GB2552177A

GB2552177A - Tracking device

Info

Publication number: GB2552177A
Application number: GB1612096.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leonard Cooper Mark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-07-12
Filing date: 2016-07-12
Publication date: 2018-01-17
Also published as: WO2018011561A1; GB201612096D0

Abstract

A tracking device comprises a housing 1, 5, an integrated battery 6 and a printed circuit board (PCB) 8. The PCB comprises a battery connector 12 that receives power from the battery, a GPS antenna 15 and a GPS location processor 14 for determining GPS location data from signals received by the GPS antenna. The PCB also comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) 11 and a cellular transmitter 16, 17 for transmitting the location data from the GPS location processor over a cellular network using the SIM. The PCB is mounted on a face of the battery within the housing. The PCB may be double sided, with each side comprising at least one electrical component. The cellular transmitter may comprise a cellular communications processor. The battery may further comprise a battery lead 7 for delivering power form the battery to the connector. The housing may further comprise a back comprising an attachment formation 2, such as a press stud, for attachment to an article of clothing and may be configured to look like a button. A GPS location device is also disclosed.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Mark Leonard Cooper

Repton Way, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 3PN, United Kingdom (72) Inventor(s):

Mark Leonard Cooper (56) Documents Cited:

WO 2014/185976 A1 US 20130342394 A1 (58) Field of Search:

CN 204203468 U

INT CL G01S, H04B, H05K Other: WPI, EPODOC, Internet (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Ablett & Stebbing

7-8 Market Place, LONDON, W1W 8AG, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: Tracking device

Abstract Title: Tracking device having a PCB mounted on a battery (57) A tracking device comprises a housing 1, 5, an integrated battery 6 and a printed circuit board (PCB) 8. The PCB comprises a battery connector 12 that receives power from the battery, a GPS antenna 15 and a GPS location processor 14 for determining GPS location data from signals received by the GPS antenna. The PCB also comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) 11 and a cellular transmitter 16, 17 for transmitting the location data from the GPS location processor over a cellular network using the SIM. The PCB is mounted on a face of the battery within the housing. The PCB may be double sided, with each side comprising at least one electrical component. The cellular transmitter may comprise a cellular communications processor. The battery may further comprise a battery lead 7 for delivering power form the battery to the connector. The housing may further comprise a back comprising an attachment formation 2, such as a press stud, for attachment to an article of clothing and may be configured to look like a button. A GPS location device is also disclosed.

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TRACKING DEVICE [001] The present invention concerns a tracking device and, in particular, a GPS tracker for attachment to an article of clothing for allowing the wearer to be located. Embodiments of the present invention are particularly intended for use as a security device for locating a lost child.

[002] In this connection, in recent years, GPS technology has been integrated into a variety of personal items such as mobile telephones and watches for enabling a user to locate their position. In mobile phones, integrated GPS technology has also been used to allow a user to remotely locate their mobile phone if it is lost. As an extension of this technology, software applications for mobile phones have also been developed to allow a parent to monitor the location of their child based on tracking the child's mobile phone. There are however major limitations with such systems. For example, such mobile phone systems rely on the child's phone being turned on, having a charged battery, and having their GPS enabled. Furthermore, if the child loses their phone or it is taken from them, they can no longer be tracked. This is a significant limitation to such a system's ability to, for example, locate a child in the event of a child abduction.

[003] To address some of these shortcomings, various dedicated child location devices have been proposed. These are typically designed to be attached to an item of the child's clothing. US 2004/0198382 describes one such device that may be attached to a child's T-shirt or bag and comprises a GPS receiver, a signal transmitter, and a microphone and speaker for two-way communication. The housing also comprises a battery cavity for allowing a replaceable circular battery to be inserted for powering the unit.

[004] Unfortunately, there are a number of shortcomings with the above type of conventional dedicated child location devices which have prevented their widespread adoption. In particular, such devices have been too bulky to be discrete or worn as a practical everyday item. The device shown in US 2004/0198382 for example has a large disc shape, in addition to exposed buttons, LED indicators, a microphone, and a speaker. These design features all mean than the device is sufficiently large and heavy to compromise the appearance of a clothing outfit and, more significantly, would be clearly visible to a kidnapper. Furthermore, such devices have also had too short a battery life for full day use and have been difficult to attach to different items of clothing on a daily basis.

[005] The present invention therefore seeks to address the above problems with the prior art.

