Patent Publication Number: US-10332375-B1

Title: Tracking assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to tracking devices and more particularly pertains to a new tracking device for tracking a second user with respect to a first user. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an electronic device. A first tracking unit is provided and the first tracking unit is selectively worn on a first user. The first tracking device is in electrical communication with the electronic device. Moreover, the electronic device programs a predetermined trigger distance into the first tracking unit. A second tracking unit is provided and the second tracking unit is selectively worn on a second user. The second tracking unit is in electrical communication with the first tracking unit to determine a location of the second tracking unit with respect to the first tracking unit. In this way the second tracking unit facilitates the first user to track the second user. The first tracking unit generates an alert when the second tracking unit moves beyond the predetermined trigger distance with respect to the first tracking unit. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a tracking assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom phantom view of first tracking unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of a first tracking unit of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new tracking device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the tracking assembly  10  generally comprises an electronic device  12  that includes a primary transceiver  14 . The electronic device  12  may be a smart phone or the like and the primary transceiver  14  may be a radio frequency transceiver or the like. Moreover, the primary transceiver  14  may employ a WPAN signal and Bluetooth communication protocols. 
     A first tracking unit  16  is provided and the first tracking unit  16  is selectively worn on or carried by a first user  18 . The first user  18  may be a parent, a caregiver or other individual put in charge of keeping track of a second user  20 . The first tracking unit  16  is in electrical communication with the electronic device  12  and the electronic device  12  programs a predetermined trigger distance into the first tracking unit  16 . The predetermined trigger distance may be a selected distance ranging between approximately 15.0 meters and 90.0 meters. Additionally, the electronic device  12  may control all operational parameters of the first tracking unit  16 . 
     The first tracking unit  16  comprises a first band  22  that is selectively worn on the first user  18  and a first housing  24  that is removably coupled to the first band  22 . The first housing  24  may be a watch body or the like. A first elastic strap  25  is provided and the first elastic strap  25  is coupled to the first housing  24 . The first elastic strap  25  may be coupled to an object when the first tracking unit is not being worn. The object may be the first user&#39;s  18  clothing or the like. A first processor  26  is positioned within the first housing  24  and the first processor  26  selectively generates an alarm sequence. The first processor  26  may be an electronic processor or the like. 
     A first transceiver  28  is positioned within the first housing  24  and the first transceiver  28  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26 . The first transceiver  28  is in electrical communication with the primary transceiver  14  such that the first transceiver  28  receives the predetermined trigger distance from the primary transceiver  14 . The first transceiver  28  may be a radio frequency transceiver or the like. Additionally, the first transceiver  28  may employ a WPAN signal and Bluetooth communication protocols. 
     A receiver  30  is positioned within the first housing  24  and the receiver  30  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26 . The receiver  30  may be a radio frequency receiver  30  or the like. A signal analyzer  32  is positioned within the first housing  24  and the signal analyzer  32  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26 . The signal analyzer  32  may be an electronic signal analyzer  32  capable of determining a signal strength of a transmitted signal. 
     An alarm  33  is positioned within the first housing  24  and the alarm  33  selectively communicates an alert to the first user  18 . The alarm  33  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26  and the first processor  26  turns the alarm  33  on when the first processor  26  generates the alarm  33  sequence. The alarm  33  may include a speaker and a vibration unit. The speaker may emit an audible alarm  33  when the first processor  26  generates the alarm  33  sequence. Additionally, the vibration unit may frictionally engage the first housing  24  when the first processor  26  generates the alarm  33  sequence to facilitate haptic feedback to the first user  18 . 
     A first display  34  is coupled to the first housing  24  and the first display  34  is positioned to be visible to the first user  18 . The first display  34  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26  such that the first display  34  displays operational parameters of the first processor  26 . The first display  34  may be an LED display or the like. The operational parameters of the first processor  26  may include indicia relating to the predetermined trigger distance. 
     A first clock  35  is positioned within the first housing  24  to track a time of day. The first clock  35  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26  and the first clock  35  may be an electronic clock or the like. A plurality of light emitters  36  is provided and each of the light emitters  36  is coupled to the first housing  24  to selectively emit light outwardly from the first housing  24 . Each of the light emitters  36  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26  and each of the light emitters  36  may comprise an LED or the like. 
     A first input port  38  is coupled to the first housing  24  to be selectively electrically coupled to a power source. The first input port  38  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26  and the first input port  38  may be a usb port or the like. Moreover, the power source may be a battery charger or the like. A first power supply  40  is positioned within the first housing  24  and the first power supply  40  is electrically coupled to the first processor  26 . The first power supply  40  comprises at least one battery and the first power supply  40  is selectively charged by the first input port  38 . 
