Mobile unit and system having integrated mapping, communications and tracking

• US 7,970,534 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Blackbird Technologies Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Blackbird Technologies Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Loftus, Thomas Michael, Araneda, Dorian Sergio, Koontz, Michael Daniel Jr., Sherman, James Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US11/894,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/207, 701/213, 701/214, 340/539.13, 340/539.11, 340/572.8, 340/438, 455/434, 455/73, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/272
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas

Abstract

A handheld device and system includes a mapping module, a tracking module interoperative with the mapping module, and a communications module interoperative with the tracking module and the mapping module. At least two antennae are communicatively connected, via the communications module, to at least one central processing unit. At least one of said at least two antenna is suitable for communicating using at least two distinct communication modes.

Claims

1. A handheld device, comprising:

at least one mapping module;

at least one tracking module interoperative with said at least one mapping module;

at least one communications module interoperative with each of said at least one tracking module and said at least one mapping module; and

at least two antennae communicatively connected via said at least one communications module to at least one central processing unit, at least one of said at least two antennae is suitable for communicating using at least two distinct communication modes, the at least two distinct communication modes includes at least two of an Iridium satellite communication mode, a general packet radio service (GPRS) communication mode, an emergency locating beacon, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) communication mode, a short message service (SMS) communication mode, or a 9-1-1 communication mode, the at least one communications module is configured to determine which communication mode from the at least two distinct communication modes to use based on a status of an asset collocated with the handheld device.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver interoperative with at least one of said at least one mapping module, said at least one tracking module and said at least one communications module.

3. The handheld device of claim 2, further comprising:

an operating system configured to process data associated with at least one of said at least one mapping module, said at least one tracking module and said at least one communications module; and

a display.

4. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one sensor configured to provide information associated with a condition external to said at least one tracking module.

5. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the at least one communications module is configured to operate in connection with the at least two distinct communication modes, such that if a first communication mode from the at least two communication modes is inoperable, the at least one communications module can utilize a second communication mode from the at least two distinct communication modes.

6. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the at least one tracking module is configured to receive information associated with a plurality of assets.

7. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the at least one tracking module is in communication with at least one of a damage sensor, a pressure sensor or a weight sensor associated with the asset.

8. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the at least one tracking module is in communication with a sensor configured to monitor a bodily function of a human asset.

9. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein an antenna of the at least two antennae is a satellite antenna and at least one of the at least two antennae is a GPS antenna.

10. A communications system, comprising:

at least one server including;

a communications module;

a central processing unit; and

a graphical user interface; and

a plurality of handheld devices, each handheld device configured to communicate with the at least one server, each handheld device including;

at least one mapping module;

at least one tracking module interoperative with said at least one mapping module;

at least one communications module interoperative with each of said at least one tracking module and said at least one mapping module, said at least one communications module configured to operate in connection with at least two distinct communication modes;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver interoperative with at least one of said at least one mapping module, said at least one tracking module and said at least one communications module; and

at least two antennae communicatively connected via said at least one communications module to at least one central processing unit, at least one of said at least two antennae is suitable for communications using the at least two distinct communication modes, the at least one communications module configured to determine which communication mode from the at least two distinct communication modes to use based on a status of an asset collocated with the handheld device;

wherein the at least one server is configured to display a location of each handheld device from the plurality of handheld devices on the graphical user interface.

11. The communications system of claim 10, wherein each handheld device from the plurality of handheld devices is configured to dynamically relay position and direction map data to the at least one server.

12. The communications system of claim 11, wherein each handheld device from the plurality of handheld devices is configured to relay the position and direction map data to at least one other handheld device from the plurality of handheld devices.

13. The communications system of claim 11, wherein each handheld device from the plurality of handheld devices includes:

an operating system; and

a display configured to display the position and direction map data.

14. The communications system of claim 10, wherein each handheld device from the plurality of handheld devices includes at least one sensor configured to provide information associated with a condition external to said at least one tracking module.

15. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the at least two distinct communication modes includes at least two of an Iridium satellite communication mode, a general packet radio service (GPRS) communication mode, an emergency locating beacon, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) communication mode, a short message service (SMS) communication mode, or a 9-1-1 communication mode.

16. A processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

receive, at a first mobile device, a first signal indicating a current position of the first mobile device;

receive, via a first communication mode, at least one second signal from at least one second mobile device indicating a status of at least one asset collocated with the at least one second mobile device, the status being monitored by at least one sensor operatively coupled to the at least one second mobile device, the first communication mode being used based on the status of the at least one asset;

send, via a second communication mode different from the first communication mode, a third signal associated with the status of the at least one asset to a server; and

receive a fourth signal from the server allowing the server to manipulate the first mobile device in response to sending the third signal.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first signal is received using a first antenna and the at least one second signal is received using a second antenna.

18. The processor-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor operatively coupled to the at least one second mobile device includes at least one of a damage sensor, a pressure sensor or a weight sensor.

19. The processor-readable medium of claim 16, the code further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

switch from using the a first communication mode to using the a second communication mode when the status of the at least one asset is one of at least one predefined status.

20. The processor-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one asset is a human, the status including a status of a bodily function of the human.

21. The processor-readable medium of claim 16, the code further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

send a fifth signal associated with the status of the at least one asset to at least one third mobile device.

22. The processor-readable medium of claim 16, the code further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

receive a fifth signal from the at least one second mobile device indicating a position of the at least one second mobile device; and

sending a sixth signal to the server indicating the position of the at least one second mobile device.

23. The processor-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first signal is received using a satellite antenna.