[006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tracking device comprising a housing; an integrated battery for powering the device; a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board comprising: a battery connector for receiving power from the battery; a GPS antenna; a GPS location processor for determining GPS location data from signals received by the GPS antenna, a subscriber identity module; a cellular transmitter for transmitting the location data from the GPS location processor the over a cellular network using the subscriber identity module; and wherein the printed circuit board is mounted on a face of the battery within the housing.

[007] In this way, by mounting the printed circuit board to the integrated battery in a layered assembly, a more compact construction is provided. This allows a small and discrete housing to be used, whilst also allowing for a relatively large battery capacity to be incorporated into the unit relative to its size. As such, the present invention allows for the provision of a small, self contained tracking device which may be conveniently and discretely attached to a child's clothes on a routine basis as a precautionary security measure.

[008] Preferably, the printed circuit board is double sided, and each of the first and second sides comprise at least one electrical component. In this way, a higher density of electrical components can be provided within the PCB's footprint, thereby allowing for a more compact device.

[009] Preferably, the first side of the printed circuit board comprises a GPS antenna and the second side of the printed circuit board is mounted to a front face of the battery. In this way, the GPS antenna is separated from the face of the battery and faces the exterior of the device. This provides a more exposed position, thereby allowing for better GPS signal reception.

[0010] Preferably, the cellular transmitter comprises a cellular communications processor, and the second side of the printed circuit board comprises said cellular communications processor. In this way, top of the IC circuit containing the cellular communications processor provides a flat contact surface of the printed circuit board for engagement against the front face of the battery.

[0011] Preferably, the face of the battery has a shape substantially the same as the shape of the printed circuit board mounted to it. In this way, the assembly of printed circuit board and battery combined occupies a compact area, allowing for a smaller device footprint.

[0012] Preferably, the battery has a capacity of 120 mAh or higher. This has been found to provide an effective balance between battery size and device operating lifespan.

[0013] Preferably, the battery is rechargeable. This allows for repeated use of the tracking device and, advantageously, allows use of the device to fit with a person's normal daily routine. For instance, the device may be charged nightly in much the same way as user will charge their mobile phone.

[0014] In embodiments, the battery is rechargeable via a connection accessible through the housing.

[0015] Preferably, the subscriber identity module comprises one of an embedded SIM, a nano-SIM card, or a port for receiving a nano-SIM card. This minimises the PCB area occupied by the SIM module, allowing for a more compact device. Most preferably, is an embedded SIM or a nano-SIM card.

[0016] Preferably, the battery further comprises a battery lead for delivering power from the battery to the battery connector, the battery lead being arranged to pass over the back of the battery, around a side edge of the battery and printed circuit board assembly, and over the first side of the printed circuit board. In this way, the battery lead helps to bind the PCB and battery assembly together, whist allowing greater flexibility on circuit design since power can be delivered to the PCB in the optimum position.

[0017] Preferably, the battery lead comprises an integrated power switch located over the first side of the printed circuit board. In this way, the device may be turned off in order to conserve power. Furthermore, as the power switch is actuated though the housing, it does not compromise the discreet surface appearance of the device's front cover.

[0018] Preferably, the housing further comprises a back, the back comprising an attachment formation for attachment to an article of clothing. In this way, the attachment means for allowing for the tracking device to be attached to clothing can be formed as an integral part of the device's housing.

[0019] Preferably, the attachment formation comprises a press stud for attachment to a corresponding stud receptacle on an article of clothing. In this way, the tracking device may be quickly detached and securely reattached to a new item of clothing, thereby enabling more convenient day-to-day use.

[0020] Preferably, the housing further comprises a keying formation for aligning a connection port on the housing with connectors on a charging dock.

[0021] Preferably, the battery is arranged towards a back of the housing, for location proximal to an article of clothing to which the device is attached, and the printed circuit board is arranged towards a front of the housing, for location distal to the article of clothing to which the device is attached. In this way, the electrical components of the PCB are located in a more exposed position, for better signal reception and transmission.

[0022] Preferably, a front of the housing is configured to look like a button. This allows the tracking device to be effectively disguised.

[0023] Preferably, the printed circuit board is sandwiched between the battery and housing within an interior cavity of the housing. In this way, the body of the battery holds the printed circuit board in place within the housing.

[0024] Preferably, the housing, battery, and printed circuit board have a substantially circular shape.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tracking device system, comprising: the tracking device of any preceding claim; and a receptacle for attachment to an article of clothing and for realisably fastening the tracking device to the article of clothing.

