ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT FOR THE IDENTIFICATION, CONTROL AND SAFETY OF GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS IN MOBILITY

Abstract

 ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT FOR THE IDENTIFICATION, CONTROL AND SAFETY OF GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS IN MOBILITY, comprising identification bracelets (one by group member) with RFID label for the periodical transmission of identification signals, SD card and mobile device with SD slot for the reception of the identification radio frequency signals transmitted by the bracelet and treatment of data contained within it. The mobile device is a PDA or UMPC or other, able to receive signal in a continuous manner, differentiate the potency, distinguish whether it is in a fewer centimetres rage, which signals it receives, make listings, warn if one or more bracelets have not been received, implement a search and identify a bracelet and show data. Furthermore, it is contemplated a PC computer which the mobile device is synchronized with, provided with application and repository for managing data of individuals and bracelets and theirs relationships.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention, as set forth in the statement of the present specification, relates to an electronic equipment for the identification, control and safety of groups of individuals in mobility, imparting to the function it is intended to, remarkable advantages and innovative characteristics, compared with other systems currently known in the market for the same purpose.

[0002] More particularly, the object of the invention focuses on a equipment with electronic devices which, being applicable for groups of children, old people, disabled people, tourists, etc., in excursions, guided tours, spare time trips, camps, or other activities requiring the group's mobility, and being basically formed by a mobile device controlled by the person responsible of the group and a plurality of devices with radio frequency capabilities, preferably consisting of a number of bracelets, worn by each one o the group's individuals, is aimed to constitute a system for the identification, control and safety of the refered group of individuals in said circumstances of mobility in a continual and autonomous way, allowing the person responsible of the group to keep in every moment under control, each, of the group's members, both in a overall way and individually, allowing the person, furthermore, among other advantages, to have access to further information about different aspects of each one of the monitored individuals.

APPLICATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The application field of the present invention is framed within the technical field of radio frequency identification technologies, applied to the safety of groups of people in mobility.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] As it is known, radio frequency identification is a remote data storage and recovery system which uses devices called transponders or radio frequency identification tags. The main purpose of the radio frequency indentification technology is transmitting the identity of an object (similar to a unique serial number) through radio frequency waves. The radio frequency identification technologies are grouped within the so called Auto ID (Automatic Identification).

[0005] A radio frequency identification, tag is a little device, which can be adhered or incorporated to a product, animal or person. They contain antennas in order to allow them to receive and answer to radio frequency demands from a radio frequency identification transmitter-receiver, frequently called radio frequency identification readers. The passive tags have no need of inner electrical supply, whilst the active ones do have this need, using usually a battery to this end. One of the advantages of using radio frequency (instead of, for example, the infrared technology) is that a direct view between transmitter and receiver is not required.

[0006] Based on this technology systems are appearing which allow, detecting the transit of people (passive radio frequency identification), or locating people within an area (active radio frequency identification), providing more complete traceability and safety solutions.

[0007] In the state of the art we find:

• Systems for tracking people with fixed infrastructures and based on active radio frequency identification: Utility Model ES 1064033 U, ES Patent 2303465. These are composed mainly of an infrastructure of readers and antennas located in the transit zones for people, which are provided with an active radio frequency identification card which is identified when the person transits by the zone with antennas. These systems allow a certain distance (typically of a few meters) between tag and antenna for a correct identification.
• Systems based on objects identification using mobile readers: Patent IP 0700437, ES 2159502. These are composed of a mobile device acting as radio frequency identification reader which allows, at higher (active radio frequency identification) o lower (passive radio frequency identification) distance, the control mainly of objects.
• Systems based on the detection of objects moving away: Patent IP 0700437. Systems which detect the movement of an object away form a central reader.
• Systems for the safety of objects: ES patent 2280888. Systems based on radio frequency identification for preventing objects from being theft.

