DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM FOR MANAGING MULTIPLE ITEMS

• US 20080252411A1
• Filed: 05/05/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marvin Poynter
• Original Assignee: Marvin Poynter
• Inventors: POYNTER, MARVIN
• Application Number:
  US11/744,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20080252411A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Disclosed are distributed systems and methods for managing multiple items. An exemplary system includes a user interface that allows a user to specify a date and time of day. The exemplary system also includes a plurality of portable devices, which may be attached to objects, such as bracelets or documents. Each portable device includes a wireless receiver configured to receive a signal corresponding to a date and time of day specified at the user interface. When the specified time arrives, the portable device emits a sound to alert someone.

Claims

1. In a system including an object, a method comprising:

receiving a time from a user interface;

initializing a value at the object in accordance with the time received in the previous step, by sending a signal toward the object and receiving the signal at the object;

comparing the value to a reference; and

conditionally activating circuitry attached to the object, depending on a result of the comparing step, to enable the emission of a human perceptible signal from the object, depending on a result of the comparing step.

2. The method of claim 1 further including displaying the time before sending the signal toward the object.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the system further includes a transmitter that performs the sending step, and the method further includes emitting the human perceptible signal at a time when the object is out of range of the transmitter.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving circuitry performs the step of receiving, and the method further includes the steps, performed by the circuitry, of

supplying power to the receiving circuitry;

and

responsive to the receiving step, ceasing to supply the power to the receiving circuitry.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the system further includes a button, and the method further includes the of restoring power to the receiving circuitry, responsive to a signal from the button.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the object includes a document.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the document is a bill.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the bill displays a bill due date and wherein sending a time includes sending a date that is after the current date and before the bill due date.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the object includes a hardcopy calendar.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the hardcopy calendar has a respective position corresponding to a date, and the method further includes

attaching the circuitry at the position, and the step of sending a time includes sending the date.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the human perceptible signal includes an audible sound.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the human perceptible signal includes a light signal.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a keyboard.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the system further includes a portable housing having a keyboard and a transmitter, and the method further includes

receiving signals from the keyboard;

generating the time in accordance with the received signals, wherein the step of sending includes sending using the transmitter.

15. A system comprising:

a user interface that allows a user to specify a date and time of day; and

a plurality of portable devices, each portable device including

a wireless receiver configured to receive a first signal,

corresponding to a date and time of day specified at the user interface,

a memory configured to be initialized in accordance with the first signal,

comparator circuitry configured to compare the memory content to a reference value, and generate a second signal, and

an output device configured to conditionally generate third signal, depending on the second signal, the third signal being human perceptible.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein each portable device includes a housing having less than 26 buttons.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein each portable device includes a housing having less than 10 buttons.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein each portable device includes a housing having less than 2 buttons.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein each portable device includes a housing having only 1 button, the button being a reset button.

20. A system comprising:

means for receiving a time from a user interface;

means for initializing a value at an object in accordance with a time received by the means for receiving, by sending a signal toward the object and receiving the signal at the object;

means for comparing the value to a reference; and

means for conditionally activating circuitry attached to the object, depending on a signal generated by the means for comparing, to enable the emission of a human perceptible signal from the object.