US Patent:
20020070874, Jun 13, 2002
Inventors:
George Williams - Weston FL, US
Mehrdad Esfandi - Allen TX, US
Scott Bergen - McKinney TX, US
International Classification:
G08B005/22
US Classification:
340/825490, 340/568700, 340/572800
Abstract:
A tracking device which allows law enforcement officers to electronically monitor money stolen from a bank. The tracking device fits within a stack of bills in a teller's drawer or a bank's vault. When activated, it transmits a beacon signal that continuously runs for the duration of the battery. The tracking device automatically sends a signal to either a fixed monitoring station such as a local police station or to a mobile monitoring station, such as a helicopter or police car, and provides continual tracking of the thief in possession of the stolen money. By knowing the location of the money, the police can track and apprehend the perpetrators. It is designed to be a circuit card smaller than a dollar bill and thin enough to be concealed inside a stack of bills, thereby allowing it to be placed into a stack of money undetected. The device can be water-proofed to prevent it from shorting out if placed in by the thief. In addition, it can be made flexible to further aid its concealment within a stack of paper bills. Alternative embodiments allow variations of the tracking device to be placed within other objects of value. An alternative embodiment allows the tracking device to be automatically activated when it is taken past the door of the building where it is stored.