System and method for tracking people

A method of tracking people, comprising the steps of:

• recording a digital validation key on a first portable memory device;
• transferring the digital validation key to a second portable memory device, wherein the digital validation key is valid only if transferred to the second portable memory device within a first pre-set time period;
• transferring the digital validation key to a mobile device associated with a particular person of interest, wherein the digital validation key is valid only if transferred to the mobile device from the second portable memory device within a second pre-set time period;
• transmitting a polling request to the mobile device associated with the particular person of interest;
• in response to the polling request, receiving GPS positional data of the mobile device from a GPS receiver in the mobile device, and the mobile device transmitting a location signal including positional data and time data representative of the location of the mobile device at the time of transmission of the location signal;
• receiving a supplemental location signal including supplemental positional data and supplemental time data representative of the location of the mobile device when an RFID chip associated with the mobile device is detected within proximity of a fixed radio frequency sensor;
• recording the positional and time data and the supplemental positional and supplemental time data in a database as a set of geographic positions and corresponding times associated with a path of the person of interest;
• generating a visual display image of the path of the person of interest overlaid on a geographic map;
• and
• transmitting the positional and time data and the supplemental positional and supplemental time data to a single guide of a group of people, the group of people including the person of interest.

A system for tracking people, comprising:

• a first portable memory device having a digital validation key recorded thereon;
• a second portable memory device for receiving the digital validation key from the first portable memory device, wherein the digital validation key is valid only if transferred to the second portable memory device within a first pre-set time period;
• means for transmitting a polling request to a mobile device associated with a particular person of interest, wherein the mobile device receives the digital validation key from the second portable memory device such that the digital validation key is valid only if transferred to the mobile device from the second portable memory device within a second pre-set time period;
• means for transmitting a location signal including positional data and time data representative of the location of the mobile device at the time of transmission of the location signal upon receipt of the polling request;
• means for transmitting a supplemental location signal including supplemental positional data and supplemental time data representative of the location of the mobile device when the mobile device is detected within proximity of a fixed sensor;
• means for recording the positional and time data and the supplemental positional and supplemental time data in computer readable memory as a database including a set of geographic positions and corresponding times associated with a path of the person of interest;
• means for generating a visual display image of the path of the person of interest overlaid on a geographic map;
• and
• means for transmitting the positional and time data and the supplemental positional and supplemental time data to a single guide of a group of people, the group of people including the person of interest.