Mobile locator system and method with wander management

• US 7,365,645 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RF Technologies, Inc. (Microwave Techniques LLC)
• Original Assignee: RF Technologies, Inc. (Microwave Techniques LLC)
• Inventors: Gerner, Nathan J., Haensgen, Gregg J., Heinze, Eric T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHMOOD, JENNIFER
• Application Number:
  US11/378,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 34053911-53915, 340/539.32, 340/505, 340/568.1, 340/572.9
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0238 adding new units to the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit

Abstract

A locator/wander management system includes a handheld unit for providing an interrogation signal. The handheld unit can be a handheld computer or PDA including an RF module. The interrogation signal is received by an RF tag. The RF tag can include a power source and a memory. The memory can store an indication of the date of installation of the battery. The RF tag can provide the indication to the handheld unit in response to the interrogation signal. The RF tag can also provide signals for a wander management system.

Claims

1. A locator/wander management system, comprising:

a handheld unit for receiving a beacon signal;

a tag unit associated with a monitored object or person for periodically providing the beacon signal, wherein the handheld unit determines a presence of the tag unit in response to the beacon signal wherein the beacon signal is a UHF signal provided by a UHF circuit; and

at least one wander monitor associated with a location, wherein the tag unit periodically provides a wander monitor signal, and the wander monitor receives the wander monitor signal and secures an egress or ingress associated with the location in response to the wander monitor signal wherein the wander monitor signal is periodically provided by a VLF circuit, wherein the wander monitor signal is a VLF signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld unit is a PDA including a plug-in RF module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag unit also provides an indication of power source life.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the indication is transmitted each time in response to an interrogation signal or with the periodic beacon signal.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the indication is stored on the handheld unit, and the handheld unit provides a notification when the power source life is expected to expire based upon the indication.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a process for the wander monitor signal has a higher priority than a process for the beacon signal.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central computer capable of communication with the handheld unit, wherein an indication is provided from the handheld unit to the central computer when the power source is expected to expire.

8. A method of locating an article or person, the method comprising:

providing an interrogation signal with a handheld computer equipped with an RF interface;

providing a first signal in response to the interrogation signal with a tag unit associated with the article or person wherein the first signal is a UHF signal provided by a UHF circuit;

displaying on the handheld computer an indication of the presence or absence of the article or person in response to the first signal; and

securing an egress or ingress in response to a second signal from the tag unit, wherein the second signal is periodically provided as a very low frequency signal provided by a VLF circuit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the RF interface is a transceiver card module.

10. A locator/wander management system, comprising:

a mobile transceiver for providing an interrogation signal and receiving periodic beacon signals;

a plurality of tag units, each tag unit responds to the interrogation signal, each tag unit including a memory storing an identification, a UHF circuit, and a VLF circuit, the UHF circuit receiving the interrogation signal and providing the identification to the mobile transceiver in response to the interrogation signal using the UHF circuit, the UHF circuit also providing the periodic beacon signals; and

at least one stationary receiver associated with an exit, wherein the tag unit periodically provides a VLF signal via the VLF circuit, and the stationary receiver receives the VLF signal and secures the exit.

11. The locator/wander system of claim 10, wherein the mobile transceiver displays an indication of the identification for each tag having a particular facility identifier.

12. The locator/wander management system of claim 10, wherein the mobile transceiver includes a database including the identification.

13. The locator/wander management system of claim 10, wherein the mobile transceiver includes a database including a picture associated with the identification.

14. The locator/wander management system of claim 10, wherein the mobile transceiver includes a directional antenna for a tracker mode and an omnidirectional antenna for a monitor mode.

15. The locator/wander management system of claim 10 wherein the mobile transceiver is a commercially available handheld device including an RF plug-in module.

16. The locator/wander management system of claim 10, wherein the mobile transceiver provides an indication of signal strength associated with a response signal from the tag units.

17. The locator/wander management system of claim 10, wherein the mobile transceiver provides an alarm if one of the beaconing signals is not received from one of the tag units in an amount of time.

18. The locator/wander management system of claim 10, wherein the mobile transceiver includes a graphical user interface.

19. The locator/wander management system of claim 12, wherein the mobile transceiver stores a list of monitored residents.

20. The locator/wander management system of claim 10, wherein the tag unit and the mobile transceiver operate in a fast poll mode when in a tracker mode after the tag unit responds to the interrogation signal.