U.S. patent application number 13/492643 was filed with the patent office on 2012-12-13 for proximity locator system.
This patent application is currently assigned to CARD LOGISTICS PROPERTIES LTD. Invention is credited to William Page.
Application Number | 20120313756 13/492643 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38345974 |
Filed Date | 2012-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120313756 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Page; William |
December 13, 2012 |
Proximity Locator System
Abstract
A Proximity Locator System for individuals includes a credit
card size card which is carried in an individual's wallet. The card
is provided with a wireless communication device which is used in
conjunction with a locating device to locate an individual. This
may be utilized to locate individuals lost at sea, in an avalanche,
or under the debris of a fallen building. The communication device
on the card may be solar powered or activated by a RF signal from
the locator device. The card does not require a battery to power
the communication device. Therefore it may be carried by and
individual and activated at any time. In this manner it is fully
operational when someone is attempting to locate the card. The card
also contains a smart chip with vital information about the
individual which can be accessed by individuals with different
authority levels.
Inventors: |
Page; William; (West Palm
Beach, FL) |
Assignee: |
CARD LOGISTICS PROPERTIES
LTD
Hamilton
BM
|
Family ID: |
38345974 |
Appl. No.: |
13/492643 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12774337 |
May 5, 2010 |
8212675 |
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13492643 |
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11673371 |
Feb 9, 2007 |
7724137 |
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12774337 |
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60771743 |
Feb 9, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
340/8.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K 19/0723 20130101;
G16H 10/65 20180101; G16H 50/80 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/8.1 |
International
Class: |
G08B 5/22 20060101
G08B005/22 |
Claims
1-15. (canceled)
16. A proximity locator device for locating a passive device,
comprising: a transmitter; a receiver; a processor; said
transmitter being adapted to transmit a radio signal encoding
authorization information for activating a response signal from
said passive device; said receiver being adapted to receive a radio
signal transmitted by said passive device; and said processor being
adapted to determine the location of the passive device relative to
said proximity locator device based on said received radio
signal.
17. The proximity locator device of claim 16, wherein said radio
signal encoding authorization information powers said passive
device.
18. The proximity locator device of claim 16, wherein said passive
device comprises a smart card chip.
19. The proximity locator device of claim 16, wherein said
proximity locator device uses one of triangulation and
electromagnetic phase determination to determine the location of
the passive device.
20. A passively locatable device comprising: a radio receiver; a
power device; a transmitter; said radio receiver being adapted to
receive an activating radio signal encoding authorization
information; said power device being adapted to convert said
received radio signal energy into electrical power; and said
transmitter being adapted to be powered by said converted electric
power and, if said radio receiver receives said activating radio
signal encoding authorization information, to transmit a location
signal that can be used to locate said passively locatable
device.
21. The passively locatable device of claim 20, wherein said
passively locatable device comprises a smart card chip.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
12/774,337 filed May 5, 2010. Application Ser. No. 12/774,337 is a
continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/673,371 filed Feb. 9,
2007. Application Ser. No. 11/673,371 claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 60/771,743 filed on Feb. 9, 2006. The
entire disclosures of the prior applications are herein
incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Recent disasters such as hurricane Katrina and the terrorist
attacks on Sep. 11, 2001 have clearly illustrated a need to be able
to quickly locate a large number of people were stranded, trapped
or even killed. This need could be satisfied by the use of a
Proximity Locator System (PLS) which includes a portable device
that could easily be carried on one's person. The Proximity Locator
System, in addition, could also contain personal identification
information and vital medical information. In the event the rescued
individual was unable to provide any information, this information
could be accessed by authorized individuals and used to identify
the individual and provide proper medical treatment for the
individual.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Whenever an individual is lost the first and most
significant problem is how to locate the individual. Today most
individuals who go into wilderness areas carry Global Positioning
System (GPS) devices and cellular of satellite phones. If the
individual becomes lost or injured they can use the GPS device to
determine their longitude and latitude and then call for help on
their phone. With the longitude and latitude information the rescue
team can quickly locate and recover the individual. Not everyone
that enters the wilderness has a GPS device and cellular or
satellite phone with them. Should them become lost or injured the
authorities are not notified until the individual fails to return
at a preselected time to a specific location. The individuals who
contact the authorities may or may not know the approximate
location of the lost individual. Also, the individual may have
chosen to go to an area different from the area where he had
indicated that he would be. Locating the individual becomes a very
difficult task if the individual has been lost for an extended
period of time or lost at sea. Until now the most widely used
method of finding the individual was to send out a large number of
people and visually search for the person. This is a very tedious
and time consuming task. Another problem is that of human error. A
member of the search party can easily overlook the lost individual
if they are searching a vast area from a plane or boat.
