WO1995002874A1

WO1995002874A1 - Electronic device for continuous, or discontinuous, connection between persons and objects

Info

Publication number: WO1995002874A1
Application number: PCT/IT1994/000105
Authority: WO
Inventors: Girolamo Buonavoglia
Original assignee: Girolamo Buonavoglia
Priority date: 1993-07-15
Filing date: 1994-07-07
Publication date: 1995-01-26
Also published as: AU7274094A; EP0708952A1; BR9407196A; JPH09500226A; EP0708952B1; ATE150886T1; CA2166961A1; DE69402320D1

Abstract

Electronic unit for connection, which may or may not be continuous, between persons and objects and comprising two pocket-sized devices, the first being a receiver (10) and the second consisting of one or more transmitting bodies (30) connected by electromagnetic waves, there being special circuits for continuous evaluation of the direction and the distance between the receiver and the transmitters, alarm and operative functions being brought into action when an electronic reference threshold, that can be selected by the user, is exceeded, the purpose of this being protection against theft and loss and to facilitate automatic activation and deactivation of structural and electronic protection systems.

Description

Electronic device for continuous, or discontinuous, connection betweeen persons and objects The invention concerns alarm and safety devices for persons and mobile objects. A well-known feature of society today is the increasing frequency of thefts committed with dexterity, and the ease with which people lose wallets, bags, keys and doc¬ uments . Elderly people and children get lost in the streets, in gardens, in public places.

All these situations give rise to considerable problems and are the cause of serious trouble.

Purpose of the present invention is to provide an inex¬ pensive and easily carried device able to eliminate or reduce the seriousness of the above accidents by main¬ taining connections, which may even be continuous, by means of electromagnetic waves between the user and other persons and objects placed under the protection or at least under the control of the user making it easy to raise an alarm, operate means of security and various types of equipment. Subject of the invention is an electronic unit able to establish continuous, or intermittent, connection among persons or between persons and objects, said unit com¬ prising two devices, the first that here will be called a receiver, and the second formed of one or more bodies that will here be .^' caL-led a transmitter.

The receiver and each of the transmitters are connected by electromagnetic waves, to be employed respectively by the user and by the persons or objects who are under the projection or control of said user. The electromagnetic waves are, as the case may be, radio waves, microwaves, sound waves, supersonic waves, infra¬ red waves and others.

The receiving and transmitting devices have independent electric feed by batteries and the like or photoelectric panels .

The devices are preferably pocket-size and miniaturized. The signals sent out by the electromagne ic waves can be coded to prevent interference among transmitters. In one advantageous execution the receiver comprises one or more compartments each carrying one transmitter.

When each transmitter is physically separated from the receiver, there are special devices and circuits to acti¬ vate the separated receiver and transmitter. When each transmitter is physically reunited with the re- ceiver, said transmitter becomes deactivated.

When all transmitters are thus reunited, the receiver is deactivated. The automatic devices for activation and deactivation may be microswitches worked when the transmitter is con¬ nected with or disconnected from the receiver. The means for attraction and disactivation may be mag- netic attracting means that simultaneously retain the transmitter in the receiver and activate a magnetic micro- switch within the transmitter that deactivates it. At the moment of deactivation, as there is no magnetic field the microswitch reactivates the transmitter. Transmission by electromagnetic waves is made by using a double , or -multiple , ..carrier technique to improve recep¬ tion in closed environments or to overcome any blind spots that may be caused by obstacles or reflection of the signal. The transmitter sends out signals on one or more different frequencies, which are fixed or dynamically variable over time .

The receiver uses the alternative frequency instead of one which may have been weakened by obstacles or reflection. The transmitters can comprise a circuit which, due to ac- tivation of a special control device on said transmitter or due to emission of a vocal sound, produces a signal towards the receiver which then sends out an alarm signal useful for checking on the safety of children or of any person in need of help. Said vocal sound could be a baby crying. The transmitters can comprise a circuit containing an acous¬ tic warning which sounds when the transmitter receives from the receiver a certain signal; in this way the transmitter is relocalised when, for example, persons or objects have been found . A special circuit constantly evaluates the distance between transmitters and the receiver. Said distance is compared with an electronic threshold which the user modifies by means of a special selecting device.

