WO1999012050A1

WO1999012050A1 - System for the security and position control of persons via satellite

Info

Publication number: WO1999012050A1
Application number: PCT/ES1997/000220
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pedro María GARCIA MARTIN
Original assignee: Garcia Martin Pedro Maria
Priority date: 1997-08-29
Filing date: 1997-09-10
Publication date: 1999-03-11
Also published as: ES2137116B1; ES2137116A1; AU4209397A

Abstract

The system is based on what can be considered as the technobiological conversion of a person into a tele-radio beacon 'TRBH' so that by using automatic location system based on the GPS satellite network and by taking advantage of existing telecommunication networks in real time, it is possible to set the position of the person and instantaneously track of said person all over the Earth. To this effect, the beacons TRBH to be localised are equipped with a GPS receiver connected to a transmitter-receiver so that it is possible from a base or central station to interrogate digitally by radio each TRBH which will emit a geographical position code as response, and an icon corresponding to the interrogated TRBH will show on a computer screen.

Description

SECURITY SYSTEM AND CONTROL OF THE POSITION OF PERSONS VIA SATELLITE

D E S C R I P C I Ó N

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a security and position control system for people via satellite, based on the incorporation on any person of the appropriate means to convert it into a teleradiobaliza, taking advantage of existing networks and / or teleradiocommunication systems already planned for others. purposes.

Through the system of the invention, the geographical position of a person, anywhere on the Earth, can be tracked and instantaneously fixed in real time, using satellite radiocommunications, in addition to knowing the health status of the own person by means of the corresponding instrumentation of the teleradiobaliza unit in which the person becomes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Satellite systems are known that provide data of all kinds, from the collection of any SOS and its corresponding transmission to a central database, to the determination almost instantly of the position of any mobile object on land, sea and air.

The various applications of the satellites are evident, and can be considered as the most reliable telecommunication system, not only for directing missiles With amazing precision, but with the complement of suitable equipment they allow to locate geological formations detecting mineral wealth, as well as knowing the contamination of lakes and / or seas, the state of crops, etc.

Currently, ships and airplanes benefit from navigation satellites that allow them to instantly know their position. In that sense, those of the international network INMASART serve as a relay for their communications, telegraph, telephone, including distress calls.

It is not relevant to expose a development of satellite systems, which provide a series of useful data in any application, field or human sector.

However, satellites can be used to track, control and even fix the position of a person, providing security on the one hand, in regard to their state or health, and on the other hand knowing the position of such person, or what is the same to be able to locate geographically instantly, all with the appropriate adaptability of the person based on the incorporation on it of the corresponding appropriate means to achieve the aforementioned benefits, using communication systems via existing satellite

In this regard, there are satellite systems for the automatic location of GPS-based fleets that could be adapted to the human tele-radio beacon system referred to earlier, based on the GPS satellite network. The operation of the GPS system is based on the simultaneous reception of extremely precise hourly signals, coming from at least three satellites, so that due to the propagation time of the radio waves the hourly signal is received with a delay much greater the greater It is the distance from the sending satellite. Depending on the delays with which the different time signals are received and knowing precisely the orbits of the satellites, the ground receiving equipment will automatically calculate the position of the receiving antenna.

Based on these operating principles of the GPS system, an automatic human radio-beacon localization system can be achieved, knowing, for example, that the GPS service is free so the number of users could be unlimited, so that at Being a "passive" system can be used by how many users tune their signals in a similar way to broadcasting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The location systems known and referred to above, are capable of adapting to achieve an automatic location system of a tele-radio beacon unit applied to a person, hereinafter referred to as TRBH. For this, said TRBH is equipped with a GPS receiver connected to a special transceiver, which should be suitable for use on existing radio networks, all with the complement of the corresponding computer support.

The system will comprise a central station with a compatible PC connected to the radio equipment normally used as the central of the radio network, all in such a way that said central station may interrogate digitally by radio to the TRBH that it is intended to locate and / or position, to which question the TRBH will answer with a geographical position code, showing the icon corresponding to the TRBH object of interest on the PC screen.

Obviously, the system is capable of including a multitude of TRBH, each equipped with a small device carrying the GPS receiver, as well as the digital control circuits of the set, a modem and auxiliary circuits of the radio equipment, of safety and power, and should also be complemented with a small antenna with pre-amplifier. Naturally, any metal utensil used by the person or subject should become a radio emission antenna, taking into account the qualities of human skin.

On the other hand, taking into account the facets of the human organism, it is not complicated to convert it into an electronic instrument, which is what has previously been called as electro human beacon radio, or a simple emitter of constantly moving radio signals .

EXAMPLE OF THE METHOD OF ADAPTATION OF THE EXISTING LOCATION SYSTEMS TO THE TRBH SYSTEM OF THE INVENTION

The so-called TRBH is equipped with a receiver of

GPS connected to a transceiver that has to be suitable for use over existing radio networks. existing infinity of these that can multiply the performance of the system.

In the base station the corresponding computer, and after the digital radio interrogation of the TRBH, places the icon corresponding to that TRBH and its identification code on the screen.

As for the connection to radio networks, it should be said that because the type of modulation used in digital communications could be within the range of voice frequencies, all existing equipment would serve, both base station transmitters and receivers and mobile stations, such as repeaters, etc.

The system will be compatible with the call and selective communication systems by tone sequence, by sub-tones, etc., so that the channel's occupation time will be less than 1.5 seconds including interrogation and response, which is very much shorter and more discreet than through voice communication.

Each TRBH will be equipped with a GPS receiver carrier device, as well as the digital control circuits of the set, the modulator and demodulator or modem itself, to convert the digital signals to low frequency signals capable of being fixed by the radio channels and auxiliary circuits of radio, safety and power equipment, specially designed for the case.

