GB2474282A - Identifying the location of individuals or objects via a network of short range wireless receivers - Google Patents

Abstract

A system is disclosed for uniquely identifying individuals or objects and tracking their location. The system comprises a network of short range wireless receivers provided at different locations; one or more uniquely identifiable short range wireless transmitters; and a central system including a means to gather and process location information about the uniquely identifiable short range wireless transmitter. The transmitter may be arranged to withstand extremes of temperature, pressure or humidity. The transmitted may be incorporated in a pendant, watch, or jewellery. Alternatively the transmitter may be located into packaging in order to track the delivery of goods. In a further embodiment, the transmitter may be arranged to provide an alert when in proximity to other items, individuals, or animals. The short range wireless receivers may be wireless routers.

Description

Location detection and monitoring system This invention relates to a system for identifying the location of individuals or objects and comprises a device that automatically interacts with a network of dissociated wireless router receivers to register the location.

Sophisticated technologies are available to provide location data through long range data transmissions using GPS (Global Positioning System) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) or short range transmissions of energy such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). These technologies can enable the detection, identification, location and tracking of individuals, objects, animals and items for many reasons. These reasons include personal safety, security, private investigation, security and felon control.

In a known illustration of the technology for long range data transmission (US patents 5,905,461 and 6,362,778), a global positioning and tracking system for locating a person or item of property uses a tracking device which sends a signal to a detector or relay system positioned within the monitoring area. A signal is then sent to a central monitoring unit that analyses the position of the person or item.

Additional prior art describes the use of paper technologies (US patent number 6,172,640) or body worn tracking devices (US patent number 6,014,080 which describes the use of GPS tracking systems).

Furthermore, prior art (US 7432816B1, and US 7541548B1) describes RFID type detection and monitoring systems that work over a short distance to detect items.

Short distance detection systems using RFID make use of low cost, stable, radiofrequency detectors. However, technologies capable of location detection and monitoring over longer ranges have a number of disadvantages. These technologies are generally more expensive which limits the utility of the detection systems. They are also less stable in extremes of temperature and humidity which can cause loss of detection ability. Finally, these technologies also require more energy to create transmissions. The current invention

overcomes the limitations of the prior art.

Described herein is a system for uniquely identifying people, objects, animals, parameters or activities, obtaining their location and registering changes. The invention provides a dissociated network of short range wireless router receiver devices, comprising more than one such device at different locations connected by the internet or another network; one or more uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter devices with a short range; a central registering system with a program to gather and process location and other useful information about the uniquely identifiable wireless device; and a user interface. The device is advantageously based on unique wireless identifiers commonly available as a low cost component in cheap powered electronics.

The uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device is a small device that is both waterproof and heat stable. Preferably, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device is able to withstand physical insult such as extremes of temperature, pressure, humidity or other conditions that would normally be destructive.

Preferably, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device is small and cheap to produce so that the device can advantageously be sown into the clothing of an individual, secreted within existing products and fabricated to be invisible to the casual user.

In a preferred embodiment, the device is incorporated into a valuable item such as a pendent, watch, phone, jewellery or computer.

Preferably, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device is incorporated into packaging in order to monitor or track delivery of goods. The device thereby advantageously provides a system for identifying and tracking lost people, clothing, possessions or equipment.

In an additional embodiment, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device advantageously provides information about location, temperature, humidity, and other information.

In a preferred embodiment, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device provides historical information about historical events, location and physical parameters that have been saved by the device.

Preferably, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device provides alerts to register anomalies or dangers that may relate to proximity of the contents to other items, or alerts about the presence of individuals or animals in the vicinity.

Preferably, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device is automatically identifiable through a dissociated network of router receivers.

Preferably, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device registers location and an identifier code which allows access to limited services provided through the dissociated wireless router receiver and its network.

Preferably, the uniquely identifiable wireless transmitter device registers location and an identifier code which allows access to limited services provided through the dissociated wireless router receiver and its network for a limited period of time.

In yet another embodiment, the uniquely identifiable wireless device has a powering system to provide pulses of signal. These pulses may be at pre-programmed selected intervals, or they may respond to a signal from a receiver or an unrelated signal sent by radio or other means. The power sources may be selected from a group including lithium batteries, thin film batteries, rechargeable batteries, inertia, solar or other power source.

Preferably, the uniquely identifiable wireless device conserves power through a number of means that include creating pulsed transmissions, responding to physical stimuli including shock or temperature change, or a local broadcast from a local radio or other energy transmission.

In another embodiment, the system of information is aggregated within a network hosted at a central, or a number of coordinated or dissociated, servers such that the information may be dissociated to individuals, companies and service providers for useful effect.

Detailed description

The uniquely identified wireless transmitter carries a unique identifier (code) attached to each device that is automatically registered by a router receiver device.

The uniquely identified wireless transmitter is constructed with a battery or generating capacity, and provides by way of an intermittent broadcast, a low power automated transmission with a total duration of several years.

The uniquely identified wireless transmitter is constructed or fabricated to be waterproof, resistant and resilient to energy or other physical insult, such that it may be secreted within other objects such as jewellery, watches, phones, bags, clothing and many other valuable or non-valuables.

