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An alerting mechanism is integrated into a physical support device for use in the event of an accident or emergency. The device provides a signal that alerts potential rescuers about emergency events such as man overboard. In one alternative. it uses a pre-programmed code to provide a positive ident

An alerting mechanism is integrated into a physical support device for use in the event of an accident or emergency. The device provides a signal that alerts potential rescuers about emergency events such as man overboard. In one alternative. it uses a pre-programmed code to provide a positive identification of the individual or object involved. In a typical application, a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) module is incorporated into a secure pocket of a life vest, the vest having at least one conformable antenna sewn into its upper portion as well as connections from the PLB to the antenna. The alerting mechanism may be used in a cooperative system using special receivers that utilize high temperature superconductor (HTS) RF bandpass filters for minimizing RF interference so that low signal levels may be received reliably. The system may also provide access to a database through common interfaces to wireless communications devices, telephone lines, the Internet, and satellites. The system may also use a programmable electromagnetic element on a plastic card, such as a hotel key card, to establish a secure ID for the user that may be updated periodically, even daily as security requirements dictate. Alternatively, the PLB may be operated at RF frequencies common to guard channels operated by the Coast Guard and civilian agencies such as the Civil Air Patrol. The system may provide information on relative positioning with respect to a rescuer or use GPS resources for absolute positioning.

대표청구항 ▼

An alerting mechanism is integrated into a physical support device for use in the event of an accident or emergency. The device provides a signal that alerts potential rescuers about emergency events such as man overboard. In one alternative. it uses a pre-programmed code to provide a positive ident