As also stated above, it is necessary to incorporate a small antenna with a preamplifier, which is specially designed for contact with other metals through the skin, adapting in any case to the configuration of the person, depending on whether or not he has a prosthesis, etc.

As for the base station, it will have a compatible PC-type computer, connected to the radio equipment normally used as the center of the radio network, making the connection through the audio output connectors, with the particularity that within Two special expansion boards containing the radio modem, transmitter steering circuits and safety and power circuits will be placed on the computer, so that a connector on one of the expansion boards will allow you to connect a microphone to recover all the Voice equipment functions.

With regard to computer support, the corresponding program has the primary function of presenting on a screen map the position of the TRBH in which it is interested. For this, the computer, through the modem and the radio network, periodically interrogates, or at the request of the operator, each of the TRBH whose position is to be known.

As mentioned previously, each TRBH has its own identification sequence different from the others in the network, so that the one that feels interrogated will answer with a digital sequence that contains its own identifier, the coordinates of its position and the exact time at which such coordinates have been determined. The basic software includes, in addition to the radio equipment government and digital communication protocols, the automatic selection of the digital map to present the position of the TRBH and the presentation of the position itself.

As for the presentation of the map and positions of the TRBH, it should be said that in the normal state of operation of the entire screen, the map will be occupied by the map of the area of interest, requesting on that map the position of the TRBH whose position It is known and represented in the map part seen on the screen.

It could happen that not all TRBHs, whose position is known, are in the part of the map that can be seen on the screen, so you should inform the program which is the TRBH of interest at any given time, which the program will take the area of the map where the preferred TRBH is located.

As that preferred TRBH moves, the program will move the map on the screen, so that the TRBH of interest is always visible. The TRBH "drags" the map view window with it and in that window you can also see if all the other TRBH whose position is known are in it. In the upper line you can see which is the preferred TRBH, the coordinates of the last position of that and the exact time at which those coordinates have been determined.

The program will be planned, designed and adapted to the needs that determine the number of users that want to be included in the system, with practically no limitation in this regard, even allowing modification after the implementation of the system.

In those cases where the TRBH position is not available at the time of the interrogation, whether it is outside the radio coverage area or the lack of connection of the GPS receiver to the satellite network, then the last stored position of the TRBH is shown on the map with the corresponding identification sign.

The maps on which the position of the TRBH is represented can be grouped into different families, being able to establish for the grouping a thematic criterion, such as maps of roads, geographical, sanitary resources, etc., or by their scale.

As for the program menu, it offers the following options:

- TRBH editions.

- Change date / time.

- Record / playbac.

- Operating parameters.

- Finish the program.

Obviously, the way to operate based on these menu options will be established in this regard.

In short, it is what can be considered as a system of personal security and control of people, by technologically converting a subject or person into a tele-radio beacon (TRBH) to which their geographical position can be fixed in any area Earth instantly in real time, using satellite telecommunication systems, allowing the location of the person or subject, and even their state of health.

Similarly, the system is applicable to, for example, monitoring of prisoners, whether on probation, or escaped prisoners, etc. , provided that a small device is applied to them on any part of their body that is inviolable and that makes it possible to follow it through these satellite radio-communications.

As an example of application of the system, and as already pointed out in the present description, it is of great interest in monitoring, control and assistance of coronary or pacemaker patients, incorporating on the patient a receiving radio transmitter that can be implanted internally or well outwardly.

It is also of special application in the control and detection of disease pathologies in any person, by measuring the body temperature of the subject, incorporating on it the corresponding means.

The system is also applicable to the location of minors, to control of marital infidelity, etc.

It is not considered necessary to make this description more extensive so that any person skilled in the art understands the scope of the invention and the advantages derived therefrom.

The terms in which this report has been written must be taken in a broad and non-limiting sense.

Claims

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N E S

ia.- Security system and position control of people via satellite, which based on the well-known GPS automatic satellite tracking systems, used both at military, civil and even defense levels, is characterized in that it includes means applied to a subject or person to convert it into a radio signal emitter or an electronic instrument, such as a human tele-beacon (TRBH), whose means include a GPS receiver connected to a transceiver capable of being used on existing radio networks or on networks organized for this purpose; having foreseen that in addition to the aforementioned GPS receiver, digital government circuits are included, a modem to convert the digital signals and allow them to travel through the radio channels, as well as auxiliary circuits of the respective corresponding radio, safety and power equipment, incorporating also a radio-emission antenna capable of being constituted by a simple metallic element in direct contact with the subject's skin, all complemented by a computer support through which the corresponding central of the GPS system can interrogate digitally via radio to the TRBH that it is intended to locate and / or control; with the particularity that the function of the respective computer program is the presentation on a screen map of the position of the interrogated TRBH.

2B.- Security and position control system of people via satellite, according to claim ia, characterized in that the means of connection to radio networks are capable of being constituted by equipment for transmitting and receiving signals provided both in the base station and in mobile stations, or be constituted by repeaters and / or similar equipment; with the particularity that the radio-emission antenna is complemented with a pre-amplifier.

3a.- Security and position control system of people via satellite, according to claim la, characterized in that the base or central station of the GPS system incorporates a compatible PC-type computer connected to the radio equipment normally used as the central of the radio network, the connection being made through the corresponding audio output connectors; having provided that two radio modem carrier plates, transmitter control circuits and safety and power circuits are included within the computer itself.

4a.- security and position control system of people via satellite, according to claim la, characterized in that an unlimited number of TRBHs connected to the system itself is included, including each of those identifying means different from those of the others.