Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – With particular coupling link
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2002-10-01
Crosland, Donnie L. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
With particular coupling link
C340S870030, C340S870030, C455S074000, C455S569200, C455S575100, C381S122000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06459371
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a microphone unit for use with a portable two-way radio transceiver, for enabling oral communication via the radio transceiver, said microphone unit including a locating device for enabling said radio transceiver to transmit a signal containing position locating information.
In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to an alarm device which, when utilised in conjunction with a separate radio transceiver, provides that transceiver with features which did not previously exist. These additional features enable the location of the user of that transceiver to be determined automatically or manually, independently of or as a result of the activation of an alarm, either directly or indirectly. This location information may be reported to the user of the hand held radio, other system users or a central controller. The added device will therefore provide the transceiver with a number of very useful features which may not have been originally incorporated within the original product at a very economic cost.
Prior art devices which exist are described by patent No. GB 2 051 444B (Ericsson), patent No. GB 2 223 869B (Tunstall) and patent application No. GB 2 223 380A (Shorrock Ltd). Ericsson discloses a system including a receiver unit and a transmitter unit, which when enabled transmits a location code and an identification code. The system also includes a number of strategically placed low power transmitter devices which due to their location and low power are able to be related to a specific area within a building.
These location transmitters would typically be placed near each door within a building, each would have a unique identity and a range of typically 5 meters. When the portable device is within range of the location transmitter it will receive and store the location information. In the event that the alarm transmitter is activated, the transmitter sends its own unique identification together with the stored identity of the last received location transmitter.
A central receiver can then process this information and with a reasonable degree of certainty determine the location of the person who activated the alarm.
Tunstall suggests a number of improvements to the Ericsson art, such improvements include the ability of the portable transmitter device to receive and store information from a plurality of location transmitters together with additional coding to enable a more accurate location fix to be determined, particularly if the system is required to operate within a building having more than one floor. A further improvement includes the ability of the local transmitter to initiate the portable alarm transmitter automatically by means of a modified location identity code.
Shorrock discloses technology which is very similar to Ericsson, however in this instance the location identifying units are interrogated to initiate the emission of the location information. An alternative embodiment makes use of well known bar code reading technology to determine the location of the individual.
All of the described prior art comprises a self contained alarm transmitter with integral locating device receiver/interrogator which can send an alarm signal together with the location of an individual in distress. Additional product exists within the market (hereinafter also referred to as prior art) which utilises the same technology, however the hand held alarm unit also includes a microphone and speaker arrangement with a receiver so that the unit can also be used for two way speech.
Since such products effectively comprise a two way personal radio with the locating technology combined within the one unit they tend to be very expensive when compared with standard two way radio transceivers.
A major disadvantage with the prior art is that any organisation wishing to provide their staff with an alarm system which utilises this type of location reporting technology must purchase this implementation of the technology even though they may already have an existing system utilising portable two way personal radio equipment. The lack of compatibility between the two systems is clearly undesirable.
Furthermore, the prior art alarm technology disclosed generally uses low power radio transmitters because the radio regulations stipulate certain frequencies must be used for such alarm equipment and the authorities only permit low power transmitters to be used on such frequencies. This results in a significant amount of system infrastructure being required in the event that a large site such as a shopping centre, large industrial facility or a prison is in need of protection.
Patent No. GB 2 247 761 A (Davis) discloses an alarm interface which is applied to a modified PCN (personal communications network) handportable. Davis suggests that the potential location of the handportable can be determined by virtue of the cell being used within a cellular radio network. This approach has two major disadvantages. The first being that the handportable needs to be modified. Modification can be expensive (if even possible), more importantly radio transmission equipment requires radio regulatory type approval testing, and such regulatory approval is invalidated upon modification of the approved product unless it is re-submitted for type testing. This is a very expensive process for hand portable radios and cellular radio equipment in particular. This option is clearly impractical for users of existing systems.
A second disadvantage is that it is only possible to identify location within the general coverage area of a cell. In a city typical cell coverage might be two kilometers in diameter which results in a totally inadequate positional resolution to be of any real use in an emergency.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a locating system that mitigates at least some of the afore-mentioned disadvantages.
According to the present invention there is provided a microphone unit for use with a portable two-way radio transceiver, for enabling oral communication via the radio transceiver, said microphone unit including a locating device for enabling said radio transceiver to transmit a signal containing position locating information, said locating device comprising a sensor for sensing a signal containing position locating information, a memory for storing position locating information obtained from said signal, a communications device for communicating with said radio transceiver, a control device for controlling said radio transceiver via said communications device and an activating means for activating said locating device, the arrangement being such that when the locating device is activated, said control device causes said radio transceiver to transmit a locating signal containing the position locating information stored in said memory.
The invention provides a microphone unit that can be connected to a conventional handportable radio transceiver, which enables the transceiver to transmit a locating signal containing position locating information. The location of the transceiver from which the locating signal was sent can thus be easily determined, allowing help to be sent quickly. Because the locating device is connected to an existing handportable radio, a separate radio transmitter is not required and the system is thus very economical and users of the system are not required to carry additional items of equipment. Radio type approval is also not required and relatively high power radio transmitters can be used, thus minimising the necessary infrastructure. The microphone unit may be used as a replacement for a conventional microphone/loudspeaker unit.
Advantageously, the arrangement is such that when the locating device is activated, the control device causes said radio transceiver to transmit an alarm signal. The alarm signal may be transmitted simultaneously with the signal containing position locating information or separately therefrom. For example, the alarm signal may be transmitted first and the signal containing position locating information may b
Crosland Donnie L.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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