Dual mode personal locator beacon

• US 7,492,251 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2008
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobit Telecom Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Daniel A. Katz
• Inventors: Katz, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US12/202,357
• Time in Patent Office: 169 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/457, 455/404.2, 455/13.4, 455/90.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/0005 by means of alarm devices for persons falling into the water, e.g. by signalling, by controlling the propulsion or manoeuvring means of the boat alarms responsive to presence of persons in a body of water in general G08B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0231 Emergency, distress or locator beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/088 by monitoring a device worn by the person, e.g. a bracelet attached to the swimmer

Abstract

A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), supporting two operation modes local monitoring and remote monitoring. The apparatus includes a PLB that supports the present operation mode, as well as a local monitoring mode, employing the same transmitter, and automatically switching between modes. Upon activation, the PLB first tries to communicate with a local monitoring station, at a low transmission power, and at a high repetition rate, in purpose of dealing with the PLB call locally, without involving the remote monitoring station. Then, if not acknowledged by a local monitoring station, the PLB increases its transmission power, enabling access to a remote monitoring station. In a preferred embodiment, the PLB is carried by a person onboard a vessel, to alarm upon a Man Overboard (MOB) accident, the local monitoring station is installed onboard the same vessel, and the remote monitoring station is part of a satellite Search and Rescue (SAR) system, as Cospas-Sarsat.

Claims

1. A location system, comprising a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), a local monitoring station (LMS) and a remote monitoring station (RMS);

the PLB comprising a transmitter configured to transmit successive signals, upon activation;

the LMS and the RMS configured to determine the PLB location, from data derived from said signals;

the PLB further configured to;

a) transmit a first group of said successive signals, upon activation, at a low transmission power and at a high repetition rate, said low transmission power configured to enable determining the PLB location at the LMS but not at the RMS;

b) transmit a second group of said successive signals, after transmitting said first group of said successive signals, at a high transmission power, higher than said low transmission power, and at a low repetition rate, lower than said high repetition rate, said high transmission power configured to enable determining the PLB location at the RMS.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said RMS is accessed by said PLB via a satellite orbiting above the globe, or via a wide area network (WAN), including a cellular network.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said PLB activation is configured to be triggered automatically by means of at least one sensor comprised in or coupled to the PLB.

4. A system according to claim 3, said sensor configured to sense an environmental change, at least one of:

temperature;

humidity;

acceleration;

PH;

air pressure;

water pressure;

illumination;

sound;

position;

electromagnetic radiation;

wherein this change is relative to a previous reading at the PLB or to a reading at the LMS.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein among said first group of said successive signals, at least one signal is configured for a higher transmission power compared to a previously transmitted signal.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said PLB further comprises or is coupled to a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) decoder, said PLB configured to acquire position data from this decoder, and reflect said data in said successive signals, in addition to identity data related to the PLB.

7. A system according to claim 6, said GNSS decoder further configured to provide the PLB speed, wherein among said first group of said successive signals, at least one signal is configured for a higher transmission power compared to a previously transmitted signal, and wherein the difference between the transmission power of these couple of signals is bigger for a higher PLB speed.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein said RMS is configured to acknowledge the PLB transmission by communicating the acknowledgement to the PLB via said GNSS decoder.

9. A system according to claim 1, said RMS configured to acknowledge the PLB transmission, wherein upon been acknowledged by the RMS, the PLB is configured to decrease the transmission repetition rate of successive signals.

10. A system according to claim 1, said PLB further comprising a control receiver and said LMS further comprising a compatible control transmitter, said control receiver configured to provide the PLB with control signals, transmitted from the LMS and/or the RMS, said control signals configured for at least one of:

a) deactivating and/or activating the PLB;

b) controlling the transmission power and repetition rate of the PLB;

c) providing the PLB with information about the LMS status or position;

d) acknowledging the PLB transmission.

11. A system according to claim 10, said PLB further comprising a GNSS decoder configured to provide the PLB location, said LMS further comprising a GNSS decoder and configured to communicate its location to the PLB, wherein among said first group of said successive signals, at least one signal is configured for a higher transmission power compared to a previously transmitted signal, and wherein the difference between the transmission power of these couple of signals is bigger for a higher speed of separation between the PLB and the LMS.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein said PLB is configured to disable its activation for a predefined period of time after been deactivated.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein said PLB is a distress radio beacon, said second group of said successive signals compatible with the Cospas-Sarsat satellite Search and Rescue (SAR) system, as required from a Cospas-Sarsat Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) or Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT).

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein said PLB is further configured to be carried by or attached to a person onboard a vessel, said LMS configured to be installed onboard the same vessel, said RMS configured to be accessed by the PLB via a satellite orbiting around the globe, and said PLB is configured to be activated when said person falls overboard.

15. A system according to claim 1, said PLB further comprising means indicating a user at least one of:

a) whether the PLB is activated or deactivated;

b) when the PLB is about to transmit and/or actually transmitting, c) acknowledgement received from an RMS or an LMS upon detecting a PLB signal.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein upon activation, said PLB is configured to receive control signals that deactivate its transmission and put it in maintenance mode, enabling at least one of:

a) downloading a software version;

b) programming identity data;

c) setting specific operational parameters;

d) performing a test.

17. A system according to claim 1, said PLB further configured to transmit at least two of said signals on different frequencies, wherein these two signals are:

a) part of said first group;

or b) part of said second group;

or c) one is from the first group and the other is from the second group of signals.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein said PLB is attached to an object to be located, one of:

person, animal, pet, vehicle, weapon, ammunition, valuable asset.

19. A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), for a location system comprising a PLB, a local monitoring station (LMS) and a remote monitoring station (RMS);

the PLB comprising a transmitter configured to transmit successive signals, upon activation;

the LMS and the RMS configured to determine the PLB location, from data derived from said signals;

the PLB further configured to;

a) transmit a first group of said successive signals, upon activation, at a low transmission power and at a high repetition rate, said low transmission power configured to enable determining the PLB location at the LMS but not at the RMS;

b) transmit a second group of said successive signals, after transmitting said first group of said successive signals, at a high transmission power, higher than said low transmission power, and at a low repetition rate, lower than said high repetition rate, said high transmission power configured to enable determining the PLB location at the RMS.

20. A method for locating a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) by a local monitoring station (LMS) and by a remote monitoring station (RMS), comprising the steps of:

a) configuring said PLB to transmit successive signals, upon activation;

b) configuring said LMS and RMS to determine the PLB location, from data derived from said signals;

c) transmitting a first group of said successive signals, upon activation, at a low transmission power and at a high repetition rate, said low transmission power configured to enable determining the PLB location at the LMS but not at the RMS;

d) transmitting a second group of said successive signals, after transmitting said first group of said successive signals, at a high transmission power, higher than said low transmission power, and at a low repetition rate, lower than said high repetition rate, said high transmission power configured to enable determining the PLB location at the RMS.