[0004] There currently exist a number of locating devices which
employ transmitters that broadcast on selected frequencies. There
frequencies can be monitored by rescue personnel to assist in
locating the lost individuals. These are EPIRB, Emergency Position
Indicating Radio Beacon, utilized in the maritime industry; ELT,
Emergency Locator Transmitter, used in the aircraft industry and
PLB, Personal Locator Beacon, used by individuals in recreation of
other activities. These devices require power sources such as
batteries to operate the transmitters. Some of these devices are
not small nor readily transportable by individuals. In addition,
these devices are not normally carried by the individual unless the
individual knows that they are going to areas where problems may
exist.
[0005] Other problems exist if the individual becomes buried under
snow or other debris. Visual identification is not possible and
therefore other techniques must be employed. In these situations
trained dogs or thermal sensors are used to located the lost
individual. These techniques have their own limitations. Thermal
sensors do not have a very long operating range and trained dogs
are not always readily available nor can they be used in water
environments.
[0006] There exists a need for a locating system that can be
readily carried by an individual, can operate if the individual is
unconscious and can provide identification and medical information
to rescue personnel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,963,283 discloses a transmitting device and
a receiver used to track an individual such as a small child. The
transmitting device is small, self-contained, battery powered and
can be attached to a watch, a bracelet or pinned to the clothing of
the child. The transmitter can be remotely activated or activated
by the wearer by simply pushing a panic button. In the event a
child becomes lost a parent or other adult will notify the
authorities the frequency that the transmitter is operating on and
satellites could triangulate the location of the child with the
signals received from the transmitter. This device does not provide
any medical or other identification information regarding the
wearer. Also, this device must have a power source, such as
batteries, to operate.
[0008] U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2007/0013525 discloses
a device and method for searching for and locating a person buried
alive, such as by an avalanche. A wireless transmitter carried by
the buried person sends out signals which are received by a
receiver. The receiver has two operational modes. The first mode is
a search mode wherein the receiver determines the approximate
location of the person. The second mode is a point-localization
mode wherein the receiver can determine the exact position of the
buried person. The transmitter does not provider the rescuer with
any information regarding the identity or medical conditions of the
person wearing the transmitter.
[0009] These references fail to teach or disclose a small, readily
portable transmitting device which can be readily carried by an
individual in accordance with the present invention. What is
lacking in the art is a transmitting device which can readily be
carried by an individual and does not need a self-contained power
source to operate. In addition the transmitter contains information
regarding the identity of the individual and medical information
regarding the individual. The individual carrying the transmitting
device does not have to be conscious to activate the device or for
someone else to obtain the identification and medical
information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] A proximity locator system has been developed that can be
readily carried by an individual without the need for specialized
equipment such as GPS locators or Personal Locator Beacons (PLB).
The proximity locator system has three major components. The first
component is a PLS card which contains an antenna, a silicon chip
and a logic circuit. The second component is a locating device or
receiver. The PLS card is preferably the size and shape of an
ordinary credit card and can be carried by an individual in their
wallet. The PLS card also preferably has a smart card chip or
similar device therein. The chip contains information by which the
person may be identified. Additional information such as
healthcare, biometrics, financial, and telecommunications may also
be stored on the chip. The third component is a card reader. The
card reader is employed in conjunction with the PLS card to enable
individuals to read and extract the information stored on the PLS
card. The PLS card and locating device can employ an active or
passive transponder.
[0011] Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to
provide a proximity locator system including a readily
transportable transmitting and storage device and a tracking or
locating device.
[0012] It is a further objective of the instant invention to
provide an readily transportable locating device onto which a large
variety of information may be stored and retrieved therefrom.