     A second tracking unit  42  is provided and the second tracking unit  42  is selectively worn on or carried by the second user  20 . The second tracking unit  42  is in electrical communication with the first tracking unit  16 . Moreover, the first tracking unit  16  determines a location of the second tracking unit  42  with respect to the first tracking unit  16 . In this way the second tracking unit  42  facilitates the first user  18  to track the second user  20 . The first tracking unit  16  generates an alert when the second tracking unit  42  moves beyond the predetermined trigger distance with respect to the first tracking unit  16 . Thus, the first user  18  is notified when the second user  20  has moved beyond the predetermined trigger distance from the first user  18 . The second user  20  may be a child, a disabled adult or other person needing supervision. 
     The second tracking unit  42  comprises a second band  44  that is selectively worn on the second user  20 . A second housing  45  is removably coupled to the second band  44  and a second processor  46  is positioned within the second housing  45 . The second housing  45  may be a watch body or the like. A second elastic strap  47  is coupled to the second housing  45 . The second elastic strap  47  may be coupled to an object when the second band  44  is not being worn. The object may be the second user&#39;s  20  clothing or the like and the second processor  46  may be an electronic processor or the like. 
     A heart beat sensor  48  is coupled to the second housing  45  to sense a heart beat of the second user  20  when the second user  20  wears the second band  44 . The heart beat sensor  48  is electrically coupled to the second processor  46 . Moreover, the heart beat sensor  48  may be an electronic heart beat sensor  48  or the like. The first processor  26  generates the alarm  33  sequence when the heart beat sensor  48  does not sense the heart beat of the second user  20 . In this way the first user  18  is notified when the second tracking unit  42  has been removed from the second user  20  and when the second user  20  experiences a medical emergency. 
     A transmitter  50  is positioned within the second housing  45  and the transmitter  50  is electrically coupled to the second processor  46 . The transmitter  50  is in electrical communication with the receiver  30 . The signal analyzer  32  determines a distance between the transmitter  50  and the receiver  30  based on a signal strength between the transmitter  50  and the receiver  30 . The first processor  26  generates the alarm  33  sequence when the signal analyzer  32  determines the transmitter  50  has moved beyond the predetermined trigger distance from the receiver  30 . The transmitter  50  may be a radio frequency transmitter  50  or the like. 
     A second display  52  is coupled to the second housing  45  to be visible to the second user  20 . The second display  52  is electrically coupled to the second processor  46  such that the second display  52  displays operational parameters of the second processor  46 . The second display  52  may be an LED display or the like. A second clock  54  is positioned within the second housing  45  to track a time of day. The second clock  54  is electrically coupled to the second processor  46  and the second clock  54  may be an electronic clock or the like. 
     A second input port  56  is coupled to the second housing  45  to be selectively electrically coupled to the power source. The second input port  56  is electrically coupled to the second processor  46 . The second input port  56  may be a usb port or the like and the power source may be a battery charger or the like. A second power supply  58  is positioned within the second housing  45  and the second power supply  58  is electrically coupled to the second processor  46 . The second power supply  58  comprises at least one battery and the second power supply  58  is selectively charged with the second input port  56 . 
     A plurality of the second tracking units  42  may be provided and each of the second tracking units  42  may be worn on or carried by an associated one of a plurality of second users  20 . The transmitter  50  corresponding to each of the plurality of second tracking units  42  may be in electrical communication with the receiver  30 . Moreover, each of the light emitters  36  on the first tracking unit  16  may be assigned to an associated one of the plurality of second tracking units  42 . Each of the light emitters  36  may be turned on when the associated one of the plurality of second tracking units  42  is in electrical communication with the first tracking unit  16 . In this way the first user  18  is informed of a communication status between the plurality of second tracking units  42  and the first tracking unit  16 . 
     In use, the electronic device  12  is synched with the first tracking unit  16  to program the operational parameters of the first tracking unit  16  to include the predetermined trigger distance. The second tracking unit(s)  42  is/are worn on the second user(s)  20  and the first tracking unit  16  is worn on the first user  18  when each of the first user  18  and the second user(s)  20  are in a public area requiring supervision of the second user(s)  20 . The processor generates the alarm  33  sequence when the signal analyzer  32  determines the second tracking unit(s)  42  has/have moved beyond the predetermined trigger distance from the first tracking unit  16 . In this way the first user  18  is notified of a potential abduction of the second user(s)  20  and if the second user(s)  20  has/have inadvertently left a designated area. Additionally, the processor generates the alarm  33  sequence when the heart beat sensor  48  no longer senses the heartbeat of the second user(s)  20 . In this way the first user  18  is notified to respond to a removal of the second tracking unit(s)  42  and a potential medical emergency. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.