[0008] Therefore the radio frequency identification technology is combined in a different way to obtain different solutions:

• Infrastructure of antennas and fixed readers for the identification of the transit of passive (with action by the user) or active (for the automatic detection of the transit of people and objects) radio frequency identification tags. It allows the traceability and/or the tracking down of people and objects.
• Utilization of Mobile radio frequency identification readers, used mainly by individuals, for the identification of people and objects using mainly passive radio frequency identification tags and through the approaching of the radio frequency identification reader.
• Use of fixed and mobile radio frequency identification readers for detecting the movement away of active radio frequency identification tags, with antitheft safety purposes.

[0009] The combination and the different use of the radio frequency identification technology offers various solutions for problems of objects and people identification, traceability, tracking down, control, safety, etc., however, in the current state of the art it is found no document or patent which, as the invention herein proposed, gives a solution for the following general situation:

• Group of individuals assigned to one (or several) person(s), responsible for their safety in determined timeframes.
• Both the group and the responsible have geographic mobility at any level (inside a building, outdoor enclosure, unenclosed space, displacements between distinct geographic locations, etc.).
• the individuals of the group are exposed to get lost, want to escape from the group's discipline, stay forgotten in a place once the group has left it, or their identification being necessary for accessing to relevant data (identification, medical, familiar environment-related, contact data, etc.)

[0010] Therefore, the objects of the present invention are:

• The remote identification (meters) of the individuals by the responsible in order to:

  * Control the presence of the individuals of the group both specific (group listings, on demand of the responsible) and continuous (safety radius, in an autonomous way without needing the interaction by the responsible)

  * Search for lost individuals

• the identification in a short distance (centimetres) of the individuals by the responsible for the:

  * Univocal identification of the individual

  * Access to critical data (medical, familiar environment-related) for safety in situations such as possible allergies to meals, environment or medication, picking up by unauthorized people, etc.

[0011] The current state of the art does not solve all the challenges posed for covering the described situation:

• allowing the differentiation between remote identification (meters) of the individuals and identification by approaching (centimetres) the radio frequency identification reader or receiver to the identification tag or bracelet. The radio frequency identification technology is thought for identification without differentiating the distance. A system identifies or not, without considering the distance, only in case of reception or not in a radio frequency identification reader of the signal transmitted by a tag.
• Allowing the continuous identification in time and in mobility of all the components of the system.
• Manage the identification and the information for the control of specific and continuous presence.

[0012] Thus, therefore, by the applicant, it is unknown the existence of any other invention presenting technical, structural and configuration characteristics similar to the ones presented by the electronic equipment for the identification, control and safety of groups of individuals in mobility herein proposed, whose characterizing and distinctive details relating to what is yet known, are exhausted developed below and are conveniently collected in the final claims accompanying the present specification.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Thus, therefore, and as has been pointed previously, the invention proposes an electronic equipment for the identification, control and safety of groups of individuals in mobility which constitutes a tool for tracking down, identification and safety of a group of individuals in mobility in a continuous and autonomous way, allowing to a person have in every moment under control each and everyone of the group's persons.

[0014] The equipment is intended to being applied in caring of groups (children, old people, disabled people ...) in excursions, guided tours, group trips, camps, spare time places, etc., preventing the risk of some of the group's components getting lost, besides of having a database of interest for each person.

[0015] To this end the equipment comprises, basically, a mobile device, consisting of a smartphone or of a tablet, or any portable device with capacity of transmitting and receiving the radio frequency identification signals, or atl least a port to connect a reception adaptor, which the person responsible of the group works with and, in the case of no having the capacity of transmitting an receiving radio frequency identification signals, which is provided with a SD card-like adaptor or USB-like adaptor or any other adaptor corresponding to the available port in the mobile device which adds the referred capacity of transmitting and receiving this kind of signals, and a plurality of devices with transceiver or radio frequency identification tag, preferably consisting of bracelets, worn by each one of the group's individuals, and finally a PC in which a software application is incorporated and a repository in order to allow the management of the individuals, of the groups, and the assignment of bracelets, as well as the possibility of managing information from different group responsibles, access permissions to the information, etc. The mobile device is able to synchronize the information managed in the PC for its subsequent use.

