Tracking device and system for simulated combat and related civilian applications

Abstract

A tracking device, a related combat simulator, and methods for their use. The tracking device comprises a SPS receiver, a communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a communications card, a combat simulation device interface, and a control unit for receiving location data from the SPS receiver, for transmitting the location data via the communications interface, and for exchanging combat simulation data between the combat simulation device interface and the communications interface. The combat simulator includes a control center for controlling several tracking devices. For civilian applications, the combat simulation device interface is replaced with an alarm button.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A tracking device, comprising: 
 (a) a SPS receiver;    (b) a communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a communications card;    (c) a combat simulation device interface; and    (d) a control unit for receiving location data from said SPS receiver, for transmitting said location data via said communications interface, and for exchanging combat simulation data between said combat simulation device interface and said communications interface.    
     
     
         2 . The tracking device of    claim 1   , wherein said communications interface is a PCMCIA interface.  
     
     
         3 . The tracking device of    claim 1   , wherein said communications interface is a serial interface.  
     
     
         4 . The tracking device of    claim 1   , wherein said communications card operates according to a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         5 . The tracking device of    claim 1   , further comprising: 
 (e) a transceiver, operationally connected to said communications interface.    
     
     
         6 . The tracking device of    claim 1   , further comprising: 
 (e) a personal sensor, said control unit being operative to receive personal status data from said personal sensor and to transmit said personal status data via said communication interface.    
     
     
         7 . The tracking device of    claim 6   , wherein said personal sensor is selected from the group consisting of pulse rate sensors and thermometers.  
     
     
         8 . The tracking device of    claim 1   , wherein said control unit is operative to compress data to be transmitted via said communications interface and to decompress data received via said communications interface.  
     
     
         9 . The tracking device of    claim 1    further comprising: 
 (e) an alarm button for activating a transmission of an alarm signal via said communications interface, said alarm signal including at least a portion of said location data.  
 
     
     
         10 . The tracking device of    claim 1   , wherein said control unit includes a memory for storing at least a portion of said data.  
     
     
         11 . A combat simulation system comprising: 
 (a) a control center including: 
 (i) a control center communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a control center communications card that operates according to a communications protocol, and  
 (ii) a control center transceiver, operationally connected to said control center communications interface; and  
   (b) a plurality of tracking devices, each said tracking device including: 
 (i) a combat simulation device interface,  
 (ii) a SPS receiver,  
 (iii) a tracking device communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a tracking device communications card that operates according to said communications protocol,  
 (iv) a tracking device transceiver, operationally connected to said tracking device communications interface, for transmitting transmitted signals to said control center and receiving received signals from said control center via said control center transceiver, and  
 (v) a control unit for: 
 (A) receiving location data from said SPS receiver,  
 (B) transmitting said location data to said control center via said tracking device transceiver and said control center transceiver, and  
 (C) exchanging combat simulation data between said combat simulation device interface and said control center, via said tracking device transceiver and said control center transceiver,  
 said data being transmitted and received by said transceivers as said signals.  
 
   
     
     
         12 . The combat simulation system of    claim 11   , wherein said communications interfaces are PCMCIA interfaces.  
     
     
         13 . The combat simulation system of    claim 11   , wherein said communications interfaces are serial interfaces.  
     
     
         14 . The combat simulation system of    claim 11   , wherein said communications protocol is selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         15 . The combat simulation system of    claim 11   , wherein each said tracking device further includes: 
 (vi) a personal sensor, said control unit being operative to receive personal status data from said personal sensor and to transmit said personal data to said control center via said tracking device transceiver and said control center transceiver.    
     
     
         16 . The combat simulation system of    claim 15   , wherein said personal sensor is selected from the group consisting of pulse rate sensors and thermometers.  
     
     
         17 . The combat simulation system of    claim 11   , wherein said control unit of each said tracking device is operative to compress said data that are transmitted to said control center to form said transmitted signals and to decompress said received signals to form said data that are received from said control center.  
     
     
         18 . The combat simulation system of    claim 11   , wherein each said tracking device further includes: 
 (vi) an alarm button for activating a transmission of an alarm signal from said tracking device transceiver to said control center via said control center transceiver, said control unit and said tracker device transceiver being operative to include at least a portion of said location data in said alarm signal.    
     
