Adaptive rule based electronic reminder for personal objects

• US 20070069897A1
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marmigere, Gerard, Bauchot, Frederic
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A method and systems for reminding a user about personal objects that should be carried or should not be carried, depending upon the user, the date and the time and other parameters. In the system, a radio frequency identifiers tag identifying each personal object is directly attached to the object. All the objects are listed in an object table storing the identifiers and their main characteristics. A rule table is provided having entries setting forth the relations between the objects according to four basis rules of the types “X requires Y”, “X excludes Y”, “X required” and “X excluded”. When activated, the reminder device checks the present objects and analyzes the rules to determine which objects are missing and which objects should be absent. The user is forewarn if objects are missing or should be absent.

Claims

1. A method for detecting the presence and absence of objects amongst at least two objects comprising:

a) providing a tag having wireless communication device and a unique identifier for attachment to each of said at least two objects,

b) providing a rule table storing at least one rule relative to the presence or absence of said objects according to the tag identifiers of said tags attached to said at least two objects, said at least one rule having the presence of one of said at least two objects as condition and the presence or absence of the other one of said at least two objects as consequence;

c) receiving a list of identifiers of detected tags;

d) selecting as a current rule, a rule from said rule table;

e) from said received list of identifiers of detected tags, determining if said current rule is in compliance, and if said current rule is not in compliance, generating a warning for a user; and

,

f) determining if said current rule is a last rule of said rule table and, if said current rule is not the last rule of said rule table,

g) selecting the next rule of said rule table as the current rule; and

,

h) repeating steps e)-g)

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if said current rule is applicable.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of determining if said current rule is applicable comprises:

determining a current time; and

,

comparing said current time with a time associated with the identifier of the tag attached to the object that presence is the condition of said current rule.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing an object table having entries for recording object and corresponding tag identifier data, wherein a tag entry comprises at least one virtual object representing a logical combination of said at least two objects.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying in said object table at least the identifiers of said tags attached to said at least two objects and the name of the corresponding object, the name of the objects that presence or absence causes at least one rule to be not in compliance.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein a warning message is associated to each rule of said rule table, said warning message being one or more of:

displayed on a display device, played on an audio play back device, or displayed and played, when the corresponding rule is applicable and is not in compliance.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting a predetermined event, and, warning the user upon detection of said predetermined event.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said predetermined event comprises the detection of a predetermined identifier of a tag having wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said tags having said wireless communication device comprise a passive or semi-passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device.

10. A program storage device tangibly embodying software instructions which are adapted to be executed by a computing device to perform a method for detecting the presence and absence of objects amongst at least two objects according to claim 1.

11. A system for detecting the presence and absence of objects amongst at least two objects, said at least two objects having a wireless communication device and a unique identifier associated therewith, said system comprising:

a tag having wireless communication device and a unique identifier for attachment to each of said at least two objects,

a rule table for determining the relation between said objects, said rule table storing at least one rule relative to the presence or absence of said objects according to the tag identifiers of said tags attached to said at least two objects, said at least one rule having the presence of one of said at least two objects as condition and the presence or absence of the other one of said at least two objects as consequence;

a tag reader means for wireless detecting tags on said objects;

means operable in conjunction with said tag reader means for providing a list of identifiers of said detected tags;

means for determining an applicable rule provided in said rule table corresponding to each tag identifier detected;

means for determining compliance of each applicable rule depending upon the presence or absence of an object; and

,

means for generating a warning message for a user upon determining an applicable rule that is not in compliance.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said means for determining an applicable rule provided in said rule table corresponding to each tag identifier detected comprises:

an object table means for listing all objects and their corresponding tag identifiers, and mapping an associated corresponding tag identifier with an index designation for accessing said rule table, said index designation used to determine said applicable rule from said rule table.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

means for determining applicability of a rule based on a time condition.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

means for determining applicability of a rule based on a tag direction condition.

15. A method for detecting the presence and absence of objects amongst at least two objects, said at least two objects having a wireless communication device and a unique identifier associated therewith, said method comprising:

providing a tag having wireless communication device and a unique identifier for attachment to each of said at least two objects,

determining the relation between said objects via a rule table, said rule table storing at least one rule relative to the presence or absence of said objects according to the tag identifiers of said tags attached to said at least two objects, said at least one rule having the presence of one of said at least two objects as condition and the presence or absence of the other one of said at least two objects as consequence;

wirelessly detecting tags on said objects;

providing a list of identifiers of said detected tags;

determining an applicable rule provided in said rule table corresponding to each tag identifier detected;

determining compliance of each applicable rule depending upon the presence or absence of an object; and

,

generating a warning message for a user upon determining an applicable rule that is not in compliance.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said determining an applicable rule provided in said rule table corresponding to each tag identifier detected comprises:

providing a list of all objects and their corresponding tag identifiers; and

mapping a corresponding tag identifier to an index designation for accessing said rule table, said index designation used to determine said applicable rule from said rule table.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

determining applicability of a rule based on a time condition.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

determining applicability of a rule based on a tag direction condition.

19. A program storage device tangibly embodying software instructions adapted to be executed by a computing device to perform a method for detecting the presence and absence of objects amongst at least two objects, said at least two objects having a wireless communication device and a unique identifier associated therewith, said method steps as claimed in claim 15.