Patent Description:
It is common practice today to attach a body worn electronic monitoring device to a person for monitoring their location and/or enforcing a location based policy such as house arrest, curfew sentencing, pre-trial sentencing, parole and probation. Typically the electronic monitoring device is attached with a strap to the ankle of the person or to other limbs, for example the wrist of the person. The person is prohibited from removing the electronic monitoring device to prevent them from violating a location based policy.

Standard electronic monitoring devices usually use a flexible strap with an inner optic fiber to protect against tampering. Electronic monitoring devices are configured to attach for example around the person's ankle. The strap is cut to length just before installation, attached at the ends to pin trays which are then coupled to the electronic monitoring device body. This process requires tools, dealing with many small parts and also intensive training, since the quality of the assembly of the strap after cutting impacts the optical connection to the device body. If the strap is not assembled correctly, false strap tamper indications, due to a poor optical connection will occur over time. This may cause significant operational overhead.

An alternative method is to have a set of pre-cut straps that are professionally assembled. Thus, there is no need to assemble the straps in the field (in real time), just to pick the one with the right required length. However, this also leads to operational overhead since the officers now need to manage a large quantity of straps, with different lengths and keep track of the availability of all lengths. When straps are expensive (for example specially designed uncuttable straps), this also becomes a financial challenge.

Another challenge is the installation time. The time required to take measurements and assemble the monitoring device. This has financial as well as safety implications.

Furthermore, disassembly is usually done by cutting the strap, making it disposable and increasing costs. Alternatively, a strap can be removed using a special tool, adding to the operational complexity.

<CIT> describes an apparatus for monitoring a mobile object including a partitionable strap; and <CIT> describes a tamper-alert and tamper-resistant band.

An aspect of an embodiment of the disclosure relates to an adjustable monitoring device for quick installation on a limb of a person. The monitoring device includes a strap and an enclosure with an upper part and a lower part that can be locked together to prevent access to an end of the strap. When the enclosure is open the end of the strap can be locked within the enclosure at selective positions extending or shortening the strap so that it will match the diameter of the person's limb. When the enclosure is open the strap can be released so that it can be removed from the person's limb. The monitoring device includes a locking mechanism that locks and unlocks the upper part onto the lower part responsive to receiving wireless commands, wherein the wireless commands are received from two sources simultaneously or sequentially.

The invention is as defined by the claims. The following details are for illustration purposes only.

There is thus provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, a monitoring device, comprising:.

The monitoring device includes a locking mechanism that locks and unlocks the upper part onto the lower part responsive to receiving wireless commands from two sources simultaneously or sequentially. In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the locking mechanism locks or unlocks the upper part onto the lower part responsive to receiving wireless commands from an application on a mobile device in the vicinity of the monitoring device. Optionally, the locking mechanism locks and unlocks the upper part onto the lower part responsive to receiving wireless commands from a remote server at a monitoring center. In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the lower part includes a frame surrounding an opening and the upper part includes a locking mechanism with a bolt that is configured to extend through the opening to lock the upper part together to the lower part.

There is further provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, a method of connecting a monitoring device to a limb of a person, comprising:.

The monitoring device includes a locking mechanism that locks and unlocks the upper part onto the lower part responsive to receiving wireless commands, wherein the wireless commands are received from two sources simultaneously or sequentially.

The present disclosure will be understood and better appreciated from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings. Identical structures, elements or parts, which appear in more than one figure, are generally labeled with the same or similar number in all the figures in which they appear, wherein:.

The invention is as defined by the claims. The following details are for illustration purposes only, to aid in understanding the claims.

