Protection module for monitoring the position of objects

Abstract

A protection module, a system and a method for monitoring objects, wherein a protection module includes, for attachment to an object to be monitored, a locating module for acquiring position data of the protection module and a communication unit which can send data to a monitoring device. The protection module is suitable for being placed into an alarm state by an alarm signal and in the alarm state, sending position data to the monitoring device in a particular alarm interval or continuously.

1 . A system for monitoring at least one object, comprising:
 a monitoring device; and   at least two protection modules, each protection module being configured for attachment to at least one object to be monitored, and comprising a location module for determining position data and for transmitting position data to the monitoring device,   wherein the monitoring device places at least one of the protection modules into an alarm state in case of a deviation of at least one of the received position data from each other or from deviation of predetermined position data by more than a predetermined value.   
     
     
         2 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protection modules can be placed into an alarm state by an alarm signal and is suitable for sending position data to the monitoring device in the alarm state in at least one of a particular alarm interval or continuously. 
     
     
         3 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a security lock, wherein the at least one object which is provided with at least one protection module is located in a room which can be locked by the security lock. 
     
     
         4 . The system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the security lock can be communicatively connected to at least one of the protection modules or the monitoring device and in which the communicative connection is either unidirectional or bidirectional and is either wireless or is wire-connected. 
     
     
         5 . The system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the security lock is suitable for placing the at least one protection module into the alarm state by outputting an alarm signal. 
     
     
         6 . The system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the security lock comprises a locating module, wherein at least one of the security lock or at least one of the protection modules, in an active state, send their respective position data to the monitoring device in one and the same interval. 
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the interval for sending the position data in the active state is greater than the alarm interval. 
     
     
         8 . The system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the monitoring device receives position data of the security lock and of the at least one protection module and, after finding a predetermined discrepancy of the position data from one another and/or from predetermined position data by more than a predetermined value places at least the at least one protection module into the alarm state. 
     
     
         9 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the protection modules further comprise
 a communication unit which is suitable for sending data to the monitoring device and in which at leas one of the protection modules is suitable for being placed into an alarm state by an alarm signal and in the alarm state, sending position data to the monitoring device in at least one of a particular alarm interval or continuously.   
     
     
         10 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protection modules, in an active state, sends position data to the monitoring device in a predetermined interval which is greater than the alarm interval. 
     
     
         11 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protection modules receives an alarm signal from the monitoring device when the position data of the at least one protection module deviates by more than a predetermined value from predetermined position data. 
     
     
         12 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protection modules and the monitoring device can be communicatively connected to one another either bidirectionally or unidirectionally and at least one of wirelessly or in a wire-connected manner. 
     
     
         13 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the alarm interval can be at least one of adapted or adjusted by the monitoring device. 
     
     
         14 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protection modules, in the alarm state, continuously sends position data to the monitoring device until a supply voltage has dropped to a certain value and, after reaching this value, sends the position data to the monitoring device in an alarm interval. 
     
     
         15 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device receives position data from at least one of the protection modules and displays the received position data of the at least one protection module on a map. 
     
     
         16 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device is coupled to an alarm system for informing responsible persons. 
     
     
         17 . The system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the security lock or at least one of the protection modules includes at least one sensor for determining at least one of temperature, humidity, acceleration, pressure, filling level, gas, light or inclination, wherein at least one of the corresponding sensor data or a clock time or the date can be sent to the monitoring device instead or in addition to the position data. 
     
     
         18 . A system for monitoring at least two objects, comprising:
 a monitoring device;   a first protection module for the attachment to a first object to be monitored, wherein the first protection module comprises a location module for determining position data, wherein the first protection module can be set into an alarm state and is adapted to transmit the determined position data to the monitoring device, wherein the first protection module transmits its position data to the monitoring device in either a predetermined alarm interval or continuously; and   a second protection module for the attachment to a second object to be monitored, wherein the second protection module comprises a location module for determining position data, wherein the second protection module can be set into an alarm state and is adapted to transmit the determined position data to the monitoring device, wherein the second protection module transmits its position data to the monitoring device in either a predetermined alarm interval or continuously,   wherein the first object having the first protection module attached and the second object having the second protection module attached are separated from each other, but transported or stored together,   wherein the monitoring device compares the position data from the first and second protection module relative to each other or maximum distances between the first and second protection module and activates an alarm signal if the position data deviates from predetermined position data or from maximum distances and places both the first and second protection modules into an alarm state.   
     
     
         19 . A method for monitoring at least one object, wherein the object is provided with at least two protection modules, comprising:
 sending position data which are determined by a locating module of each of the at least two protection modules in a particular alarm interval or continuously from each of the protection modules to a monitoring device,   determining by the monitoring device, whether the received position data of the at least two protection modules deviate from each other and/or from predetermined position data by more than a predetermined value, and   activating an alarm state of at least one of the protection modules.