WO2006010211A1 - A locator device and system - Google Patents

A locator device and system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2006010211A1
WO2006010211A1 PCT/AU2005/001106 AU2005001106W WO2006010211A1 WO 2006010211 A1 WO2006010211 A1 WO 2006010211A1 AU 2005001106 W AU2005001106 W AU 2005001106W WO 2006010211 A1 WO2006010211 A1 WO 2006010211A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
transceiver
signal
mpd
lost
locator system
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU2005/001106
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Ronald Wayne Spencer
Eden Wayne Sydney Spencer
Original Assignee
Ronald Wayne Spencer
Eden Wayne Sydney Spencer
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2004904205A external-priority patent/AU2004904205A0/en
Application filed by Ronald Wayne Spencer, Eden Wayne Sydney Spencer filed Critical Ronald Wayne Spencer
Publication of WO2006010211A1 publication Critical patent/WO2006010211A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
    • G08B21/02—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
    • G08B21/0202—Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
    • G08B21/0205—Specific application combined with child monitoring using a transmitter-receiver system
    • G08B21/0211—Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B13/00—Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
    • G08B13/02—Mechanical actuation
    • G08B13/14—Mechanical actuation by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
    • G08B13/1427—Mechanical actuation by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
    • G08B21/02—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
    • G08B21/0202—Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
    • G08B21/028—Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
    • G08B21/0283—Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to locator systems and in particular to systems for locating lost or potentially lost items.
  • Background Art The present invention relates to locator systems and in particular to systems for locating lost or potentially lost items.
  • Devices and systems designed to allow a user to locate a lost item are well known.
  • One example is a device, which is activated by an audible sound such as a clap or whistle, whereby the device emits an audible sound of its own.
  • the problem with these devices is the tendency to be unintentionally activated from other external noises, such as car vibrations and music. Unintentional activation can prove dangerous while driving if suddenly the key-chain begins to beep loudly due to some obscure sound.
  • Another shortcoming is the difficulty in re-producing the appropriate activity to activate the audible sound, for example different people clap differently and one may trigger the unit whereas another person's clap may not.
  • a key location device is a system that incorporates a handheld remote control operating a low-power transmitter and four locator devices.
  • the locator devices emit an audible sound when selected and activated by the handheld remote.
  • the problem with this design is that it requires the remote to be present if one should lose their keys; therefore the range of the handheld remote limits this particular device.
  • Each unit includes a button, which activates the other unit when pressed. When activated the device emits an audible sound and flashing light. Again this design is limited by the range of the activating unit and requires two units to be effective.
  • the lost item emits an audible sound.
  • the present invention is directed to a locator system, which may at least partially overcome at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.
  • the invention resides in a locator system for locating lost or potentially lost items, the locator device comprising at least two transceivers, a first transceiver adapted to send and receive at least one signal and associated with a mobile personal device (MPD), the MPD having a display means, and at least one second transceiver associated with a potentially losable item, the second transceiver having a passive condition and an active condition, the second transceiver biased into the passive condition in which the second transceiver can receive a signal only, the active condition of the second transceiver being activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD, wherein the second transceiver in the active condition is adapted to at least send a signal to the first transceiver.
  • a user may use the MPD to send a signal to the second transceiver associated with the potentially lost item.
  • the second transceiver may then transmit a signal to the MPD identifying the approximate position of the lost item on the display means associated with the MPD.
  • the signal from the second transceiver may be terminated at any time using the first transceiver.
  • the system of the present invention may be used with any lost or potentially lost items. It is also suited to the location of items which may have been stolen. In many cases, it is anticipated that the items with which the system will be used will preferably be smaller personal items which are commonly misplaced, such as portable entertainment devices such as CD players, wallets, purses, handbags, keys or key rings, jewellery, mobile telephone handsets, or communication devices such as laptop computers and the like.
  • portable entertainment devices such as CD players, wallets, purses, handbags, keys or key rings, jewellery, mobile telephone handsets, or communication devices such as laptop computers and the like.
  • the system is equally applicable to the location of household devices such as lost remote controls for electronic equipment. The system will usually find use in relation to smaller items as these are more easily lost than larger items. The system may also be used in relation to valuable items rather than those that are easily replaceable at low cost.
  • the type of items with which the system can be used is virtually anything which is in a position to be lost or stolen.
  • the system comprises at least two transceivers.
  • the term "transceiver” as used herein includes a device that is capable of sending and/or receiving a signal of sufficient strength and longevity to allow the system to locate the potentially lost item.
  • the transceiver may be of any type as long as it can send and receive a signal.
  • the first transceiver of the system is adapted to send and receive at least one signal and associated with a mobile personal device (MPD).
  • the signal sent and received to and from the first transceiver may be of any type.
  • the signal may be a binary signal wherein the signal itself may be sufficient to locate the potentially lost item.
  • the signal may be a simple beacon transmission to allow the position of the potentially lost item to be located.
  • the signal may be a dual or higher order signal wherein a carrier signal is provided and further information may be transmitted as a part of or in addition to the carrier signal.
  • the signal may be a second order signal with a carrier signal and a single information signal or the signal may be a higher order signal with a single or multiple carrier waves and one or more information signals.
  • the carrier signal may be of any suitable type but will typically be chosen from the group comprising electromagnetic waves such as radio, microwaves infrared, visible or ultraviolet waves.
  • the information signal such as audio, video or data signals will generally be superimposed on the carrier signal for transmission.
  • the information signal will generally be as small as possible in order to increase the speed at which the signal can be sent and therefore to improve the accuracy with which the relative position of the potentially lost item will be indicated.
  • the signal may be continuous or intermittent. Ideally, the signal used will be similar to that used in an existing communication system and it is particularly preferred that a mobile telephone network signal may be used.
  • the mobile personal device MPD may be of any type but it is particularly preferred that the device used according to the present invention will be a portable computer, personal digital assistant PDA or a mobile telephone handset. AU of these have a display means.
  • the type of display means is not important to the present invention. There are different types of display means and the most preferred for the purposes of the present invention will be some type of LCD display screen.
  • the LCD screens used may be screens for both output and input.
  • the LCD screens may suitably have some or all of the following features: • LCD, enhanced LCD, or colour super-twist nematic (CSTN) types
  • the system provides a display means for displaying information allowing a user to identify the approximate position of their potentially lost article. This can be accomplished in a number of ways such as by displaying the latitude and longitude of the lost item for example.
  • the identification of the position of the potentially lost item may be performed using a compass style indicator displayed on the display means.
  • the signal from the second transceiver may be used to generate an image of a directional indicator, which may be an arrow indicating the approximate direction of the location of the potentially lost item.
  • Other information may also be displayed for example an estimate of distance to the potentially lost item and/ or the height above the MPD.
  • the display means may be provided with a bar indicating approximate height of the lost tem relative to the MPD.
  • the bar may be provided with a mid-line or section indicating that the potentially lost item was at the same or a similar height to the MPD, with an indicator bar for example moving toward one or the other end of the bar in order to indicate that the potentially lost item is above or below the level of the MPD.
  • the display means may also include the following capabilities:
  • the display may be adapted to give the street and suburb location of the receiver.
  • the display may be adapted to give an indication of separation distance in centimetres, metres and/or kilometres between the MPD and the second transceiver.
