Identification device, system and method

• US 10,015,256 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Global Locating Systems LLC (Fred DuFresne)
• Original Assignee: Global Locating Systems LLC (Fred DuFresne)
• Inventors: Wildon, Michael Peter, Paterson, Alexander Robert Dalziel
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akki, Munear
• Application Number:
  US14/687,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20150223021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721, 3405391, 34053919, 3405729
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/18 Devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/42 Devices for identifying luggage; Means for attaching same
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/018 Involving non-radio wave signals or measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

An identification system includes an identification device and a communication device. The identification device is attached to an article and including a sensor. The identification device is configured to operate in a plurality of modes and configured to switch between modes of the plurality of modes based on one or more conditions of a surrounding environment sensed by the sensor. The identification device is configured to send data to a server. The communication device of a user of the identification system is configured to receive data including location data of the identification device from the server using short message service protocols or messages through a signaling channel.

Claims

1. An identification system comprising:

an identification device including a sensor, the identification device being configured to operate in a plurality of modes and configured to switch between modes of the plurality of modes based on one or more conditions of a surrounding environment sensed by the sensor, wherein a housing of the identification device is convex-shaped to provide a light pathway to a display;

a server configured to receive data from the identification device, the data including position identification data, the server configured to determine a location from the position identification data and to generate location data for communication to a user of the identification system.

2. The identification system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more processors that executes instructions included in one or more messages, wherein the instructions are employed to perform one or more actions including:

validating a sender of the one or more messages;

activating a locking or unlocking of the identification device to an article by an attachment locking mechanism;

disabling or enabling activation of the attachment locking mechanism based on received Global Positing Systems (GPS) information;

or providing a message to the user indicating a status of the operation of the attachment locking mechanism.

3. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein the identification device is permanently attached to an article.

4. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein the identification device is integral/integrated with an article.

5. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein a communication device of the user is a personal computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, tablet computer, smart watch or a smartphone.

6. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein the server is configured to generate a location request signal in response to a request for the location of an article and to transmit the location request signal to the identification device, the identification device being configured in response to the received location request signal to generate position identification data for transmission to the server.

7. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein the identification device is configured to generate position identification data after a predetermined period of time after initiation of the identification device.

8. The identification system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage medium in communication with the server so that the server accesses data stored/programmed therein, the storage medium including a database, the data stored in the storage medium including a desired location of an article,

wherein the server is configured to compare a determined location of the article with the desired location of the article and, if they are different, to transmit the determined location data to the user, and/or to activate an alert indicator on the identification device.

9. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein the identification device is a cellular radio telephone network communications device and the position identification data is determined from a cellular radio telephone.

10. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein data communication between the server and the identification device uses wireless data transfer protocols based on Near Field Communications protocols including at least one of BlueTooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX or Zig bee.

11. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted to the communication device of the user via short message service protocols, email, dynamic map pin-pointing using a Geographic Information System, and/or Interactive Voice Response.

12. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein the identification device includes an alert device configured to indicate a status of the identification device.

13. The identification system according to claim 1, wherein the identification device operates in a plurality of modes, including a first mode in which the identification device is configured to receive and transmit data, and a second mode in which the identification device is disabled from receiving and transmitting data.

14. The identification system according to claim 13, wherein the identification device further operates in a third mode in which the activated identification device displays user details on the display and activates an alert indicator on the identification device.

15. The identification system according to claim 1, further comprising:

one or more additional sensors configured to sense data relating to one or more of the identification device, an article, or the identification system,

and the identification device is configured to initiate an action on a basis of data from the additional sensors.

16. The identification system according to claim 15, wherein the one or more additional sensors include:

a temperature sensor, a light sensor, a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, and/or a motion sensor.

17. The identification system according to claim 15, wherein the action comprises processing the sensed data and, on a basis of the processing, switching a mode of operation of the identification device.

18. The identification system according to claim 15, wherein the identification device operates in a plurality of modes, including a first mode in which the identification device is configured to receive and transmit data, and a second mode in which the identification device is disabled from receiving and transmitting data, and a sensor of the one or more additional sensors is configured to detect when the identification device is required to be in the second mode, the identification device being configured to switch to the second mode in response to a signal from the sensor indicating that the identification device is required to be disabled.

19. The identification system according to claim 15, wherein the identification device operates in a plurality of modes, including a first mode in which the identification device is configured to receive and transmit data, and a second mode in which the identification device is disabled from receiving and transmitting data, and a sensor of the one or more additional sensors is configured to detect when the identification device is required to be in the second mode, the identification device being configured to switch to the second mode in response to a signal from the server indicating that the identification device is required to be disabled.

20. An identification system comprising:

an identification device including a sensor, the identification device being configured to operate in a plurality of modes and configured to switch between modes of the plurality of modes based on one or more conditions of a surrounding environment sensed by the sensor, the identification device configured to send data to a server, wherein a housing of the identification device is convex-shaped to provide a light pathway to a display; and

a communication device of a user of the identification system configured to receive data including location data of the identification device from the server.

21. An identification system comprising:

an identification device including a sensor, the identification device being configured to operate in a plurality of modes and configured to switch between modes of the plurality of modes based on one or more conditions of a surrounding environment sensed by the sensor, the identification device configured to send data to a server, wherein a housing of the identification device is convex-shaped to provide a light pathway to a display; and

a communication device of a user of the identification system configured to receive data including location data of the identification device from the server using short message service protocols or messages through a signaling channel.

22. The identification system according to claim 21, wherein the communication device receives data using an SS7 signaling channel.