JACKET LOCATOR

• US 20090295586A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Modu Limited (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Perry, Hagit (Gigi), Ron, Uri, Bychkov, Eyal, Engelstein, Tal, Leshem, Yair, Levy, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 8,258,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A locator system for electronic devices including at least one jacket for a modular wireless communicator, each jacket having a unique identifier, and a modular wireless communicator that attaches to each one of the at least one jacket, including a positioning system for identifying a location of the wireless communicator, a clock for identifying a date & time, a log manager, coupled with the positioning system and with the clock, for recording a plurality of entries in a history log, each entry including (i) a jacket identifier, (ii) a location as identified by the positioning system, and (iii) a date & time as identified by the clock, and a controller coupled with the log manager for notifying the log manager of occurrence of a log trigger event, wherein the log manager records a new entry in the history log when it receives a notification of a log trigger event from the controller. A method is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A locator system for electronic devices comprising:

at least one jacket for a modular wireless communicator, each jacket having a unique identifier; and

a modular wireless communicator that attaches to each one of said at least one jacket, comprising;

a positioning system for identifying a location of the wireless communicator;

a clock for identifying a date &

time;

a log manager, coupled with said positioning system and with said clock, for recording a plurality of entries in a history log, each entry comprising (i) a jacket identifier, (ii) a location as identified by said positioning system, and (iii) a date &

time as identified by said clock; and

a controller coupled with said log manager for notifying said log manager of occurrence of a log trigger event,

wherein said log manager records a new entry in the history log when it receives a notification of a log trigger event from said controller.

2. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said wireless communicator further comprises a history log reader, for viewing the plurality of entries recorded in the history log.

3. The locator system of claim 1 wherein log trigger events include powering on of said wireless communicator and powering off of said wireless communicator.

4. The locator system of claim 1 wherein log trigger events include attaching said wireless communicator to one of said at least one jacket, and detaching said wireless communicator from one of said at least one jacket.

5. The locator system of claim 1 wherein log trigger events include using said wireless communicator to dial a phone number.

6. The locator system of claim 1 wherein log trigger events include using said wireless communicator to send an SMS or an MMS message.

7. The locator system of claim 1 wherein log trigger events include using said wireless communicator to browse a designated web site.

8. The locator system of claim 1 wherein log trigger events include using said wireless communicator to play an audio or a video file.

9. The locator system of claim 1 wherein log trigger events include arrival at a designated location and departure from the designated location.

10. The locator system of claim 1 wherein log trigger events include passage of a designated time.

11. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said positioning system generates navigable directions to reach a designated one of the locations recorded in the history log.

12. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said positioning system is a global positioning system (GPS).

13. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said positioning system is a cellular based positioning system.

14. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said wireless communicator based on a connection to a device in its vicinity.

15. The locator system of claim 14 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said wireless communicator based on a near field communication (NFC) connection.

16. The locator system of claim 14 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said wireless communicator based on a radio frequency identification (RFID) connection.

17. The locator system of claim 14 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said wireless communicator based on a Bluetooth connection.

18. The locator system of claim 14 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said wireless communicator based on a WiFi connection.

19. The locator system of claim 14 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said wireless communicator based on an infrared (IR) connection.

20. A locator method, comprising:

maintaining a history log for a wireless communicator that attaches to at least one jacket, each jacket having a unique identifier, the history log comprising a plurality of entries and each entry comprising (i) a jacket identifier, (ii) a location, and (iii) a date &

time;

monitoring the wireless communicator for detection of occurrence of a log trigger event; and

in response to detection of occurrence of a log trigger event, adding a new entry to the history log.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said monitoring detects log trigger events that occur when the wireless communicator is attached to one of the at least one jacket.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said monitoring detects log trigger events that occur when the wireless communicator is attached to one of the at least one jacket and when the wireless communicator is not attached to a jacket.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein log trigger events include powering on of said wireless communicator and powering off of said wireless communicator.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein log trigger events include attaching said wireless communicator to one of the at least one jacket, and detaching said wireless communicator from one of the at least one jacket.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein log trigger events include using said wireless communicator to dial a phone number.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein log trigger events include using said wireless communicator to send an SMS or an MMS message.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein log trigger events include using said wireless communicator to browse a designated web site.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein log trigger events include using said wireless communicator to play an audio or a video file.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein log trigger events include arrival at a designated location and departure from the designated location.

30. The method of claim 20 wherein log trigger events include passage of a designated time.

31. The method of claim 20 further comprising presenting a view of the history log to a user.

32. The method of claim 20 further comprising generating navigable directions to reach a designated one of the locations recorded in the history log.

33. The method of claim 20 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a connection of the wireless communicator to a device in its vicinity.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a near field communication (NFC) connection.

35. The method of claim 33 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a radio frequency identification (RFID) connection.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a Bluetooth connection.

37. The method of claim 33 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a WiFi connection.

38. The method of claim 33 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on an infrared (IR) connection.