Method and apparatus for tracking and locating personnel

A method for locating an object within a predetermined area comprising the steps of:

• a) sensing a signal output by the object using a plurality of sensors disposed within the predetermined area;
• b) forwarding a plurality of received signal levels from the plurality of sensors to a central processor;
• and
• c) comparing the plurality of received signal levels with a plurality of reference values to determine a location of the alarm signal, wherein the step c) of comparing comprises determining a single best location that best fits the plurality of received signal levels.

A method for locating an object within a predetermined area comprising the steps of:

• a) sensing a signal output by the object using a plurality of sensors disposed within the predetermined area;
• b) forwarding a plurality of received signal levels from the plurality of sensors to a central processor;
• and
• c) comparing the plurality of received signal levels with a plurality of reference values to determine a location of the alarm signal, wherein the step c) of comparing comprises determining a plurality N of best locations that best fit the plurality of received signal levels.

A method for locating an object within a predetermined area comprising the steps of:

• a) sensing a signal output by the object using a plurality of sensors disposed within the predetermined area;
• b) forwarding a plurality of received signal levels from the plurality of sensors to a central processor;
• and
• c) comparing the plurality of received signal levels with a plurality of reference values to determine a location of the alarm signal, wherein the step c) of comparing comprises determining a boundary within which the object is located by determining a plurality of locations that best match the plurality of received signal levels and defining the boundary as a shape that encompasses the plurality of locations.

A method for locating an object within a predetermined area comprising the steps of:

• a) sensing an alarm signal output by the object using a plurality of sensors disposed within the predetermined area;
• b) creating a propagation model of the predetermined area, which can determine a signal level of an imaginary signal received at each of the plurality of sensors if a reference signal was transmitted at a reference location;
• and
• c) comparing a plurality of signal levels sensed by the plurality of sensors with a plurality of reference values predicted by the propagation model to determine a location of the alarm signal.

An apparatus for locating a person within a facility comprising:

• a) a personal alarm transmitter;
• b) central monitoring system for locating a person carrying the personal alarm transmitter;
• and
• c) an array of sensors disposed throughout the predetermined area wherein multiple sensors are disposed within a plurality of overlapping zones within the predetermined area, said array of sensors being coupled to the central monitoring system, wherein if the personal alarm transmitter outputs an alarm signal, each sensor within a zone in which the personal alarm transmitter is disposed reports back to the central monitor computer, wherein said central monitoring system determines a location of an alarm by finding a best fit between a received alarm signal level array and a stored calibration array.

An apparatus for locating a person within a facility comprising:

• a) a personal alarm transmitter;
• b) central monitoring system for locating a person carrying the personal alarm transmitter;
• and
• c) an array of sensors disposed throughout the predetermined area wherein multiple sensors are disposed within a plurality of overlapping zones within the predetermined area, said array of sensors being coupled to the central monitoring system, wherein if the personal alarm transmitter outputs an alarm signal, each sensor within a zone in which the personal alarm transmitter is disposed reports back to the central monitor computer;
• and
• d) a propagation model stored in the central mapping computer against which the received alarm signal level array is compared to determine a location of the alarm.

A system for locating a person within a facility comprising:

• a) a portable alarm transmitting means for transmitting a user activatable alarm signal;
• b) a sensing means sensing an alarm signal transmission and outputting a matrix of received signal levels;
• and
• c) a processing means coupled to the sensing means for determining a location of the alarm signal transmission by comparing a matrix of received signal levels output by the sensing means to a stored matrix of values, and selecting a location associated with one set of values in the stored matrix of values that best matches the matrix of received signal levels output by the sensing means.

A method for locating an object within a predetermined area comprising the steps of:

• a) interrogating the object with an interrogation signal;
• b) modulating the interrogation signal and reflecting an RF signal;
• c) sensing the reflected RF signal using a plurality of sensors disposed within the predetermined area;
• d) forwarding a plurality of received signal levels from the plurality of sensors to a central processor;
• and
• e) comparing the plurality of received signal levels with a plurality of reference values to determine a location of the alarm signal by performing a best fit analysis of the plurality of received signal levels with the plurality of reference values.