[0026] In this way, the tracking device system of the present invention may be conveniently used every day. In particular, as the receptacles only need to realisably fasten the tracking device, they may be provided as cheap, simple plastic or metal formings. As such, it becomes cost effective to fit a large number of clothing items with the female snap fastener receptacles, allowing the tracking device to be quickly attached to any one of the clothing items, as and when required. In practice, this means that a child can have the tracking device on them, whatever item of clothing they are wearing that day.

[0027] Preferably, the tracking device system further comprises: a charging dock for receiving the tracking device, the charging dock comprising a keying formation for engagement with the tracking device for aligning the tracking device with connectors on the charging dock.

[0028] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided GPS location device comprising: an integrated rechargeable battery located toward the back of the device; and a two-sided printed circuit board located toward the front of the device, the printed circuit board comprising a GPS antenna, a GPS location determining microprocessor, and subscriber identity module and a cellular network transmitter, at least one of which being located on a back surface of the printed circuit board, and wherein the back surface of the printed circuit board is supported by a front surface of the integrated rechargeable battery over substantially its entire surface.

[0029] Illustrative embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a tracking device according to an embodiment of the invention, with (a) showing a front view, (b) showing a side view, and (c) showing a back view;

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the main component parts of the tracking device shown in figure 1;

Figure 3 shows the battery of the tracking device shown in figure 1, with (a) showing a schematic rear perspective view with the battery lead in position, and (b) showing a plan view of the battery body and battery lead;

Figure 4 shows the printed circuit board of the tracking device shown in figure 1, with (a) showing a front view, and (b) showing a back view;

Figure 5 shows a charging dock used in a tracking device system of an embodiment of the present invention, with (a) showing a front view, (b) showing a side view, (c) showing a back view, and (d) showing an exploded view of the main component parts of the dock.

[0030] A tracking device according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1. As shown in front view (a) and back view (c) , the front of the device's housing 1 has a disc-like shape, with a circular face of around 2cm in diameter. As such, the device is configured to have a generally button-like appearance.

- 8 [0031] As shown in side view (b) and back view (c) of Figure 1, the back of the housing 5 is provided with attachment formation 2. In this embodiment, the attachment formation 2 is provided as a press stud, which can be resiliently pressed into a corresponding female receptacle that may be attached to an item of clothing. As such, the attachment formation 2 provides the male part of a snap fastener for allowing the tracking device to be detachably attached to an item of clothing that may be worn, for instance, by a child. The back of the housing 5 is also provided with a keying formation 4, which is discussed in further detail later, and a connector 3, in the form of a connection port providing four electrical contacts to charging the device and allow wired data communication with a computer.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the housing comprises a front cover 1 and a back moulding 5, both of which are formed of a polymer material and, when assembled, are connected and held together through snap lock formations. An internal cavity is formed between the back moulding 5 and a front cover 1 for housing an assembly of the battery 6 and printed circuit board 8 (PCB).

[0033] The battery 6 is substantially disc-shaped, aside from two flattened ends. The two major faces of battery 6 are flat and have curved sides that define a substantially circular shape. The printed circuit board 8 is mounted on the front face of the battery 6, facing outward, and it has a corresponding circular shape with the same diameter as the battery. As such, the rear face of the printed circuit board 8 abuts against the front face of the battery and is supported by it. The battery lead 7 extends from the rear of the battery 6, wraps around the side of the assembly, and extends across the front of the printed circuit board 8. In this embodiment, the battery lead 7 includes an integral power switch 10, which locates on the front face of the printed circuit board 8 and can be depressed through front cover 5 to control the delivery of power to battery connector 12 of the printed circuit board. As such, the front of front cover 5 is provided as a smooth surface, hiding the power switch 10 underneath, and thereby helping to disguise the functionality of the device to third parties.

[0034] The front of the printed circuit board 8 comprises GPS location section 9 and SIM module 11 in the form of a slot holding a nano-SIM card.

[0035] Figure 3 shows the battery unit 6 in more detail. As shown, the battery 6 has a substantially circular or disc shape, with two flattened ends at the top and bottom. From the schematic rear perspective view of Figure 3(a), it can be seen that the battery lead 7 projects from the flattened bottom portion of the battery and extends up over the rear face of the battery 6, before wrapping around the side and across the front, to present connector 12 to the printed circuit board.