Reaching the threshold sets off in the receiver one or more devices corresponding to alarm or some operative function when a certain distance, representing a given threshold value, is exceeded.

This alarm is acoustic or visual, or of both kinds. The chosen function is operated by a push button from among those available corresponding to that function. The device gives rise to an operative function if the threshold value is exceeded because a distance has been reached either greater than that corresponding to the threshold value, or lesser.

The purpose of this is to permit, for example, automatic remote activation of an anti-theft device for an automo- bile, for a home or some enclosed space, of an automatic closing device on a gate and a door or for deactivating a system, such as lighting or heating, when the user with the transmitter goes away from, for example, the automo¬ bile in which the receiver is installed, or else to permit the opposite functions when the user is approaching.

A special circuit and means of control, such as a two-way selector on the receiver, will set off the alarm - either when the distance between transmitter and recei¬ ver is increasing, - or when the variation of said distance is diminishing the first being useful when for example, persons or ob¬ jects should not move too far away, and the second when, for example, a search must be made for a lost person or object . The distance varying between a transmitter and a receiver is visualised numerically on the receiver. The distance can be found by measuring the delay in the echo signal compared with the signal sent out by the device called a receiver to a transmitter.

The distance can be found by measuring the time taken by a signal emitted by a transmittor or by the receiver when ordered to emit it by the other.

A special circuit constantly evaluates the direction be¬ tween the receiver and one or more of the transmitters visualising said direction .on:, a. ^' dial on the receiver. The direction may be analogically visualised on a linear or circular bar-graph or with pointers or with digits on a numerical display.

The direction may be measured by triangulation techniques. The direction of each transmitter in relation to the re¬ ceiver can be found by manual or automatic rotation of an antenna on the receiver and measuring the variation in amplitude of the echo signal in relation to that sent out by the device called a receiver, to a transmitter. The receiving and transmitting devices have independent electric feed by batteries and the like or by photoelec- trie panels .

Receiver and transmitters can be equipped with already known devices, operating on radio frequencies or with su¬ personic or infrared waves or by other means and can be completed with acoustic transducers, microphones and loud speakers and with devices suited to transmission and re¬ ception of Morse signals and be fitted with suitably power¬ ful batteries to permit use of the device in searching for persons or objects in difficult environmental conditions. Communication can thus be maintained between underwater divers and their boats on the surface, between emergency aid services and people lost in the snow, in fog or hid¬ den under avalanches. The invention offers evident advantages.

It possesses an exceptional degree of versatility which makes it adaptable to many kinds of uses. By keeping the receiver in an inside pocket or in some similar position or in any case close at hand, the user can be immediately informed if some person or object, to whom or to which a transmitter has been associated, goes away or is removed beyond the distance set by the receiver. The user can therefore be warned if a thief steals his wallet in some crowded means of public transport, or if he forgets his umbrella or to supervise his baggage. The advantages are also clear from the possible concrete examples of how the invention can be used. Entering a caffe, the user places his umbrella, to which one of the invented transmitters is attached, in an um¬ brella stand. On leaving he forgets to collect it. After walking away for a certain distance (the distance is that which said user has set on the device) the inven¬ ted receiver, in the user's coat pocket, sounds a warning signal .

A parent does not want his little boy, playing in a park, to get too far away, for example not more than 40 m. Using the knob of the potentiometer he sets this distance on the receiver and puts a transmitter into the child's clothing. If the child disobeys and goes off to far, the warning will sound and the parent be told.

