Self-locating remote monitoring systems

An invisible fence system for monitoring a movable subject, comprising:

• a remote unit including,
• a navigational receiver providing a remote unit location,
• means for providing time-of-day, and
• a radio transmitter;
• a base station including,
• receiving means defining a one-way communication link with the remote unit, and
• an alarm;
• the remote unit further including,
• a first memory for storing information defining a geographic region,
• a second memory storing information defining a predetermined positional status and a predetermined time interval, and further defining a curfew, and
• a circuit for comparing the remote unit location, the defined geographic zone, the predetermined positional status, the time-of-day and the curfew, and defining a positional and time status, and
• the circuit connected to the transmitter for communicating the positional and time status;
• the base station being responsive to the communicated positional and time status and defining a curfew violation, and
• the alarm being responsive to the curfew violation.

An invisible fence system, comprising:

• a remote unit including,
• a navigational receiver providing a remote unit location and a time-of-day,
• a radio transmitter connected for transmitting the remote unit location and the time-of-day;
• a radio receiver,
• alarm and enforcement means responsive to the radio receiver;
• a base station including,
• means for receiving the remote unit location and the time-of-day,
• a first memory storing information defining a geographical region,
• a second memory storing information defining a predetermined positional status and a time curfew,
• a circuit for comparing the remote unit location, the defined geographical region and the predetermined positional status, and the time-of-day and the time curfew and for providing a positional and curfew status,
• a control circuit responsive to the positional and curfew status and defining an enforcement command, and
• means for transmitting the enforcement command;
• and
• the remote unit alarm and enforcement means being responsive to the transmitted enforcement command.

A personal alarm system, comprising:

• a remote unit including a navigational receiver for receiving navigational information, a demodulator for demodulating the receiver navigational information, timing circuits for providing precise time-of-day information, a manually operated switch, defining a panic button and having an output signal defining a switch status, operation of the panic button producing a change in the switch status, and a radio transmitter for transmitting the demodulated navigational information, the precise time-of-day information, and the switch status;
• a base station including a radio receiver for receiving the demodulated navigational information, the precise time-of-day information, and the switch status;
• the base station also including computational means connected for combining the received demodulated navigational information and the precise time-of-day information to determine a location of the remote unit, and a display for displaying the location of the remote unit;
• and
• the base station also including means for displaying the switch status and means responsive to a change in the switch status for giving an alarm,
• whereby, the remote unit location is displayed, and the alarm is responsive to the panic button.

A personal alarm system, comprising:

• a remote unit including a navigational receiver for receiving navigational information defining a location of the remote unit, a manually operated switch defining a panic button and having an output signal defining a switch status, operation of the panic button producing a change in the switch status, and a radio transmitter for transmitting the remote unit location and the switch status;
• a base station including a radio receiver for receiving the remote unit location and the switch status;
• the base station also including a display for displaying the remote unit location and the switch status;
• and
• the base station also including means responsive to a change in the switch status for giving an alarm,
• whereby, the remote unit location is displayed and a change in the switch status produces an alarm.

A personal alarm system, comprising:

• a remote unit including a navigational receiver for receiving navigational information defining a location of the remote unit, the navigational receiver having a low power standby mode and a normal operating mode, the remote unit also including a sensor for detecting a personal hazard, the sensor having an output signal and defining a sensor status, means responsive to the sensor output signal for causing the navigational receiver to switch from the standby mode to the normal operating mode when a hazard is detected, and a radio transmitter for transmitting the remote unit location and the sensor status;
• a base station including a radio receiver for receiving the remote unit location and the sensor status;
• the base station also including a display for displaying the remote unit location and the sensor status;
• and
• the base station also including means responsive to a change in the sensor status for giving an alarm,
• whereby, the remote unit location is displayed and a change in the sensor status produces an alarm.

