Weighntel

• US 20050006152A1
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Subhi K. Eldeiry
• Original Assignee: Subhi K. Eldeiry
• Inventors: Eldeiry, Subhi K.
• Application Number:
  US10/613,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20050006152A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/25.110
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/005 with electric or electronic computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4146 for controlling caloric intake, e.g. diet control
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/01 Testing or calibrating of weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means

Abstract

WEIGHNTEL is a weighing device, a scale that is capable of automatic instantaneous wireless transmission of recorded weights that are packaged or associated with other data as identification, date, and time. This is wireless transmission of a recorded weight and other business related data, of objects including living beings, to any location on earth or in outer space. Using existing technology a scale can be manufactured to accomplish electronic transmission of weights after recording them with account ID, date and time on a computer disc. Digital scales may be used and preferred over other traditional scales. Objects to be weighed vary from tiny objects such as jewelry, postal items, to human beings, pets and animals, cargo in seaports, airports, and rail stations or to be loaded on commercial or military trucks or other transportation vehicles. Weighing cargo in this innovative manner can help to safeguard against illegal interventions over time or space. Weighing human beings can help to generate a more accurate and meaningful weight record, or weight history from birth to end of life, or from any point of beginning to termination of the account. Adding a global locator feature could be of unimaginable security value especially if the devices are globally marketed. Adding a camera or video camera would perhaps be a luxury that increases the cost of production but also enhances security. Adding sensors such as a scanning device can help to pick a unit ID and include it with data to be transferred. The device could be programmed to make automatic corrections to weights that are influenced by geography in locations that alter the gravity effect. [e.g. a weight on earth is 6 times that on the moon]. Either the transmitter and receiver ends can be portable mobile or they can be stationary i.e. a scale can be small and portable or huge and fixed to a location. A receiver can be a portable hand held device, a telephone or a stationary computer or a laptop. Transmission is basically performed by an electronic transmission device in a manner similar to TCP/IP packet transmission or email transmission between two ends or computers. Wireless data transmission happens from scale to a location on the Internet, Intranet or any receiver device and vice versa using end to end wireless data transmission protocol. Every transmitting device within a scale is programmed for a specific goal that is defined by the type of business involved. Every receiver device and each software program is built for a specific goal that is defined by the type of business involved. At the receiver end transmitted data are automatically entered into the account ID file. Data are further processed to produce a graph or a table or both showing the details of the transaction and relation to prior transactions. A printable file shows weight progress from the date of subscription to the account to the date of the last transaction. With each transaction a new updated file is produced without deleting previous records.

Claims

1. “

WEIGHNTEL”

is a method of wireless transmission of bundled or packaged data from a scale to another location using a software program depending on the specific business. The data include the recorded weight, date, time, name and account identification number (ID) and unit ID when applicable of objects including living beings.

Produced in many different sizes and shapes depending on the business, the scale functions as a wireless data transmission scale capable of;

Digital display of the weight of objects ranging from the smallest with smaller scales to the largest possible size with larger scales. Objects including living beings may be weighed in units or groups for many different purposes. For each category there will obviously be a need to produce scales of specific size and capacity. For weighing living beings health and safety considerations will need to be observed.

Capturing, or recording and storing each separate transaction in a secure file that has the identification data of the weighed object. The file is inside a computer disc inside the scale.

Automatic wireless data transmission optionally including pictures recorded by camera or video camera or scanned account and unit id when applicable, to an intranet, web site on the Internet such as weighntel.com or any authorized licensed receiver device. Secure wireless transmission of data includes ID data, date, time, and recorded weight, and including pictures recorded by camera or video camera when applicable. American and or international measuring systems or both may be used to record weights plus any other data that can be pre-programmed to serve an additional purpose for the specific business.

To achieve automatic wireless data transmission a computer or computer chip with software program is connected with the wireless transmission device inside the scale. When an object is weighed the program picks the value of the weight and bundles it with the account ID, unit ID if applicable, dates and time and forwards the file or “

packet”

to the wireless transmission device. This in turn sends the secure file or packet to the receiving end on the intranet, Internet or on another device such as a telephone.

Definitions;

Account ID refers to an identification number or a code of a registered account

Unit ID refers to an identification number or a code of a unit of the object to be weighed. According to this definition a human being is a unit when being weighed where the account ID may be the same as unit ID. A box of goods ready to be shipped in some port is a unit within a given account. It is clear that many similar or different units can belong to one account ID but each will have its distinctive ID. An incorporated scanning device placed in a suitable location picks both account ID and unit ID. The whole idea of a unit ID is extra, extra security If there is a serial number it could be used as a unit ID.