[0013] It is yet another objective of the instant invention to
provide an readily transportable locating device with the ability
to restrict access to certain information stored on the device.
[0014] It is a still further objective of the invention to provide
an readily transportable locating device including a passive and/or
active power supply.
[0015] It is still a further objective of the invention to provide
an easily transportable locating device which is responsive to
triangulation by tracking devices.
[0016] Other objects and advantages of this invention will become
apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with
any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of
illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.
Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this
specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present
invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0017] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the transmitting and storage
device of the instant invention including a smart chip and the
antenna;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the transmitting and storage
device of the instant invention including photo cells and energy
storage devices;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the transmitting and storage
device of the instant invention including a smart chip and another
antenna configuration;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a front view of a tracking device that can be
mounted in a vehicle;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the transmitting and storage
device of the instant invention including a smart chip and another
antenna configuration;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the transmitting and storage
device of the instant invention including a smart chip and yet
another antenna configuration;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the transmitting and storage
device of the instant invention including a smart chip and another
antenna configuration;
[0024] FIG. 8 is a front plan view of a card reader;
[0025] FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of a card reader which
can read two cards;
[0026] FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the transmitting and storage
device illustrating the top layer separated from the lower
layer;
[0027] FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the transmitting and storage
device of another embodiment illustrating the top layer separated
from the lower layer.
[0028] FIG. 12 is a view of a PLS receiver located on a helicopter
and
[0029] FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the transmitting and storage
device of another embodiment illustrating the top layer separated
from the lower layer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in
various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter
be described a presently preferred, albeit not limiting, embodiment
with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be
considered an exemplification of the present invention and is not
intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments
illustrated.
[0031] Referring now to FIGS. 1-13 the present invention is shown
as a proximity locator system having three basic components. The
first component is a proximity locator system (PLS) card 10 (FIG.
1) or transmitting device which contains an antenna 14, a silicon
chip 12 and a logic circuit 50. The second component is a locating
device or receiver 20 (FIG. 4). The PLS card 10 is preferably the
size and shape of an ordinary credit card and can be carried by an
individual in their wallet. The third component is a card reader 30
(FIG. 8). The PLS card also preferably has a smart card chip or
similar information storage device 12 therein. A smart card is a
device that includes an embedded integrated circuit chip (ICC). The
chip can be either a microcontroller with internal memory or a
memory-only chip. A microcontroller chip can add, delete, and
otherwise manipulate information in its memory. The card
communicates with a reader, either through a physical connection (a
contact smart card) or a remote contactless interface (a
contactless smart card). Smart card are available in a variety of
form factors, including plastic cards, fobs, subscriber
identification modules (SIMs), and USB-based tokens. There are two
general categories of smart cards: contact and contactless. A
contact smart card must be inserted into a smart card reader with a
direct connection to a conductive contact plate on the surface of
the card (typically gold plated). Transmission of commands, data,
and card status takes place over these physical contact points. A
contactless card requires only close proximity to a reader. Both
the reader and the card have antennae, and the two communicate over
this contactless link. Most contactless cards also derive power for
the internal chip from this electromagnetic signal. Smart cards
have been implemented around the globe in a number of diverse
industry segments, to satisfy a number of business needs. As these
markets have matured, of necessity both low level and application
level smart card standards have been developed. These standards are
typically written and supported by either international
organizations (such as ISO/IEC and CEN) or business organizations
(such as EMVCO and APTA). Exemplary smart standards include ISO/IEC
7816, ISO/IEC 14443, EMV 2000 and UTFS. However, the present
invention is not limited to smart cards within such standards. The
chip 12 contains information relating to the person utilizing the
card. An example of this type of card is an EMedical ID Smart Card.
These cards contain a smart card chip or a similar information
storage medium and a device for communication with a card reader.