<FIG> is a schematic illustration of an unlocked monitoring device <NUM> and <FIG> is a schematic illustration of a locked monitoring device <NUM>, not according to the disclosure. Monitoring device <NUM> includes a flexible strap <NUM> for wrapping around a person's limb (e.g. an ankle or arm). The strap further includes one or more notches <NUM> to adjust the length of the strap to the circumference of the person's limb. In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the monitoring device <NUM> includes a lower part <NUM> and an upper part <NUM>, which form a protective enclosure over an end of the strap <NUM>. In an embodiment not according to the invention, the strap <NUM> is secured to a first side of the lower part <NUM>, configured to be wrapped around the person's limb, and be locked onto a lock pin <NUM> at an opposite side of the lower part <NUM> by inserting the lock pin <NUM> into one of the notches <NUM> according to the size of the person's limb. In some embodiments of the disclosure, both sides of the strap are locked with lock pins <NUM>. Optionally, the first side may have only a single notch whereas on the opposite side there are multiple notches <NUM> so the length of the circumference is selectable. Alternatively, the first side may be coupled with a hinge <NUM> or a base <NUM> (e.g. as shown in <FIG>).

In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, upper part <NUM> is configured to fit over and lock onto the lower part <NUM>. The upper part <NUM> is rotatably attached to the lower part <NUM> so that the upper part <NUM> can be lifted and lowered over the lower part <NUM>, concealing the end of the strap <NUM> and notches <NUM> to prevent tampering. In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, strap <NUM> of monitoring device <NUM> is configured to provide the freedom to extend or shorten the circumference of the monitoring device by about <NUM>-<NUM>, accordingly, the monitoring device <NUM> then can be used for over <NUM>% of the population. Optionally, the device can easily be unlocked, removed from a first person and relocked on the limb of another person.

<FIG> is a schematic illustration of a perspective transparent view of a monitoring device <NUM> and <FIG> is a schematic illustration of a side transparent view of a monitoring device <NUM>, according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.

The monitoring device <NUM> includes a locking mechanism <NUM> to lock the upper part <NUM> onto lower part <NUM>. The locking mechanism <NUM> is an electronic locking mechanism that is controlled by an electronic circuit, for example motor driver circuit <NUM> and/or controller <NUM>. The locking mechanism <NUM> is activated or deactivated wirelessly, for example by a mobile device application and/or by a remote server directly communicating with the monitoring device <NUM>. Thus the monitoring device <NUM> can be deployed or released without the need to use a dedicated key or tool.

Optionally, lower part <NUM> includes a frame <NUM> surrounding an opening through which a bolt <NUM> of locking mechanism <NUM> can be inserted to lock the upper part <NUM> onto the lower part <NUM>. In some embodiments of the disclosure, a motor <NUM> is used to activate and deactivate the locking mechanism <NUM>. Optionally, additional gears <NUM> may relay the motion of the motor <NUM> to the locking mechanism <NUM>. In some embodiments of the disclosure, a spring (not shown) may automatically lock the upper part <NUM> onto the lower part <NUM> when positioned so that the bolt <NUM> can be inserted into the opening of the frame <NUM>.

In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, upper part <NUM> includes a socket <NUM> for inserting a subscriber identification module (SIM) card <NUM>, so that the monitoring device <NUM> may communicate directly over a cellular network with an application of an administrator that is near the device and/or by commands from a remote administrator at a monitoring center. The monitoring device <NUM> includes a communication module <NUM> and one or more antennas <NUM> for communicating using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular or other wireless protocols. Unlocking the locking mechanism <NUM> requires use of two separate encrypted commands to prevent hacking, for example unlocking may require sending a command from a local application and from a remote server sequentially or simultaneously. Optionally, the monitoring device may require receiving a wireless signal over two different types of wireless protocols (e.g. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi), for example to confirm that the administrator is located in the vicinity of the device when it is unlocked.

In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, monitoring device <NUM> includes a rechargeable power source <NUM> and a charging circuit <NUM>. Optionally, the person using the monitoring device <NUM> is required to charge the monitoring device <NUM> periodically to prevent the monitoring device <NUM> from discharging and losing contact with a central sever. Optionally if the monitoring device <NUM> loses contact with the central server the person may be considered in violation as if he or she tampered with and removed the monitoring device <NUM>. Monitoring device <NUM> is configured to notify the server at the monitoring center if the battery is low or the device was tampered with.

