US 5,363,425 AGranted

Method and apparatus for providing a personal locator, access control and asset tracking service using an in-building telephone network

AssigneeNorthern Telecom Limited

InventorsSohale A. Mufti, Robert G. Samuel, Peter P. K. Soong, Adrian M.-G. Yip, Michael J. Wakim

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Abstract

A system for providing a personal location, access control and asset tracking service using an in-building telephone network is disclosed. In a first embodiment, users of ID badges containing an RF transmitter can be located across the telephone network for receiving incoming calls. Receiver units in or near telephone sets instruct the system of the identity of the user located near the telephone set. In another embodiment, access to a building or rooms therein is controlled according to the identity of the ID badge wearer. Similar receiver units located at building and room entrances receive the RF transmission from the ID badge to allow or deny access to the rooms or building. In a third embodiment, ID tags placed on material assets permit the system user to monitor the movement and location of specific material assets associated with that ID tag. The ID tag also contains an RF transmitter which is used to transmit an RF burst to receiver units located across the telephone network.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system for providing a personal communication and locator service within a telephone network as a subscriber moves along the network from a first receiver device associated with his home telephone set to a second receiver device associated with a visited telephone set, comprising:

storing means, at database means, for storing a list of subscriber profiles indicative of the identity of the subscriber and network services available to that subscriber at his home telephone set;
transmitter means adapted to be carried by a subscriber, and able to transmit a predetermined RF signal;
input means at said transmitter means to allow said subscriber to modify said predetermined RF signal to initiate a predetermined network service;
multiple receivers means adapted to be connected and distributed across said telephone network and able to receive said predetermined and modified RF signals indicative of a specific network service requested by said user;
signal modulation means at said multiple receivers means for modulating said predetermined and modified RF signals into a modulated signal;
means for sending, along a telephone line connected to said multiple receivers means, said modulated RF signal to a switch connected to said network;
and
means for registering said subscriber service profile against said visited telephone set associated with said second receiver device when said subscriber activates said input means, such that the subscriber's network services and telephony features available from his home telephone set can be enabled at said visited telephone set.

5 more elements

A method of operating a system for providing a personal communication and locator service, wherein transmitting devices, which are carried by a subscriber of the service, transmit at periodic intervals RF signals indicative of the identity of the subscriber and are provided with means for modifying said RF signal, multiple receiver devices, which are connected and distributed across a telephone network are adapted to receive the RF signals as the subscriber moves along the network from a first receiver device associated with his home telephone set to a second receiver device associated with a visited telephone set, comprising the steps of:

storing, at database means, a list of subscriber profiles indicative of the identity of the subscriber and network services available to that subscriber at his home telephone set;
transmitting said RF signal, as a subscriber moves towards said second receiver device associated with said visited telephone set;
modulating said transmitted RF signal to obtain a modulated RF signal;
sending, along a telephone line connected-to said second receiver device, said modulated RF signal to switching means connected to said network;
accessing said database means when said switching means receives said modulated signal;
searching said database means to find a profile associated with said modulated signal, to identify the subscriber and service profile;
and
registering said subscriber service profile against said visited telephone set associated with said second receiver device when said subscriber activates said modifying means, such that the subscriber's network services and telephony features available from his home telephone set can be enabled at said visited telephone set.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.