  • the Display may be able to give latitude and longitude co-ordinates and/or the country where the lost person/object is.
  • the second transceiver associated with a potentially losable item may be of a similar type to the first transceiver or a different type.
  • the second transceiver has a passive condition and an active condition.
  • the second transceiver may suitably be biased into the passive condition.
  • This condition may be the "receive but not transmit” condition wherein the transceiver may receive a signal from the first transceiver but does not transmit a return signal.
  • the active condition of the second transceiver is activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD.
  • the user uses the MPD to send a signal to the second transceiver.
  • the signal may be a coded signal or include a code to prevent tampering with the system by unauthorised users.
  • This signal may be or include an activation signal ordering the second transceiver to move to the active condition and to begin transmitting a signal.
  • the first transceiver may then utilise that return signal to generate a locating display on the display means.
  • the second transceiver is associated with a potentially losable item.
  • the second transceiver may also be provided or associated with at least one sensor which may be adapted to relay information to the first transceiver and thereby to the MPD.
  • the sensor may be of a type useful to the location or security of the potentially losable item.
  • the senor may be or include one or more of the following types:
  • a heartbeat sensor which will send an alarm to the MPD if; a) a heartbeat is no longer found or b) if the heart rate goes over a certain rate.
  • This type of sensor obviously lends itself to use with a living organism such as a pet or child. It would be also be particularly well suited to use in a military scenario, for example, if a soldier is shot, the sensor could send a signal back to the commanding officer that the soldiers heartbeat had stopped.
  • a heat sensor which detects the body heat of the person or organism which the second transceiver is associated with. This type of sensor is similar to that of the heartbeat sensor in that when the body heat of the person or organism which the second transceiver is associated with drops or is not detected at all, a signal can be sent to the MPD notifying the holder of the MPD.
  • the radius sensor may be used to send a signal to the MPD when the second transceiver moves away from the first transceiver beyond a certain radius.
  • the first transceiver of the radius sensor system can be part of the MPD or it can be in a fixed position, for example, in the doorway of a house. Once the second transceiver moves more than a predetermined distance away from the first transceiver, .the sensor system will again send a signal through to the MPD.
  • This sensor may haves a variety of uses, in particular children and pets.
  • the second transceiver may also be associated with one or more panic alarm activatable by linking to a sensor, examples of which are given above or through the provision of one or more buttons associated with the second transceiver.
  • panic alarm is if a user having a second transceiver is walking home from school, a someone pulls up to try and abduct him, all that needs to be done is activation of the panic alarm. This could send an alert to the MPD or possibly a Police setup, which would hopefully avoid this problem.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic view of an aspect of the present invention in which the MPD is in the form of a mobile telephone.
  • FIG. 2 is a front view of a display used according to an aspect of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention.
  • a locator system for locating lost or potentially lost items is provided.
  • the locator system comprises at least two transceivers, a first transceiver adapted to send and receive a signal and associated with a mobile personal device (MPD) 10, and a second transceiver 11 associated with a potentially losable item (not shown).
  • MPD mobile personal device
  • the second transceiver 11 has a passive condition and an active condition.
  • the second transceiver 11 is biased into the passive condition in which the second transceiver 11 can receive a signal only.
  • the active condition of the second transceiver 11 is activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD 10, and upon activation of the second transceiver 11 into the active condition, the second transceiver 11 is adapted to send a signal to the first transceiver.
  • a user upon recognising that the potentially lost item is actually lost, a user use the MPD 10 (in the preferred embodiment, a mobile telephone handset) to send a signal to the second transceiver 11 associated with the potentially lost item. This signal moves the second transceiver 11 into the active condition.
  • the second transceiver 11 will then transmit a signal to the MPD 10 identifying the approximate position of the lost item on the display means 12, a form of which is illustrated in Figure 2, associated with the MPD 10.
  • a number of second transceivers 11 associated with different items may be located using a single MPD 10.
  • Each second transceiver 11 may be reached by telephoning a number associated with the item itself, or more likely a central number at which a server may be located, the server controlling access to the second transceivers 11 via an identification numbering system.
  • the system of the present invention may be used with any lost or potentially lost items, hi many cases, it is anticipated that the items with which the system will be used will preferably be smaller personal items which are commonly misplaced, such as portable entertainment devices such as CD players, wallets, purses, handbags, keys or key rings, jewellery, mobile telephone handsets, or communication devices such as laptop computers and the like.
  • portable entertainment devices such as CD players, wallets, purses, handbags, keys or key rings, jewellery, mobile telephone handsets, or communication devices such as laptop computers and the like.
  • the signal may be continuous or intermittent.
  • a pulsed signal may be more secure than a continuous signal and may also be cheaper.
  • the signal used will be similar to that used in an existing communication system and it is particularly preferred that a mobile telephone network signal may be used.
  • the mobile telephone network 13 itself may be used to transmit the signals.
  • the mobile personal device MPD 10 as used according to the preferred embodiment is a mobile telephone handset.
  • AU of the conventional handsets have a display means, generally some type of LCD display screen as illustrated in Figure 2.
  • the system provides a display means for displaying information allowing a user to identify the approximate position of their potentially lost article.
  • the identification of the position of the potentially lost item is performed using a compass style indicator 14 displayed on the display means.
  • the signal from the- second transceiver 11 is used to generate an image of an arrow indicating the approximate direction of the location of the potentially lost item.
  • Other information is also displayed, for example an estimate of distance to the potentially lost item and/ or the height of the potentially lost item above the MPD.
  • changes in the relative positions of the first and second transceivers are identified and displayed using a combination of the elements of the display means.
  • the display means of the preferred embodiment is provided with a height bar 15 indicating approximate height of the lost item relative to the MPD 10.
  • the bar 15 is provided with a mid-line or section indicating that the potentially lost item is at the same or a similar height to the MPD, with an indicator bar 16 for example moving toward one or the other end of the height bar 15 in order to indicate that the potentially lost item is above or below the level of the MPD 10.
  • the bar is divided into three coloured zones along its length.
  • the movable indicator bar 16 indicates the elevation of the relevant second transceiver 11 by moving between the coloured zones.
  • the second transceiver 11 has a passive condition and an. active condition.
  • the second transceiver is biased into the passive condition. This condition is the "receive but not transmit" condition wherein the second transceiver can receive a signal from the first transceiver but does not transmit a return signal.
  • the active condition of the second transceiver is activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD 10, after which the second transceiver sends a signal to the first transceiver until the mode is changed using the first transceiver.
  • the C.W.I.S will require three major items in order for the system to work effective. They are:
  • the Australian Defense force currently utilises a High Frequent (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) communications network in the battlefield.
  • HF High Frequent
  • VHF Very High Frequency
  • VHF communications capabilities are limited by range, where as HF is easily detectable as this frequency has the capabilities to travel around the world within seconds.
  • the Australia Defense Force currently uses the HF & VHF Raven equipment. Plessey designed this equipment in the early 1980 with an induction date to the Australia Defense force in 1988. This technology is coming to the end of the equipments life cycle with no replacement equipment on the horizon.
  • Satellite, HF & VHF communications equipment can be easily adapted to work in conjunction with the C.W.I.S. via existing data cables and adapters that currently exist with the Raven equipment accessories list.
