Patent ID: 6028551
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A micro-miniature personal emergency geo-location transmitter unit beacon system of size less than 70 cubic centimeters comprising:antenna means for radiation transmission or emission to provide intermittent single burst coded signals for geo-location purposes, said coded signals including data indicating the identity of a user of said transmitter unit beacon system, said antenna means providing power densities at locations of one or more nodes of satellite or ground communication networks sufficient for said coded signals to be detected for the purpose of determining the location of said beacon;energy means to supply power to said transmitter unit beacon system and to provide broadcast power of at least five watts average to allow detection of a transmitted beacon system signal by said satellite or ground communication networks, said energy means comprising miniaturized batteries of at least 50 watt-hour per pound capacity;communications processing means, comprising a local oscillator or radiation source, modulation circuitry receiving a carrier signal from said source, an amplifier receiving the modulated carrier signal from said modulation circuitry, and said antenna with impedance-matching circuitry receiving said modulated carrier signal from said amplifier to radiate a modulated carrier coded signal for geo-location containing the identity of said user of said beacon;a central processor unit (CPU) means to control activation, operation and test of said beacon and provide transfer of said user identification data to said communications processing means;satellite or ground communication networks means, comprising networks nodes solely for cellular telephone or wireless data communications applications, to detect said beacon system coded signals by acquiring the same single burst transmission from said transmitter unit beacon at a multiplicity of said satellite or ground site communication networks nodes within line of sight of said beacon system, and route said beacon system coded signals to an operations center;an operations center, comprising means to determine a location of said beacon system from said single burst coded signals detected by said multiplicity of satellites or ground sites, including least squares minimization matrix methods, and means to track and report the location of said beacons that are activated.