System and method for tracking personnel and equipment
US7843348B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 13, 2008 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 17, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B5/77
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for tracking personnel and equipment in hazardous environments in pre or post-accident situations includes an intrinsically safe tracking tag and an intrinsically safe reader system. The intrinsically safe tracking tag transmits identification and status information to the intrinsically safe reader system, which includes a plurality of intrinsically safe antennas and a hub cable driver. In one embodiment, antennas are located at known positions in the hazardous environment and connected via a redundant, wired-mesh topology. The wired-mesh topology also allows more flexible antenna placement than line-of-sight wireless-mesh systems. The hub cable driver provides intrinsically safe power to and communication with the antennas using communication cables, receives data signals from the antennas, and transmits the data signals to a server. The server stores the data signals in a storage device and is connected to a workstation. The workstation retrieves the stored data to track persons or equipment.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.