A thief enters an apartment at night but one of the inven¬ ted transmitters has been mounted on the door, after care¬ ful measurement, also done by the device, of the distance between the door of the apartment and the occupier's bed. On opening the door the thief brings the transmitter clo¬ ser to the receiver, on the occupier's bedside table for example, thus setting off the warning signal. A shortsighted person does not remember where he has put down his glasses or the remote control to which the in¬ vented transmitters are applied, or else he wants to find his cat who likes to hide away and who has a transmitter on him.

The user sets a low value (e.g. 50-100 cm) on the receiver and then searches every corner in the house until a warn¬ ing informs;^' him^ that he is close to his glasses, his remote control device or to his cat.

In situations of extreme environmental difficulty, such as snow, fόg, under water and others, the arrival of help is enormously facilitated. Automatic activation of alarm signals can be made in auto- mobiles, at work, in the home, for closing gates and doors, for turning off lights, heating and other useful functions when the house occupier leaves home or gets out of his car. Said functions, even without specific action by the user, ensure protection in cases of forgetfulness or inability. On returning, the user can obtain automatic deactivation of alarm systems, opening of gates, doors and anything else. Generally speaking, with the electronic unit described the chances of losing people and objects are greatly les¬ sened, while activation and deactivation of alarms and systems generally, opening and closing of doors, structural and electronic means of protection are all facilitated, to the great comfort of the user.

The electronic unit described is extremely simple in its structure, is inexpensive and practical to use, thus per- mitting universal diffusion.

Characteristics and purposes will be made still clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by figures. Fig.1 The receiver of the electronic unit subject of the invention. Fig.2 One of the transmitters. Fig.3 Receiver with four ransmitters. Fig.4 Layout of the receiver

Fig.5 Layout of the transmitter.

Fig.6 Layout of the receiver with alternating logic of the carriers, for measuring distance. Fig.7 Layout of the receiver with alternating logic of the carriers for detection of direction.

Fig.8 Layout of receiver-transmitter for two-way commu¬ nication by voice and Morse. Fig.9 Layout of receiver-transmi ter for relocalizing a transmitter . The receiver 10 of electromagnetic waves, shaped like a flat box, has a compartment 11 to house the transmitter 30 of electromagnetic waves, this too shaped like a small flat box. The receiver 10 comprises a battery 12 for electricity, a microswitch 13 for connection to this electric feed, an antenna 14, an AF demodulator filter 15, a preampli¬ fier 16, a decoder amplifier 17, a comparator 18, a po¬ tentiometer 19 with graded scale 20, a slide selector 21, an output stage 22 for a visual or acoustic alarm signal, an analogico-digital converter 23, a 3-figure display 24, an electric ringer 25.

The transmitter 30 comprises a battery -31 for electric feed, a microswitch 32, an oscillator 33, a variable con¬ denser 34, an amplifier 35, a modulator 36, an antenna 37, a LED 38.

The receiver 40 possesses the essential features of the receiver 10 but instead has four compartments 41-44 sub- stantially the same as the compartment 11 of the recei¬ ver 10 housing the transmitter 30 and the transmitters 52-54 substantially the same as the transmitter 30. When idle the transmitter 30 is put in the housing 11 of the receiver 10.

When so placed the switch 13 of the receiver 10 and the switch 32 of the transmitter 30 are in the open posi¬ tion and therefore the electronic unit formed of the re¬ ceiver 10 and of the transmitter 30 is deactivated. Extraction of th,e transmitter 30 from the receiver clo¬ ses the above switches 13 and 32 which activates the re¬ ceiver and the transmitter.

In the oscillator 33 of the transmitter 30, a carrier is generated at the previously established frequency, by means of the variable condenser 34.

Said carrier, suitably amplified in the amplifier 35 and modulater in the AF modβlator 36, is sent to the antenna 37 for transmission of the signal. The receiving antenna 14 picks up the signals transmit- ted by the transmitter 30 and these are sent to the AF demodulator filter 15.

This filter eliminates the carrier and extracts the mo¬ dulator superimposed over it, on condition that the trans¬ mitter 30 has been tuned in, through the variable conden- ser 34, to the frequency of the receiver 10.