     
         19 . The combat simulation system of    claim 11   , wherein each said control unit includes a memory for storing at least a portion of said data.  
     
     
         20 . A tracking device, comprising: 
 (a) a SPS receiver;    (b) a communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a communication card;    (c) a personal sensor; and    (d) a control unit for receiving location data from said SPS unit, for receiving personal status data from said personal sensor, and for transmitting said data via said communications interface.    
     
     
         21 . The tracking device of    claim 20   , wherein said communications interface is a PCMCIA interface.  
     
     
         22 . The tracking device of    claim 20   , wherein said communications interface is a serial interface.  
     
     
         23 . The tracking device of    claim 20   , wherein said communications card operates according to a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         24 . The tracking device of    claim 20   , further comprising: 
 (e) a transceiver, operationally connected to said communications interface.    
     
     
         25 . The tracking device of    claim 20   , wherein said personal sensor is selected from the group consisting of pulse rate sensors and thermometers.  
     
     
         26 . The tracking device of    claim 20   , wherein said control unit is operative to compress said data prior to said transmission of said data.  
     
     
         27 . The tracking device of    claim 20   , further comprising: 
 (e) an alarm button for activating a transmission of an alarm signal via said communications interface, said alarm signal including at least a portion of said location data.    
     
     
         28 . A tracking device, comprising: 
 (a) a SPS receiver;    (b) a communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a communication card;    (c) an alarm button for activating a transmission of an alarm signal via said communications interface; and    (d) a control unit for receiving location data from said SPS unit, for transmitting said data via said communications interface, and for including at least a portion of said location data in said alarm signal.    
     
     
         29 . The tracking device of    claim 28   , wherein said communications interface is a PCMCIA interface.  
     
     
         30 . The tracking device of    claim 28   , wherein said communications interface is a serial interface.  
     
     
         31 . The tracking device of    claim 28   , wherein said communications card operates according to a communications protocol selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         32 . The tracking device of    claim 28   , further comprising: 
 (e) a transceiver, operationally connected to said communications interface.    
     
     
         33 . A personal tracking system comprising: 
 (a) a control center including: 
 (i) a control center communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a control center communications card that operates according to a communications protocol, and  
 (ii) a receiver, operationally connected to said control center communications interface; and  
   (b) a plurality of tracking devices, each said tracking device including: 
 (i) a SPS receiver,  
 (ii) a tracking device communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a tracking device communications card that operates according to said communications protocol,  
 (iii) a personal sensor;  
 (iv) a transmitter, operationally connected to said tracking device communications interface, for transmitting signals to said control center via said receiver, and  
 (v) a control unit for: 
 (A) receiving location data from said SPS receiver,  
 (B) receiving personal status data from said personal sensor, and  
 (C) transmitting said data to said control center via said transmitter and said receiver,  
 said data being transmitted by said transmitter and received by said receiver as said signals.  
 
   
     
     
         34 . The personal tracking system of    claim 33   , wherein said communications interfaces are PCMCIA interfaces.  
     
     
         35 . The personal tracking system of    claim 33   , wherein said communications interfaces are serial interfaces.  
     
     
         36 . The personal tracking system of    claim 33   , wherein said communications protocol is selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         37 . The personal tracking system of    claim 33   , wherein said personal sensor is selected from the group consisting of pulse rate sensors and thermometers.  
     
     
         38 . The personal tracking system of    claim 33   , wherein said control unit of each said tracking device is operative to compress said data to form said signals.  
     
     
         39 . The personal tracking system of    claim 33   , wherein each said tracking device further includes: 
 (vi) an alarm button for activating a transmission of an alarm signal from said transmitter to said control center via said receiver, said control unit and said transmitter being operative to include at least a portion of said location data in said alarm signal.    
     
