Emergency control in a multi-dimensional space

• US 8,200,186 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WirelessWERX IP LLC (Pueblo Nuevo LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wirelesswerx International, Inc.
• Inventors: Ashley, James Jr., Mooney, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US12/350,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/441, 455/456.2, 455/435.1, 455/404.2, 455/466, 455/419, 455/574, 455/571, 455/575.6, 370/331, 370/338, 340/573.4, 340/994, 340/10.42, 340/10.31, 340/10.51, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas

Abstract

A geographical zone, which can be multi-dimensional, such as in three dimensions, can be utilized to regulate the location of a movable user within the geographical zone. A mobile device associated with a user located in a specific area of a geographical zone is in communication at least one node, which is, in turn, in communication with at least one control center. Detailed local information from the location nodes is downloaded. The nodes communicate with each other wirelessly via radio frequency (RF) using Bluetooth™ protocol. Mobile devices interact with location nodes that are in communication range. A messaging system is used to send emergency and security communications to users associated with mobile devices in particular locations.

Claims

1. A system for permitting a user to control and monitor individuals or other moving entities in a monitored environment, comprising:

using a multi-dimensional geographical zone, the zone selectively being a preconfigured geographical zone, wherein the zone includes a plurality of spaced apart communication transponders;

the transponders including a transmitter and receiver and wherein at least one of the transponders permits communication with a mobile device of an individual or entity;

sending data communication between pluralities of the transponders in a network communication protocol with each other, applying the plurality of transponders in a network with each other to define the multi-dimensional zone, and there being communication between at least one transponder to the mobile individual or entity and between at least one transponder and one or more control stations;

the communication between the mobile device of the individual or entity and the least one transponder being effected by at least one of a bluetooth or a wi fi protocol thereby to determine the location of the individual or entity in the multi-dimensional zone through such communication;

the transponders being arranged at locations in the multi-dimensional zone, and the respective locations of the plurality of transponders in the multi-dimensional zone being placed within a building structure;

obtaining and analyzing data related to the location of the mobile individual or entity according to the placement of the transponders in the multi-dimensional zone;

enabling the mobile communication device of the selected individual or entity to be in communication with at least one selected communication transponder when the devices are within range of a selected transponder thereby obtaining user location data;

associating respective users of the respective mobile devices with a profile of the individual or entity of the respective mobile device;

sending a targeted message to the mobile device of the individual or entity from the selected communication transponder when the selected mobile device is in range; and

tailoring a targeted message to the individual or entity associated with the mobile device using the location data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitored environment is an emergency environment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitored environment is a security environment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitored environment is an emergency and a security environment.

5. The system of claim 1, including having a geographic three-dimensional zone, the zone selectively being in a three-dimensional sense in the x, y, and z axes or coordinates.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one Bluetooth™

equipped personal device uses at least one downloaded algorithm to determine the relatively specific three-dimensional location of the at least one user within the network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein when an emergency or security event occurs, a control center and/or intermediate supplementary stations transmit emergency or security notifications to located within a specific group of transponders in the network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the emergency or security notifications are transmitted to the personal devices of an individual or entity selectively via at least one of the other transponders within a network or through relay stations.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein when an emergency or security event occurs, at least one individual or entity associated with at least one mobile device enters an emergency or security notification into the at least one mobile device, the at least one mobile device transmits the emergency or security notification to a control center and/or intermediate supplementary stations, and the control center and/or the intermediate supplementary stations transmit emergency or security notifications to an individual or entity located within a specific group of transponders in the network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the emergency or security notification that the at least one individual or entity enters into the at least one mobile device is a textual message.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the emergency or security notification that the at least one individual or entity enters into the at least one mobile device is a verbal message.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the emergency or security notification that the at least one individual or entity enters into the at least one mobile device is a emergency or security designated phone number or code.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the transponders are selectively part of a network or other suitable network configuration.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the transponders selectively communicate with a selected subscriber device, the device being selectively being a cell phone, PDA, or computer device.

15. The system of claim 1, including regulating a movable entity that has a transponder or subscriber device, the device being selectively a cell phone, PDA, pager, computer, or device which is configured to be in wireless communication with other devices through a suitable network.

16. The system of claim 1, including loading from a computing device to a memory in the transponder or subscriber device a plurality of coordinates;

and mapping the coordinates on a pixilated image wherein the assigned pixilated image is configurable; and

forming a contiguous array of pixels that enclose a shape in the pixilated image to form a geographic space.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of coordinates are entered by a user of a computer device, and transmitted to the transponder or subscriber device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the user enters the plurality of coordinates by selecting points in a map;

and calculating geographical coordinates of each selected point in the map.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein a remote user enters the plurality of coordinates by entering on a computer the longitude, latitude, and altitude.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the entity comprises at least one of monitoring, controlling, and visualizing the movement of the movable entity.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein a multi-dimensional shape of the geographical zone is the shape of a non-regular geometrical zone.