The AF demodulator filter 15 generates at its output a signal that is suitably preamplified in the preamplifier 16 and sent to the amplifier-decoder 17. Recognition of the code of modulation and amplifica ion takes place here. Said signal is compared in the compa¬ rator block 18, with a threshold, set by the user by means of the potentiometer 19 w.ith a rotating shaft. According to the position of the slide selector 21 pre¬ sent on the box holding the receiver 10, an output warn¬ ing signal will then be generated in one of the following cases : if the signal sent out by the transmitter goes beyond the established threshold because the distance between the transmitter that is moving away and the receiver exceeds a certain value ; if the signal sent out by the transmitter goes beyond said threshold . because the distance between the approach¬ ing transmitter and the receiver is less than said value.

The alarm signal is sent to the output stage 22 of the receiver 10 for a visual signal, by means of a LED 38, or an acoustic signal. Said alarm will therefore mean that the distance between the transmitter and the receiver is lesser or greater than a previously established value.

Simultaneously the signal sent out by the transmitter is sent to an A/D converter 23 and^' there changed into a nu- merical signal that appears on a display 24 to show the actual distance in metres between transmitter and receiver.

Operation at high frequency and the possibility of mount¬ ing the device with SMD circuits mean that both parts composing the invented device can be miniaturized, greatly reducing bulk and making it possible for one of them, par¬ ticularly the transmitter, to be incorporated into objects in use at the time of their manufacture.

Fig. 6 diagrammatically shows the use of a double carrier technique to find the distance between the receiving de- vice 59 and the transmitter 30.

The receiver 60 at A frequency alternates with the receiver 61 at B frequency by means of the carrier alternating logic 62.

The circuit 63 finds the amplitude variations on the ba¬ sis of which said distance is visualised in the circuit 64.

When the above mentioned threshold is exceeded the alarm is given activating the pilot light 65.

Figure 7 shows in diagrammatic form how the double car¬ rier technique is used to detect the angular position between the receiving'^' device 69 and the transmitter 30. The receiver 70 at A frequency alternates with the recei¬ ver 17 at B frequency by means of the carrier alternating logic 72. By rotation of the revolving head 74 controlled by the circuit 75, circuit 73 finds the amplitude variations in accordance with which the angular position between the receiver 69 and the transmitter 30 is visualised in the circuit 76. Indication of this position facilitates continuity of con- nection between the user who has the receiver and the per¬ son or object to be protected in possession of the trans¬ mitter.

Figure 8 shows in diagrammatic form an improvement to the electronic unit described by addition of receiver-transmitters for communication by voice as well, useful in the presence of snow, fog and the like, and also of the Morse system for communication under water.

The receiver device 80 comprises the receivers 81 and 82 which by two-way radio control 93 are connected alterna- tively to transmitters 91 and 92 of the transmitter 90. The microphone 86 and loudspreaker 87 can be seen. Morse type announcement or reply can be made with pushbutton 88. Transmitters 84 and 85 in the receiver 80 are alter¬ nately connected to the receivers 94 and 95 in the transmitter 90 by the two-way radio control 83. The microphone 96 and loudspeaker 97 can be seen. Morse type announcement and reply can be made with the pushbuttons 88 and 98.

Figure 9 shows diagrammatically an electronic unit with receiver and transmitter in sealed shockproof containers provided with circuits for relocalizing the transmitter and therefore persons or objects to be controlled and protected in the event of contact having been lost. The receiver 100 comprises the receiver circuits 101 and 102 which are connected, at normal power, with the trans¬ mitter circuits 101.and 102 of the transmitter 100. If the circuit 113 shows an interruption in the signal, by means of the pushbutton 118 a maximum power signal can be sent to the receiving circuits 104 and 105 in the transmitter 100 by the transmitting circuits 114 and 115, and diffused by the loud speaker 106. This acoustic signal assists in finding the object or per¬ son connected to the transmitter, by the user connected to the receiver.

