Bryan J Welch

US Patent:

60754427, Jun 13, 2000

Filed:

Mar 19, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/272151

Inventors:

Bryan J. Welch - Northglenn CO

Assignee:

Lucent Technoilogies Inc. - Murray Hill NJ

International Classification:

G08B 2300

US Classification:

3405731

Abstract:

The low power child locator system consists of a lightweight, low power radio frequency transmitter beacon worn by the child and a radio frequency directional receiver that can be used to direct the user to the radio frequency beacon transmitter. The transmitter can be programmed to generate a unique signal to prevent its output radio signal from being received by another receiver. The transmitter-receiver pair therefore communicates to the exclusion of other transmitters and receivers that are operational in the vicinity of the transmitter-receiver pair. Since the child is assumed to not have traveled a great distance from their original location, the radio frequency directional receiver operates as a simple signal strength indicator, using a plurality of narrow beam antennas to enable the user to vector in on the transmitted signal. Each of the plurality of directional antennas is capable of receiving radio signals of predetermined characteristics exclusively from a narrowly defined region of space which is located proximate to the ground and radially extending outward from the directional antenna. A plurality of indicators, each associated with at least one of the plurality of directional antennas and capable of a variable range of illumination magnitude are used in conjunction with a signal strength detector.

US Patent:

61779059, Jan 23, 2001

Filed:

Dec 8, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/207882

Inventors:

Bryan J. Welch - Northglenn CO

Assignee:

Avaya Technology Corp. - Miami Lakes FL

International Classification:

G01S 502
H04B 7185

US Classification:

34235713

Abstract:

A mobile user device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA 100), a wireless telephone, a car phone, or any other programmable device that the user generally has with him or her, is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver (101) and is programmable (102) by the user to alert the user to when he or she arrives with the device at a predetermined location (252), as well as to disclose (101) to the user whatever information (263) the user chose to associate with that location (e. g. , a "to-do" list). The user can program in the geographical coordinates (253) of locations and location names (252), and thereafter refer to the locations by name. The user can also program in a range (254) around each location, so that his or her arrival within that range will trigger the alert for the location.