  • Battlefield communications are limited in their capabilities to transfer critical information at the required speed. As a result of this lack of control over the commander's forces vital information is not relayed in appropriate time frames in order to reassign troops into the field.
  • C.W.I. S will provide the means and control by utilizing this system. This device will directly help to command a military force and increase the mobility of the commander's force. What is C.W.I.S C.W.I.S has the capacity to provide constantly updated information by allowing direct access to every level of the military command. This will allow Battalion Commanders to have greater control over their Company's, Company Commanders over their Platoon Commanders and so on.
  • Multiple units can communicate electronically without the need for voice communications. This will increase co-ordination and co-operation of multiple units, which results in a more unified and therefore stronger, more mobile and better- informed military force.
  • C.W.I.S consists of both hardware and software systems. Its primary function is for commanders to be able to identify any soldiers' location in real-time anywhere in the battlefield. At the same time the device enables every friendly unit in the military to identify and co-ordinate with every other allied unit in the battlefield who are utilising this device.
  • M.P.D Mobile Personnel Device
  • T.M.I Tracking, Monitoring and Identification
  • the (T.M.I.) will be in the form of a standard looking wrist watch with all the standard Dual time, date, stop watch, compass bearings with additional features of a heart monitor, distance to weapon monitor and individual locators.
  • T.M.I. will be in the form of a standard looking wrist watch with all the standard Dual time, date, stop watch, compass bearings with additional features of a heart monitor, distance to weapon monitor and individual locators.
  • one section of infantrymen would allow the section commander to be able to constantly track the location of every soldier in that section. He would be able to select a soldier on his M.P.D and identify who that soldier is and what weapons he is carrying.
  • the commander would be able to monitor the soldiers' health by utilising the heartbeat and heat sensors on the T.M.I device. If a soldiers heart stops beating, an alert is automatically sent to the section commanders M.P.D so that he is aware that one of his soldiers has been killed therefore he knows he can no longer rely on that soldier. Life Cycle: If a soldier were killed defending a strategic position, the section commander would then know to re-enforce that position. If a soldier is captured, he has a pressure point he can press " which sends an alert back to the section commander who will then know exactly where the soldier is and co-ordinate an intercept operation. Communications:
  • the C.W.I.S can also be used as a communication device.
  • Field Commanders will be able to use the M.P.D to send and receive e-mails and text messages such as battle or peacekeeping instructions, intelligence reports etc.
  • the system will also be able to send visual maps and photos.
  • Intelligence
  • the technology will also show field commanders what areas are in enemy control and what areas are allied controlled. It will raise an alert every time the section commanders are within an area where previous conflicts have occurred, approximate enemy strength, attack and retreat routes of enemy forces all gathered through the existing intelligence means or the C.W.I.S. Hot Keys:
  • This communication has provided no assistance, no location and he has not confirmed whether base station even received his communications as no one can now talk on the radio due to this section being under fire.
  • the Platoon Commander comes under attack or requires reinforcements, Air Support, Ground Support, Artillery Support or even Evacuation. He would simply press one of several 'Hot Keys". These hot keys automatically send the necessary information such as what section it is, their location as well as what assistance they require directly through the Data channels on the HF or VHF radio or via a data bust via Satellite to the relevant area in real time. This will allow the field commander to focus on the job at hand rather than trying to organize assistance whilst maintaining control of the situation at the same time.
  • the signal will be received by the appropriate area, who can then organize the response minimizing the need and time delay of using a conventional radio.
  • Support platoons can simply walk onto the position using their M.P.D's. As a result, those valuable minutes and seconds could save lives.
  • C.W.I.S also incorporates a real time conflict recorder. This component begins to record from the time the section commander pushes the relevant hot key or when a shot is fired from a Styer F88. It records every soldiers position from start to finish, including when and where a soldier becomes K.I. A or M.I. A, what hot keys are pressed (i.e. Artillery Support, Ground Support etc.), and what re-enforcements arrive if any.
  • Combining Technologies Combining this with radio transmissions, any other data transferred between the soldiers under fire and the command base, as well as interviews with the soldiers after the conflict, will allow the system controllers and C.W.I.S to create a virtual layout of events so as to gain intelligence on enemy tactics, and monitor response time as well as allow an intelligence report to be compiled which can be past on to other allied forces in the area of events and thereby aid in organizing an offensive strategy against forces in that area.
  • C.W.I.S has the capacity to change modern day warfare.
  • armies have relied upon radios and maps to collate battle plans
  • Generals have relied on field commanders to make their own decisions under certain situations as they don't have the capacity to monitor everything that is going on at the same time, and at times their can be a lack of intelligence in certain areas.
  • Police headquarters or regional stations would also be able to monitor where all the officers and vehicles are at all times which means they can co-ordinate their patrols and call outs more effectively. The operator at any time would be able to select any unit on the screen and identify the officer, the vehicle as well as their patrol route up to that moment. Police officers would be able to use hot keys such as 'Random Breath Test' , 'Speeding offence' etc to keep the headquarters involved in what they are doing at all times. This system would be useful to officers on foot patrol or bike patrols. Civilians would have the advantage of only having to press a single button to get police response rather than trying to make a call if they are getting chased.
  • Off shoots of the police network could include an Ambulance and Fire network which would ideally have the same or similar network to the Police and it would be possible to integrate all three networks into one big network.
  • the technology could be easily adapted to mobile phones and civilians would be able to buy a phone with this and other associated C.W.I.S technology already programmed into it.
  • This system will work in conjunction with the personalized tracking system (P.I.P.S) Transport Security Network
  • the A.S.N is designed to monitor personnel and transport users in any form of transit centre, airport, seaport etc. This system would allow the use of tags to be placed on to staff and personnel that work their as well as civilians entering the airport. Also in place would security officers equipped with a civilian version of the C.W.I.S M.P.D system, as well as security cameras and radius sensors. Staff and Personnel
  • This branch of the network would be used to monitor the activities of staff and personnel who work in the facility.
  • each staff or personnel member would be equipped with a tag that would contain their name and contact details, what department they work as well as having pre programmed what areas of the airport they are permitted to have access to. If the person attempts to enter a room that they do not have permission to enter then the radius sensor will detect this and send an alert to the security control room giving them the persons detail and showing their location, where the have been prior to the occurrence if needed, whether they are suppose to be on duty or off duty.
  • specially designed security cameras which are positioned around the entire facility can if required automatically zoom in on the individual and follow their movements to allow security to monitor visually what their movements are. At the same time this footage can be relayed to security who are on patrol so that they know what the person looks like and can intercept them. This can also be used to monitor the overall performance of the employee to make sure that they are performing the tasks that they were employed to do. Civilians
  • This side of the technology is designed to monitor civilians coming in and out of the facilities as well their luggage. This would become part of the overall security network for the facility. If a civilian leaves for a destination and realizes that their luggage is missing on their arrival, the transport provider can then organize to locate the luggage and return it to the owner.
  • This system is designed to prevent the use of terrorism in the transport network. The system will also be able to, like the staff and personnel version, monitor the movements of each civilian that enters the facility.
  • passports have the opportunity of becoming electronic with each tag being able to show the civilians name and contact details, number and weight of suitcases (once logged onto the system), travel destination and dates leaving and returning, and any medical or special conditions that the person may have.