22. The system of claim 1, including loading from a computing device to memory in the transponder or subscriber device a plurality of coordinates, wherein the plurality of coordinates identify a multi-dimensional area;

dividing the multi-dimensional area into a grid, allowing at least one user to select at least one section from within the grid in order to define the multi-dimensional geographical zone; and

associating the at least one section with at least one pixel in a pixilated computer image of the multi-dimensional area such that the pixels selected by the at least one user are identified as being loaded in the multi-dimensional geographical zone.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the multi-dimensional zone is divided into a grid of three-dimensional squares or rectangles, and wherein the three-dimensional squares or rectangles of the grid have at least one depth.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the individual or entity receives selection parameter data from multiple transponders, and utilizing the selection parameters, the system narrows the plurality of transponders to the most practically near transponder.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the transponders include a programmable transmitter and receiver, and including applying the plurality of transponders in a mesh network with each other to define the multi-dimensional zone.

26. The system of claim 1 including creating multiple networks, each network communicating with a respective base stations, and the respective base stations communicating with each other and a control stations, these communications being effected at least in part by at least one of blue tooth or wi fi.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-dimensional zone is such that there are networks at discreet and separate floors of a building, and there being a physical ceiling/floor barrier between each separate floor, and the network being such that with the multiple transponders utilizing selection parameters, the system narrows the plurality of transponders to select the most practically near transponder to the individual or entity such that a transponder on a different floor relative to a selected individual or entity, even though closer to the selected individual or entity than a transponder on a floor were the selected individual or entity is located in not selected as the most practically near transponder.

28. A system for permitting control and monitoring of individuals, vehicles, and other movable entities, these movable entities having communication devices associated with them, comprising:

using a multi-dimensional geographical zone, wherein the zone is in a three-dimensional sense, being in the x, y, and z axes or coordinates, and the zone selectively being a preconfigured geographical zone, wherein the zone includes a plurality of spaced apart communication transponders;

the transponders including a transmitter and receiver and wherein at least one of the transponders permits communication with a mobile device of an individual or entity;

sending data communication between pluralities of the transponders in a network communication protocol with each other, applying the plurality of transponders in a network with each other to define the multi-dimensional zone, and there being communication between at least one transponder to the mobile individual or entity and between at least one transponder and one or more control stations;

the communication between the mobile device of the individual or entity and the least one transponder being effected by at least one of a bluetooth or a wi fi protocol thereby to determine the location of the individual or entity in the multi-dimensional zone through such communication;

the transponders being arranged at locations in the multi-dimensional zone, and the respective locations of the plurality of transponders in the multi-dimensional zone being placed within a building structure;

obtaining and analyzing data related to the location of the mobile individual or entity according to the placement of the transponders in the multi-dimensional zone;

enabling the mobile communication device of the selected individual or entity to be in communication with at least one selected communication transponder when the devices are within range of a selected transponder thereby obtaining user location data;

associating respective users of the respective mobile devices with a profile of the individual or entity of the respective mobile device;

wherein the transponders and the communication devices are enabled selectively to communicate with GPS and with Bluetooth™

protocols;

wherein when the at least one Bluetooth™

equipped mobile personal device is within the range of certain location transponders, specified events are triggered;

sending a targeted message to the mobile device of the individual or entity from the selected communication transponder when the selected mobile device is in range; and

tailoring a targeted message to the individual or entity associated with the mobile device using the location data.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the transponders selectively communicate with users having a selected subscriber device, the device being selectively a cell phone, PDA, or computer device.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the multi-dimensional shape of a geographical space is the shape of a non-regular geometrical shape.

31. A system for permitting control and monitoring of individuals, vehicles, and other movable entities, these movable entities having communication devices associated with them, comprising:

using a multi-dimensional geographical zone, the zone selectively being a preconfigured geographical zone, wherein the zone includes a plurality of spaced apart communication transponders;

the transponders including a transmitter and receiver and wherein at least one of the transponders permits communication with a mobile device of an individual or entity;

sending data communication between pluralities of the transponders in a network communication protocol with each other, applying the plurality of transponders in a network with each other to define the multi-dimensional zone, and there being communication between at least one transponder to the mobile individual or entity and between at least one transponder and one or more control stations;

the communication between the mobile device of the individual or entity and the least one transponder being effected by at least one of a bluetooth or a wi fi protocol thereby to determine the location of the individual or entity in the multi-dimensional zone through such communication;

the transponders being arranged at locations in the multi-dimensional zone, and the respective locations of the plurality of transponders in the multi-dimensional zone being placed within a building structure;

obtaining and analyzing data related to the location of the mobile individual or entity according to the placement of the transponders in the multi-dimensional zone;

enabling the mobile communication device of the selected individual or entity to be in communication with at least one selected communication transponder when the devices are within range of a selected transponder thereby obtaining user location data;

