triggering condition can be generated by any of unauthorized removal of the remote alarm switch unit from the individual and separation of the portable signaling unit from a proximity of the remote alarm switch.

25. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the remote alarm switch unit is incorporated into a wearable wristband.

26. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the portable signaling unit provides data and voice communication information and receives data and voice communication information.

27. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the data and voice communications are provided by any of a cellular telephone system, a digital personal communication system, and a communications satellite system.

28. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the portable signaling unit is sized and configured to be small enough so that it can be worn by the individual without hindering personal activity.

29. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the central processing station and the central processor can be configured to automatically monitor the geographic location of the individual within preset boundaries, and to automatically trigger an alarm when the preset boundaries are violated.

30. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the central processing station and the central processor are configured to periodically and remotely interrogate and test the portable signaling unit for malfunction, to provide periodic interrogation data.

31. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the portable signaling unit further comprises a display to present data from the central processing station.

32. A portable signaling unit for use in a personal security and tracking system for monitoring an individual, the portable signaling unit comprising:

at least one manual trigger that is capable of being triggered manually to provide one or more priority levels of an alarm signal data;

a communication unit that communicates with a communication system, so that the communication system can determine a geographic location of the portable signaling unit; and

a remote alarm switch unit functionally related to the portable signaling unit, that transmits a periodic signal to the portable signaling unit that does not include any alarm signal data when the remote alarm switch unit is in a non-triggered state, and that does include alarm signal data when the remote alarm switch unit is in a triggered state, caused by a triggering condition.

33. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the communication system is a cellular system that uses automatic location identification to determine the geographic location of the portable signaling unit.

34. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the communication unit provides data and voice communication information and receives data and voice communication information.

35. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the communication system is any of a cellular telephone system, a digital personal communication system, and a communications satellite system.

36. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the portable signaling unit is sized and configured to be small enough to be worn by the individual without hindering personal activity.

37. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a display that displays any communication data.

38. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the remote alarm switch units further comprises an automatic alarm generating unit that automatically generates the alarm signal data in response to the triggering condition.

39. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the remote alarm switch unit includes at least one manual trigger that is capable of being triggered manually to provide the triggering condition.

40. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the triggering condition can be generated by any of unauthorized removal of the remote alarm switch unit from the individual and separation of the remote alarm switch unit from a proximity of the portable signaling unit.

41. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the remote alarm switch unit is incorporated into a wearable wristband.

42. The portable signaling unit as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a central processor and a data structure in combination with the portable signaling unit to comprise a personal security and tracking system for monitoring an individual.

43. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the central processor validates the alarm signal data and analyzes the alarm signal data to determine the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data;

and

wherein the data structure stores any of the alarm signal data and the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data.

44. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 43, wherein the central processor interprets a signal indicative of the geographic location, and the data structure stores the geographic location.

45. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 44, further comprising a display and wherein the central processor presents on the display any of the alarm signal data, the one or more priority levels of the alarm signal data, and the geographic location of the portable signaling unit to allow a person monitoring the individual to dispatch appropriate emergency assistance.

46. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 45, wherein the central processor also includes a data and voice communication unit that provides the person monitoring the individual with the capability to communicate data and voice information with the individual.

47. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the central processor can be configured to automatically monitor the geographic location of the individual within preset boundaries, and to automatically trigger an alarm when the preset boundaries are violated.

48. The personal security and tracking system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the central processor is configured to periodically and remotely interrogate and test the portable signaling unit to provide periodic interrogation data.