Anti-terror reporting system

[0002] This invention relates to the field of vehicle tracking, monitoring and reporting to provide a warning or alert when a vehicle deviates from a pre-selected geographical reference.

[0003] In the post-September 11, 2001 world, the public has become acutely aware of the innumerable items that could prove dangerous when under control of certain people, such as terrorists. Numerous alerts have been issued by the government suggesting the use of trucks, boats, planes, cargo containers, tanker trucks, and emergency vehicles as terror weapons. With the realization of the types of vehicles and the sheer numbers of such conveyances that can be converted into weapons of mass destruction, comes the shock of how little information is known about the whereabouts of these items at any given point in time.

[0004] Fortunately, the larger of the vehicles, such as ships, commercial airplanes, large trucks and trains follow recognized routes along the highways, rivers, tracks and electronic airways in the normal flow of commerce. While these vehicles are moving, during normal operations, there is usually some information available concerning their whereabouts. However, there is no system in place that can quickly differentiate between normal flow of commerce and unauthorized use of a conveyance.

[0005] What is needed is a security system to monitor and track such vehicles and alert authorities to the possibility of mis-use of the vehicles based on an alert initiated by the vehicle upon surreptitious displacement from an authorized location.

[0006] The system of this invention meets this need by providing a security system for tracking and monitoring such conveyances referenced to pre-selected geographical coordinates and providing a communication to proper authorities when such vehicles deviates from a pre-selected area.

[0007] The Palomo et al patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,126, teaches a system for providing an in-vehicle route display based on a preselected intended destination for a conveyance.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,008 is directed toward substituting ground based recording and storage of in-flight data for the “black boxes” carried by commercial airliners. The system includes an alert signal generating phase activated when the operational data is outside normal limits. The system uses GPS (Global Positioning System) or other locating devices for geographical location of the aircraft. The communications may be by satellite, telemetry, or cellular systems. The in-flight data is transmitted to a ground based receiver and storage facility.

[0009] The patent to Haxton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,098, discloses an aircraft security system using an aircraft mounted sending unit that sends a timed signal to a central computer once the system is armed. A central computer monitors the various aircraft at a facility. Appropriate alarms are generated, if the signal is not received according to schedule. The system may also include intrusion alarms on the aircraft to indicate tampering. A tracking function uses GPS data to locate an aircraft and transmit the location to the central computer when the aircraft is within the bounds of the network.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,183 to Janky et al discloses a mobile transceiver for broadcasting and receiving a radio signal in the cellular telephone band coupled with a GPS for generating a geographical fix. The device is concealed on a vehicle and can signal the police with a fix. The system is activated by an engine start, auto alarm or abnormal engine start.

[0011] Onuma, U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,178, discloses a vehicle mounted system that memorizes or stores the position of engine stop and compares that position with position of attempted engine start. The system blocks engine start if the positions do not match within a predetermined range.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,246 teaches a system for establishing an electronic geographic perimeter for items equipped with a mobile GPS unit. The permitted geographic perimeter must be loaded into the database by keyboard or other conventional method. The GPS unit continuously sends a signal to the control unit. The control unit sends an alarm when the GPS unit crosses the perimeter boundary. The system can also be used to locate particular items within the perimeter boundary.

[0013] What is needed is a system that electronically establishes a geographical position of a conveyance in its last authorized position and automatically notifies the proper authorities upon the unauthorized movement of that conveyance.

[0014] An integrated anti-terrorist security system for mobile conveyances and vehicles such as airplanes wherein an activator is mounted on the conveyance. The activator is interfaced with a geographical locator component based on RADAR, GPS, LORAN or other satellite communications systems to establish the location of a conveyance. The system includes a control unit having a computer with a CPU and memory to receive and store the geographical coordinates of the established location. A communications component of the system sends a signal to proper authorities when the stored geographical coordinates change.

[0015] Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to teach an integrated electronic system which generates a signal including the geographical coordinates of a movable device as a reference location and generates an alert signal when the device moves from the reference location.

[0016] It is a further objective of the instant invention to teach an integrated electronic system that has multiple modes to provide for authorized movement of a vehicle or conveyance without generating an alert.

[0017] It is another objective to teach an integrated electronic system to provide geographical coordinates, speed, direction, elevation during authorized or non-authorized movement upon being electronically interrogated. This data may be superposed on a map.

[0018] It is yet another objective of the instant invention to teach that the integrated system continues to signal the geographical location coordinates after generating the alert.

[0019] It is a still further objective of the invention to teach integrating this system into the existing systems of suitably equipped aircraft, cars, trucks, marine craft and other vehicles.

[0020] It is a further objective of the invention to teach an aircraft monitoring system having a particular benefit for airports with unmanned facilities and small planes, for example, private planes and crop dusters.

[0021] Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a representation of the integrated security system of this invention;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram of the hardware modules of this invention;

[0024] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one logic circuit of this invention;

[0025] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another logic circuit of this invention; and

[0026] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the modes of the system of this invention.

[0027] GPS is an acronym for a conventional global positioning system based on triangulation between multiple satellites to locate a mobile unit anywhere in the world. GPS will replace most other ground based navigation systems, such as LORAN which is a system of long range radio stations and the short range, VOR, aviation net. Also, for aircraft equipped with the GPS unit, the position and tracking of the aircraft is comparable to RADAR. Initially, the GPS units were being placed in airplanes, boats, and road vehicles but the new uses of the system continue to expand, such as inventory control and marketing.