2. A method according to claim # 1 of software programs designed to be specific for data transmission from a given scale to a pre-programmed target location e.g. weighntel.com. A WEIGHNTEL software program in general will allow the following:

a. The capability of storing encrypted data safely in both ends that are to be connected for the wireless transmission.

b. The capability of registering new accounts and freezing or terminating accounts depending on the specific business plan involved

c. The capability of receiving data from each registered account and keeping a log of all transactions within each account including date and time of transaction. This means the capability of identifying registered accounts and rejecting non-registered entries.

d. The capability of depositing received funds in a bank account and or returning them when electronic accounts are used

e. The capability of creating graphs and tables reflecting received weight data and entering them into each individual account file that has the constant ID data. Updated files do not cancel or replace prior records.

f. The capability of transmitting encrypted files to physicians, clients, and authorized private or government agencies requesting them for business. This means the added capability of verifying the identity of the requesting source. This function is performed on demand either one time demand or periodic demand by prearranged contract.

g. The capability of retrieving or tracking transactions by ID, date, time and other data for use on demand by authorized individuals or organizations.

h. The capability of sounding an alarm or sending an alert signal when a record of weights is outside a certain expected range e.g. previous weight recorded plus or minus 5%. This 10% range is arbitrary because it has to be decided by the specific business or the specific situation. To further clarify this point a human being that was weighed a week ago could have the acceptable range of weight increase or decrease within 7 days determined by the personal physician or by experts helping the business then incorporated in the program.

These functions are included in a software program that is designed to suit the particular business to use it A scale for weighing human beings can be produced to suit one of the following categories;

a. Personal WEIGHNTEL;

Only one owner would use a programmed scale for weighing himself or herself. The program would lock the ID number of the personal account so that no one else can use it for wireless transmission. A well-built scale for this purpose would be expected to provide consistency with less likelihood of errors and is the ideal model for a successful business. Such a model may not be suitable for use from birth to death but can be used for adults after being programmed to follow on custom produced pediatric scales.

b. Family WEIGHNTEL would be designed to serve one family with one account but multiple unit ids, and could be reprogrammed to include new additions to the family as feasible. This category excludes pediatric scales.

c. Public WEIGHNTEL;

Subscribers that could not or forgot to carry the personal scale during travel would use the public scale that is separate or attached to vending machines or other secure posts. It also serves for subscribers that do not wish to purchase a personal or family scale or could not afford it. Such public scales could be commercially feasible but would need to be durable enough to stand heavy duty weighing. Also it would need more meticulous security safeguards to protect from theft, vandalism and computer hacking.

d. Pediatric WEIGHNTEL scales could be produced as ordinary pediatrician'"'"'s scales only equipped with WEIGHNTEL. The software with its collective capabilities and functions that serve a specific business are claim # 2

3. A method of a general business plan according to claims 1 &

2;

A Corporation is started using the name WEIGHNTEL and or weighntel.com. Under certain circumstances a large corporation could buy the invention and introduce modifications or names to suit. (weighntel.com is a domain that is owned by the inventor.)

The initial startup fund would not be significant and can be borrowed

A production plan would be based on two phases;

1—

Outsourcing for scales and for the business specific software

2—

Building a plant to produce the smart WEIGHNTEL scales

Operational details would be decided by the corporation'"'"'s board based on;

1. Selling or leasing scales and or associated services to individuals, corporations and interested government or private entities

2. Demonstrating the business to customers and to the media when the occasion is appropriate

3. Running one or more web sites to receive data, process them and store them safely

4. Charging for wireless transactions using a method that depends on the specific business. One scenario for weighing human individual clients that own a personal WEIGHNTEL and want to monitor their weights could be constructed as follows;

A client subscribes to the service for a monthly or annual fee. In addition the client pre-pays say $ 10.00 or 25.00 renewable [Example $ 0.50 for each weekly transaction of weight transmission from the scale to the subscriber'"'"'s account]. After each or several transactions a record of weekly weights can be produced on demand by the corporation and sold for a nominal fee to the client or his personal physician or health care provider [say $ 3.00 for each requested report]. The record may include a graph that clearly shows the progress of the weight over time. Similar scenarios can be constructed for just about any business that is involved in weighing or in required weighing of any object or objects. Global expansion of the business with affordable fees would be expected to build up quickly and generate priceless data for health care professionals or other businesses worldwide.

5. Selling the data to clients, health care providers, media, import and export corporations, transportation companies, government and private research entities, universities, or any interested business. Demand is expected to be great because of the time and money saving capabilities and security enhancement.

6. Quality control and legal control

7. Accounting and budget control

8. Statistics to be used for quality control and for sale to interested customers.

Innovation and research.

This brief business plan outlines only the essential features required to broadly use the invention, but can and probably would be modified to suit any specific business or situation. The general business plan is claim # 3