Item and luggage loss prevention system

• US 10,051,936 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2018
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trikaz, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nolo Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Shah, Faisal, Gafron, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): TUN, NAY L
• Application Number:
  US15/871,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20180132588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 218 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/18 Devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/24 Devices for sound-producing, piercing, gas-discharging, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/04 Babies, e.g. for SIDS detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/06 Children, e.g. for attention deficit diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/58 combined with handles of suit-cases or trunks
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/365 involving comparison with a reference value G01G23/37 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing item or luggage loss prevention, which, in some cases, is based on weight measurement. In some embodiments, a device with a processor can be placed under a bag'"'"'s handle, within an interior compartment of the bag, below or in the feet or wheels of the bag, and/or the like. The device can allow a user to lock in a weight of the bag. If any item is subsequently removed from (and not returned to) the bag, the device will notify the user, using one or more of audio notification, visual notification, and/or mobile device notification (e.g., via e-mail, text message, SMS, MMS, chat message, and/or the like) that the weight of the bag has changed. In some cases, location detection devices may be implemented to allow the user to backtrack where the missing item might have been left behind.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, with a device, a first user input from a user to lock-in a first weight supported by a child seat, wherein the first weight corresponds to an occupant in the child seat;

measuring, with the device, the first weight of the occupant in the child seat, in response to receiving the first user input;

storing, with the device and in a local data storage device, the measured first weight;

determining, with a location detection device of the device, a first location of the child seat when measuring the first weight;

storing, with the device, the first location in the local data storage device;

determining that the child seat is moving by determining, with the location detection device, that a present location of the child seat is different from the first location of the child seat; and

based on a determination that the child seat is moving, measuring, with the device, a second weight supported by the child seat;

determining, with the device, whether the second weight matches the stored first weight; and

based on a determination that the second weight does not match the first weight, notifying, with the device, the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising attaching the device to the child seat.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising attaching the device to one or more handles of the child seat.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the device at a bottom portion of the child seat.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the bottom portion includes one of under a bottom shell portion, within or on a bottom inner cushion, or between the bottom shell portion and the bottom inner cushion.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the device below one or more feet of the child seat.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising affixing the device between the child seat and each of one or more wheel casters coupled to the child seat.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring each of the first weight and the second weight comprises measuring using a weight measurement device comprising a load cell selected from a group consisting of a strain gauge load cell, a piezoelectric load cell, a capacitive load cell, a compression load cell, a compression/tension load cell, an S-beam load cell, a bending beam load cell, a platform load cell, a single point load cell, a canister load cell, and a low profile load cell.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that the child seat is moving by determining, with the device, that the load cell of the weight measurement device is being actuated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring each of the first weight and the second weight comprises measuring using a weight measurement device comprising a contact surface and a contact sensor, wherein the weight measurement device has a structure that causes the contact surface to be brought into contact with the contact sensor when a first portion of the weight measurement device is lifted with respect to a second portion of the weight measurement device, which is coupled to the child seat.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the contract sensor comprises at least one of a flex sensor, a piezoelectric-based sensor, a compression-based sensor, or a spring-based sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, responsive to the determination that the child seat moving, that the car child seat is empty.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, responsive to the determination that the child seat is moving, that the occupant is still in the child seat.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, receiving a second user input, wherein measuring the second weight occurs in response to the second user input.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

a weight measurement device;

a location detection device;

a user interface device;

a computer readable storage medium in communication with the at least one processor, the computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer software, the computer software comprising a set of instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive, with the weight measurement device, a first user input from a user to lock-in a first weight supported by a child seat, wherein the first weight corresponds to an occupant in the child seat;

measure, with the weight measurement device, the first weight of the occupant in the child seat, in response to receiving the first user input;

store, in a local data storage device, the measured first weight;

determine, with the location detection device, a first location of the child seat when measuring the first weight;

store the first location in the local data storage device;

determine that the child seat is moving by determining, with the location detection device, that a present location of the child seat is different from the first location of the child seat;

based on a determination that the child seat is moving, measure, with the weight measurement device, a second weight supported by the child seat;

determine, with the weight measurement device, whether the second weight matches the stored first weight; and

based on a determination that the second weight does not match the first weight, notify the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions are further executable to:

determine that the car seat is being moved by determining, with the light weight measuring device, that the load cell of the weight measurement device is being actuated.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions are further executable to:

based on the determination that the child seat is moving, determine whether the occupant is in the child seat.

18. A system comprising:

a child seat comprising a bottom portion and seat back;

a child seat monitoring device coupled to child seat, the child seat monitoring device comprising;

a processor;

a computer readable storage medium in communication with the processor, the computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer software, the computer software comprising a set of instructions executable by the processor to;

receive, with a weight measurement device, a first user input from a user to lock-in a first weight supported by a child seat, wherein the first weight corresponds to an occupant in the child seat;

measure, with the weight measurement device, the first weight of the occupant in the child seat, in response to receiving the first user input;

store, in a local data storage device, the measured first weight;

determine, with a location detection device, a first location of the child seat when measuring the first weight;

store the first location in the local data storage device;

determine that the child seat is moving by determining, with the location detection device, that a present location of the child seat is different from the first location of the child seat;

based on a determination that the child seat is moving, measure, with the weight measurement device, a second weight supported by the child seat;

determine, with the weight measurement device, whether the second weight matches the stored first weight;

based on a determination that the second weight does not match the first weight, notify the user.