Associated articles identifying system

• US 20040080419A1
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xmark Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verichip Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Hatfield McKenzie, Jennifer A., Martin, Brian W., McCulloch, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,977,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

An article identification system relies upon correlating or “bonding” a detecting object with an identifying object on an auto-identification basis. Identification data is provided on an automated, high-reliability basis, without human control over the precise identification data that is transferred. On this basis a nursery infant-parent identifier system is provided whereby, when a detecting baby bracelet is brought into the presence of an identifying parent'"'"'s tag, a reliable indication is provided as to whether the bracelet and tag have been previously bonded.

Claims

1. An associated articles identification system comprising:

1) first and second sets of objects, each object being a member of one of said respective sets,

each member of said sets comprising means for effecting an initial bonding communication with at least one of any of the members of the opposite set in each other'"'"'s presence whereby a detecting member of one set acquires identification data respecting an identifying member of the opposite set to become respectively bonded detecting and bonded identifying objects, such communicating objects thereafter being correlated and “

bonded”

to each other by the ability of the bonded detecting object of one set to recognize the identification data of the bonded identifying object of the opposite set;

2) wireless communication means associated with each of said objects whereby each object is capable of communicating, either directly or indirectly, by wireless communication with a member of the opposite set by either transmitting or receiving identification data;

3) range detection means

whereby a bonded detecting object may detect an identifying object that is within a predetermined detection range of said bonded detecting object;

4) identity determination means

whereby said bonded detecting object determines whether an identifying object that is within said predetermined detection range is a member of the opposite set and whether such identifying object is a bonded identifying object of the opposite set; and

5) output indication means

to provide an indication as to whether the identifying object is a bonded identifying object of the opposite set.

2. A system as in claim 1 comprising reset means to clear the bonded condition of a bonded object and thereby render said previously bonded object available to be rebonded afresh to members of the opposite set.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein the range detection means comprises a wireless receiver and a wireless transmitter carried respectively by said detecting bonded member and said identifying bonded member.

4. A system as in claim 3 wherein the receiver is a very low frequency (VLF) receiver and the transmitter is a VLF transmitter and wherein said predetermined detection range is determined by the threshold detection of the near-field emissions of the VLF transmitter by the VLF receiver.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said initial bonding communication is effected through wireless communication when the objects to be bonded are in each other'"'"'s presence.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein the detecting object comprises a VLF receiver, the identifying object comprises a VLF transmitter, and said initial bonding communication is effected through transmission of a VLF signal from the VLF transmitter to the VLF receiver.

7. A system as in claim 1 comprising bonding initiation means and bonding closure means by which bonding to identifying objects can be effected wherein the bonding closure means is selected from the group constituted by a fixed time period, the reception of identification data from a single identifying object, a pre-selected number of identifying objects or from all identifying objects within the detection range of the bonding detection object during the bonding period or any combination thereof.

8. A system as in claim 1 wherein said output indication means provides a first, affirmative, matching signal in the presence of an identifying bonded object and a second, negative, non-matching signal in the presence of an identifying object from the opposite set to which the detecting member is not bonded.

9. A system as in claim 1 wherein said output indication means provides a signal upon the departure of a bonded object beyond the detection range.

10. A system as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 wherein the first set of objects comprises a set of baby'"'"'s bracelets and the second set of objects comprises a set of parent identifiers and wherein the detecting object is a baby'"'"'s bracelet which has been bonded to a parent identifier as an identifying object.

11. A system as in claim 10 wherein the baby'"'"'s bracelet comprises means for emitting as its output indication an audio or visual warning signal if the identification data it receives from a parent identifier coming within the detection range does not include the identification data of a parent identifier with which the bracelet has previously been bonded.

12. A system as in claim 10 in combination with a central monitor connected through wireless detectors to receive signals from a baby'"'"'s bracelet wherein the baby'"'"'s bracelet comprises means for emitting as its output indication a wireless warning signal for reception by the central processor if the identification data it receives does not include the identification data of a parent identifier with which the bracelet has previously been bonded.

13. A system as in claims 11 or 12 comprising timeout means for limiting the duration of emission of an output indication.

14. A system as in claims 11 or 12 wherein the baby'"'"'s bracelet comprises means to suppress the warning signal if said bracelet is receiving identification data from a parent identifier with which the baby'"'"'s bracelet has previously been bonded.

15. A system as in claim 10 comprising recordal means within the baby'"'"'s bracelet for the recordal of identification data corresponding to two or more bonded parent identifiers whereby two or more parent identifiers may be bonded to a single bonded baby'"'"'s bracelet.

16. A system as in claim 10 wherein the baby'"'"'s bracelet includes a strap with a conductive, signal transmitting strip and the bracelet includes a bonding initiation means that is activated by the attachment of the bracelet strap to form a closed loop.

17. A system as in claim 16 comprising reset means wherein, upon or after a period from the severing or disengagement of the strap, the reset means is actuated to purge the existing bonded state of the bracelet and enable the bracelet to be rebonded.

18. An associated articles identification system comprising:

1) first and second sets of objects, each object being a member of one of said respective sets, each member of said sets comprising means for effecting an initial bonding communication with at least one of any of the members of the opposite set in each other'"'"'s presence whereby a detecting member of one set acquires identification data respecting an identifying member of the opposite set to become respectively bonded detecting and bonded identifying objects, such communicating objects thereafter being correlated and “

bonded”

to each other by the ability of the bonded detecting object of one set to recognize the identification data of the bonded identifying object of the opposite set;

2) wireless communication means associated with each of said objects whereby each bonded object is capable of communicating, either directly or indirectly, by wireless communication with a bonded member of the opposite set by either transmitting or receiving identification data;

3) range and identity detection means whereby a bonded detecting object may detect whether a bonded identifying object has passed beyond, a predetermined detection range of said bonded detecting object; and

4) output indication means to provide an indication when said bonded identifying object has passed beyond said predetermined detection range.