An alerting mechanism is integrated into a physical support device for use in the event of an accident or emergency. The device provides a signal that alerts potential rescuers about emergency events such as man overboard. In one alternative. it uses a pre-programmed code to provide a positive identification of the individual or object involved. In a typical application, a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) module is incorporated into a secure pocket of a life vest, the vest having at least one conformable antenna sewn into its upper portion as well as connections from the PLB to the antenna. The alerting mechanism may be used in a cooperative system using special receivers that utilize high temperature superconductor (HTS) RF bandpass filters for minimizing RF interference so that low signal levels may be received reliably. The system may also provide access to a database through common interfaces to wireless communications devices, telephone lines, the Internet, and satellites. The system may also use a programmable electromagnetic element on a plastic card, such as a hotel key card, to establish a secure ID for the user that may be updated periodically, even daily as security requirements dictate. Alternatively, the PLB may be operated at RF frequencies common to guard channels operated by the Coast Guard and civilian agencies such as the Civil Air Patrol. The system may provide information on relative positioning with respect to a rescuer or use GPS resources for absolute positioning. of the data signals from the network sensors is combined in order to derive the comprehensive condition of the commercial transport based on the data from all of the sensors. 2. The system of claim 1, the processor further comprising: a. a collector adapted for collecting the plurality of data signals from the plurality of sensors and generating therefrom a combined signal incorporating each of the plurality of signals into a combined output signal; and b. a processing system for receiving and processing the combined output signal. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said collector comprises a multiplexer for accepting all of the plurality of data signals and for generating therefrom a combined multiplex signal preserving the discrete identity of each of the plurality of data signals. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein said combined multiplex signal includes specific, time sequenced interval segments of the plurality of data signals in a serial format. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein said combined multiplex signal includes the plurality of signals released simultaneously in a compressed, parallel format. 6. The system of claim 2, said collector and processing system further including a self-contained power supply. 7. The system of claim 2, the collector further includes a multiplexing system adapted for accepting a plurality of parallel data signals simultaneously and for generating therefrom a single, combination output signal. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein said multiplexing system is adapted for generating a combination output signal including a component comprising a plurality of the data signals in a split screen configuration wherein all or a selected portion of the plurality of data signals are simultaneously available. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ground based sensors is hard-wired directly to the ground based monitoring station. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ground based sensors further includes a transmitter associated with the sensor and there is further included a receiver associated with the ground based monitoring station, whereby the unique data signal generated by said sensor is communicated over a wireless communication system from the sensor to the ground based station. 11. The system of claim 3, wherein one of said sensors is an image sensor, and one of said sensors is an audio sensor for providing a visual and an audio data definition of the conditions in the proximity of the commercial transport. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein one of said image signal, said audio signal and said data signal is an analog signal and wherein one of said image signal, said audio signal and said data signal is a digital signal, the multiplexer network further including an analog to digital converter for converting the analog signal into a converted digital signal, the multiplexer adapted for multiplexing the converted digital signal and the digital signal into a combined digital output signal. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors comprises an image sensor device for generating an image signal. 14. The system of claim 8, further including an illumination source associated with said image sensor for illuminating the critical location. 15. The system of claim 8, wherein said image sensor is a full motion video sensing and recording device. 16. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an audio sensor device for generating an audio signal. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an image sensor device for generating an image signal and at least one audio sensor device for generating an audio signal. 18. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a motion detector device for generating a signal whenever motion is detected in the range of the device. 19. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an intrusive sensor device for generating a signal whenever intrusive activity occurs in the monitore d area of the device. 20. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a fire detection device for generating a signal in the event of a fire. 21. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a smoke detection device for generating a signal in the event of the presence of smoke in the range of the device. 22. The system of claim 1, wherein said transport has an on-board monitoring system including a network of on-board sensors adapted for monitoring specific on-board conditions and generating a data signal in response thereto, and wherein said ground based monitoring station and said network of ground based sensors are adapted to interface with said on-board monitoring system to provide comprehensive information to both the ground based monitoring station and the on-board monitoring system inclusive all of the data collected by both the on-board sensors and the ground based sensors. 23. The system of claim 17, wherein said on-board sensor is a global positioning sensor adapted for generating a signal indicating the location of the transport. 24. The system of claim 18, wherein said global positioning sensor includes a separate sensor component in each end of the transport, whereby size and heading of the transport may be monitored. 25. The system of claim 16, the collector further comprising a multiplexer network for combining an image signal, an audio signal and a data signal into said combined output signal. 26. The system of claim 1, further including a recorder for capturing the combined output signal in a retrievable format. 27. The system of claim 25, wherein said recorder comprises an analog recorder. 28. The system of claim 25, wherein said recorder comprises a digital recorder. 29. The system of claim 25, wherein said recorder is multi-channel. 30. The system of claim 24, wherein said combined output is in a serial format. 31. The system of claim 24, wherein said combined output is in a parallel format. 32. The system of claim 30, wherein said parallel format is adapted for split screen viewing of a plurality of video signals. 33. The system of claim 3, wherein each sensor further includes a transmitter adapted for wireless transmission of the combined output signal to a remote location and wherein said ground based monitoring station includes a receiver, whereby the sensor signal may be transmitted to the monitoring station. 34. The system of claim 1, further including a mobile monitoring station for receiving the unique signal from the sensor. 35. The system of claim 1, wherein there is further included ground support equipment and ground support vehicles, and wherein each of said ground support equipment and ground vehicles includes location sensors for generating and sending ground support location signals, whereby the position of the commercial transport and relative to the ground support equipment and ground support vehicles may be monitored. 36. The system of claim 34, wherein said location sensor is an on-board GPS system. 37. The system of claim 35, wherein said commercial transport is adapted for directly receiving the ground support location sensor signals. 38. The system of claim 36, wherein said commercial transport is adapted for directly receiving the ground support location sensor signals and the location sensor signals generated by other commercial transports in the vicinity. 39. The system of claim 1, wherein said commercial transport includes a unique identifier which is adapted to be sensed by the ground based sensor, whereby the ground based sensor can generate an identification signal for alerting that the commercial transport is within range of the ground based sensor. 40. The system of claim 14, wherein said image and video sensors are responsive to the presence of activity within range in order to activate the sensor and initiate generation of a signal to the ground based monitoring station. 41. The system of claim 1, wherein said ground based sensor includes a time stamp for m