The device sends its signal and is picked up by an affiliated router receiver which acknowledges the presence of the signal from the wireless device as the device comes into range of the router receiver. The local transmission range is approximately a hundred feet or less. The router receiver has attached to it a software programme and computerized device that attempts to match the device's code as a unique identifier. If the identification matches, the router receiver allows access to software stored within a programmable device attached by the router receiver to the signal receiver or alternatively attached via the internet or other network to the detector. From here an alert is sent to the concerned individual who wishes to be made aware of the location of the individual, animal, clothing, equipment and valued item.

If the identification does not match a predefined list or downloaded list, the router receiver does not allow access to this software.

Instead, software records the information and compares the information to a database of unique identifiers.

The unique identifiers are important for a number of reasons.

They could: i. be important to register an item, animal or individual that has been lost or gone missing, ii. identify an item that has been stolen, iii. register the movement or presence of an item, iv. enable a transmission or information flow, v. allow execution of a transaction that may be financial or non-financial, vi. indicate movement or volume of traffic that may be useful for transaction, safety, or security reasons, vii. allow use of a fraction or all of the bandwidth available to the router receiver, and may also provide a corresponding financial transaction, thus contributing to a dissociated network The multitude of device-detector transactions occurring in this manner provides for the potential to create a physical manifestation of the virtual internet.

In a subset of this embodiment, it is clear that: 1. Devices can be tracked and 2. Products can be offered to sell the service and products.

Within the service offering, wireless devices are detected via the router receiver by an operator interface which includes web pages to establish compatibility, gather unique identifiers which may comprise user names, password data and other information, and to provide web page data and other data to which the associated devices interact automatically.

Such wireless receivers are present in many homes and freely available on many transportation networks. Wireless receivers are also provided by many companies in telecoms, restaurants and community networks, providing an existing dissociated network of router receivers to which this service can be readily affiliated.

In the described embodiment, these wireless enabled sources and the unique wireless identifier information is provided by the resilient cheap wireless transmitters to detect any such wireless device that comes within range of one of these receivers.

The economy of the wireless device unit costs can provide tracers that may be used to safely track people, animals, belongings, or products that may go missing or need to be tracked.

210 As further examples of this embodiment, the invention is useful for:- 1 Individuals anxious about risk of loss 2 Anxious parents, with remote children 3 Owners of high value small property

Examples

Example 1

In one manifestation of the invention, the uniquely identified 220 wireless device is rendered waterproof and sewn into the fabric of a bag or clothing, and through means of a long lasting small battery the device emits a pulse of transmission every ten minutes for several years. The unique identifier in the signal is received by a wireless router receiver network that has deployed receivers on 225 every train in a regional or dispersed geographical rail network.

The signal is identified and recorded and its position located through the network system of router receivers provided for internet access on the train. This registration comes into effect when the unique identifier device comes within range of the train' s 230 router receiver.

Example 2

In another manifestation of the invention, all products of specialist nature such as explosive material, or of other hazardous nature may 235 be contained within packaging which incorporates a unique identifier device. The device can be programmed cheaply and stabilized to the elements necessary for storage of the material, such that a signal is provided for normal storage, but this signal can change when storage conditions move out of the necessary 240 range for stable storage and transportation. A router receiver may be attached to the vehicle, or a number of router receivers may be dissociated within a network of receivers in a dissociated system designed for other wireless activity such as wireless internet access at restaurants, stations, depots or domestic locations. When the 245 material comes within range the wireless router receiver acknowledges the source and records the location of the material and its status. By doing this, conditions of concern such as deviation from planned route, proximity to sensitive sites, ii (government facilities, power generating plants, bridges, military 250 bases, airports, skyscrapers, shopping malls, sports arenas) unanticipated delays, driver alarm, discrepancies between registered and observed conditions at weigh stations, convergence of multiple hazardous material shipments and other potentially dangerous incidents or conditions, may be recorded and 255 appropriate signals generated to elicit responses.

Example 3

In a further manifestation of the invention, a router receiver may be constructed to seek stimulation from every nearby uniquely 260 identifiable wireless transmitter. Should a wireless phone or wireless enabled device approach a property the router receiver will identify the unique identifier and load this into a forensic database that may later be accessed and used to begin to search for the device within a broader wireless router receiver network.

265 Through this activity criminal activity can be tracked and this can contribute to apprehension of criminals.

Example 4

In a further manifestation of the invention, the uniquely identified 270 wireless device is rendered waterproof and incorporated into printed or electronic advertising media. The device can be tracked through a dissociated network of router receivers and movement and presence of the media can be tracked and paid for based on actual presence in appropriate venues. If the media has the 275 potential for change, then the change can be made in direct response to geographical presence.

Example 5

In a further manifestation of the invention, a network of 280 dissociated router receivers may be formed by downloading software onto domestic computers in return for an incentive. The networked router receivers can then provide shared services for broadband access or other electronic sharing of facilities to uniquely identifiable wireless devices. These services may be paid 285 for with cash, bartered, or be shared through an open network of participants who all benefit from the shared network.