System and method for monitoring children using school and daycare transportation

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/590,359 filed Jul. 23, 2004.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring children using school and daycare transportation. More particularly, the system utilizes bar code and GPS technology to monitor school vehicles and children.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Child safety is one of the most important issues in these modern times. In fact, administrators will say that child safety is paramount above any other factors. Parents have also provided pressure on school officials for greater safety both in the schools and when children are being transported. The related art outlines several systems that are designed for child and passenger safety.

[0006] United States Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0149490 published on Oct. 17, 2002, outlines the use of a passenger seat detection system for vehicles. The detection system will alert the driver of a vehicle if people or objects are remaining on a seat within a particular vehicle. Each seat will contain an incorporated sensor, which will detect the weight of an object or person sitting on that seat. The sensor is electronically connected to an internal electronic system that connects up to a dashboard light and horn, alerting a driver to the presence of someone or something remaining on the vehicle.

[0007] United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0030550 published on Feb. 13, 2003, outlines the use of a bus safety system for reminding a driver to search a bus for passengers with a receiver module incorporating a microprocessor, the receiver module programmed to control an alarm based on at least one selected time interval following activation.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,574 issued to Forte-Pathroff on Jun. 13, 1995, outlines the use of a child loss prevention system, which includes a wrist bracelet that is given to a child and accompanying adult at the time the child is left with a childcare facility or upon entering a large public facility such as a shopping mall or amusement park. Information printed on the bracelet at that time may be in the form of a bar code or a string of alphanumeric characters, or a combination of the two. When the adult attempts to leave the facility with the child, the material printed on the bracelet of each of them is scanned, and if the information matches, the child is allowed to leave with the adult.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,969 issued to LaDue on Jun. 11, 1996, outlines the use of a monitoring device useful in home arrest, identification and surveillance activities, including a monitoring member communicatively linked to a remote communicator. The monitoring member may be secured to an animate or inanimate object by a strap including a plurality of charged and uncharged conductors therein.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,875 issued to Rowley on Jun. 16, 1998, outlines the use of an identification system for children traveling as a group under the guidance of a teacher. Each child carries an identification tag on a frangible length of bead chain. The tag has first identifying indicia such as an unduplicated number unique to that child and a second identifying indicia providing information relating to the group. The name of each child and of the group containing the child is written on an information sheet held by the teacher.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,915 issued to Reavell et al. on Aug. 22, 2000, outlines the use of a warning system for a multi-passenger vehicle such as a school bus, which prompts the driver to inspect the vehicle for passengers when shutting down the vehicle. In the preferred embodiment the system is activated when the vehicle safety flasher system is activated. Following activation, an alarm sounds when the vehicle electrical system is deactivated by shutting off the engine unless the bus driver activates an alarm delay switch and within a preset time interval activates a disarming switch located near the back of the passenger compartment.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,304 issued to Webb on Nov. 7, 2000, outlines the use of a parent-infant identification system that includes a matched set of three bracelets each bearing matching visual indicia and an electronically readable data button and a data button reading apparatus. Two of the three bracelets are sized to fit adult wrists and the third bracelet is sized to fit an infant wrist or ankle. The matching visual indicia include a color code and the data buttons each contain electronically readable data which allows the data buttons to be identified with the data button reader.

[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,030 issued to Hilleary on Dec. 31, 2002, outlines the use of a web-based vehicle tracking system that includes a passenger identification device that registers when a passenger boards and disembarks the vehicle. The web-based vehicle tracking system utilizes a vehicle information system that includes the passenger identification device and a base station network administrator to monitor the travel of a vehicle and the on-board status of a passenger.

[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 6,667,686 issued to Talbot on Dec. 23, 2003, outlines the use of a bus safety system for reminding a driver to search a bus for passengers with a receiver module incorporating a microprocessor, the receiver module programmed to control an alarm based on at least one selected time interval following activation. There is also a wire harness attachable between the receiver module and an electrical system of the bus and a transmitter incorporating an alarm deactivation switch to be adapted to send RF signals.

[0015] Although each of these patents and publications outline the use of novel and useful inventions, what is needed is a protection system and method for safely transporting infants and young children in a school and/or daycare center setting. Such a protection system would address a great and long-felt need in the marketplace for maximizing protection for these infants and young children.

