Apparatus and method for continuous electronic monitoring and tracking of individuals

A method for use with a wireless communication system to determine by spatial coordinates the location of a portable tracking apparatus adapted to communicate with a subject's body-worn device and a central data-base, the method comprising

• (a) providing the portable tacking device with a means to communicate with a global positioning system satellite constellation to determine its position,
• (b) the portable tracking device sending signals to the central data-base to report the position of the portable tracking device,
• (c) the portable tracking device receiving wireless signals from the body-worn device,
• (d) the portable tracking device sending an alarm to the central data-base if a subject tampers with the portable tracking device or body-worn device,
• (e) the portable tracking device receiving communications from the central data-base to download updated schedule rules and location constraints on the subject,
• (f) the portable tracking device providing a warning to the subject if the subject deviates from a programmed area of travel, and
• (g) the central data-base providing warnings if a subject offender violates a zone of protection.

A tracking system to provide for locational tracking of a plurality of monitored persons, the tracking system comprising:

• a) a portable monitoring device for each of the monitored persons, each portable monitoring device comprising:
• 1) securing means to provide for secure attachment of the portable monitoring device to a respective monitored person;
• 2) tamper detection means to provide for detecting tampering with the portable monitoring device attached to the respective monitored person;
• 3) receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by a detached sending unit;
• 4) transmitting means to provide for transmission of a signal;
• b) transmission acquisition means to provide for receiving the signals sent out by each of the portable monitoring devices;
• c) positional determining means to provide for generating a position reference indicative of the positional location of each of the portable monitoring devices based upon the distinct signal received by the respective receiving means;
• d) temporal marking means to provide for indicating, within at least a range of temporal references, an associated occurrence reference indicative of when the position reference to the positional location of each of the portable monitoring devices occurred;
• and
• 3) storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of at least series of the position references and associated occurrence references of each of the portable monitoring devices of the tracking system,
• whereby the tracking system locationally tracks each of the portable monitoring devices and stores within the locational tracking database each of the position references containing information regarding the location of the monitored person and each of the associated occurrence references containing information regarding within at least the range of temporal references when the position reference to the positional location occurred.

A tracking reference system to provide for a historic reference to a locational tracking of a plurality of monitored persons, the tracking reference system comprising:

• a) a portable monitoring device for each of the monitored persons, each portable monitoring device comprising:
• 1) securing means to provide for secure attachment of the portable monitoring device to a respective monitored person;
• 2) tamper detection means to provide for detecting tampering with the portable monitoring device attached to the respective monitored person;
• 3) receiving means to provide for receiving a distinct signal generated by a detached sending unit;
• 4) transmitting means to provide for transmission of a signal containing at least a position reference;
• b) transmission acquisition means to provide for receiving the signals sent out by each of the portable monitoring devices;
• c) positional determining means to provide for generating the position reference indicative of a positional location of each of the portable monitoring devices based upon the distinct signal received by the receiving means;
• d) temporal marking means to provide for indicating, within at least a range of temporal references, an associated occurrence reference indicative of when the position reference to the positional location of the portable monitoring device occurred;
• e) storage means to provide for an archival retention within a locational tracking database of at least a series of the position references and associated occurrence references of each of the portable monitoring devices of the tracking system;
• f) comparative reference entry means to provide for entering a comparative location reference and a comparative temporal reference, the comparative location reference having a boundary comprising at least one location reference, the comparative temporal reference having at least a specific temporal reference;
• and
• g) comparison means to provide for comparing the comparative location reference and the comparative temporal reference with the position references and the associated occurrence references of the locational tracking database to determine if any of the monitored persons were within the boundary of the comparative location reference during the comparative temporal reference,
• whereby the tracking system locationally tracks each of the portable monitoring devices and stores within the locational tracking database at least the series of the position references containing information regarding the location of the monitored person and the associated occurrence references containing information regarding, within at least the range of temporal references, when the position reference to the positional location occurred and the comparative location reference and the comparative temporal reference may be entered for comparison with the position references and the associated occurrence references stored in the locational tracking database to determine if any of the monitored persons were within the boundary of the comparative location reference during the comparative temporal reference.