WO2017069602A1

WO2017069602A1 - Safety and tracking system and method for pilgrims

Info

Publication number: WO2017069602A1
Application number: PCT/MA2015/000028
Authority: WO
Inventors: Omar ZERZOURI
Original assignee: Universite Internationale De Rabat
Priority date: 2015-10-21
Filing date: 2015-12-23
Publication date: 2017-04-27
Also published as: MA38529A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system in the form of an armband allowing the family of a pilgrim to remotely track the pilgrim. The system is equipped with GPS, GSM, an accelerometer, an LDR, and a microcontroller. Said microcontroller implements a method for capturing data relating to the pilgrim and sending said data to a central server which processes the data and renders it accessible via a web interface in a secure manner to the members of the pilgrim's family. The armband can also be equipped with special sensors according to the state of health of the pilgrim, such as a pulse sensor or a blood glucose level sensor.

Description

Security and tracking system and method for pilgrims

Description

The invention is a computer implemented method of tracking and notifications between smart armbands and a central server.

The Muslim pilgrimage season (Hajj) is one of the fundamentals of the Muslim religion. Several million pilgrims participate each year in a limited geographical space and time interval. While this pilgrimage allows Muslim believers to bring them closer to God and to expiate their sins in serenity, congestion unfortunately makes this experience sometimes very difficult or even tragic in some cases.

In order to improve the pilgrimage, the authorities in charge of Hajj have deployed many security measures and are continually improving the infrastructures. However, this remains insufficient and the pilgrimage is a difficult undertaking especially for the oldest and the weakest.

This does not lessen the anxiety of the families who persist despite the feeling of satisfaction inherent in the fulfillment of a family member's religious duty. The traditional means of telecommunication obviously facilitate the contact and soothe the fears relatively. But they remain limited to contacts in hotels or placeholders. There is no way of communicating or tracking pilgrims to Mina and Arafa for example, and these are the stages that experience the largest numbers of incidents.

Our invention proposes a device in the form of a cuff that will be worn by the pilgrim along his pilgrimage. The goal of the armband is to follow the pilgrim's activity and to report it to his family members or companions whether they are on the spot or elsewhere. It is suitable for people with mild dementia because it detects whether it is worn or not and operates autonomously without any intervention of the pilgrim and does not need to be loaded during the pilgrimage.

The cuff is an adjustable belt equipped with a waterproof case. The box contains an electronic card allowing communication between a microcontroller (ATMega for example) and peripherals. Among the devices there is a GPS position sensor (or A-GPS), a GSM modem, an accelerometer, an LDR diode. It can optionally also be equipped with the need for a pulse sensor and a blood glucose sensor. A battery powers the assembly with a low level sensor connected to the microcontroller. The outer surface of the housing is equipped with a radiator.

The microcontroller implements in its logic of execution the following process:

(1) At the beginning of each predefined DT1 time period, the entire device is activated.

(2) The microcontroller first sends the commands to the GPS receiver to retrieve current time at the time of activation and the current position of the device. (3) The AT commands are then sent to the GSM modem to initialize and retrieve the SMS messages waiting in the SMS center of the operator. (4) Other blood glucose and pulse sensors may be activated if equipped. (5) A counter is then initialized at a predefined time period DT2 with steps allowing regular period loop execution until the end of DT2. At each loop, (6) the microcontroller checks if the LDR diode picks up the light. If at any time, the light is sensed, (7) the microcontroller activates the alert of the unworn bracelet. (8) Then the microcontroller retrieves the data from the accelerometer and records it.

(9) At the end of the loop, the microcontroller checks the list of SMS retrieved from the SMS center and scans their contents. If it is a command to change the encryption key, (10) it checks the old key and changes it to the new one by returning a confirmation SMS in clear. If it is an activation hold command, (11) it returns DT1 to 0. If it is a command to return to normal, (12) it returns DT1 to its value original.

All the data recovered by the sensors are (13) encoded, (14) encrypted, then - 15) sent by SMS to a dedicated service number. The device is then disabled during DT2.

A central server retrieves SMS service numbers from the SMS Center to process and return them as a web interface to family members and escorts. Web rendering is ergonomic with position indicators on a map, and a dashboard of captured data. This same Web interface makes it possible to send commands by SMS to change the encryption key, to maintain activation or to return to normal (intermittent activation).

The encoding provides a format readable by a computer program (binary, or hexadecimal text or JSON for example).

Encryption is symmetrical. It uses the encryption key set by SMS to encrypt the encrypted message. This same key is used by family members or escorts to access information on the central server. No encryption key is registered by the server unless the user requests it. Indeed, the encryption key is sent when opening the web session and is used to decrypt the received data for processing. The server can not decrypt the data without a session being opened by someone who knows the encryption key.

The time period DT1 can be 1 hour for example, this period is calculated according to the capacity of the battery.

The duration of time DT2 can be 2 minutes for example. This is the time required for the sensors installed to retrieve the respective data. It depends on the models and the performance of the sensors. This time should not be less than 2 minutes because it should allow the accelerometer to have enough information to determine the status of the pilgrim (on, stop, prayer, etc.).

Figure 1 provides a view of the important steps of the process.

Claims

claims

1- A system for monitoring remote people characterized by an armband worn by pilgrims equipped with a GSM modem that communicates their activity by SMS to a central server.

2- A remote people monitoring system according to claim 1 characterized in that the cuff is an adjustable belt equipped with a sealed housing. The housing contains an electronic card for communication between a microcontroller and peripherals. Among the devices there is a GPS position sensor (or A-GPS), a GSM modem, an accelerometer, an LDR diode. A battery powers the assembly with a low level sensor connected to the microcontroller. The outer surface of the housing is equipped with a radiator.

3- A remote people tracking system according to claims 1 and 2 characterized by a pulse sensor.

4- A remote person tracking system according to claims 1 and 2 characterized by a blood glucose sensor.

5- A remote person tracking method characterized by the following steps: (1) At the beginning of each preset period of time DT1, the entire cuff device is activated. (2) The microcontroller first sends the commands to the GPS receiver to retrieve current time at the time of activation and the current position of the device. (3) The AT commands are then sent to the GSM modem to initialize and retrieve the SMS messages waiting in the SMS center of the operator. (4) Other blood glucose and pulse sensors may be activated if equipped. (5) A counter is then initialized at a predefined time period DT2 with steps allowing regular period loop execution until the end of DT2. At each loop, (6) the microcontroller checks if the LDR diode picks up the light. If at any time, the light is sensed, (7) the microcontroller activates the alert of the unworn bracelet. (8) Then the microcontroller retrieves the data from the accelerometer and records it. (9) At the end of the loop, the microcontroller checks the list of SMS retrieved from the SMS center and scans and processes their contents. Then, all the data recovered by the sensors are (13) coded, (14) encrypted, and then (15) sent by SMS to a dedicated service number.

6- A remote people tracking method according to claim 5 characterized in that the (9) SMS processing is executed as follows: If it is a command to change the encryption key, (10) it check the old key and change it to the new one by sending a confirmation SMS in clear. If it is an activation hold command, (11) it returns DT1 to 0. If it is a command to return to normal, (12) it returns DT1 to its value original. 7- A remote people tracking method according to claims 5 and 6 characterized in that the central server retrieves SMS service numbers from the SMS Center to process and return them as a web interface to members of the family and accompanying persons.