[0036] The front and rear of the printed circuit board 8 are shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b). As shown, the printed circuit board 8 is a doubled sided board with components and conductive tracks distributed across both sides. As shown in Figure 4 (a), the first side of printed circuit board 8 comprises a battery port 13 for connection to connector 12 of battery lead 7, SIM module 11 for cellular communications, GPS antenna 15, and GPS location section 9, which comprises GPS processor module 14. On the second side of the printed circuit board 8, as shown in Figure 4(b), is located the GSM module 16 and RF module 17 for transmitting data over the cellular GSM network.

[0037] Figure 5 shows a charging dock used for charging the rechargeable battery 6 of the tracking device. Mains power is delivered to the charger through cable 18. The tracking device slots into a recess 21 provided in the charger body 19, and keying formation 22 engages with the corresponding formation 4 on the back cover 5 of the device's housing in order to align charging pins 20 with the charging ports of connector 3. When the tracking device is slotted into the recess, the press stud 2 is held in place by spring 24, shown in the exploded view of Figure 5(d). Charging circuit 25 controls the delivery of power to the charging pins 18 to charge the device, and LED 23 provides an indicator of the charging status.

[0038] An example of the use of the tracking device of this illustrative embodiment will now be described. Firstly, female snap fastener receptacles maybe attached, by stitching or rivetting for instance, to one or more items of a child's clothing. In this respect, the female snap fastener receptacles are cheap to manufacture because they only need to resiliently fasten the male attachment formation 2 of the device, and hence may be formed as simple plastic or metal formings. As such, it becomes cost effective to fit a large number of clothing items with the female snap fastener receptacles, allowing the tracking device to be quickly attached to any one of the clothing items, as and when required. In practice, this means that a child can have the tracking device on them, whatever item of clothing they are wearing that day.

[0039] When charged, a tracking device can be attached to an item of children's clothing by snap fastening the press stud 2 to the female snap fastener receptacle on the clothing. The tracking device has a similar appearance to a clothing button in that it has a comparative size and has a smooth circular outer surface. Consequently, the device is discreet and would not immediately be identified as a GPS tracking device. Furthermore, the snap fastener mechanism aids this appearance as the attachment is hidden behind the device in use. The tracking device may be turned on by depressing power switch 10 through the front cover 1.

[0040] Once activated, the tracking device draws power from the integrated battery 6 to power the printed circuit board

8. GPS processor module 14 is used to receive GPS signals from GPS Antenna 15 and process these for determining location data for the device. This location data is then transmitted over a cellular network, accessed using the SIM module 11, GSM module 16, and RF module 17.

[0041] The activation of the tracking device is managed in order to conserve battery life. For example, the tracking device may maintain by default a low power mode in which only the cellular network is monitored. If a parent wishes to determine their child's location, they can then remotely access a software application using, for example, their mobile phone or home computer. The software can then prompt a location request to be transmitted to the device over the cellular network. On receipt of the location request through the GSM module 16, the tracking device may then automatically activate and use the GPS location section 9 to determine location data for the device. The tracking device may then transmit this location data back to the parent's phone or home computer over the cellular network for allowing the parent to determine the child's location based on that location data.

[0042] In embodiments, the tracking device may also activate at periodic time intervals to determine and transmit location data to a server for storage. This allows the location of the tracking device to be logged at regular intervals so that, in the event that the tracking device later becomes inactive, a last known location may still be provided. In such instances, the tracking device may also be programmed to vary the time interval between location logs depending on, for instance, a determined speed of travel or if the tracking device is moved outside a designated area.

[0043] When a child returns home, the tracking device may be detached from their clothing and placed into the dock for recharging.

[0044] With the above arrangement, a small and self contained tracking device is provided, allowing the device to be attached to a child's clothing on a routine or day-today basis. In this respect, by mounting the printed circuit board to the integral battery, a more compact construction is provided, allowing the housing to be much smaller and more discreet than that previously achieved with conventional trackers. At the same time, a relatively large battery capacity for the size of the unit can also be provided, allowing for a practical battery lifespan of at least a day, if not better. Furthermore, the attachment means allows the tracking device to be quickly detached, recharged, and securely reattached to a new item of clothing. As such, the device allows for its routine use as an everyday item since this process fits conveniently within a normal daily routine. For example, the device might be charged nightly, in much the same was a parent will charge their own mobile phone, and then attached to a new clothing outfit each day.

