GB2597067A

GB2597067A - Group locating and alerting system

Info

Publication number: GB2597067A
Application number: GB2010720.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lent Tamzin
Original assignee: Where You At Ltd
Current assignee: Where You At Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-12
Filing date: 2020-07-12
Publication date: 2022-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-12
Also published as: GB2597067B; GB202010720D0

Abstract

A system is disclosed for communicating to all members of a group the location within a predefined venue of each member of the group and for enabling each member of the group to transmit a signal to all other members. The system comprises a personal area network of stationary shortrange radio beacons distributed around the venue, and a plurality of portable programmable processing devices, each to be carried by a respective group member and incorporating a communicating device for receiving from, and transmitting to, the beacons radio signals to enable the location of each group member to be determined by the system, wherein each processing device is programmed to display the location of each group member on a map of the venue and to enable each member to transmit a signal or message to all other group members.

Description

GROUP LOCATING AND ALERTING SYSTEM Field of the invention The present invention relates to a system for communicating to all members of a group the location within a predefined venue of each member of the group and for enabling each member of the group to transmit a signal to all other members

Background of the invention

It is quite common for a group of people, who have arrived together at a party, an event such as a concert or a shopping mall, to separate when in the venue. Frequently, radio and telephone communications within the venue are not possible, making it difficult for members to find each other at the venue or after the event has ended.

Object of the invention The present invention seeks to provide a system to enable each group member to determine the location of the other group members while at the venue In case a member should encounter a difficulty and require assistance from other members, the invention seeks additionally to enable each member to transmit a signal or a message to other members of the group without resorting to a telephone call

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a system for communicating to all members of a group the location within a predefined venue of each member of the group and for enabling each member of the group to transmit a signal to all other members, the system comprising a personal area network of stationary shortrange radio beacons distributed around the venue, and a plurality of portable programmable processing devices, each to be carried by a respective group member and incorporating a communicating device for receiving from, and transmitting to, the beacons radio signals to enable the location of each group member to be determined by the system, wherein each processing device is programmed to display the location of each group member on a map of the venue and to enable each member to transmit a signal or message to all other group members. 2 -

The invention does not require the processing devices to be able to contact one another nor to have Internet access, because communications between the processing devices and the beacons are by means of the shortrange radio frequency signals of the personal area network, which are confined to the venue Because of the shortrange of the radio frequency, the location of each member can be determined with an accuracy that is significantly greater than the accuracy achievable using a GPS signal, or the accuracy achievable by triangulating from telephone masts In an embodiment of the invention, the beacons are Bluetooth' beacons and the processing devices are programmed cellular telephones.

In use, after installation of beacons at a venue, each member of a group wishing to use the system would download an app and run it when in the venue. The app provides map data for different venues and allows the user to identify the different members of the group. While in the venue, each group member will then be presented with a display indicating the current position of all the members of the group. Additionally, by pressing or touching a button, each member can transmit a signal to all other members. If desired, the app may provide for transmission of text messages between members.

It is preferred for each cellular telephone to be able to transmit an alert signal even at times when the telephone is locked.

If different groups are present in the same venue, they will not interfere with one another as each processing device only displays the location of members identified as belonging to the group The invention can provide safety and security for individuals at parties, allowing each member to call for assistance if attracting unwelcome attention. It can also be used parents to ensure that their children remain safe, in venues such as beaches, parks and shopping malls.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system of the invention, and Figure 2 shows a screen display.

Detailed description of the drawings General overview Figure 1 shows a plan of a venue, such as a night club. Within the outer perimeter there are various readily recognizable fixtures such as a stage 12, a bar 14, a dance floor 16, columns 18 and toilets 20. The system of the invention comprises a plurality of shortrange transmitting and receiving beacons 22, for example Bluetooth ® transponders, that are strategically placed in the venue, so that radio signals with a predetermined frequency range from any transponder located within the venue are received by three beacons.

The transponders used by the users of the system may be dedicated devices but are preferably cellular telephones running a program, commonly referred to as an app. The app determines the location of the telephone in relation to the beacons 22 and transmits its own location to all other users of the app within the venue. The app then, as shown in Figure 2, displays on the screen of the telephone a map of the venue and the location of all members of a pre-specified group of people within the venue. The touch screen of the telephone also displays an SOS button 30 which when pressed transmits a distress signal to all members of the specified group.

Crucially, privacy settings are configured to ensure that locations are only shared with the chosen parties -no stalking or undesired parties will have access to a user's location To share a location would be to override the default.

The app may provide a -circle of friends-feature to enable multiple private security networks, crucial to updating different groups of people as to your location. Circles can consist of different interest groups such as a hip-hop circle, a girls-group or a sports club circle.

The SOS alert button allows users to easily notify their private friendship circle in case of an emergency, setting off an emergency warning and signal to that evening's circle of friends, or specific trusted friends.

