Out-of-range detector

• US 20040000993A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lu, Jin
• Granted Patent: US 7,019,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0263 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the direction in which child or item is located

Abstract

A monitoring system for monitoring a direction of a monitored device when the monitored device is positioned further than a predetermined distance from a monitoring device. The monitoring device receives a locator signal from the monitored device and produces a direction indication that indicates the direction of the received locator signal. If the monitoring device no longer receives the locator signal, the direction indication indicates the direction of the last received locator signal.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring device; and

a monitored device, wherein the monitoring device is configured to receive a locator signal from the monitored device and is configured to produce a direction indication indicating the direction of a last received locator signal if the locator signal is not received.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is configured to provide a direction indication if a locator signal is received.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises an alert indication configured to provide an alert when a locator signal is not received within a predetermined period of time.

4. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the alert is at least one of an audible alert and a vibration alert.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the direction indication is a first direction indication and the monitoring device comprises an orientation detector configured to determine an orientation of the monitoring device, and wherein the monitoring device is configured to produce a second direction indication indicating the direction of the last received locator signal if the orientation detector determines a change in the orientation of the monitoring device.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is configured to provide a solicitation signal to the monitored device and the monitored device is configured to provide the locator signal in response to a received solicitation signal.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises a sensitivity adjustment configured to adjust a receiving sensitivity of the monitoring device for the locator signal.

8. A method of monitoring a monitored device comprising the acts of:

receiving a locator signal from the monitored device; and

producing a direction indication indicating a direction of a last received locator signal if the locator signal is not received.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising the act of providing a direction indication indicating a current direction of the monitored device with respect to the monitoring device if a locator signal is received.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising the act of providing an alert when a locator signal is not received within a predetermined period of time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the alert is at least one of an audible alert and a vibration alert.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the direction indication is a first direction indication, the method comprising the act of:

determining an orientation of the monitoring device; and

producing a second direction indication indicating the direction of the last received locator signal if there is a change in the orientation of the monitoring device.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising the act of:

providing a solicitation signal to the monitored device; and

providing the locator signal in response to a received solicitation signal.

14. The method of claim 8, comprising the act of adjusting a receiving sensitivity of the monitoring device for the locator signal.