  • the trolley gatherers At night when all the trolleys are being gathered for lockup, the trolley gatherers would be able to use the M.P.D to make sure that the entire allocation of trolleys for that particular supermarket are all in a lockup bay if any are missing, it will give a list of the number of trolleys. The gatherers can then find the location of all the missing trolleys and if possible retrieve them for lockup.
  • the school bullying network is designed to minimize the amount of bullying kids receive at high school. Too often kids can become severely traumatized by what take place when they are at school, some even going to the extent of dropping out of school, running away and at times if the bullying is bad enough it can lead to suicide. .
  • the problem with bullying is that it never takes place in the open.
  • C. S. S is a network designed from the C.W.I.S technology for this purpose. It not only consists of a tag that would be placed on an item on the child, but it also includes the implementation of mobile phones (as everyone has one today) as well as heartbeat sensors and radius sensors.
  • This system can also be adapted to child care centres where, parents' and employees of the child care centre can mom ' tor the location of every child at all times.
  • parents' and employees of the child care centre can mom ' tor the location of every child at all times.
  • parents arrive at the child care centre they 'log' their child's tag on to the child care network by entering a password or code.
  • the child gets constantly monitored by the child care network. If a child leaves a certain area, the radius sensor detects the child's position, sends an alarm to an employee who can immediately attend to the child. This would also be useful at large child care centres when it comes time for parents to pick their child up. Employees can select the child that is getting picked up and go straight to them.
  • Child care employees can also use the system to keep track of all the kids names, who their parents are, emergency contact numbers and any special conditions that they need to be wary of. If a particular child does not get along with another particular child then the system can be set up to alert the child care employees when those two children get into a close proximity with each other so that they can monitor the two children together to make sure that no confrontation occurs.
  • the system can also be used as a daily recorder to monitor the children's activities so at the end of each day or week the child care can supply an accurate report to the parents on what the child gets up to at the center, monitor the child's favourite, activities, incidents etc.
  • Pet Protection System This system is very similar to the C.S.S.
  • the setup would incorporate a tag to be placed on the animal, a radius sensor as well as the technology to be incorporated into a mobile phone. If the pet leaves a certain distance from the house without proper authorization, an alert is automatically sent to the owners phone to inform them of the situation and allow them to begin tracking the animal.
  • the tag would also be able to be read by the dog pound who would be able to log into the animals tag for 'reading' purposes only and it would tell them the name of the dog and a reference number which they could check on their database to find the contact number and address of the owner. This would save hundreds of dogs being put down.
  • Personal Item Protection System The P.I.P.S system would again incorporate the same technology as all the other available systems.
  • the system would be linked to a central command centre as well as the owner's mobile phone. If an item is missing they can enter into their phones menu screen, select the item you want and then the system will automatically begin locating the object.

Abstract

A locator system for locating lost or potentially lost items, the locator device comprising at least two transceivers, a first transceiver adapted to send and receive at least one signal and associated with a mobile personal device (MPD) (10), the MPD (10) having a display means, and at least one second transceiver (11) associated with a potentially losable item, the second transceiver (11) having a passive condition and an active condition, the second transceiver (11) biased into the passive condition in which the second transceiver (11) can receive a signal only, the active condition of the second transceiver (11) being activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD (10), wherein the second transceiver (11) in the active condition is adapted to at least send a signal to the first transceiver.

Description

A LOCATOR DEVICE AND SYSTEM Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to locator systems and in particular to systems for locating lost or potentially lost items. Background Art.
Devices and systems designed to allow a user to locate a lost item are well known. There are a wide variety of such devices for sale around the world and many have completely different functionalities allowing a person to find their lost article. One example is a device, which is activated by an audible sound such as a clap or whistle, whereby the device emits an audible sound of its own. The problem with these devices is the tendency to be unintentionally activated from other external noises, such as car vibrations and music. Unintentional activation can prove dangerous while driving if suddenly the key-chain begins to beep loudly due to some obscure sound. Another shortcoming is the difficulty in re-producing the appropriate activity to activate the audible sound, for example different people clap differently and one may trigger the unit whereas another person's clap may not.
Another example of a key location device is a system that incorporates a handheld remote control operating a low-power transmitter and four locator devices. The locator devices emit an audible sound when selected and activated by the handheld remote. The problem with this design is that it requires the remote to be present if one should lose their keys; therefore the range of the handheld remote limits this particular device.
Another key locator device or system of devices requires more than one key chain to operate. Each unit includes a button, which activates the other unit when pressed. When activated the device emits an audible sound and flashing light. Again this design is limited by the range of the activating unit and requires two units to be effective.
As can be seen from the above examples, many of the prior art solutions provided to locate lost articles operate on a pair of principles, namely,
1. limited range - a user must be within a particular distance from their lost item in order to receive an indication of where the item is; and
2. the lost item emits an audible sound. These two basic parameters can be disadvantageous when a user is attempting to locate their lost item. For example, if a user loses their wallet containing cash and/or credit cards and then utilises a prior art system to locate the wallet, the audible sound makes it easier for someone else to find the wallet first, remove the valuables from within and dispose of the wallet. This is far from an ideal outcome for the owner of the wallet, even if the wallet is recovered.
Also, if the user has no idea where the item was lost, they really have no idea where to start looking and so have difficulties coming within the limited range required for the prior art systems to work. It can therefore be seen that a simple, easy to use system which has a relatively unlimited range and uses a system other than an audible sound to locate the lost item would assist in overcoming the problems experienced in the prior art.
It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.
Summary of the Invention.
The present invention is directed to a locator system, which may at least partially overcome at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice. In one form, the invention resides in a locator system for locating lost or potentially lost items, the locator device comprising at least two transceivers, a first transceiver adapted to send and receive at least one signal and associated with a mobile personal device (MPD), the MPD having a display means, and at least one second transceiver associated with a potentially losable item, the second transceiver having a passive condition and an active condition, the second transceiver biased into the passive condition in which the second transceiver can receive a signal only, the active condition of the second transceiver being activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD, wherein the second transceiver in the active condition is adapted to at least send a signal to the first transceiver. In use, upon recognising that the potentially lost item is actually lost, a user may use the MPD to send a signal to the second transceiver associated with the potentially lost item. The second transceiver may then transmit a signal to the MPD identifying the approximate position of the lost item on the display means associated with the MPD. The signal from the second transceiver may be terminated at any time using the first transceiver.
In use the system of the present invention may be used with any lost or potentially lost items. It is also suited to the location of items which may have been stolen. In many cases, it is anticipated that the items with which the system will be used will preferably be smaller personal items which are commonly misplaced, such as portable entertainment devices such as CD players, wallets, purses, handbags, keys or key rings, jewellery, mobile telephone handsets, or communication devices such as laptop computers and the like. The system is equally applicable to the location of household devices such as lost remote controls for electronic equipment. The system will usually find use in relation to smaller items as these are more easily lost than larger items. The system may also be used in relation to valuable items rather than those that are easily replaceable at low cost. The type of items with which the system can be used is virtually anything which is in a position to be lost or stolen. The system comprises at least two transceivers. The term "transceiver" as used herein includes a device that is capable of sending and/or receiving a signal of sufficient strength and longevity to allow the system to locate the potentially lost item. The transceiver may be of any type as long as it can send and receive a signal.
