| US 7,538,666 B2 | ||
| Automated accountability locating system | ||
| Robert A. Campman, Greenville, Pa. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Grace Industries, Inc., Fredonia, Pa. (US) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 06, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/515,836. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0061962 A1, Mar. 13, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. G08B 1/08 (2006.01); G08B 5/22 (2006.01); H04M 11/04 (2006.01); G01S 5/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 340—539.13 [340/825.36; 455/404.2; 342/357.07] | 19 Claims |

| 1. An automatic accountability system for locating and tracking personnel throughout an environment, said system comprising:
at least one locator transponder being positioned at various locations throughout the environment where the personnel pass
by or through, said at least one locator transponder being assigned a RF power level and the at least one locator transponder
having sensing means for detecting body heat of the passing personnel, a signal conditioning circuit for filtering and converting
the detected body heat to an analog signal, an analog to digital converter for converting the analog signal of the body heat
to a digital signal, a dipswitch being set to a unique code for identifying one of the various locations of the at least one
locator transponder in the environment where the personnel pass by or through, a microcontroller for reading the digital signal
and processing the digital signal with the unique code set by the dipswitch and reading the RF power level assigned to the
locator transponder with pending battery conditions of the at least one locator transponder, the microprocessor encoding the
digital signal, the RF power level, and the unique code into an encrypted data stream with error checking codes being added
for insuring message integrity and security, a low power radio frequency transmitter being turned on by the microcontroller,
and a power radio frequency transmitter modulating the digital signal according to the encrypted data stream and for transmitting
the unique location code with the encrypted data stream and error checking codes for securely identifying a location of the
at least one locator transponder;
at least one personal transceiver device being positioned on the passing personnel for receiving the location signal from
the at least one locator-transponder as the personnel pass by the at least one locator-transponder, the at least one personal
transceiver device transmitting a status signal having a received location code and an identification code, the identification
code identifying the at least one personal transceiver device and status of the personal transceiver device; and
a command base monitor for receiving the transmitted status signal and for recording, storing and displaying the location
of the personnel having the at least one personal transceiver device as the personnel passes throughout the building in which
the at least one locator-transponder device is positioned.
|