[0016] Thus, for example, in a possible use of the equipment, wherein a group of children goes for an excursion, a monitor or responsible of the group posses a mobile device (smartphone or tablet or any other mobile device) whilst the children, each one, wear a bracelet. The bracelet emits a radio frequency identification signal once every pseudo-random pre-defined period and it's received by the mobile device, which decides if they are within a range of about 20 meters.

[0017] Thanks to the continuous reception of the bracelets' identification, the monitor gets access to different functionalities:

• Lists Control: the responsible shall be able to make an entry listing of the children at the beginning of the excursion, check at any time that all the children are in a close radius and, at the end of the excursion, make an exit register of the members. To this end, the responsible just pushing a button shall be able to "call register" so that the mobile device identifies all of the bracelets being in the surrounding area.
• Individual Control: besides the "group" lists control explained above, one shall be also able to make a listing, one by one, of the users with bracelet, by approaching the mobile device to each bracelet of each child.
• Individual Information: the monitor, by approaching the mobile device to the bracelet, shall have access to data related to the bracelet's user (name, surname, information of interest, as for example people authorized for picking up a child, medical data, etc.).
• Safety Radius: the mobile device shall be able to warn the monitor if any of the children was not detected during a determined period of time (for example 2 minutes), in order to prevent a child from getting lost.
• Search for a child: the monitor shall be able to select a child so that the mobile device searches for the signal of a child who can have got lost.

[0018] Beside the described functionalities, a PC application is provided, allowing the management of the individuals, of the groups, and the assignment of bracelets, as well as the possibility of managing information by the monitors, permissions for accessing to the information, etc. The mobile device is able to synchronize the information managed in the PC for its subsequent use described in the above points.

[0019] Additionally, it is contemplated the possibility of incorporating to the equipment, as long as the circumstances allow it, being particularly optimal for its use indoor, one o more fixed beacons, in the area to be monitorized, thus getting a higher coverage and, even, the advantage of being able to track down, in certain defined areas, where both the bracelet and the mobile device is located in every moment.

[0020] Briefly, the advantages of the invention in relation with the current state of the art are essentially the following:
It is a mobile identification electronic equipment based on radio frequency comprising a plurality of identification bracelets (one by each member of the group) small in size, provided with a transceiver or a radio frequency identification tag for sending identification signals each predefined pseudo-random period of time and receiving data, and a mobile device allowing, either by means of its own capacity or by the use of an adaptor attached to on of its ports like a SD-like (secure digital), card or a USB-like adaptor, or any other available port adaptor, the transmission of data and, the reception of the RF identification signals transmitted by the identification bracelets, as well as the data treatment.

[0021] Moreover, it is contemplated the existence of a PC computer, for managing the data of the individuals and of the identification bracelets and its relationships.

[0022] The aforementioned mobile device can be a smartphone or tablet or any portable device, being able to receive the identification signals from one or more identification bracelets, as well as to discriminate the potency of the received identification signals strength, being able to distinguish if one of the bracelets is in between a radius of meters or centimetres by fixing, a received power threshold.

[0023] It is to be remarked, furthermore, that the mobile device can receive in a continuous manner the identification signals without needing of interaction by the responsible user, and synchronizes itself with the computer's information.

[0024] The mobile device, can distinguish specifically which received identification signals from the bracelets are within its coverage radius in order to known if one of the brecelets (or individuals wearing them), is missing, being able to make group listings of the entry of individuals, specific, and of the exit.

[0025] The mobile device can warn if one or more bracelets have not been received in a determined time (safety radius).

[0026] Furthermore, thanks to the possibility of differentiation of the signals, received power, it implements the search of one or more bracelets (or individuals wearing them).

[0027] The mobile device allows, by the possibility of distinguish whether the bracelet is in a centimetres range from itself, the identification of a bracelet and the representation of data (personal, medical, environmental, etc.) corresponding to the individual wearing it.

