Patent No. 5742233 Personal security and tracking system

 

Patent No. 5742233

Personal security and tracking system (Hoffman, et al., Apr 21, 1998)

Abstract

A signaling system comprises a portable signaling unit, a remote alarm switch device, a central dispatch station, and a wireless communication system such as a cellular or telephone system, etc., and a GPS or alike system. The portable signaling unit and the remote alarm switch may be adapted to be worn at different locations on the person's body. The remote alarm switch may be concealed in the form of a wristband or in the form of any other object such as a broach, pendant, or keychain. When the person in distress activates the remote alarm switch or when the remote alarm switch is removed from the individual by a forceful or unauthorized action or when the signaling unit is removed from the proximity of the remote alarm switch, the portable signaling unit sends a data transmission which includes its location to the central dispatch station. The portable signaling unit also has manual alarm trigger capabilities so it can be used without the remote alarm switch unit. The central dispatch station receives the data transmission and accurately displays the user identification, stored personal information, nature of the alarm; in addition the location of the portable signaling unit is superimposed on a digitized map at a position corresponding to the location of the person wearing the portable signaling unit. The portable signaling unit can be remotely activated from a central dispatch station to determine and monitor the location of the portable signaling unit.

Notes:

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a signaling system that enables an individual in distress to initiate an alarm to alert appropriate personnel combined with a locating and tracking system that enables the alerted personnel to monitor the location of the individual in distress.

BACKGROUND

We are constantly reminded of the need for personal security in today's society. All too often in the news we hear of missing persons and the dramatic searches which ensue. For each heroic story of a "just-in-time" rescue of a person who is abducted, lost, in a threatening situation, or in need of emergency medical care, there are many more personal dramas which unfortunately end in tragedy. It follows that immediate notification of an emergency situation and a prompt response from police, paramedics, fire department, or another service organization are essential for the well-being of the individual.

Today's technology provides us with public services such as the 911 telephone number for rapidly summoning emergency help if we are able to access a telephone, dial the number, and communicate our location. However, these services fall short in the case of a young child, a mentally incompetent or medically incapacitated person, someone lost in the woods, or the victim of an abduction or kidnapping. These situations necessitate a security system that travels with the individual, is not limited in range, is able to define and signal an emergency situation without human intervention, and identifies the individual's location. Such a system would provide protection to the individual and peace of mind to those responsible for his or her care and well-being.