The card reader is designed to communicate with the smart card chip
or similar information storage device and provide this information
to a user in an readily accessible form. The information storage
communicates with the reader in a passive or active manner. A
passive manner is defined herein as placing the information storage
device adjacent to or within the reader. Information is then
transferred to the reader without any further action or input. A
active manner is defined herein as placing the information storage
device adjacent to or within the reader. Information is selectively
transferred to the reader based on a request by a user or other
actions which control the transfer of information from the
information storage device to the reader. The information
transferred to the card reader may be displayed on a screen 32
located on the card reader. The card reader can communicate with
other devices (not shown), such as a computer, a laptop computer or
a PDA and display the information retrieved from the card on these
devices. The connection options include, but are not limited to
USB, CF, Serial, LAN, WAN, RS232/485 and global communications.
These other devices also offer the user the ability to locate the
pertinent information stored on the card and access it. These other
devices may be in communication with printers or other devices (not
shown) which can provide a hard copy of the pertinent information
should it be required.
[0032] The information contained in the information storage device
can be, but is not limited to, personal medical information,
personal biometric identification information including name,
address, DOB, height, weight and photographs of the individual.
Medical information can include vital signs, allergies,
prescriptions/medications the individual is currently taking or has
taken in the past, immunizations, primary care physicians, other
physicians, health/medical records, lab testing results, surgical
procedures, personal medical directives, advance directives such as
wills, next of kin, religion, insurance policies, financial
information, driver's license, registration of vehicles, etc.
Therefore, in the event of a natural disaster or other situation
where all of an individual's records were destroyed they would
still retain a copy of these records and could readily access,
them.
[0033] The card reader 30 allows the user to input information via
a keypad 34 or other input device and in turn to be provided access
to certain information contained in the information storage device
or smart card 10. The amount of information which could be accessed
by an individual would depend on their level of authority and
permissions granted by the owner of the information contained in
the information storage device. For example if the owner of the
smart card 10 were involved in a motor vehicle accident, the EMTs
or paramedics who responded to the accident would place the
victim's card in a card reader 30 and then enter their
identification or authorization with the keypad 34. They may also
be required to enter their fingerprint on the bio-metric detector
36. They could then request the victim's vital medical information
so they could properly treat the individual.
[0034] Another type of card reader 40 (FIG. 9) can read two cards
simultaneously. One of the cards 10 would be that of an
individual's from which the information was desired and the other
card 11 would be that of an individual authorized to access certain
information from an individual's card, such as a doctor or
emergency paramedic personal. In this situation a paramedic, EMT or
other emergency personnel would insert the card of an individual
requiring medical attention into the card reader and then they
would insert their own card into the reader which would grant them
permission to retrieve certain medical and/or other information
from the individual's information storage device on their card.
Once the individual was transported to a hospital, the hospital
personnel or doctors would be able to access other more
comprehensive information from the individual's card. Access to a
patient's clinical and administrative records can be role-based and
authenticated by the smart card. The level of information access
could be controlled by compliance with certain standards which may
be issued by the government or other agencies. The owner of the
card could also control which individuals would have access to
certain information.
[0035] In a preferred embodiment the card reader 40 has two slots
48 and 49. The reader also has a display 42, a keypad 44 and a
bio-metric identifier 46. The bio-metric identifier is preferably a
finger print detector. Either card reader can access the
information stored on the card wirelessly or by physical contact
with terminal 15 located on the card. Terminal 15 is connected to
both the chip 12 and antenna 14. The card reader also contains
software to control its operation. The software identifies the
individual from the information on their card 10 and which
individuals are authorized to access the information contained on
the individual's card. When an individual first receives their card
the card is preprogrammed with the individual's name, date of birth
and pin-code. The card owner can then log onto the card's web site
change the pin-code and authorize different individuals to have
certain levels of access to the information on the card. They can
also add information such as emergency contacts, advance
directives, personal photos, etc. They cannot add or change medical
information such as prescriptions current being taken, results of
medical tests, medical records, vital signs, etc. This information
can only be added or changed by authorized individuals such as
physicians. This information would normally be added or changed at
a hospital or primary care physician's office. Card readers which
can access the card's web site would be at these locations. The
individual's card could be updated or modified when placed in one
of these readers and the information downloaded from the web site.
If other physicians or individuals are added to the authorized list
they are automatically added to the individual's card when the new
person inserts their card into the card reader. All the
individual's information is contained on the card. There is no need
to access different databases or web sites to obtain the vital
information regarding the card owner. The emergency personnel or
other authorized individuals need only to insert the card into a
reader, identify themselves and the information the need will be
made available to them.