Said acoustic signal can function authomatically if the connection has gone too far away or is lost. The transmitter will in any case emit the maximum power in making the acoustic signal increasing the power of emission of its own localizing signal so as to remake the lost connection.

Claims

C l a ims

1. Electronic device for continuous, or discontinuous connection between persons and objects characterized in that it comprises two parts, the first here called a receiver ( 10, 0,59,69,80, 110) and the se¬ cond formed of one or more bodies here called transmit¬ ters (30,52-54,90, 100), the receiver ( 10,40,59,69,80, 110) and each of the transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100) be¬ ing connected by electromagnetic waves or similar means and respectively -'to Be used by the user and the persons or objects placed under the protection and control of said user .

2. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that, according to the device concerned, the electromagnetic waves are radio waves, microwaves, sound waves, ultrasonic waves, infrared and others.

3. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that the structures of the parts ( 10,40, 59,69,80, 110) (30,52-54,90, 100) are miniaturized or in any case pocket size.

4. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that the receivers ( 10,40,59,69,80, 110) and the transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100) have an indepen¬ dent electrical feed by means of batteries ( 12,31) and the like or photoelectric panels.

5. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that the signals transmitted by the electromagnetic waves are coded so as to prevent inter¬ ference among transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100).

6. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that the receiver ( 10,40,59,69,80, 100) comprises one or more compartments ( 11,41-44) each one for housing one of the transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100).

7. Electronic device as in claim 6, characterized in that, at the moment of physical separa^¬ tion of each of the transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100) from the receiver ( 10, 0,59,69,80, 110) special means ( 13,32) and circuits bring about activation of the receiver and of the transmitter, now separate, and at the moment of physical reinsertion of each transmitter in the receiver, determine _' deactivation of the transmitter and determine, when all the transmitters are reinserted, deactivation of the receiver.

8. Electronic device as in claim 7, characterized in that the means for automatic -activation and deactivation are microswitches ' ( 13, 32) worked by inser- tion and removal of the transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100) in relation to. the receiver ( 10, 40,59, 69, -80, 110). '

9. Electronic device as in claim 7, characterized in that the devices for activation and deac¬ tivation are means of magnetic. attraction that simultan- eously . determine retainment of the transmitter (30,52-54, 90, 100) in the receiver ( 10,40,59,69,80, 110) and activa¬ tion within the transmitter of a magnetic microswitch that deactivates it while, on detachment, for lack of a magnetic field, the microswitch puts the transmitter back into ope- ratio .

10. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that transmission between transmitters (30,52-54,90 100) and receiver ( 10, 0,59,69,80, 110) with electromagnetic waves, takes place by means of a double or multiple carrier technique to improve reception in enclosed environments or to overcome any blind spots caused by ob¬ stacles or reflection of the signal by transmission circuits (84 ,85)( 101 , 102) ( 11 , 115) and by reception circuits (60,

61) (70,71) (81,82) (94,95) (104, 105) 111, 112), on one or more different frequencies, fixed or dynamically variable over time, the alternative frequency taking over to sub- stitute that which might be weakened by obstacles or by reflection.

11. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that the transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100) comprise a circuit which, following a special command gi- ven to said transmit-ter or following a vocal sound, sends a signal to the receiver ( 10,40,59,69,80, 110) such as will create on said receiver an alarm signal useful for control and safeguarding of children and of people generally in need of help, the vocal sound even being the crying of a child.

12. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter (30,52-54,90, 100) comprises a circuit on which is an emitter of acoustic signals ( 106) which functions automatically whenever said transmitter loses connection with the receiver ( 10,40, 59,69,80, 110) and also when the receiver ,having lost said connection, sends a signal to the transmitter to permit relocalization of the transmitter and so enables the persons and objects to be found again.

13. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that a special circuit continuously eval¬ uates the distance between the transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100) and the receiver ( 10,40,59,69, 110), said distance being constantly compared with an electronic threshold whose value can be modified by the user by means of a selector ( 19), and determines in the receiver entry into effect of one or more devices corresponding to alarm or to operative functions when a certain distance, corres¬ ponding to a certain threshold, is exceeded, the alarm device being acoustic or visual or of both types, the chosen function being put into effect by pressing a push button, corresponding to the chosen function, from among those available.

14. Electronic device as in claim 13, characterized in that the device whose function is to give an alarm or execute a function comes into effect if the threshold value^-' is exceeded by a distance having been reached that is greater than that corresponding to the threshold value or is lesser, and this in order to permit a remote control device, for example, to switch on auto¬ matically an anti-theft system for an automobile, for a home, for indoor environments generally, to activate au¬ tomatic closure of a gate or door, or to turn off, for example, a lighting or heating system when the user in possession of the transmitter (30,52-54,90, 100) leaves some place, for example, an automobile in which the re- ceiver is installed, and to permit the opposite operations to take place when the user once more approaches the place

15. Electronic device as in claim 13, characterized in that a special circuit when in receipt of an adequate command such as that given by a two-posi- tion selector (21) on the receiver ( 10,40,59,69, 110) sets off the alarm as desired: -either when the distance between transmitters and the re¬ ceiver -( 10,40,59,69,80, 110) is increasing, -or when the variation of said distance is diminishing, the first being useful when for example, it is desired to prevent persons or objects from moving away, and the second when searching for a lost person or object.

16. Electronic device as in claim 13, characterized in that the changing distance between a transmitter (30,52-54,90, 100) and the receiver ( 10,40, 59,69,80, 110) is visualised on a numerical display (24).

17. Electronic device as in claim 13, characterized in that the distance is found by measur¬ ing the delay in the echo signal in relation to the sig¬ nal sent by the device, called a receiver ( 10, 0,59,69, 80, 110) to a transmitter (30,52-54,90, 100).

18. Electronic device as in claim 13, characterized in that the distance is found by measur¬ ing the time taken for arrival of a signal sent out by a transmitter (30,52-54,90, 100) or by the receiver ( 10, 40,59,69,80, 110) at the request of the other.

19. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that a special circuit constantly eval¬ uates the direction between the receiver ( 10,40,59,69, 80, 110) and one or more of the transmitters (30,52-54, 90, 100) said direction being visualised on a dial (76). placed on the receiver for that purpose.

20. Electronic device as in claim 19, characterized in that the direction is visualised analo¬ gically on a linear or circular bar-graph (76) either with pointers or with digits on a numerical display.

21. Electronic device as in claim 19, characterized in that the direction is measured by means of triangulat ion techniques.

22. Electronic device as in claim 19, characterized in that the direction of each device called a transmitter (30,52-54,90, 100) is found by manual or au¬ tomatic rotation of an antenna on the device called a re¬ ceiver ( 10,40,59,69, 110) and by measuring the variation in amplitude of the echo signal in relation to that sent by the receiver to a transmitter.

23. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that the receiver ( 10,40,59,69,80, 110) and the transmitters (30,52-54,90, 100) are pro¬ vided with devices functioning at radio frequency or at supersonic channels or infrared or with other means and completed with acoustic transducers, microphones (86) and loudspeakers (87) and are equipped with bat- teries of suitable p'όwer so that use can be made of the instrument for communication and aid when searching for persons and objects under difficult environmental conditions such as in snow, fog, at low temperatures and similar situations of hard weather, making possible communication between .search. parties and people lost or hidden under avalanches or in any case needing help.

24. Electronic device as in claim 1, characterized in that the receiver ( 10, 0,59,69,80, 110) and the transmitters (30, 52-54^*, 90, 100) are protected by sealed antishock containers and are fitted with devices operating at radio frequency or with . supersonic channels or infrared or other means and are completed with trans¬ ducers and means (88,89) suitable for transmitting and receiving Morse type signals so that communication can be made even without use of the voice, for example as in the case of underwater communication.