In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, monitoring device <NUM> includes additional sensors, such as an accelerometer <NUM>, a pressure sensor <NUM>, an ambient light sensor <NUM> or other sensors. The additional sensors may be used to identify attempts to break the upper part <NUM>, identify removal of the upper part <NUM> or opening of the upper part <NUM>. For example ambient light sensor <NUM> may provide an indication if the monitoring device is closed or open. Alternatively or additionally, a magnetic sensor, a capacitive sensor or an inductive sensor may identify if the bolt <NUM> of the locking mechanism <NUM> is deployed or not. Additionally, sensors may identify the position of the strap <NUM> and be able to wirelessly notify the administrator with measurements of the circumference of the person's limb. The measurements may be used as an identification parameter to verify that the correct person is being monitored especially in a case that the monitoring device <NUM> was removed and redeployed. The monitoring device <NUM> may notify if when redeploying the length of the strap is not the same or changed significantly.

In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, to deploy the monitoring device <NUM> on a person, the administrator only needs to bring a single monitoring device <NUM>. The administrator may open the monitoring device <NUM> with an application on a mobile device (e.g. a smartphone) that communicates with the monitoring device <NUM>, or by calling a server to remotely issue a command for the monitoring device to be unlocked.

In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, strap <NUM> includes a base <NUM> that is coupled to the first side of the lower part <NUM>. The base <NUM> anchors strap <NUM> into lower part <NUM>. Optionally, base <NUM> may be coupled to hinges <NUM> that allow the upper part <NUM> to rotate relative to lower part <NUM>. In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the hinges are covered by upper part <NUM> of the enclosure so that they cannot be dismantled by a person wearing the monitoring device <NUM>.

In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, when monitoring device <NUM> is open, an administrator has access to replace the rechargeable power source <NUM> (e.g. battery) or SIM card <NUM>, in addition to being able to adjust the length of the strap <NUM> to fit the limb of the person wearing the monitoring device <NUM>. Additionally, the administrator may be able to dismantle the hinges <NUM> to completely separate the upper part <NUM> from the lower part <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic illustration of a perspective transparent view of lower part <NUM> of monitoring device <NUM> with strap <NUM>, according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, strap <NUM> includes a fiber optic cable <NUM> that forms a loop within strap <NUM> to identify tampering with the strap <NUM> (e.g. cutting the strap <NUM> and fiber optic cable <NUM>). Optionally, base <NUM> includes a circuit to send a light beam through the fiber optic cable <NUM> and verify that the loop has not been damaged. If the base <NUM> identifies a damaged loop it notifies controller <NUM> to report to the administrator or server at the monitoring center.

In an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the strap <NUM> may be made from silicon, rubber, metal, plastic or other materials. Optionally, the strap may be uncuttable by most tools especially standard household tools. Alternatively, the strap may be cuttable, however the monitoring device <NUM> is configured to notify a central server if the strap <NUM> is tampered with.

Claim 1:
A monitoring device (<NUM>), comprising:
an encasement having an upper part (<NUM>) and a lower part (<NUM>); wherein the lower part (<NUM>) is attached by a hinge (<NUM>) at a first side of the encasement to the upper part (<NUM>); wherein at an opposite side the upper part (<NUM>) can be lowered onto the lower part (<NUM>) to close the encasement or lifted up to open the encasement;
an elongated strap (<NUM>) with a first end and a second end wherein the first end of the strap (<NUM>) is attached to the first side of the encasement and configured to enable coupling the monitoring device (<NUM>) to a person by wrapping the strap (<NUM>) around a limb of a person, and inserting the second end of the strap (<NUM>) into the opposite side of the encasement onto the lower part (<NUM>) and covering it with the upper part (<NUM>);
characterized by the monitoring device (<NUM>) including a locking mechanism (<NUM>) that locks and unlocks the upper part (<NUM>) onto the lower part (<NUM>) responsive to receiving wireless commands, wherein the wireless commands are received from two sources simultaneously or sequentially.