A personal alarm system, comprising:

• a remote unit including radio transmitting means, radio receiving means, at least one sensor means for detecting a personal hazard, the remote unit transmitting means responsive for communicating a detected hazard;
• the remote unit transmitting means being able to transmit at more than one power level and defining a higher power level, and the remote unit including means for enabling transmission at the higher power level when a personal hazard is detected;
• a base station including radio transmitting means and radio receiving means;
• the remote unit and the base station defining a two-way radio communication link, and also defining a separation distance between the remote unit and the base station;
• measuring means for determining whether the separation distance exceeds a predetermined limit;
• means responsive to the measuring means for causing the remote unit to transmit at the higher power level when the separation distance exceeds the limit;
• and
• alarm means for indicating when the separation distance exceeds the limit, and for indicating when a personal hazard is detected.

A personal alarm system, comprising:

• a remote unit including radio transmitting means and radio receiving means;
• the remote unit transmitting means being able to transmit at more than one power level and defining a plurality of transmitting power levels;
• a base station including radio transmitting means and radio receiving means.
• the remote unit and the base station defining a two-way radio communication link, and the remote unit radio receiving means defining a received signal strength;
• the remote unit including control means responsive to the received signal strength for causing the remote unit to transmit at a power level selected by a predetermined power-level function of the received signal strength;
• the remote unit including at least one sensor means for detecting a personal hazard, and means for communicating the detected hazard to the base station;
• and
• the remote unit including means for communicating an alarm function of the received signal strength, and the base station including means responsive to the communicating for giving an alarm.

A personal alarm system, comprising:

• a remote unit including a transmitter and a receiver,
• the remote unit transmitter being capable of transmitting at more than one power level and defining a plurality of power levels,
• a base station including a transmitter and a receiver, and defining a two-way communications link with the remote unit,
• the base station receiver defining a received signal strength,
• the base station transmitting a command responsive to the received signal strength,
• the remote unit including a control circuit responsive to a received command for selecting the transmission power level,
• the remote unit including a sensor for detecting a hazard, the sensor defining a sensor status, and the remote unit transmitter connected for communicating the status,
• the base station including an alarm responsive to the communicated status for giving an alarm when a hazard is detected.

A weather alarm system, comprising:

• a remote unit including,
• a navigational receiver providing a remote unit location,
• a weather surveillance radar receiver providing weather parameters within a predetermined weather region, and identifying the weather region,
• a first memory storing information defining a geographical zone relative to the remote unit location,
• a circuit combining the remote unit location and the geographical zone to define a local weather zone,
• a second memory storing information defining at least one weather parameter threshold,
• means for determining that the local weather zone is within the identified weather region, and that a received weather parameter exceeds the at least one weather parameter threshold,
• a transmitter connected to communicate the result of the determination;
• and
• a base station including means responsive to the communication for giving an alarm and for displaying the result of the determination.

A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:

• a radio transmitter and radio receiver for providing a two-way radio communication link;
• a navigational receiver for providing a location of the remote unit;
• a manually operated switch defining a pair of electrical contacts for providing an output signal;
• the radio transmitter connected for transmitting the remote unit location and the switch output signal;
• and
• a microphone and speaker connected with the radio transmitter and receiver for providing a two-way voice channel via the two-way radio communication link.

A remote unit, comprising:

• a communications transmitter
• a circuit for providing a first variable having a value;
• a circuit for determining whether a predetermined change in the value of the first variable has occurred;
• a circuit for providing a second variable having a value;
• and
• the communications transmitter connected for transmitting the value of the second variable and the value of a function of the first variable when the predetermined change in the value of the first variable has occurred.

A remote unit, comprising:

• a communications transmitter;
• a circuit for providing a first variable having a value;
• a circuit for determining whether a predetermined change in the value of the first variable has occurred;
• the communications transmitter connected for transmitting the value of the first variable when the predetermined change in the value of the first variable has occurred;
• and
• a communications receiver.

A remote monitoring system, comprising:

• a remote unit including,
• a communications transmitter,
• a circuit for providing a first variable having a value,
• a circuit for determining whether a predetermined change in the value of the first variable has occurred,
• the communications transmitter connected for transmitting the value of the first variable when the predetermined change in the value of the first variable has occurred, and
• a communications receiver;
• and
• a base station including,
• a communications transmitter,
• a communications receiver defining a two-way communications link with the remote unit, and
• the base station including alarm and display means responsive to a received value of the first variable.