[0028] A fixed beacon infrastructure can be used in order to increase the location range of the system and to track down both the bracelets and the mobile device in pre-defined areas.

[0029] The described electronic equipment for the identification, control and safety of groups of individuals in mobility represents, then, an innovative structure with structural and constitutive characteristics unknown so far to this end, reasons which in combination with its practical utility, provide it with enough basis to obtain the exclusivity privilege which is applied for.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to complement the description being fulfilled and with the aim of helping to a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the present specification is accompanied, as an integral part thereof, by a set of plans, in which by way of illustration and not of limitation, is represented the following:
Figure number 1.- shows a schematic view of the three basic elements of the equipment object of the invention and theirs interactions: identification bracelets, which emit the identification signal, received by mobile devices, which can synchronize the information with the PC.

[0031] In light of the mentioned figures, and according to the numbering taken on them, it is noted how the device in question comprises the following elements:
A plurality of bracelets (1) with a transceiver radio frequency identification tag, a mobile device (2) with Radio Frequency adaptor (for example SD card or USB adaptor) and a PC (3).

[0032] The PC (3) is a personal computer where the system's managing software is installed, for which it is provided with a application in which one shall be able to manage all the devices and users of the system, as well as the a data repository which shall include the data of the application.

[0033] The mobile device (2) consists on a smartphone or of a tablet or any other mobile device and, either by means of its own capabilities of transmitting/receiving radio frequency signals or through the use of any adaptor attached to an available port, a a SD-like card, a USB-like adaptor or any other adaptor adapted to the port, will allow the control of the bracelets (1) according to the configuration made in the application of the PC (3), so that it will allow the display of the data and the control of the bracelets (1) with the corresponding functionalities, while the data repository contains a replica of the PC's database (3).

[0034] The mobile device (2), as it is represented in figure 1, synchronizes the data of the database managed in the PC (3), so that, from the identification signals transmitted by the bracelets (1) and the data of the data repository can offer the functionalities of lists control, individual control and identification, search and safety radius.

[0035] Talking about the bracelets (1), each one of them consists on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) as a support for a transceiver or radio frequency identification tag, i.e., of radio frequency based on the standard IEEE 802.15.4 (such as the CC2530 type from Texas Instruments) plus the additional components needed for its operation (2 crystals for the watches, decoupling capacitors, polarization resistors, adaptation for the RF port and antenna).

[0036] The antenna is, for example, an microstrip antenna adapted by a commercial balun.

[0037] The whole device is fed through a battery holder for a watch battery.

[0038] Each bracelet (1) transmits an identification frame, containing the OUI (Organizationally Unique Identifier) of the device and a variable indicating the status of the battery radio frequency identification, resting between transmissions in low consumption mode.

[0039] To this end the bracelet's firmware consist of four different blocks:

• Radio frequency control
• Timing of tracking down frames
• Button control
• Battery control
• The radio frequency control block is in charge of the transmission of ZigBee frames.
• The tracking down frames timing block is in charge of the randomization of the time between frames in order to prevent collisions and builds the tracking down frame to be transmitted. It also includes the data of the battery level in the frame.
• The button control block runs the interruption attention routine when the bracelet's button is pushed.
• The battery control block monitorizes the battery level and determines whether said value is above the minimum value for the operation of the bracelet.

[0040] In case of using, for example, a SD type memory card, the mobile device (2) is provided with is, for example, a ZigBee-SDIO card, and consist of a PCB as support, for example a CC2430 from Texas Instruments, plus the additional components needed for its operation (2 crystals for the watches, decoupling capacitors, polarization resistors, adaptation for the RF port and antenna).

[0041] The antenna is, for example, a microstrip antenna adapted by a commercial balun.

[0042] The device is fed through the SD interface being introduced in the Host's slot, i.e., of the mobile device (2).

[0043] The firmware of the mobile device (2) consists of two different blocks:

• RF control
• Interface SDIO control

[0044] The radio frequency control block is in charge of the reception of ZigBee frames. When a frame is stored and in the control block of the SDIO interface an event is generated, so that this generates an interruption to the host.