associating respective users of the respective mobile devices with a profile of the individual or entity of the respective mobile device;

wherein the transponders and the communication devices are enabled selectively to communicate with GPS and with Bluetooth™

protocols;

wherein when the at least one Bluetooth™

equipped mobile personal device is within the range of certain location transponders, specified events are triggered;

sending a targeted message to the mobile device of the individual or entity from the selected communication transponder when the selected mobile device is in range; and

tailoring a targeted message to the individual or entity associated with the mobile device using the location data;

and

affecting a security support system utilizing user location data of movable entities and the existence of emergency and security conditions.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the transponders are arranged in a multi-dimensional sense, the multi-directional sense being a three-dimensional sense in the x, y, and z axes or coordinates, and being a multi-floor structure with transponders on multiple floors.

33. A system in an emergency or security environment for permitting control and monitoring of individuals, vehicles, and other movable entities, these movable entities having communication devices associated with them, comprising:

using a multi-dimensional geographical zone, the zone selectively being a preconfigured geographical zone, wherein the zone includes a plurality of spaced apart communication transponders;

the transponders including a transmitter and receiver and wherein at least one of the transponders permits communication with a mobile device of an individual or entity;

sending data communication between pluralities of the transponders in a network communication protocol with each other, applying the plurality of transponders in a network with each other to define the multi-dimensional zone, and there being communication between at least one transponder to the mobile individual or entity and between at least one transponder and one or more control stations;

the communication between the mobile device of the individual or entity and the least one transponder being effected by at least one of a bluetooth or a wi fi protocol thereby to determine the location of the individual or entity in the multi-dimensional zone through such communication;

the transponders being arranged at locations in the multi-dimensional zone, and the respective locations of the plurality of transponders in the multi-dimensional zone being placed within a building structure;

obtaining and analyzing data related to the location of the mobile individual or entity according to the placement of the transponders in the multi-dimensional zone;

enabling the mobile communication device of the selected individual or entity to be in communication with at least one selected communication transponder when the devices are within range of a selected transponder thereby obtaining user location data;

associating respective users of the respective mobile devices with a profile of the individual or entity of the respective mobile device;

wherein the transponders and the communication devices are enabled selectively to communicate with GPS and with Bluetooth™

protocols;

wherein when the at least one Bluetooth™

equipped mobile personal device is within the range of certain location transponders, specified events are triggered;

sending a targeted message to the mobile device of the individual or entity from the selected communication transponder when the selected mobile device is in range; and

tailoring a targeted message to the individual or entity associated with the mobile device using the location data;

sending messages between multiple individuals or entities and one or more control stations, and

the message communications being targeted to multiple individuals or entities.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the monitoring of the entity comprises at least one of monitoring, controlling, and visualizing movement of the entity.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein geographical coordinates for the geographical zone are formed by entering on a computer the longitude, latitude, and altitude.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the messages are a security or emergency message.

37. A system for permitting a user to control and monitor individuals, vehicles, and other moving entities in a monitored environment, comprising:

using a multi-dimensional geographical zone, the zone selectively being a preconfigured geographical zone, wherein the zone includes a plurality of spaced apart communication transponders;

the transponders including a transmitter and receiver and wherein at least one of the transponders permits communication with a mobile device of an individual or entity;

sending data communication between pluralities of the transponders in a network communication protocol with each other, applying the plurality of transponders in a network with each other to define the multi-dimensional zone, and there being communication between at least one transponder to the mobile individual or entity and between at least one transponder and one or more control stations;

the communication between the mobile device of the individual or entity and the least one transponder being effected by at least one of a bluetooth or a wi fi protocol thereby to determine the location of the individual or entity in the multi-dimensional zone through such communication;

the transponders being arranged at locations in the multi-dimensional zone, and the respective locations of the plurality of transponders in the multi-dimensional zone being placed within a building structure;

obtaining and analyzing data related to the location of the mobile individual or entity according to the placement of the transponders in the multi-dimensional zone;

enabling the mobile communication device of the selected individual or entity to be in communication with at least one selected communication transponder when the devices are within range of a selected transponder thereby obtaining user location data;

associating respective users of the respective mobile devices with a profile of the individual or entity of the respective mobile device;

wherein the transponders and the communication devices are enabled selectively to communicate with GPS and with Bluetooth™

protocols;

wherein when the at least one Bluetooth™

equipped mobile personal device is within the range of certain location transponders, specified events are triggered;

sending a targeted message to the mobile device of the individual or entity from the selected communication transponder when the selected mobile device is in range;

tailoring a targeted message to the individual or entity associated with the mobile device using the location data; and

the individual or entity receiving selection parameter data from multiple transponders in the multi-dimensional zone, and utilizing the selection parameters, those transponders more remote from the individual or entity in the multi-dimensional zone are removed from effective communication with a selected individual or entity, and thereby the system narrows the plurality of transponders to the most practically near transponder to the selected individual or entity.