[0045] It will be understood that the embodiment illustrated above shows applications of the invention only for the purposes of illustration. In practice the invention may be applied to many different configurations, the detailed embodiments being straightforward for those skilled in the art to implement.

[0046] In this connection, for example, although the 5 embodiment illustrated above utilises a press stud fastener for attachment to clothing, other attachment means are also envisaged. For example, a clip mechanism or hook-and-loop fastener fabric may feature on the back of the housing.

[0047] Furthermore, although in the embodiment illustrated above the housing has been described as two separate pieces, the housing may be sealed to form a continuous enclosure for the device. This may, for example, allow the enclosure to be water resistant or water proof.

[0048] Moreover, although in the embodiment illustrated above, the device includes a charging port, it is also envisaged that alternative embodiments could use a wireless charging coil incorporated into the housing for allowing the battery to be charged through a wireless dock.

Claims

1. A tracking device comprising:

a housing;

an integrated battery for powering the device; a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board comprising:

a battery connector for receiving power from the battery; a GPS antenna;

a GPS location processor for determining GPS location data from signals received by the GPS antenna, a subscriber identity module;

a cellular transmitter for transmitting the location data from the GPS location processor the over a cellular network using the subscriber identity module; and wherein the printed circuit board is mounted on a face of the battery within the housing.

2. A tracking device according to claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is double sided, and each of the first and second sides comprise at least one electrical component.

3. A tracking device according to claim 2, wherein the first side of the printed circuit board comprises a GPS antenna and the second side of the printed circuit board is mounted to a front face of the battery.

4. A tracking device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cellular transmitter comprises a cellular communications processor, and the second side of the printed circuit board comprises said cellular communications processor.

5. A tracking device according to any preceding claim wherein the face of the battery has a shape substantially the same as the shape of the printed circuit board mounted to it.

6. A tracking device according to claim 5 wherein the battery has a capacity of 120 mAh or higher.

7. A tracking device according to any preceding claim wherein the battery is rechargeable.

8. A tracking device according to claim 6 wherein the battery is rechargeable via a connection accessible through the housing.

9. A tracking device according to any preceding claim wherein the subscriber identity module comprises one of an embedded SIM, a nano-SIM card, or a port for receiving a nano-SIM card.

10. A tracking device according to any preceding claim, wherein the battery further comprises a battery lead for delivering power from the battery to the battery connector, the battery lead being arranged to pass over the back of the battery, around a side edge of the battery and printed circuit board assembly, and over the first side of the printed circuit board.

11. A tracking device according to claim 10, wherein the battery lead comprises an integrated power switch located over the first side of the printed circuit board.

12. A tracking device according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing further comprises a back, the back comprising an attachment formation for attachment to an article of clothing.

13. A tracking device according to claim 12, wherein the attachment formation comprises a press stud for attachment to a corresponding stud receptacle on an article of clothing.

14. A tracking device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the housing further comprises a keying formation for aligning a connection port on the housing with connectors on a charging dock.

15. A tracking device according to any preceding claim, wherein the battery is arranged towards a back of the housing for location proximal to an article of clothing to which the device is attached, and the printed circuit board is arranged towards a front of the housing for location distal to the article of clothing to which the device is attached.

16. A tracking device according to any preceding claim, wherein a front of the housing is configured to look like a button.

17. A tracking device according to any preceding claim, wherein the printed circuit board is sandwiched between the battery and housing within an interior cavity of the housing.

18. A tracking device according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing, battery, and printed circuit board have a substantially circular shape.

19. A tracking device system, comprising:

the tracking device of any preceding claim; and a receptacle for attachment to an article of clothing and for realisably fastening the tracking device to the article of clothing.

20. A tracking device system of claim 19, when dependent on claim 8, further comprising:

a charging dock for receiving the tracking device, the charging dock comprising a keying formation for engagement with the tracking device for aligning the tracking device with connectors on the charging dock.

21. A GPS location device comprising:

an integrated rechargeable battery located toward the back of the device; and a two-sided printed circuit board located toward the front of the device, the printed circuit board comprising a GPS antenna, a GPS location determining microprocessor, and subscriber identity module and a cellular network transmitter, at least one of which being located on a back surface of the printed circuit board, and wherein the back surface of the printed circuit board is supported by a front surface of the integrated rechargeable battery over substantially its entire surface.

22. A tracking device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. A tracking device system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

24. A GPS location device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: Claims searched:

GB1612096.6

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