Property management apparatus, property management method, and property management system

• US 20050128076A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsumura, Kenji, Shinada, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 7,230,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.110
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection

Abstract

In the present invention, any change of devices in possession by a user who gets on or gets off, for example, a vehicle is detected by comparing the devices detected by wireless communication at the time of getting on or getting off, thereby enabling to easily and surely prevent any personal belongings of the passenger from losing or leaving without constantly monitoring them. The property management apparatus sums up in time series the detection results by the plurality of property detection apparatus for notifying the place where the user loses the property.

Claims

1. A property management apparatus relating to devices usually carried by a user comprising:

wireless communication means for acquiring first and second ID information from the devices existed within a communication range by wireless communication; and

control means for processing the first and second ID information acquired by said wireless communication means by controlling the operation of said wireless communication means, wherein;

said first ID information acquired by said wireless communication means is recorded and held by a first trigger;

said second ID information acquired by the wireless communication means and the recorded and held first ID information are compared by a second trigger which is different from the first trigger; and

any change of the devices carried by the user between the time when the first trigger is acquired and the time when the second trigger is acquired is notified to the user based on the result of the comparison.

2. The property management apparatus as cited in claim 1, further comprising:

user identification means for identifying user, wherein;

said control means notifies any change of the devices carried by the same user by comparing said first and second ID information relating to the user who is identified based on the result of the comparison by the user identification means.

3. The property management apparatus as cited in claim 1, wherein;

said wireless communication means acquires condition information of the devices together-with the ID information, and

said control means notifies the change of the devices and the ID information of the devices to the user.

4. The property management apparatus as cited in claim 1, wherein;

said first trigger is to get in a vehicle, or to get off a vehicle; and

said second trigger is to get off a vehicle, or to get in a vehicle.

5. The property management apparatus as cited in claim 1, wherein;

said first trigger is to get into a place, or to get out a place; and

said second trigger is to get our a place, or to get in a place.

6. A property management method relating to devices usually carried by a user comprising:

a recording step for acquiring and recording first device ID information of any device within a wireless communication range by a first trigger;

a comparison step for comparing second device ID information of any device within a wireless communication range by a second trigger which is different from the first trigger with the recorded and held first device ID information; and

a reporting step for notifying the user any change of devices carried by the user in the time interval between the time when the first trigger occurs and the time when the second trigger occurs based on the comparison result in the comparison step.

7. A property management apparatus for notifying the place where the user loses the property to the user by acquiring detection results by a plurality of property detection apparatuses in response to a user'"'"'s instructions comprising:

each of said property detection apparatuses installed at locations where the user is most likely to stop detects devices that the user carries, wherein;

said property management apparatus sums up in time series the detection results by the plurality of property detection apparatus for notifying the place where the user loses the property.

8. The property management apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein;

said property management apparatus compares successive said detection results by summing up in time series; and

notifies the place where the user loses the property based on the result of the comparison.

9. A property management method for notifying the place where the user loses the property to the user by acquiring detection results by a plurality of property detection apparatuses in response to a user'"'"'s instructions wherein;

each said property detection apparatuses installed at locations where the user is most likely to stop detects devices that the user carries; and

said property management method sums up in time series the detection results by the plurality of property detection apparatus for notifying the place where the user loses the property.

10. A property management system comprising:

a plurality of property detection apparatus installed at locations where a user is supposed to stop for detecting devices that the user carry; and

a property management apparatus for acquiring detection results from the plurality of property detection apparatus by data communication therewith in response to user'"'"'s instructions and summing up in time series the detection results for notifying the user the place where the user loses the property.