A number of prior art devices have been proposed for use as personal alarms and tracking systems, as well as to automate the dispatch of proper authorities to a person in an emergency situation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,284 issued to Levelle et al. discloses a collar to prevent abduction. The Levelle et al. device does not allow the user to manually activate any one of several alarm states or levels. It relies on a wide range of available receivers, such as directional radio receivers, amateur radio receivers, or television receivers to give an approximate location of the collar, not the individual, once the collar is removed.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,744,083, 4,839,656, and 4,965,586 issued to O'Neill disclose variations of a system that uses positioning determining satellites in a geostationary orbit. This system is intended to be used to generate terrain maps, to test message transfer link signal quality, and for determining the elevation of an object by comparing transmitted information with a stored terrain map. It is not intended for use as a personal security system, nor is it capable of being so used.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,062 issued to Sanderford et al. discloses a radio position determination and apparatus based on measured times-of-arrival of radio signals from a plurality of land-based transmitters. This patent is concerned with errors due to multipath (signal reflection) problems causing errors in locating the signal source.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,998 issued to Apsell et al. provides a system for tracking stolen motor vehicles, not individuals, using radio direction-finding methods. This system is initiated only after a delay in reporting and verification through a national database of registered users of the system. The method of using radio direction-finding techniques also delays locating the vehicle.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,860 issued to Hargrove et al. discloses a wrist-mounted device for sensing vital functions. It is activated only when preset pulse rate and body temperature limits are exceeded. The user relies on an emergency aircraft locator beacon to order to be found. There is no provision for a manually activated security alarm.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,885,571, 4,918,432, and 4,952,913 issued to Pauley et al. describe methods of monitoring prisoners confined to a "house arrest." These methods are intended for use within the restricted limits of a field monitoring device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,794 issued to Lawrence discloses a personal emergency locator using UHF radio direction-finding and distance-measuring equipment to find a person. This patent only provides for remote activation by a child's parent of the wearer's locating transmitter; it does not provide for the wearer to initiate the alarm. As in other prior art of this type, this device also relies on a time-consuming method of radio direction-finding techniques and skills to eventually locate the person wearing the alarm.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,314 issued to Linwood et al. describes a system and method for tracking a number of subjects, each wearing a personal infrared transmitter, detected by a plurality of receivers in a pre-determined area. This system is limited to identification and tracking within line-of-sight in confined areas and does not lend itself for use in widespread geographical areas.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,825 issued to Young discloses an apparatus for monitoring the location of a person and determining whether the person is in distress using a transceiver and at least one remote receiver. In the monitor mode, the alarm activation apparatus must continuously transmit a signal which is used to activate the alarm. This feature has limitations due to the fact that the transmitter is always on, shortening the life of available battery power. Again, as in other references previously mentioned, the user must be located by radio direction-finding equipment.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,809 issued to Bunn discloses a personal security system that requires constructing a plurality of automatic direction-finding antennas in an appropriately organized and spaced relation within the geographical area to be monitored. Once a rough estimate of where the transmitting signal is located, a more precise location must be determined by the use of direction-finding equipment.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,842 issued to Brown et al. discloses a vehicle or any other animate or inanimate object tracking and navigation system employing GPS satellites and a remote GPS receiver. Although the Brown et al. system uses GPS technology, it does provide the advantages of an optimal personal security system. Specifically, this system does not contemplate active and/or passive alarm signal generation by a personal security device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,974 issued to Simms et al. discloses a fully automatic security system to be used to protect passengers in a motor vehicle. This system also lacks certain elements of an optimal personal security system, including the ability to provide personal security independent of a vehicle and the ability of a central station to initiate a status request of the mobile unit.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,254 issued to Kah, Jr. discloses a location monitoring system that utilizes a radio transmitter and a radio receiver to monitor the movement of a person or object. The receiver sounds an alarm at a predetermined time after failure to receive a signal. This system requires the use of a receiver to determine range and direction to locate the user. As in other prior art of this type, Kah, Jr. '254 also relies on using a method of radio direction- and range-finding which takes time and skill to eventually locate the person wearing the alarm.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,227 issued to Carroll et al. discloses a system that monitors an individual for compliance with a protective order. The system is activated when the violator's transmitter is detected by the victim's receiving apparatus.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,390 issued to Hoshen addresses the problem for monitoring a number of prisoners within a specified boundary and is useful for "house arrest" and stalker detection. This patent relates to monitoring a subject's location and comparing the location listed on a database as to where the subject should be.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,419 issued to Sheffer describes a tracking system and method for tracking a movable object carrying a cellular phone unit. The phone unit includes a processor for generating the emergency signal. The location of the user is determined by the cellular phone system's identifying or control channel signals received by the phone and only gives a general location of the user.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,520 issued to Barzegar discloses an information system for automatically providing mobile vehicles dispatch information related to their geographical location. This system is described to provide routing information to vehicles, rather than to provide a personal security and tracking system for individuals.

Despite the above-described tracking and security devices and systems, it is important to note that the prior art generally is limited to transmitting an alarm, the source of which is located by a complex array of antennas or by a direction-finding receiver, either of which would require undue time to locate a person in distress.

Systems utilizing GPS technology for tracking vehicles have not fully addressed the requirements of a portable, personal security system. Nor do extant systems, developed for tracking a person, that are limited to applications such as monitoring prisoners within range of a field monitoring device.

Current available technology does not address the case of an individual who is helpless in an emergency situation where information is required so that the appropriate authorities can respond quickly and efficiently to a distress signal generated by the individual. Providing personal security for persons at risk demands a fully automated and responsive system for summoning assistance.