     
         40 . A personal tracking system comprising: 
 (a) a control center including: 
 (i) a control center communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a control center communications card that operates according to a communications protocol, and  
 (ii) a receiver, operationally connected to said control center communications interface; and  
   (b) a plurality of tracking devices, each said tracking device including: 
 (i) a SPS receiver,  
 (ii) a tracking device communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a tracking device communications card that operates according to said communications protocol,  
 (iii) a transmitter, operationally connected to said tracking device communications interface, for transmitting signals to said control center via said receiver, one of said signals being an alarm signal,  
 (iv) an alarm button for activating a transmission of said alarm signal, and  
 (v) a control unit for receiving location data from said SPS receiver, for transmitting said data to said control center via said transmitter and said receiver, said data being transmitted by said transmitter and received by said receiver as said signals, and for including at least a portion of said location data in said alarm signal.  
   
     
     
         41 . The personal tracking system of    claim 40   , wherein said communications interfaces are PCMCIA interfaces.  
     
     
         42 . The personal tracking system of    claim 40   , wherein said communications interfaces are serial interfaces.  
     
     
         43 . The personal tracking system of    claim 40   , wherein said communications protocol is selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         44 . The personal tracking system of    claim 40   , wherein said control unit of each said tracking device is operative to compress said data to form said signals.  
     
     
         45 . A method of simulating combat between an aggressor participant and a defender participant, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing each participant with a tracking device including: 
 (i) a SPS receiver; and  
 (ii) a communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a communications card, both said communications cards operating according to a common communications protocol;  
   (b) providing each participant with a combat simulation device operationally coupled to said tracking device of said each participant;    (c) providing a control center for coordinating the simulated combat;    (d) simulating an attack by the aggressor participant against the defender participant, using respective said combat simulation devices, said simulating including the steps of: 
 (i) for each participant, determining a location of said each participant, using said respective SPS receiver, and  
 (ii) for each participant, transmitting data related to said attack to said control center via said respective communications interface, said data of each said participant including said respective location.  
   
     
     
         46 . The method of    claim 45   , further comprising the step of: 
 (e) for each participant, mounting a respective said communications card in said communications interface, prior to said simulated attack.    
     
     
         47 . The method of    claim 45   , wherein said communications protocol is selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         48 . The method of    claim 45   , wherein said simulating further includes the step of: 
 (iii) for at least one of said participants, including in said data a respective time of said simulated attack.    
     
     
         49 . The method of    claim 45   , further comprising the step of: 
 (e) for each participant: 
 (i) periodically determining said location of said each participant, using said respective SPS receiver,  
 (ii) transmitting said location to said control center, and  
 (iii) if said location is an illegal location, transmitting a trespass signal to said each participant, by said control center.  
   
     
     
         50 . The method of    claim 45   , wherein each said tracking device further includes: 
 (iv) a memory    and wherein said simulating further includes the step of:    (iii) recording respective said data in said respective memory.    
     
     
         51 . A method of monitoring a location and a condition of a subject, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing the subject with a tracking device including: 
 (i) a SPS receiver,  
 (ii) a communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a communications card, and  
 (iii) a condition sensor for sensing a value of a physiological parameter of the subject;  
   (b) providing a control center;    (c) periodically sensing said value, by said tracking device, using said condition sensor; and    (d) if said value is outside a predetermined range: 
 (i) determining the location of the subject, by said tracking device, using said SPS receiver, and  
 (ii) transmitting, to said control center, by said tracking device, via said communications interface, an indication of the location and of said value.  
   
     
     
         52 . The method of    claim 51   , wherein said communications card operates according to a protocol selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         53 . The method of    claim 51   , further comprising the step of: 
 (e) mounting said communications card in said communications interface, prior to said providing of the subject with said tracking device.    
     
     
         54 . A method of monitoring a location of a subject, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing the subject with a tracking device including: 
 (i) a SPS receiver, and  
 (ii) a communications interface for reversibly mounting therein a communications card;  
   (b) providing a control center; and    (c) activating said tracking device, by the subject, to: 
 (i) determine the location of the subject, using said SPS receiver, and  
 (ii) transmit the location to the control center, via said communications interface.  
   
     
     
         55 . The method of    claim 54   , wherein said communications card operates according to a protocol selected from the group consisting of CDPD, GSM, CDMA and TETRA.  
     
     
         56 . The method of    claim 54   , further comprising the step of: 
 (e) mounting said communications card in said communications interface, prior to said providing of the subject with said tracking device.