The first transceiver of the system is adapted to send and receive at least one signal and associated with a mobile personal device (MPD). The signal sent and received to and from the first transceiver may be of any type. The signal may be a binary signal wherein the signal itself may be sufficient to locate the potentially lost item. For example, the signal may be a simple beacon transmission to allow the position of the potentially lost item to be located. The signal may be a dual or higher order signal wherein a carrier signal is provided and further information may be transmitted as a part of or in addition to the carrier signal. The signal may be a second order signal with a carrier signal and a single information signal or the signal may be a higher order signal with a single or multiple carrier waves and one or more information signals. The carrier signal may be of any suitable type but will typically be chosen from the group comprising electromagnetic waves such as radio, microwaves infrared, visible or ultraviolet waves. The information signal such as audio, video or data signals will generally be superimposed on the carrier signal for transmission. The information signal will generally be as small as possible in order to increase the speed at which the signal can be sent and therefore to improve the accuracy with which the relative position of the potentially lost item will be indicated. The signal may be continuous or intermittent. Ideally, the signal used will be similar to that used in an existing communication system and it is particularly preferred that a mobile telephone network signal may be used.
The mobile personal device MPD may be of any type but it is particularly preferred that the device used according to the present invention will be a portable computer, personal digital assistant PDA or a mobile telephone handset. AU of these have a display means. The type of display means is not important to the present invention. There are different types of display means and the most preferred for the purposes of the present invention will be some type of LCD display screen. The LCD screens used may be screens for both output and input. The LCD screens may suitably have some or all of the following features: • LCD, enhanced LCD, or colour super-twist nematic (CSTN) types
• pixel resolutions (160 x 160, 240 x 320)
• black-and-white (16 greyscale) or colour (65,536 colours)
• passive or active matrix — active matrix displays have sharper images and are easier to read • reflective or backlit -- backlit screens are good for reading in low light.
The system provides a display means for displaying information allowing a user to identify the approximate position of their potentially lost article. This can be accomplished in a number of ways such as by displaying the latitude and longitude of the lost item for example. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the identification of the position of the potentially lost item may be performed using a compass style indicator displayed on the display means. The signal from the second transceiver may be used to generate an image of a directional indicator, which may be an arrow indicating the approximate direction of the location of the potentially lost item. Other information may also be displayed for example an estimate of distance to the potentially lost item and/ or the height above the MPD. As the user moves the MPD with respect to the potentially lost item, changes in the relative positions of the first and second transceivers may be identified and displayed using the display means. One particularly important parameter used in order to find a potentially lost item may be the height of the item relative to the MPD. For example, if the user loses an item in a high rise building, a single direction signal will only indicate to the user that the item is at that location, it will not give an indication of what floor the lost item may be on. Therefore, it is important to the invention that some indication of relative height is given to the user. The display means may be provided with a bar indicating approximate height of the lost tem relative to the MPD. For example, the bar may be provided with a mid-line or section indicating that the potentially lost item was at the same or a similar height to the MPD, with an indicator bar for example moving toward one or the other end of the bar in order to indicate that the potentially lost item is above or below the level of the MPD.
The display means may also include the following capabilities:
1. The display may be adapted to give the street and suburb location of the receiver.
2. The display may be adapted to give an indication of separation distance in centimetres, metres and/or kilometres between the MPD and the second transceiver.
3. The Display may be able to give latitude and longitude co-ordinates and/or the country where the lost person/object is.
The second transceiver associated with a potentially losable item may be of a similar type to the first transceiver or a different type. The second transceiver has a passive condition and an active condition.
The second transceiver may suitably be biased into the passive condition. This condition may be the "receive but not transmit" condition wherein the transceiver may receive a signal from the first transceiver but does not transmit a return signal. The active condition of the second transceiver is activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD.
Suitably, the user uses the MPD to send a signal to the second transceiver. The signal may be a coded signal or include a code to prevent tampering with the system by unauthorised users. This signal may be or include an activation signal ordering the second transceiver to move to the active condition and to begin transmitting a signal. The first transceiver may then utilise that return signal to generate a locating display on the display means.
The second transceiver is associated with a potentially losable item. The second transceiver may also be provided or associated with at least one sensor which may be adapted to relay information to the first transceiver and thereby to the MPD. The sensor may be of a type useful to the location or security of the potentially losable item.
For example, the sensor may be or include one or more of the following types:
1. A heartbeat sensor, which will send an alarm to the MPD if; a) a heartbeat is no longer found or b) if the heart rate goes over a certain rate. This type of sensor obviously lends itself to use with a living organism such as a pet or child. It would be also be particularly well suited to use in a military scenario, for example, if a soldier is shot, the sensor could send a signal back to the commanding officer that the soldiers heartbeat had stopped.
2. A heat sensor, which detects the body heat of the person or organism which the second transceiver is associated with. This type of sensor is similar to that of the heartbeat sensor in that when the body heat of the person or organism which the second transceiver is associated with drops or is not detected at all, a signal can be sent to the MPD notifying the holder of the MPD.
3. A proximity sensor system. The radius sensor may be used to send a signal to the MPD when the second transceiver moves away from the first transceiver beyond a certain radius. The first transceiver of the radius sensor system can be part of the MPD or it can be in a fixed position, for example, in the doorway of a house. Once the second transceiver moves more than a predetermined distance away from the first transceiver, .the sensor system will again send a signal through to the MPD. This sensor may haves a variety of uses, in particular children and pets.
The second transceiver may also be associated with one or more panic alarm activatable by linking to a sensor, examples of which are given above or through the provision of one or more buttons associated with the second transceiver.
One example of a use of this type of panic alarm is if a user having a second transceiver is walking home from school, a someone pulls up to try and abduct him, all that needs to be done is activation of the panic alarm. This could send an alert to the MPD or possibly a Police setup, which would hopefully avoid this problem.
Brief Description of the Drawings.
Various embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of an aspect of the present invention in which the MPD is in the form of a mobile telephone.
Figure 2 is a front view of a display used according to an aspect of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a locator system for locating lost or potentially lost items is provided.
The locator system, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in Figure 1, comprises at least two transceivers, a first transceiver adapted to send and receive a signal and associated with a mobile personal device (MPD) 10, and a second transceiver 11 associated with a potentially losable item (not shown).
The second transceiver 11 has a passive condition and an active condition. The second transceiver 11 is biased into the passive condition in which the second transceiver 11 can receive a signal only. The active condition of the second transceiver 11 is activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD 10, and upon activation of the second transceiver 11 into the active condition, the second transceiver 11 is adapted to send a signal to the first transceiver. hi use, upon recognising that the potentially lost item is actually lost, a user use the MPD 10 (in the preferred embodiment, a mobile telephone handset) to send a signal to the second transceiver 11 associated with the potentially lost item. This signal moves the second transceiver 11 into the active condition. The second transceiver 11 will then transmit a signal to the MPD 10 identifying the approximate position of the lost item on the display means 12, a form of which is illustrated in Figure 2, associated with the MPD 10. According to this embodiment, a number of second transceivers 11 associated with different items may be located using a single MPD 10. Each second transceiver 11 may be reached by telephoning a number associated with the item itself, or more likely a central number at which a server may be located, the server controlling access to the second transceivers 11 via an identification numbering system. hi use the system of the present invention may be used with any lost or potentially lost items, hi many cases, it is anticipated that the items with which the system will be used will preferably be smaller personal items which are commonly misplaced, such as portable entertainment devices such as CD players, wallets, purses, handbags, keys or key rings, jewellery, mobile telephone handsets, or communication devices such as laptop computers and the like.