[0028] The anti-terrorist security system 10 of this invention makes use of GPS as a central component of an integrated system. Of course, the system has broader implications in general commerce where security may not be of prime importance. But for purposes of security, the mobile units which must be mounted on any conveyance in this system should be placed in such a manner that access to the mobile unit is extremely difficult. The mounting should include concealment, where possible, and re-enforcement. These considerations include the placement of the GPS and communication antennas, as well. The security system 10 may include the use of a switch or entry of data, including a PIN (personal identification number) if desired, into the CPU for activation. The activation could be automatic based upon no movement for a certain time period. The overall object of the installation is to prevent discovery of the system and prevent injury to authorized personnel in any attempt to deactivate the system.

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates the integrated system 10 with the car 11 representing any mobile conveyance. The car is equipped with a GPS component 12, depicted by the multiple satellites, with an on-board control unit and a communications component. The activator 13 is shown as a conventional remote 14, like a garage door opener or TV channel changer, which sets or clears a command in the control unit. Once the activator arms the security system, the location of the conveyance is an authorized location placed in the memory of the computer. Any subsequent movement of the conveyance from the authorized location will be detected by the GPS 12. The control unit activates the communications component to send an alert signal. As shown in FIG. 1, the alert signal may be any one of or all those illustrated, including a satellite link A, a cellular phone link B and/or 2-way pager C. Each of the communications servers can connect to the internet to provide PC based information.

[0030] The hardware components are conventional. The system can be powered by a 12 volt DC electrical harness. The electric power may be batteries or any other source mounted on the conveyance or connected to the conveyance. As shown in FIG. 2, two locator units 16 and 17 are illustrated which may operate in different electronic positioning systems, such as GPS or LORAN. Each of these locator units may be mounted on a different conveyance or both may be the same conveyance. The security system may also use only a single positioning system. The locator units include, at least, an antenna and a receiver (not shown). The locator units are connected to a control unit computer 18 having a CPU 19 with a RAM 20 and ROM 21. The connection 22 may be hard wired or electronic to a remote computer.

[0031] The activator 13 which may be a switch or a data entry device such as remote 14. The switch may take the form of a toggle switch or a multiple position switch, or a key lock. The data entry device may have a key pad such as a Palm Pilot. The activator could be activated and deactivated by a telephone or computer as shown on the communications side of FIG. 1. Once the system is activated and in the Armed mode, the GPS receiver is ON and continually receives GPS updates. The up dates may be spaced periodically to conserve electrical power. In these cases, the computer in the control unit 18 stores the GPS data until the satellites are reacquired by the GPS. In another embodiment of the invention, the control unit may be programmed to permit movement within a certain set of coordinates such as a marine terminal with container storage or a railroad classification yard, or a truck part, or an airport, or an area of flight operations like a training area or flight plan. The GPS signal is sent to the computer 19 which compares each new signal with the stored position to determine if the conveyance is outside the permitted coordinates. If the coordinates are for an un-authorized position, the control unit 18 causes an ALERT to be sent by the communications component 24.

[0032] When the activator is in the Armed mode and the STAY mode is selected, the computer stores the geographical coordinates produced by the GPS. These coordinates are considered an authorized location. If a GPS update gives different geographical coordinates from those saved, while in the STAY mode, the control unit sends an ALERT message by the communications component 24. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ALERT message may be sent by any one or all three A, B, and C communication systems. Obviously, the system may be equipped with only one of the communications links. The recipients of the ALERT message can be anyone or any office placed in the address list of the communications component, for example, owners, operators, private security companies, dispatchers, guards, air traffic control or armed forces are among those who be notified.

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates the internal logic circuits of the security system with the activation being an either/or option between the ARMED mode and the IDLE mode. Once the ARMED mode is selected by the activator, the system may return to IDLE when a good position is acquired by the GPS. This position's coordinates are the same as stored when STAY command is entered in the system.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows the logic steps during the STAY phase of operation. The system may be shut down or remain in STAY mode. In STAY mode, the GPS continually gets position and compares to stored position, in FIG. 3, if position is same or within permitted parameters, position is OK. If location is different or outside limits, it has moved. The control unit issues an ALERT through the communications component.

[0035] Once the ALERT message is issued, the system gets position continuously or periodically. New ALERTS are issued with new position on a schedule.

[0036] Also, during the period when the STAY mode is selected but no ALERT has been issued, the system may be interrogated by any of the communications links shown in FIG. 1. Upon interrogation the system will report it's current coordinates and/or speed, direction, elevation. This information may be imposed on a map of any derivation. This is useful when a perimeter or flight plan or corridor is given as permissible coordinates but the exact location within the perimeter is not immediately known.

[0037] Further, in the IDLE mode, any of the communications links may be used to interrogate the system to change to the ARMED mode, either on command, randomly or timed sequence. If no response is forthcoming a physical check should be implemented since loss of electrical power or tampering is indicated.

[0038] The system modes are illustrated in FIG. 5. There is a power up and self test mode upon initiation of the system. A powered up and ARMED mode may be selected. The STAY mode stores current position. The ALERT mode is transmitting to selected addresses upon movement of the conveyance from STAY position. The ALERT continues to transmit position reports until deactivated.

[0039] In airplanes, usually equipped with GPS, radios, transponders, and emergency locator transmitters (ELT), the integrated system could utilize the GPS computer with another page of programming to include the IDLE, ARMED, and STAY modes. The STAY mode stores the position coordinates when STAY is selected. The on-board GPS then periodically compares the stored position to the current position. If the coordinates do not match, the GPS unit activates the radios, transponder or ELT to send the ALERT signal. The IDENT function of the transponder could be used to get attention on the air traffic control radar units in range. The ELT broadcasts on the International distress frequency monitored by several agencies. None of these alarms would necessarily be observable in the cockpit of the plane. Further, if the plane has a cell phone or air phone, it could be tied into the integrated system for issuing the ALERT signal. As mentioned, the system could be intermittently ARMED, by radio or any link shown in FIG. 1, to conserve electrical power. If no response is received, the indication is battery failure or tampering.

[0040] It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.