Method and device to set household parameters based on the movement of items

• US 10,244,097 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pairable, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pairable, Inc.
• Inventors: Logan, James D
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuhui R
• Application Number:
  US15/336,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system, method and device to interrogate for the presence of objects, to prevent the inadvertent separation of the objects from their owner. An owner is alerted when they are separated from the objects by determining when a trigger event occurs, such as a person leaving and/or entering a particular monitored area or location. These monitored areas can be retrofitted with an electronic interrogation device that monitors local conditions to determine whether a user is entering or leaving the monitored area to trigger an interrogation of the personal items. The interrogation device is constructed and arranged to communicate with the objects to determine whether the objects are with the owner. The interrogation device automatically determines the presence of a particular object at the monitored environment and automatically generates a notification when needed. The system further controls functionality of the objects, according to illustrative embodiments, when the object is present.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a first connection from the mobile device to a thermostat through a wireless network, wherein the first connection is used to transmit data regarding a temperature setting in the thermostat;

a second connection from the mobile device through a second wireless network to a tag, wherein said tag is attached to a luggage that indicates travel;

a storage location in the mobile device for storing a first location where the tag is located, said first location loaded with the location on a first time that the tag is located, and compared with a second location on a subsequent time that the tag is located;

a user interface of the mobile device for prompting a user for parameters regarding temperature settings when the mobile device determines that the first location is different from the second location;

a message sent from the mobile device through said wireless network to said thermostat containing the temperature settings.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first and second networks are the same network.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first network is a Bluetooth network.

4. The mobile device claim 1 wherein the second network is a Bluetooth network.

5. A method of setting a household parameter using a mobile device, said method comprising:

searching a wireless network for a tag, wherein said tag is affixed to a luggage that indicates travel;

receiving information from said tag regarding a time of a recent movement of said tag;

storing the time of recent movement of said tag in a memory location if no time of movement information is currently stored for said tag;

comparing the time of recent movement with said memory location if time of movement information is currently stored for said tag;

promoting a user via a user interface of the mobile device for said household parameter if the comparison shows that the tag has moved;

recording the household parameter provided by the user; and

communicating said household parameter to a third device.

6. The method of setting a household parameter using a mobile device of claim 5 wherein the third device is a thermostat and the household parameter is a temperature.

7. The method of setting a household parameter using a mobile device of claim 5 wherein the third device is an alarm system and the household parameter is a time to set the alarm.

8. The method of setting a household parameter using a mobile device of claim 5 wherein the third device is a light and the household parameter is a time to turn the light on.

9. The method of setting a household parameter using a mobile device of claim 5 further including the steps of sending a message to the tag requesting the time of recent movement of the tag.