In order to meet the demands created by a situation where an individual with limited time, opportunity, or ability to generate a distress signal encounters danger, becomes lost, or experiences another condition that requires assistance, the ideal personal security and tracking system will comprise an alarm trigger and separate signaling unit, such that the signaling unit will generate an alarm signal in response to activation of the alarm trigger to enable a locating system to identify the location of the signaling unit, which should remain with the individual. The alarm could be generated by the individual directly, as by manual activation of the alarm trigger or manual activation of the signaling unit itself, or indirectly, as where the alarm trigger is removed from the individual or where the portable signaling unit becomes separated from the alarm trigger by a predetermined distance, thereby automatically generating an alarm signal. The ideal system should further allow for the generation of varying levels of alarm signals.

Further, the ideal system would use a locating system that does not constrain an individual to a given geographical area and that contains multiple redundancies to provide for faster, more accurate, and more reliable signal source location information than do known systems and devices.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a personal security and tracking system for individuals which quickly and accurately provides a central dispatch station with data identifying the type of alarm and the location of an individual.

It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a computer system which will interpret, validate, and store all data received at the central dispatch station.

It is yet another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a system that makes available to a dispatch operator all validated data received at the central dispatch station together with any stored information about the individual assigned to the portable signaling unit.

It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a means for displaying the type of alarm and the location of the individual in a convenient format, part of which will display the individual's location on a digitized map, all of which will allow efficient dispatching of appropriate emergency assistance to the exact location of the person in distress in possession of the signaling unit.

It is a still further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a fully automatic personal security system and communication protocol which is operative under the most severe circumstances to automatically summon an emergency response in accordance with the specific personal needs of the person assigned to the portable signaling unit.

It is yet a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a personal security system as described above which allows the individual to manually summon assistance in an emergency situation.

It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a personal security system as described above which may be operated under pre-defined or user specified circumstances such as to alert of a health trauma where the individual is able to manually summon assistance.

It is yet another object and advantage of the present invention to provide an automatic means for summoning an emergency response without the necessity of intervention by the individual in distress should the remote alarm switch be removed from the individual by forceful or unauthorized means.

It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide an automatic means for summoning an emergency response without the necessity of intervention by the individual in distress should the portable signaling unit be separated from the proximity of the remote alarm switch.

It is a still further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a portable, intelligent signaling unit.

It is yet a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a signaling unit that can be carried or securely attached to a person without hindering personal activity.

Another object and advantage of the present invention is to provide a personal security system as described above which allows the central dispatch operator to selectively establish two-way digital contact with the portable signaling unit.

Yet another object and advantage of the present invention is to provide a personal security system as described above which allows the central dispatch operator to selectively establish two-way voice contact with the person carrying the portable signaling unit.

A further object and advantage of the present invention is to provide a personal security system which gives the central dispatch operator control to initiate a request for the locating information.

A still further object and advantage of the present invention is to provide for the central dispatch station to monitor the location of a person within preset boundaries which, when violated, would activate an alarm at the central dispatch station.

Yet a further object and advantage of the present invention is to provide for a reliable remote alarm switch unit that does not need to be continuously transmitting in order to be operational.

It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide for circuits in the signaling unit not required in the actual sensing of an alarm to remain off or in the standby mode therefore conserving battery power.

It is yet another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a means to alert a dispatch operator of the need for maintenance in the case of a low battery condition in the portable signaling unit.

It is still another object and advantage of the present invention to provide for a reliable personal security and tracking system that can be periodically interrogated and tested for malfunction by the central dispatch station.

It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide for a reliable personal security and tracking system that can be periodically interrogated by the central dispatch station to compile historical data.

It is still a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a signaling unit that is not limited in geographical range.

It is yet a further object and advantage of the present invention to combine the advantages of long-range navigation systems, such as Global Positioning Satellites (GPS), LORAN-C, or GLONASS, with the extensive communication capabilities of a wireless communication system, such as a cellular telephone system, digital personal communications system (PCS), or communication satellites, to yield a practical personal security and tracking system with the above-described emergency assistance capabilities.