[0036] Practical applications and utilities of the information
storage devices, such as the Smart Card, are illustrated in a paper
entitled "Smart Card Applications in the U.S. Healthcare Industry",
published by the Smart Card Alliance in February 2006, publication
No. HC-06001, which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0037] The locator feature of the PLS card includes a radio
frequency and logic circuit 50 and an antenna 14 which is
incorporated into a lower layer 16 of the card. Various antenna
configurations are illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5-7. The card also
includes an upper layer 18 (FIGS. 10 & 11). The upper layer 18
of the card normally has a reader contact 13 and branding or
indicia thereon (FIG. 10). The locator feature is activated by an
active or passive power supply incorporated into the card. An
example of the active power supply would be a photovoltaic
generator 60 (FIG. 2). This consist of a series of photo cells 62
which convert light into electrical energy. This energy is stored
in a series of capacitors 64. Both the photo cells and capacitors
are thin and flexible. The thickness of these is approximately half
the thickness of the card into which they are incorporated. Since
they require light to operate, they cannot be covered by any opaque
material. The surface of the card which contains these cells is
preferably coated with a translucent coating. Under normal
operating conditions it takes approximately 5 seconds to ramp or
power up the locator feature. The longer the photo cells are
exposed to light the more electrical energy is generated which in
turn can be stored in the capacitors and provide a longer
operational period of the locator feature.
[0038] Another system to activate the locator feature is a passive
system whereby the antenna receives a Radio Frequency (RF) signal
of a specific frequency. The distance from which the RF signal
generator can activate the card is determined by the power or
strength of the signal generated. The power levels and frequency
rages are controlled and regulated by the FCC. Different
authorities will be given permission to broadcast the activation
frequencies at different power levels dependent upon the distance
they would be from the individual. For example if someone were lost
on the ground and the search party was on foot or ATV, the power
level at which the activation signal was sent could be set to
activate the card in a range of up to 100 feet. If the person was
lost at sea the power level of the activation signal would be
substantially higher such that the activation range was
substantially greater so that the signal could be sent from a plane
or ship.
[0039] Once the locator feature is activated, it can be tracked by
a device 20 which will give the direction and distance of the card
from the tracking device. The device 20 is provided with a screen
22 which indicates the position of the PLS card with respect to the
locator. The strength of the signal can also be indicated. A keypad
24 is provided on the locator to input information by the user.
Lights or other indicators 26 are also provided on the locator.
These indicators can be used to indicate the strength of the signal
for example. Triangulation can also be employed to establish a
specific location whereby a rescue team can then be sent to that
location. Since search and rescue personnel would also be carrying
similar cards, their cards could be programmed to transmit a
specific signal such that they could easily be identified by the
tracking devices and distinguished from the lost individual.
[0040] The locating device preferably employs a three point antenna
system 60 which comprises three different antennae separated by
approximately 120.degree. as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13. These
devices would normally be sized to be mounted on the exterior of a
rescue vehicle. In addition a hand held unit could also be
employed. Normally at least two locating devices are required to
triangulate the position of an individual. However, with the proper
software it is possible to only use one locating device.
[0041] The locating device can utilize Harmonic Resonance Radar or
HRR. Typically HRR employs a dipole antenna and Schottky diode. The
frequency at which the device is operated is dependent on the
physical attributes of the aforementioned components, e.g.
placement, size (inductance), etc. The operation of HRR comprises a
semi directional antenna on the receiver 20 being pointed in the
general direction of the person or object to be located. A radio
frequency pulse of a certain duration (on time) is sent, the
transmission of the pulse is stopped and the receiver enters a
listening mode. In the listening mode the receiver can receive an
echo from the PLS card if it is in the range of the transmitted
pulse. Other types of locating and tracking systems could also be
utilized.
[0042] It is to be understood that while a certain form of the
invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific
form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent
to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made
without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention
is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in
the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.
[0043] One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the
present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and
obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent
therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques
described herein are presently representative of the preferred
embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as
limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur
to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit
of the invention.
* * * * *