If desired the app may also allow user to PING one another, a PING being a single vibrating message to either specific friends or the whole of that evening's circle. This is 4 -useful for occasions that are of lower priority. For example, it may be used if someone is looking for a misplaced item and is asking their friends, or if they intend to leave the venue.

Instead of having to juggle between multiple social media platforms at an event, all the key features may be centralised including maps, messaging, tickets and even taxis home for the full user journey The Mapping Solution Mapping apps are already known that allow people to share their location but crucially, the known apps rely on GPS and only works outdoors. By using Bluetooth ® beacons, present invention provides more accurate location that does not require a GPS signal nor even to a telephone mast.

The system may include a 'general friend map' to offer a curated, bespoke experience for users. The map shows information most relevant to nightlife activity in the University towns: nightclubs, student accommodation, ATM machines, late-night fast food stores and public transport.

When in the vicinity of venues recognized by the system, the user's phone automatically downloads the floor plans of the nearest venues. The app may then quickly build combined datasets that allow the maps to become live, curated for each venue. The bespoke floor plans are created by the app design team, beginning with a technical drawing of the venue To initially sign up as a venue, the venue must enter basic information about the building: the address, name and the default language. The app then draws a polygon around the basic perimeter of the venue on a general street map.

The app may allow venues to drag and drop floor plans, and import one for every floor. To ensure the floor plans are accurate, app programmers may survey the venue and generate an intricate floor plan, labelling points of interest (POI' s) including bars, dance floors, toilets, smoking areas and fire escapes. Each point of interest has a type, an icon, a floor, a subtitle and its own unique privacy settings. Directions can be drawn between key points of interest to guide customers from one POI to another.

The ability to quickly build custom datasets combined with the options for adding SVG' s to the indoor maps ensures that each venue map is as dynamic as possible.

The application may show the floor plans as overlays over IVIapbox maps The Indoor Positioning Solution The app maps the floor plan with POI' s, the zones, and additionally install reliable proximity beacons to support microlocation in the venues. The beacons installed at the venue are small wireless devices that work based on Bluetooth ® Low Energy. They are wireless sensors that can be attached to any location or object, embodying a wireless sensor network. The beacons consist of a 32-bit ARM Cortex CPUs equipped with an accelerator, a sensor and a 2.4 Ghz radio.

BLE Beacons are highly reliable, user-friendly and cost-effective, and enable more personalised experiences and more accurate indoor location tracking of friend groups. Powered by Eddystone beacon technology, the beacons transmit a wireless signal that can be received by any phone with Bluetooth technology enabled.

The beacons repeatedly transmit the location data of the beacon to a -receiver", or a "listening" smartphone once it is in range and passes information to the user and the selected friendship circle. The beacons broadcast their data into the air, such that there is no need for pairing or establishing a connection, and no limit to how many scanners can pick beacon advertisements up. The beacons are configured for location, allowing the app to calculate positions indoors.

The beacon advertising will be secured by Estimote Secure Monitoring, or Eddystone-EID. This means that any BLE device can pick up the broadcast, but only devices with the authorized app will be able to 'decipher' it.

The Bluetooth ® beacons are preferably placed mostly near doorways to locate individuals at key bottlenecks. The number of beacons per venue will range depending on the venue's size and requirements. The floor plan with the beacons placed will be prepared on our chosen CMS for indoor positioning.

The beacons attach to any surface with a double sided sticker and are easy to apply. The beacons are about the size of a matchbox (56x55x15mm) and emit signals of up to 70m. 6 -

The beacons are positioned 3-4 metres from the ground, and are placed with sufficient space in between, approximately one beacon every 8-10 meters.

The device can detect when in range of a beacon and will calculate its position when in range of more than two beacons. It is possible to use distance data from multiple beacons to position a user in 2D space on the indoor map on our app. Although accuracy varies depending on circumstances, it is generally within +4 5 metres As the technology develops, there are even more precise means of positioning These ic include the utilisation of magnetic field detection, gyroscope, accelerator meter and Near

Field Communication (NEC) chips.

At present, there are myriad organizations which are already using BLE positioning systems. These include art museums which provide navigation and location triggered content. The app uses a new Location Sharing API that updates position data in both foreground and background. This allows users to share their current location with others while they are at a particular venue. This allows selected users to find contacts in real time on a digital map.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system for communicating to all members of a group the location within a predefined venue of each member of the group and for enabling each member of the group to transmit a signal to all other members, the system comprising a personal area network of stationary shortrange radio beacons distributed around the venue, and a plurality of portable programmable processing devices, each to be carried by a respective group member and incorporating a communicating device for receiving from, and transmitting to, the beacons radio signals to enable the location of each group member to la be determined by the system, wherein each processing device is programmed to display the location of each group member on a map of the venue and to enable each member to transmit a signal or message to all other group members.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beacons are Bluetooth0 15 beacons.
3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing devices are cellular telephones.
4 A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cellular phones are capable of transmitting an alert signal to other group members when locked.
5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each processing device is additionally capable of send a PING to a selected one or all of the other processing devices in the system