The present invention is a personal security and tracking system that comprises a portable signaling unit and a remote alarm switch unit, each to be worn or carried by an individual being monitored. The system further comprises a central dispatch station to which distress signals and position coordinates are transmitted. The system employs the use of a global positioning system (GPS) or other types of locating systems such as LORAN-C or GLONASS that may perform the function of providing accurate position coordinates. The system further employs a means for data and-voice communications between the portable signaling unit and the central dispatch station.

Accordingly, the personal security and tracking system of the present invention provides a reliable personal alarm system for individuals and has the additional advantages in that it quickly and accurately provides a central dispatch operator with information concerning the nature of the alarm and the location of the individual. The system further provides a computer system that will interpret, validate, and store all data received at the central dispatch station that is entered into the computer system, as well as a system that makes available to a dispatch operator all validated data received at the central dispatch station together with any stored information corresponding to the individual assigned to the portable signaling unit, such as subscriber information, emergency telephone numbers, boundary information, etc. that is entered into the computer system.

In addition, the system of the present invention provides a means for displaying to a dispatch operator the type of alarm and the location of the individual in a convenient format, part of which will display the individual's location on a digitized map, all of which will allow efficient dispatching of appropriate emergency assistance to the exact location of the individual in distress in possession of the signaling unit.

The system of the present invention is a fully automatic personal security system and communication protocol that is operative under the most severe circumstances to summon an emergency response automatically in accordance with the specific personal needs of the individual. Optionally, the system allows an individual to manually summon assistance in an emergency situation.

The system may be operated under pre-defined standard or user-specified circumstances, such to alert emergency services personnel of a health trauma or a situation in which the remote alarm switch is forcibly removed from the individual, as in a kidnapping. Forceful or unauthorized removal of the remote alarm switch from the individual automatically generates an urgent alarm signal that summons emergency assistance once the remote alarm switch is opened or broken. Additionally, removal of the portable signaling unit from the individual also automatically generates an urgent alarm signal when the portable signaling unit has been removed to a distance where it can no longer sense a periodic signal from the remote alarm switch.

The system of the present invention comprises a small, portable, durable, water-proof, intelligent signaling unit that can be securely attached to an individual without hindering personal activity and that is not limited in geographical range. The system provides a reliable alarm switch that does not need to be continuously transmitting to be operational and permits circuits that are not required in the actual sensing of an alarm to remain off or in a standby mode, therefore conserving battery power. The system further provides a means to alert a dispatch operator of the need for maintenance in the case of a low battery condition in the portable signaling unit.

The personal security system of the present invention gives the central dispatch operator the ability to initiate a request for location coordinate information for the individual being monitored. In addition, the system permits the central dispatch station to monitor the location of an individual within predefined boundaries such that, when violated, the system would generate an alarm signal to the central dispatch station. The system further allows a central dispatch operator to selectively establish two-way digital contact with the portable signaling unit and, optionally, two-way voice contact with the person carrying the portable signaling unit. The system also enables a central dispatch station to periodically interrogate and test the system for malfunction and to compile historical data.

The personal security and tracking system of the present invention combines the advantages of long-range navigation systems, such as Global Positioning Satellites (GPS), LORAN-C, or GLONASS, with the extensive communication capabilities of a wireless communication system, such as a cellular telephone system, digital personal communications system (PCS), or communication satellites, to yield a practical personal security and tracking system with the above-described emergency assistance capabilities.

It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the security and tracking of a person. The invention is capable of protecting the security of animals and inanimate objects. The invention can pinpoint and monitor the location of anything capable of carrying a portable signaling unit due to the fact that it can be interrogated by the central dispatch station.

The system of the present invention may additionally be integrated with existing Emergency Locator Transponder (ELT) systems, which are used to locate domed aircraft by providing the geographic location (i.e., latitude and longitude) of the aircraft.

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Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the remote alarm switch unit 40 can be in the form of a wristband as described here or in the form of any other object, such as a broach, pendant, or keychain. The same arrangement of manual and automatically activated alarm switches could be incorporated in any design configuration. The portable signaling unit 20 can be configured such that it has all of the features of the remote alarm switch unit 40 in addition to its own features, with the exception of the distance-checking feature. The portable signaling unit 20 can also be configured with a small LCD display screen for the hearing impaired to receive messages from the central dispatch station. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.