Wireless tracking device
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsDudley K. Fetzer, Thomas F. Doyle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for a tracking device to inconspicuously track a person to be monitored (such as a child or at-risk adult) are presented. Some embodiments of the present invention combine a positioning receiver (e.g., a GPS receiver) and a locking mechanism to act as a tracking device, which attaches to an article of clothing or fabric wearable by the person to be monitored. Some embodiments of the present invention keep a positioning receiver and a radio frequency identification tag (RFID tag) or other RF tag, which are physically separate but in RF proximity of each other.
Claims42
A tracking device for wirelessly tracking an attached-to wearable article, the device comprising:
- housing comprising a locking mechanism attachable to the wearable article;
- and
- electronic circuitry within the housing comprising
- a positioning receiver;
- a wide area network transmitter (WAN transmitter);
- and
- a processor coupled with memory, coupled to the positioning receiver and WAN transmitter in order to report a determined position.
A tracking system for wirelessly tracking a person, the tracking system comprising:
- a radio frequency tag (RF tag) fixable to the person;
- and
- electronic circuitry physically unattached to the RF tag, the electronic circuitry comprising
- a positioning receiver;
- a wide area network transmitter (WAN transmitter) to report;
- a personal area network receiver (PAN receiver) coupled to the RF tag with PAN communication;
- and
- a processor with memory, coupled to the positioning receiver, WAN transmitter and the PAN receiver to report a determined position.
A method for wirelessly tracking, the method comprising:
- attaching a tracking device to a wearable article of clothing, wherein the tracking device including electronic circuitry;
- locking the tracking device to the wearable article of clothing;
- receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;
- estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;
- and
- reporting the position estimate over a wide area network interface (WAN interface).
A method for wirelessly tracking, the method comprising:
- attaching a radio frequency tag (RF tag) to a person to be monitored;
- placing a tracking device into a pocket in proximity to the RF tag, wherein the tracking device including electronic circuitry, and wherein the tracking device and RF tag form a personal area network (PAN);
- receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;
- estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;
- and
- reporting the position estimate over a wide area network interface (WAN interface).
A method for wirelessly tracking, the method comprising:
- attaching a radio frequency tag (RF tag) to one of a wrist, angle or shoe;
- placing a tracking device into a pocket in proximity to the RF tag, wherein the tracking device includes electronic circuitry;
- communicating between the RF tag and the electronic circuitry over a personal area network (PAN);
- receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;
- estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;
- determining the RF tag is not within the PAN;
- and
- reporting the position estimate over a WAN interface in response to determining the RF tag is not within the PAN.
A tracking device for wirelessly tracking, the tracking device comprising:
- means for attaching a tracking device to a wearable article of clothing, wherein the tracking device including electronic circuitry;
- means for locking the tracking device to the wearable article of clothing;
- means for receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;
- means for estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;
- and
- means for reporting the position estimate over a wide area network (WAN interface).
A tracking system for wirelessly tracking a person, the tracking system comprising:
- means for attaching a radio frequency tag (RF tag) to one of a wrist, angle or shoe of the person;
- means for placing a tracking device into a pocket in proximity to the RF tag, wherein the tracking device includes electronic circuitry;
- means for communicating between the RF tag and the electronic circuitry over a personal area network (PAN);
- means for receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;
- means for estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;
- and
- means for determining the RF tag is not within the PAN;
- and
- means for reporting the position estimate over a wide area network interface (WAN interface) in response to determining the RF tag is not within the PAN.
A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for wirelessly tracking, said method comprising operations of:
- controlling electronic circuitry;
- and
- detecting a cause and in response to the cause:
- receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;
- estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;
- and
- reporting the position estimate and the cause over a wide area network interface (WAN interface).
A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for wirelessly tracking, said method comprising operations of:
- communicating between a radio frequency tag (RF tag) and an electronic circuitry over a personal area network (PAN);
- and
- detecting a cause and in response to the cause:
- receiving positioning signals at the electronic circuitry;
- estimating a position estimate from the positioning signals;
- determining the RF tag is not within the PAN;
- and
- reporting the position estimate and the cause over a wide area network interface (WAN interface) in response to determining the RF tag is not within the PAN.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.