Patent ID: 8896441

Claim:
A method of tracking people, comprising the steps of: recording a digital validation key on a first portable memory device; transferring the digital validation key to a second portable memory device, wherein the digital validation key is valid only if transferred to the second portable memory device within a first pre-set time period; transferring the digital validation key to a mobile device associated with a particular person of interest, wherein the digital validation key is valid only if transferred to the mobile device from the second portable memory device within a second pre-set time period; transmitting a polling request to the mobile device associated with the particular person of interest; in response to the polling request, receiving a location signal including positional data and time data representative of the location of the mobile device at the time of transmission of the location signal by the mobile device; receiving a supplemental location signal from a fixed sensor, the supplemental signal including supplemental positional data and supplemental time data representative of the location of the mobile device when the mobile device is detected within proximity of a fixed sensor; recording the positional and time data and the supplemental positional and supplemental time data in a database as a set of geographic positions and corresponding times associated with a path of the person of interest; generating a visual display image of the path of the person of interest overlaid on a geographic map; and transmitting the positional and time data and the supplemental positional and supplemental time data to a single guide of a group of people, the group of people including the person of interest.