Self-locating remote monitoring systems
OwnerDan Schlager, William B. Baringerinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A personal alarm system remote unit (602) includes a navigational receiver (606) for receiving navigational information, a demodulator (608) for demodulating the received navigational information, timing circuits (610) for providing precise time-of-day information, a manually operated switch defining a panic button and having an output signal defining a switch status wherein operation of the panic button produces a change in the switch status, and a radio transmitter (614) for transmitting the demodulated navigational information, the precise time-of-day information, and the switch status. Additional embodiments define remote units for a man-over-board system, an invisible fence system, and a weather alarm system.
Claims21
A man-over-board remote unit, comprising:
- a navigational receiver for receiving navigational information defining a location of the remote unit;
- a sensor having an output signal defining a sensor status;
- and
- a radio transmitter connected for transmitting the remote unit location and the sensor status.
An invisible fence remote unit, comprising:
- a navigational receiver providing a remote unit location;
- means for providing time-of-day;
- a radio transmitter;
- 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;
- a circuit for comparing the remote unit location, the defined geographic region, the predetermined positional status, the time-of-day, and defining a positional and time status;
- and
- the circuit connected to the transmitter for communicating the positional and time status.
An invisible fence remote unit, comprising:
- 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 for receiving an enforcement command;
- and
- alarm and enforcement means responsive to a received enforcement command.
A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:
- a navigational receiver for receiving navigational information;
- a demodulator for demodulating the received 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 wherein operation of the panic button produces 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 personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:
- radio transmitting means and radio receiving means permitting two-way radio communication;
- at least one sensor means for detecting a personal hazard, the transmitting means being responsive for communicating a detected personal hazard;
- the radio transmitting means being able to transmit at more than one power level and defining a higher power level;
- means for enabling transmission at the higher power level when a personal hazard is detected;
- and
- means for enabling transmission at the higher power level when a transmit-at-high power command is received via the radio receiving means.
A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:
- radio transmitting means and radio receiving means permitting two-way radio communication;
- the radio transmitting means being able to transmit at more than one power level and defining a plurality of transmitting power levels;
- the radio receiving means defining a received signal strength;
- means responsive to the received signal strength for causing radio transmission at a power level selected by a predetermined power-level function of the received signal strength;
- at least one sensor means for detecting a personal hazard;
- means for communicating the detected hazard;
- and
- means for communicating an alarm function of the received signal strength.
A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:
- a transmitter and a receiver, permitting two-way communications;
- the transmitter being capable of transmitting at more than one power level and defining a plurality of power levels;
- a control circuit responsive to a received command for selecting the transmission power level;
- and
- a sensor for detecting a hazard, the sensor defining a sensor status, and the transmitter connected for communicating the status.
A weather alarm system remote unit, comprising:
- 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.
A personal alarm system remote unit, comprising:
- a global positioning system receiver providing a remote unit location;
- a radio transmitter connected for transmitting the remote unit location;
- a panic button connected for causing the radio transmitter to transmit the remote unit location;
- and
- a water-proof vest containing the global positioning system receiver, the radio transmitter, and the panic button, and defining a man-over-board vest.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.