The signal may be continuous or intermittent. A pulsed signal may be more secure than a continuous signal and may also be cheaper. Ideally, the signal used will be similar to that used in an existing communication system and it is particularly preferred that a mobile telephone network signal may be used. The mobile telephone network 13 itself may be used to transmit the signals.
The mobile personal device MPD 10 as used according to the preferred embodiment is a mobile telephone handset. AU of the conventional handsets have a display means, generally some type of LCD display screen as illustrated in Figure 2.
According to the preferred embodiment as illustrated, the system provides a display means for displaying information allowing a user to identify the approximate position of their potentially lost article. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figure 2, the identification of the position of the potentially lost item is performed using a compass style indicator 14 displayed on the display means. The signal from the- second transceiver 11 is used to generate an image of an arrow indicating the approximate direction of the location of the potentially lost item. Other information is also displayed, for example an estimate of distance to the potentially lost item and/ or the height of the potentially lost item above the MPD. As the user moves the MPD with respect to the potentially lost item, changes in the relative positions of the first and second transceivers are identified and displayed using a combination of the elements of the display means.
One particularly important parameter used in order to find a potentially lost item is the height of the item relative to the MPD. The display means of the preferred embodiment is provided with a height bar 15 indicating approximate height of the lost item relative to the MPD 10. For example, the bar 15 is provided with a mid-line or section indicating that the potentially lost item is at the same or a similar height to the MPD, with an indicator bar 16 for example moving toward one or the other end of the height bar 15 in order to indicate that the potentially lost item is above or below the level of the MPD 10. According to the preferred embodiment, the bar is divided into three coloured zones along its length. A red zone towards one end indicating that the second transceiver is lower hi elevation than the MPD, a blue zone towards the opposite end indicated that the second transceiver is higher in elevation than the MPD, and a green zone towards one end indicated that the second transceiver on approximately the same level as the MPD. The movable indicator bar 16 indicates the elevation of the relevant second transceiver 11 by moving between the coloured zones. The second transceiver 11 has a passive condition and an. active condition. The second transceiver is biased into the passive condition. This condition is the "receive but not transmit" condition wherein the second transceiver can receive a signal from the first transceiver but does not transmit a return signal. The active condition of the second transceiver is activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD 10, after which the second transceiver sends a signal to the first transceiver until the mode is changed using the first transceiver.
Further examples of particularly preferred embodiments are contained in the accompanying ANNEX.
In the present specification, the word "comprising" and its derivatives including "comprises" and "comprise" include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.
Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.
Łnnex
Broad overview of C.W.I.S
The C.W.I.S will require three major items in order for the system to work effective. They are:
• Mobile Personnel Device (M.P.D) • Mobile Command Device (M. CD)
• Battlefield Commanders Screen (B.C.D)
The features of these devices will be explained in greater length within this document. Current Technology
The Australian Defence force currently utilises a High Frequent (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) communications network in the battlefield. The
VHF communications capabilities are limited by range, where as HF is easily detectable as this frequency has the capabilities to travel around the world within seconds.
The Australia Defence Force currently uses the HF & VHF Raven equipment. Plessey designed this equipment in the early 1980 with an induction date to the Australia Defence force in 1988. This technology is coming to the end of the equipments life cycle with no replacement equipment on the horizon.
The Australian Defence Force currently uses Satellite communications utilising the commercial frequency bandwidth. Satellite, HF & VHF communications equipment can be easily adapted to work in conjunction with the C.W.I.S. via existing data cables and adapters that currently exist with the Raven equipment accessories list.
Current Situation
Battlefield communications are limited in their capabilities to transfer critical information at the required speed. As a result of this lack of control over the commander's forces vital information is not relayed in appropriate time frames in order to reassign troops into the field.
Lack of defence positions, information and their individual equipment are placed on maps often displayed on walls of the command post in order to give an overall view of the battle field without clearly defining individual obstructions, previous attack location, known enemy locations, ambush points, dangerous terrain and the like.
In the Vietnam war, 503 Australia Soldiers where killed. 14 of these soldiers where killed by direct friendly fire of one soldier engaging another due to not realizing who was who.
• The mobility of an advancing army can be hindered by the time it takes to radio in a communication and wait for an appropriate response.
• Intelligence gathering relies on the units in the field to have the knowledge of events, which under certain circumstance can be unclear due to the situational stress.
• When field units have been engaged by the enemy and request assistance, they do not always know what other allied units are in the area. Therefore they have to radio back and rely on the communications section to organise assistance.
• Commanding officers cannot always keep track of which units are in the field and which are at base at all times.
1 Without the development of new communications equipment within the defence force, upgrades and supplements are made to the existing Raven equipment. An effective way of overcoming the limitations of our defence forces communications equipment is to provide new equipment that will work in conjunction with existing and to also future proof the equipment for up and coming releases. Future Technology
In military operations, mobility, communication and control are paramount. Today's battles are no longer won by numbers, but by control, intelligence and how effectively these are put into practice. C.W.I. S will provide the means and control by utilizing this system. This device will directly help to command a military force and increase the mobility of the commander's force. What is C.W.I.S C.W.I.S has the capacity to provide constantly updated information by allowing direct access to every level of the military command. This will allow Battalion Commanders to have greater control over their Company's, Company Commanders over their Platoon Commanders and so on.
Multiple units can communicate electronically without the need for voice communications. This will increase co-ordination and co-operation of multiple units, which results in a more unified and therefore stronger, more mobile and better- informed military force. Software/Hardware
C.W.I.S consists of both hardware and software systems. Its primary function is for commanders to be able to identify any soldiers' location in real-time anywhere in the battlefield. At the same time the device enables every friendly unit in the military to identify and co-ordinate with every other allied unit in the battlefield who are utilising this device.
Each Section of personnel is equipped with a lightweight and compact Mobile Personnel Device or M.P.D. This can either be allocated to one per unit or one per person depending on the role of the soldier. The Tracking, Monitoring and Identification (T.M.I) device will be issued to every person that the M.P.D. Commander has control over.
The (T.M.I.) will be in the form of a standard looking wrist watch with all the standard Dual time, date, stop watch, compass bearings with additional features of a heart monitor, distance to weapon monitor and individual locators. For example: Utilising the M.P.D. and T.M.I together, one section of infantrymen would allow the section commander to be able to constantly track the location of every soldier in that section. He would be able to select a soldier on his M.P.D and identify who that soldier is and what weapons he is carrying.
