Safety Monitoring and Locating System

Abstract

A monitoring system includes a user unit and a base station. The user unit includes a radio beacon that transmits a radio signal identifying a particular user. The base station includes a radio receiver that receives the radio signal, a processor that formats the received radio signal for display on an output device, and an output device that displays an indication of reception of the radio signal and an indication of the identity of the user. The user unit can also include a sensor interface that receives an output signal from a sensor device, and a processor that formats the sensor device output signal for transmission by the radio beacon as a component of the radio signal. The base station processor can also format the received radio signal for display on the output device such that the content of the sensor device output signal is displayed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the system of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the user unit of the invention, shown worn by a user.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the user unit of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the base station of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary network according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the base station of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the base station of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a tagging system of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a tagging system of the invention.

Claims

1. A monitoring system, comprising: a user unit; anda base station;wherein the user unit includes a radio beacon that is adapted to transmit a radio signal identifying a particular user; andwherein the base station includes a radio receiver that is adapted to receive the radio signal,a base station processor that is adapted to format the received radio signal for display on an output device, andan output device that is communicatively connected to the base station processor and displays an indication of reception of the radio signal and an indication of the identity of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user unit is adapted to be coupled to a user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a controller, communicatively coupled to the base station, that is adapted to control a device external to the system according to the received sensor device output signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system is disposed on a ship, and wherein the external device is the ship's engine controller.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the received sensor device output signal is a man overboard signal, and the controller is adapted to switch the ship's engine controller to idle on reception of the sensor device output signal by the base station.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor interface is adapted to receive the output signal from any of a number of different types of sensor devices.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the user unit includes a sensor device that is coupled to the sensor interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor device is selected from the group consisting of moisture sensors, motion sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, and heart rate sensors.

10. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of user units and a network, wherein each said user unit is connected as a node of the network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the network is a wireless network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless network is a mesh network.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising at least one signal repeater that receives the radio beacon signal and re-transmits the radio beacon signal to a node of the network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one signal repeater is connected as a node of the network.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the at least one signal repeater is coupled for wired communication with at least the base station.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the at least one signal repeater is adapted for powerline communication with at least the base station.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one node is adapted to determine communication conditions of the network and to select between wired and wireless communication for the network depending on the determined communication conditions.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the base station is connected as a node of the wireless network.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the base station is connected as a node of the wireless network.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of user units each includes a respective radio beacon that is adapted to transmit a radio signal at a selected one of a plurality of selectable frequencies, and wherein the wireless network is adapted to operate at least the one selected frequency.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one node is adapted to determine communication conditions of the network and to determine the selected one of the plurality of selectable frequencies depending on the determined communication conditions.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the base station is connected as a node of the wireless network.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station includes an alarm.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the base station is adapted to actuate the alarm if the radio signal is not received by the base station within a predetermined time interval.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the alarm is at least one of an auditory alarm, a visual alarm, and a vibrational alarm.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station includes a transmitter, and the base station processor is adapted to format the received radio signal for transmission of radio signal information by the transmitter to a remote receiver.

27. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one RFID tag, wherein the user unit includes a tag reader that is adapted to read a signature of the RFID tag.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the RFID tag includes a passive signature, and the tag reader is adapted to read the passive signature.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the tag reader includes a transponder that is adapted to interrogate the RFID tag, the RFID tag is adapted to provide a signature in response to the interrogation, and the tag reader is adapted to read the signature.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the user unit includes a user unit processor and a user unit memory device, wherein the user unit processor is adapted to store signature data corresponding to the read signature in the memory device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the user unit includes a timing device that generates a timing signal, and the processor is adapted to provide tag information that includes the signature data and a time value associated with the timing signal.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the user unit processor is adapted to include the signature data in the radio signal.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the base station includes a base station memory device, wherein the base station processor is adapted to store the signature data in the base station memory device.

34. The system of claim 1, further including at least one RFID tag reader, wherein the user unit includes an RFID tag and the tag reader is adapted to read a user signature of the RFID tag.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein at least one of the at least one RFID tag reader is coupled for wired communication with at least the base station.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the at least one of the at least one RFID tag reader is adapted for powerline communication with at least the base station.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the RFID tag includes a passive signature, and the tag reader is adapted to read the passive signature.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the tag reader includes a transponder that is adapted to interrogate the RFID tag, the RFID tag is adapted to provide a signature in response to the interrogation, and the tag reader is adapted to read the signature.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein the tag reader includes a transmitter that is adapted to transmit the user signature to the base station.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the tag reader transmits the user signature to the base station on receiving the user signature.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the tag reader includes a receiver,the base station includes a transmitter,the base station processor is adapted to cause the transmitter to transmit a user signature request to the tag reader, andthe tag reader is adapted to receive the user signature request and to transmit the user signature to the base station on receiving the user signature request.

42. The system of claim 34, wherein the tag reader includes a memory device in which the user signature is stored.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein the tag reader includes a timing device that generates a timing signal, and the tag reader is adapted to provide a time value associated with the timing signal and bound to the user signature.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein the user unit includes a timing device that generates a timing signal, and the user unit processor is adapted to provide a time value associated with the timing signal and bound to the user signature.

45. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station is a portable device.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein the output device is a portable device that is adapted to communicate wirelessly with other components of the base station.