Proximity aware personal alert system

• US 7,259,671 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anna Maria Kirchner, Christine Ganley, Don Ganley, Maura Junius
• Original Assignee: Anna Maria Kirchner, Christine Ganley, Don Ganley, Maura Junius
• Inventors: Junius, Maura, Ganley, Christine, Ganley, Don, Kirchner, Anna Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/872,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20050280546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.23, 340/573.1, 340/531, 340/571, 340/539.1, 340/539.15, 340/989, 340/568.1, 340/517, 340/572.1, 340/539.21, 340/692, 340/686.6, 340/539.13, 340/539.11, 340/10.1, 340/541
• US Class Current: 340/539.23
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0238 adding new units to the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/025 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses absence of reply signal after an elapsed time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article

Abstract

Disclosed is a proximity aware personal alert system including a first mobile transceiver unit and a second mobile transceiver unit in communication with the first mobile transceiver unit via an RF link where the second mobile transceiver provides an alarm indication when the first mobile transceiver has moved a predetermined distance from the second mobile transceiver unit. When the RF link is configured as a Bluetooth link, the first and second mobile transceiver units form a monitoring piconet where the second mobile transceiver unit provides the alarm indication when the first mobile transceiver unit moves beyond a distance of approximately ten meters from the second mobile transceiver unit. The first transceiver unit is worn by a monitored person such as a child and the second transceiver unit is worn by a monitoring person such as a parent of the child.

Claims

1. A method for detecting when a first mobile transceiver unit has moved a predetermined distance from a second mobile transceiver unit, the second mobile transceiver unit including a controller having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the method comprising:

establishing a communication between the second mobile transceiver unit and at least one first mobile transceiver unit;

providing a first indication indicating successful communication establishment between the second mobile transceiver unit and the at least one first mobile transceiver unit;

transmitting a periodic request for a first identification to the at least one first mobile transceiver unit, the first identification providing an identity of the at least one first mobile transceiver unit; and

providing a second indication if a response to the periodic request for the first identification is not detected by the second mobile transceiver unit within a pre-selected time, the second indication indicating that the at least one first mobile transceiver unit has moved the predetermined distance from the second mobile transceiver unit;

detecting actuation of a first button of the second mobile transceiver unit, actuation of the first button enabling power to the second mobile transceiver unit;

detecting actuation of a second button of the second mobile transceiver unit after detecting actuation of the first button, actuation of the second button enabling establishment of the communication;

wherein establishing the communication comprises establishing a monitoring piconet, the monitoring piconet including Bluetooth enabled RF links between the second mobile transceiver unit and the at least one first mobile transceiver unit; and

wherein establishing the monitoring piconet comprises;

causing an inquiry command to be transmitted in response to detecting actuation of the second button;

detecting receipt of a first data packet, the first data packet including the first identification and a first radio frequency operational parameter of the at least one first mobile transceiver unit;

causing a page command to be transmitted in response to detecting receipt of the first data packet, the page command including the first identification of the at least one first mobile transceiver unit;

detecting receipt of a second data packet transmitted in response to receipt of the page command, the second data packet including the first identification of the at least one first mobile transceiver unit;

causing a third data packet to be transmitted in response to detecting receipt of the second data packet, the third data packet including a second identification and a second radio frequency operational parameter of the second mobile transceiver unit;

detecting receipt of a fourth data packet transmitted in response to receipt of the third data packet, the fourth data packet including the first identification of the at least one first mobile transceiver unit and indicating that the first radio frequency operational parameter has been replaced by the second radio frequency operational parameter; and

causing a monitoring piconet address of the monitoring piconet to be assigned to the first mobile transceiver unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second indications are selected from the group consisting of an audible indication provided by a speaker of the second mobile transceiver and a visual indication provided by a light emitting diode of the second mobile transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indication comprises an audible chirp, and wherein the second indication comprises an audible alarm.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising lockingly attaching the first mobile transceiver device to a monitored person and attaching the second mobile transceiver device to a monitoring person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is in the range often meters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected time comprises two seconds.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected time is in the range of one second to five seconds.