[0045] The SDIO interface control block manages the communications through the SD interface generating the answers to the received commands.

[0046] In case that the mobile device (2) is a smartphone, this one, whose only requirement will be that it has a operating system compatible with the application of the PC and it contains a slot for the SD memory card, thanks to the continuous reception of the identification from the bracelets (1), offers the following functionalities:
Lists control: it allows making an entry listing of the bracelet wearers (1), checking at any time whether all the bracelet wearers are within a close radius and an exit register of the members.

• Individual control: besides the "group" lists control explained above, one shall be also able to make a listing, one by one, of the users with bracelet, by approaching the mobile device to each bracelet.
• Individual Information: the monitor, by approaching the mobile device to the bracelet, shall have access to data related to the bracelet's user (name, surname, information of interest, as for example people authorized for picking up a child, medical data, etc.).
• Safety Radius: the mobile device shall be able to warn the monitor if any of the children was not detected during a determined period of time (for example 5 minutes), in order to prevent a child from getting lost.
• Search for a user with a bracelet: allows the selection of a user with a bracelet so that the mobile device searches for the signal of a child who can have got lost.
• Synchronization with the PC's database: it allows synchronizing the data from the PC's database managed by the application, so that in the smartphone one has the data of the bracelets, of the bracelet wearers, and theirs relationships.

[0047] The same functionalities offered in the smartphone, are offered for small sized computers such as the tablets. Therefore, through the tablet it is also possible to make:

• Lists control
• Individual control
• Individual information
• Search
• Safety radius

[0048] Any tablet commercially available can be used, which has a 7 inches screen, compatible operating system and SD slot or USB port.

[0049] The PC's application, on its part, allows the management of the users wearing the bracelets and of the bracelets, by offering:

• Managing of the users: allows the creation, modification, and deletion of the data of the users.
• Managing of groups: allows the management of the users in groups.
• Managing of bracelets: allows the creation, modification, and deletion of the data of the system's bracelets.
• Assignment of bracelets to the users: allows the assignment of the bracelets to the users for their subsequent relationship in the identification and other functionalities offered in the mobile devices.
• Synchronization: in order to allow the data synchronization.

[0050] Finally, it can be highlighted that, additionally, it is contemplated the incorporation to the equipment of one ore more beacons (not represented in figures) fixed to the area to be monitorized, intended to get a higher coverage and be able to track down in certain defined areas where is each bracelet in each moment, being composed of a PCB as support (for example a CC2430 from Texas Instruments or new versions), plus the additional components needed for its operation: two crystals for the watches, decoupling capacitors, polarization resistors, adaptation for the RF port, alimentation and antenna.

[0051] Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention, as well as a way of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to make a more extensive explanation in order that any expert in this area will understand its scope and the advantages that can be derived from it, making known that, within reason it could be put into practice in other embodiments differing in detail from that indicated by way of example, and which will obtain the same degree of protection, provided that they do not alter, change, or modify its fundamental principle.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment of identification, control and safety of groups of individuals in mobility; characterized in that the electronic equipment comprises a plurality of small sized Identification bracelets (1), one for each member of the group; the Identification bracelets (1) is provided with a RFID tag for the periodical transmission identification signals to at least a mobile device, wherein the mobile device comprises at least a slot for an SD card configured to receive the periodical transmission identification signals transmitted by the RFID tags; and discriminated the potency of the identification signals transmitted by the RFID tags.

2. Electronic equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the mobile device (2) is a personal digital assistant, PDA, ultra-mobile PC, UMPC, or a portable device with a slot for an SD card.

3. Electronic equipment according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the mobile device (2) is synchronized with a PC computer (3) for managing of data of the identification bracelets (1).

4. Electronic equipment according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the electronic equipment comprises one or more fixed beacons in the area to be monitored for increasing the coverage and transmit information in certain defined areas where both the bracelets (1) and the mobile devices (2).

Drawing