In a battle situation the commander would be able to monitor the soldiers' health by utilising the heartbeat and heat sensors on the T.M.I device. If a soldiers heart stops beating, an alert is automatically sent to the section commanders M.P.D so that he is aware that one of his soldiers has been killed therefore he knows he can no longer rely on that soldier. Life Cycle: If a soldier were killed defending a strategic position, the section commander would then know to re-enforce that position. If a soldier is captured, he has a pressure point he can press"which sends an alert back to the section commander who will then know exactly where the soldier is and co-ordinate an intercept operation. Communications:
The C.W.I.S can also be used as a communication device. Field Commanders will be able to use the M.P.D to send and receive e-mails and text messages such as battle or peacekeeping instructions, intelligence reports etc. The system will also be able to send visual maps and photos. Intelligence:
The technology will also show field commanders what areas are in enemy control and what areas are allied controlled. It will raise an alert every time the section commanders are within an area where previous conflicts have occurred, approximate enemy strength, attack and retreat routes of enemy forces all gathered through the existing intelligence means or the C.W.I.S. Hot Keys:
Taking into account Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) 2005, if a section were under attack the commander would radio to the platoon commander the following:
"AIB3 this is ZB 14 "SITREP (Situation Report) Under fire from the south" Wait Out.
This communication has provided no assistance, no location and he has not confirmed whether base station even received his communications as no one can now talk on the radio due to this section being under fire.
In the above scenario, the Platoon Commander comes under attack or requires reinforcements, Air Support, Ground Support, Artillery Support or even Evacuation. He would simply press one of several 'Hot Keys". These hot keys automatically send the necessary information such as what section it is, their location as well as what assistance they require directly through the Data channels on the HF or VHF radio or via a data bust via Satellite to the relevant area in real time. This will allow the field commander to focus on the job at hand rather than trying to organize assistance whilst maintaining control of the situation at the same time.
The signal will be received by the appropriate area, who can then organize the response minimizing the need and time delay of using a conventional radio. Support platoons can simply walk onto the position using their M.P.D's. As a result, those valuable minutes and seconds could save lives. Battlefield Record:
C.W.I.S also incorporates a real time conflict recorder. This component begins to record from the time the section commander pushes the relevant hot key or when a shot is fired from a Styer F88. It records every soldiers position from start to finish, including when and where a soldier becomes K.I. A or M.I. A, what hot keys are pressed (i.e. Artillery Support, Ground Support etc.), and what re-enforcements arrive if any.
Combining Technologies: Combining this with radio transmissions, any other data transferred between the soldiers under fire and the command base, as well as interviews with the soldiers after the conflict, will allow the system controllers and C.W.I.S to create a virtual layout of events so as to gain intelligence on enemy tactics, and monitor response time as well as allow an intelligence report to be compiled which can be past on to other allied forces in the area of events and thereby aid in organizing an offensive strategy against forces in that area.
C.W.I.S has the capacity to change modern day warfare. In the past, armies have relied upon radios and maps to collate battle plans, Generals have relied on field commanders to make their own decisions under certain situations as they don't have the capacity to monitor everything that is going on at the same time, and at times their can be a lack of intelligence in certain areas.
With this C.W.I.S technology, all battlefield aspects of the military can connect and interact in real time and whilst field commanders will still have to make decisions for themselves at times, they will have access to constantly updated intelligence information as well as a system that will help them make a better educated and therefore safer decision. Market Development Primary market
• Military Secondary Market
• Civilian Tracking Systems
• Products for secondary markets are as followed:
1. Shopping Centres tracking of accessories. Le. shopping trolleys.
2. Child protection system. 3. Pet tracking system
4. Child bulling protection system
5. Police response network
6. Mobile coordination and positioning device 7. Police alert and tracking system
8. Airport security system
Civilian Uses (additional to current document) Police Network
The idea behind this is to implement a network system which would incorporate a new police radio system similar to that of the Military C.W.I.S version. Every police station, headquarters and vehicle in the police force as well as civilian mobile phones would be fitted out with C.W.I.S technology. In an event where a civilian is threatened/attacked or in a situation that requires emergency assistance, they will be able to press a 'hot key' on their mobile phone. This would send the exact co-ordinates through the police network. The operator would then be able to firstly call the phone that sent the distress signal and find out the situation if needed as well as co-ordinate nearby police units to intercept the person. Police headquarters or regional stations would also be able to monitor where all the officers and vehicles are at all times which means they can co-ordinate their patrols and call outs more effectively. The operator at any time would be able to select any unit on the screen and identify the officer, the vehicle as well as their patrol route up to that moment. Police officers would be able to use hot keys such as 'Random Breath Test' , 'Speeding offence' etc to keep the headquarters involved in what they are doing at all times. This system would be useful to officers on foot patrol or bike patrols. Civilians would have the advantage of only having to press a single button to get police response rather than trying to make a call if they are getting chased.
Off shoots of the Police network could include an Ambulance and Fire network which would ideally have the same or similar network to the Police and it would be possible to integrate all three networks into one big network. The technology could be easily adapted to mobile phones and civilians would be able to buy a phone with this and other associated C.W.I.S technology already programmed into it. This system will work in conjunction with the personalized tracking system (P.I.P.S) Transport Security Network
The A.S.N is designed to monitor personnel and transport users in any form of transit centre, airport, seaport etc. This system would allow the use of tags to be placed on to staff and personnel that work their as well as civilians entering the airport. Also in place would security officers equipped with a civilian version of the C.W.I.S M.P.D system, as well as security cameras and radius sensors. Staff and Personnel
This branch of the network would be used to monitor the activities of staff and personnel who work in the facility. In terms of sabotage of terrorism each staff or personnel member would be equipped with a tag that would contain their name and contact details, what department they work as well as having pre programmed what areas of the airport they are permitted to have access to. If the person attempts to enter a room that they do not have permission to enter then the radius sensor will detect this and send an alert to the security control room giving them the persons detail and showing their location, where the have been prior to the occurrence if needed, whether they are suppose to be on duty or off duty. At the same time specially designed security cameras which are positioned around the entire facility can if required automatically zoom in on the individual and follow their movements to allow security to monitor visually what their movements are. At the same time this footage can be relayed to security who are on patrol so that they know what the person looks like and can intercept them. This can also be used to monitor the overall performance of the employee to make sure that they are performing the tasks that they were employed to do. Civilians
This side of the technology is designed to monitor civilians coming in and out of the facilities as well their luggage. This would become part of the overall security network for the facility. If a civilian leaves for a destination and realizes that their luggage is missing on their arrival, the transport provider can then organize to locate the luggage and return it to the owner. This system is designed to prevent the use of terrorism in the transport network. The system will also be able to, like the staff and personnel version, monitor the movements of each civilian that enters the facility. With this technology passports have the opportunity of becoming electronic with each tag being able to show the civilians name and contact details, number and weight of suitcases (once logged onto the system), travel destination and dates leaving and returning, and any medical or special conditions that the person may have. If the person has a particular criminal record which needs attention then an alert would be sent to the security control room and customs which would allow them to if needed, monitor that civilian and intercept him. Shopping Centres With the amount of lost and/or stolen trollies the Make supermarkets loose each year, a network derived from the C.W.I.S technology could be implanted to reduce this major expense. By tagging the shopping trolleys and putting in place radius sensors around the shopping centre and equipping the trolleys gatherers with M.P.D's, if a trolley leaves the vicinity of the shopping centre, an alert would be automatically sent to the trolley gatherers about the trolley and the M.P.D could automatically begin tracking the location of the trolley to all it to be retrieved. At night when all the trolleys are being gathered for lockup, the trolley gatherers would be able to use the M.P.D to make sure that the entire allocation of trolleys for that particular supermarket are all in a lockup bay if any are missing, it will give a list of the number of trolleys. The gatherers can then find the location of all the missing trolleys and if possible retrieve them for lockup.
