Geolocationing system and method for use of same
A geolocationing system and method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, such as a hospitality environment or educational environment, are presented. In one embodiment of the geolocationing system, a vertical and horizontal array of gateway devices is provided. Each gateway device includes a gateway device identification providing an accurately-known fixed location within the multi-space environment. Each gateway device includes a wireless transceiver that receives a beacon signal from a proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device. The gateway devices, in turn, send gateway signals to a server, which determines estimated location of the wireless-enabled personal locator device.
1. A method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, the method being executed by a processor in communication with a server via a programming interface, the server having non-transitory memory and storage interconnected in a busing architecture, the method comprising:
receiving, via an array of gateway devices each having a gateway device identification providing an accurately-known fixed location, a plurality of gateway signals, each gateway signal including a personal locator device identification associated with a proximate wireless-enabled personal location device and a gateway device identification associated with a transmitting gateway device;
processing the plurality of gateway signals; and
determining an estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal location device based on the processed gateway signals.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the gateway device is a set-top box.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the gateway device is a common space gateway device.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the gateway device is a gateway service device.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the proximate wireless-enabled personal location device is a single button personal locator device.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the proximate wireless-enabled personal location device is an interactive programmable device.
7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the interactive programmable device is selected from the group consisting of smartwatches, smartphones, and tablet computers.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the server is a back-office hotel server.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the server is a cloud-based server.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving a distress signal from the proximate wireless-enabled personal location device.
11. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising activating a camera proximate to the estimated location.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the camera is part of a device selected from the group consisting of personal locator devices, cellular telephones, mobile telephones, two-way radios, personal digital assistants, digital music players, Global Position System units, tablet computers, and smartwatches.
13. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the camera is part of a device selected from the group consisting of gateway devices, set-top boxes, gateway service devices, and common space gateway devices.
14. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
rendering a map view of the multi-space environment; and
annotating the map view with a location of the camera.
15. A method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, the method being executed by a processor in communication with a server via a programming interface, the server having non-transitory memory and storage interconnected in a busing architecture, the method comprising:
receiving, via an array of gateway devices each having a gateway device identification providing an accurately-known fixed location, a plurality of gateway signals, each gateway signal including a personal locator device identification associated with a proximate wireless-enabled personal location device and a gateway device identification associated with a transmitting gateway device;
processing the plurality of gateway signals;
determining an estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal location device based on the processed plurality of gateway signals;
rendering a map view of the multi-space environment, the map view including a graphical representation of the multi-space environment; and
annotating the graphical representation of the multi-space environment with the estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal location device.
16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the gateway device is a set-top box.
17. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the gateway device is a common space gateway device.
18. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the gateway device is a gateway service device.
19. A method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, the method being executed by a processor in communication with a server via a programming interface, the server having non-transitory memory and storage interconnected in a busing architecture, the method comprising:
receiving, via an array of gateway devices each having a gateway device identification providing an accurately-known fixed location, a plurality of gateway signals, each gateway signal including a personal locator device identification associated with a proximate wireless-enabled personal location device and a gateway device identification associated with a transmitting gateway device, the gateway signals further including an alert notification;
processing the plurality of gateway signals;
determining an estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal location device based on the processed plurality of gateway signals;
rendering a map view of the multi-space environment, the map view including a graphical representation of the multi-space environment;
annotating the graphical representation of the multi-space environment with the estimated location of the proximate wireless-enabled personal location device; and
annotating the graphical representation of the multi-space environment with the alert notification.
20. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the server is selected from the group consisting of back-office hotel servers and cloud-based servers.