[0016] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a method for monitoring children using school/daycare transportation solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

[0017] The invention is a system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation. The system includes a global positioning system that tracks and monitors the school and daycare transportation, a plurality of barcode scanners which enter the children into the system and a plurality of barcode bracelets, with a barcode bracelet provided to each of the children that is scanned with the plurality of barcode scanners when a child is entering onto and coming off of the school and daycare transportation. There is also a plurality of school stations that enter and remove the drivers from the system and a central control center that constantly monitors the plurality of school stations and the global positioning system, the plurality of barcode scanners and the plurality of barcode bracelets.

[0018] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a safety monitoring system for young children and infants using school and daycare center transportation.

[0019] It is another object of the invention to provide a system to prevent infants and small children from being unattended in a school bus or van.

[0020] It is a further object of the invention to provide a safety monitoring system for young children and infants using school and daycare center transportation that has a constantly manned central control center.

[0021] Still another object of the invention is to provide an accurate and cost-effective way to ensure each child or infant is protected when using school and daycare transportation.

[0022] It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

[0023] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

[0028] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

[0029] The present invention is a system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10, as is depicted in FIG. 1.

[0030] As is shown in FIG. 2, the system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 comprises a global positioning satellite system 20 that tracks and monitors the school and daycare transportation, a plurality of barcode scanners 30 which enter the children into the system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 and a plurality of barcode bracelets 40, with a barcode bracelet 40 provided to each of the children that are scanned with the plurality of barcode scanners 30 when a child is entering onto and coming off of the school and daycare transportation. The system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 further comprises a plurality of school stations 50 that enter and remove the drivers from the system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 and a central control center 60 that constantly monitors the plurality of school stations 50 and the global positioning satellite system 20, the plurality of barcode scanners 30 and the plurality of barcode bracelets 40. Typically the school and daycare transportation will be in the form of school buses or passenger vans.

[0031] The system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 utilizes a computer system 70, which is outlined in FIG. 3. The computer system 70 comprises at least one server computer 80, a processor 90 and an area of main memory 100 for executing program code under the direction of the processor 90. The computer system 70 further comprises a storage device 110 for storing data and program code, a bus 120 connecting the processor 90 and the storage device 110 and at least one relational database 130 stored on the storage device 110.

[0032] The computer program code (not shown) stored in the storage device 110 and executing in the area of main memory 100 under direction of the processor 90, includes a server computer software means for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation, a means for entering each child into the system 10, a means for providing the children with a plurality of bar code bracelets 40 and a means for scanning the children when entering the school and daycare transportation. The computer program code also includes a means for tracking the school and daycare transportation when transporting the children, a means for scanning children after transport and a means for monitoring any irregularities.

[0033] Similarly, FIG. 4 outlines the steps for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation. These steps comprise entering the children into a system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation, providing the children with a bar code bracelet and scanning the children when entering the school and daycare transportation. These steps further comprise tracking the school and daycare transportation when transporting children, scanning children after transport and monitoring the system for any irregularities.

[0034] Use of the system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 is straightforward. The system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 is designed to ensure the safety of children and infants using school and daycare transportation. Each child and infant is issued one of a plurality of barcode bracelets 40 with his or her bar code that will be scanned in at the time of pick-up and then scanned again when the bus or van has reached its final destination. Information will also be monitored at a school station 50 and the central control center 60 accessible only to authorized personnel. There is also a code for authorized personnel to enter in the case of a child or infant being absent.

[0035] While there are monitoring systems in the related art that monitor the absenteeism of children, the system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 monitors infants and children who are transported to and from school and daycare outings. If a child or infant is not going to school on a particular day, the parent must notify authorized school personnel that their child or infant will not be going to the school or the daycare center. This will prompt the school personnel to enter a “no show” code into the system 10. If a child or infant using one of a plurality of bar code bracelets 40 has been scanned in and the particular child or infant does not get scanned out at the time the bus or van has cleared all of its identification bracelet codes, the central control center 60 will place a call within minutes to the school station 50 for a clearance and location of the infant or child. This will include an extra check on the buses and vans in question. If a clearance and location of the child or infant cannot be made, the central control center 60 will call for a 911 emergency.

[0036] Each van or school bus that is set-up with the system for monitoring children and drivers using school and daycare transportation 10 will receive a certificate and a logo that will be in place in the window of each bus and van. Typically bus and van drivers and driver's aids will be scanned in at the school station 50 before picking-up any children or infants. The central control center 60 will monitor response times and will create monthly reports and will also keep track of transportation and travel times and will make sure all children and infants are accounted for.

[0037] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.