By implementing this system, it has the potential to save the major shopping centres/supermarkets a massive expense that they can do without. School Bullying Network The school bullying network is designed to minimize the amount of bullying kids receive at high school. Too often kids can become severely traumatized by what take place when they are at school, some even going to the extent of dropping out of school, running away and at times if the bullying is bad enough it can lead to suicide. . The problem with bullying is that it never takes place in the open.
Bullies wait until there is no supervision or when a student goes to the toilet or behind a building. This creates a problem because of the fact that teachers can't monitor the situation properly. Also with the ratio of students to teachers it is very hard for a teacher to be in the right place at the right time. What this network provides is security for the bullied student. The student would be given a special tag, most probably in the form of an arm band or wrist watch. When the student begins to get bullied, he simply presses a panic button and his location is automatically sent to the nearest teacher on duty who is carrying a modified version of the M.P.D. The teacher is shown the students name, the reason he has the tag on and his current location. The teacher can then go to the students' aid. Child Security System
Today children are at risk a lot more than there were in the past. Pedophiles are showing up everywhere, abductions are becoming more frequent, young children are constantly getting lost in big shopping centres. When a child is born, they become the parents greatest responsibility and most cherished gift, and when a child is lost, abducted, runs away or even murdered, it becomes a parents worst nightmare. As much as parents try to keep a solid watch on their children they cant be their 24hrs a day/ 7 days a week. What this system does is give parents the ability to always monitor their children no matter where they are. The Child Security System (C. S. S) is a network designed from the C.W.I.S technology for this purpose. It not only consists of a tag that would be placed on an item on the child, but it also includes the implementation of mobile phones (as everyone has one today) as well as heartbeat sensors and radius sensors.
If a young child is in the back yard of their house and starts to wander off down the road or worse, abducted, the moment the child leaves a certain distance from the radius sensor, an alarm is straight away sent to the parents' mobile phone, indicating the situation and automatically starts tracking the child. If a child is outside the premises with the parents at a supermarket for example, if the child suddenly wanders off the parents can simply enter into the mobile phone menu screen, select the locator and then select the what they would like to find i.e. the child and they then can begin to locate the child quickly before anything can happen to the child.
This system can also be adapted to child care centres where, parents' and employees of the child care centre can mom'tor the location of every child at all times. When the parents arrive at the child care centre they 'log' their child's tag on to the child care network by entering a password or code. The child then gets constantly monitored by the child care network. If a child leaves a certain area, the radius sensor detects the child's position, sends an alarm to an employee who can immediately attend to the child. This would also be useful at large child care centres when it comes time for parents to pick their child up. Employees can select the child that is getting picked up and go straight to them. Child care employees can also use the system to keep track of all the kids names, who their parents are, emergency contact numbers and any special conditions that they need to be wary of. If a particular child does not get along with another particular child then the system can be set up to alert the child care employees when those two children get into a close proximity with each other so that they can monitor the two children together to make sure that no confrontation occurs. The system can also be used as a daily recorder to monitor the children's activities so at the end of each day or week the child care can supply an accurate report to the parents on what the child gets up to at the center, monitor the child's favourite, activities, incidents etc. Pet Protection System This system is very similar to the C.S.S. The setup would incorporate a tag to be placed on the animal, a radius sensor as well as the technology to be incorporated into a mobile phone. If the pet leaves a certain distance from the house without proper authorization, an alert is automatically sent to the owners phone to inform them of the situation and allow them to begin tracking the animal. The tag would also be able to be read by the dog pound who would be able to log into the animals tag for 'reading' purposes only and it would tell them the name of the dog and a reference number which they could check on their database to find the contact number and address of the owner. This would save hundreds of dogs being put down. Personal Item Protection System The P.I.P.S system would again incorporate the same technology as all the other available systems. It would involve tagging your personal items such as wallets, handbags, jewelry, household items etc. The system would be linked to a central command centre as well as the owner's mobile phone. If an item is missing they can enter into their phones menu screen, select the item you want and then the system will automatically begin locating the object.
With all the above civilian technology there is no limit on range and the technology will be able to display a street and suburb, how far the object/person is from you in centimetres, metres, kilometers etc. If the object is a great distance away it will give you a latitude and longitude co-ordinate for you to go to, as you get close to the item the display will vary to give you a more accurate location. The system also has a built in altimeter which allows you to track something that is either above or below your position. One issue which springs to mind when looking at the civilian aspects of this technology is what would happen if your mobile phone got stolen, won't the thief be able to track you belongings/people? The answer is no. If your mobile phone is stolen there are a number of backup systems from preventing from happening and also to help retrieve your phone. Firstly, when you realize that your phone has been stolen, you simply call the emergency support line that will be set up, give them your details and inform them that your phone has been stolen. They will then lock down the phone so no one will be able to use your phone at all to locate anything that has been programmed on their. At the same time they will be able to begin locating your mobile phone regardless of whether it has been turned off or not as the system will incorporate an override control. The operator will then be able to give you directions to locate your lost phone. If law enforcement is needed to recover the lost phone then the operator can contact the police and organize them to intercept the thief. Aside from this backup system, your phone will always ask you to enter a password or code when you select the location system in the menu of your phone. Without knowing the password to begin with you cannot gain access to the location system menu.

Claims

Claims:
1. A locator system for locating lost or potentially lost items, the locator device comprising at least two transceivers, a first transceiver adapted to send and receive at least one signal and associated with a mobile personal device (MPD), the MPD having a display means, and at least one second transceiver associated with a potentially losable item, the second transceiver having a passive condition and an active condition, the second transceiver biased into the passive condition in which the second transceiver can receive a signal only, the active condition of the second transceiver being activated upon receipt of a signal from the first transceiver associated with the MPD, wherein the second transceiver in the active condition is adapted to at least send a signal to the first transceiver.
2. A locator system according to claim 1 wherein the signal is a higher order signal wherein a carrier signal is provided and further information is transmitted as a part of or in addition to the carrier signal.
3. A locator system according to claim 1 wherein the display means is adapted to provide positional information of the lost or potentially lost item.
4. A locator system according to claim 1 wherein the display means is adapted to provide directional and elevation information of the lost or potentially lost item.
5. A locator system according to claim 1 wherein the signal includes a coded portion.
6. A locator system according to claim 1 wherein the second transceiver is associated with at least one sensor which may be adapted to relay information to the first transceiver and thereby to the MPD.
7. A locator system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one sensor includes a heartbeat sensor, which notifies the MPD of predetermined conditions of a heartbeat when the second transceiver is worn by a living creature.
8. A locator system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one sensor includes a heat sensor to detect body heat when the second transceiver is worn by a living creature.
9. A locator system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one sensor includes a proximity sensor system including a radius sensor used to send a signal to the MPD when the second transceiver moves away, from the first transceiver beyond a certain radius.
10. A locator system according to claim 6 wherein the second transceiver is associated with one or more panic alarm activation systems.
PCT/AU2005/001106 2004-07-28 2005-07-28 A locator device and system WO2006010211A1 (en)

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AU2004904205A AU2004904205A0 (en) 2004-07-28 A Locater System

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