Audible Key Locator System

• US 20110159917A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glenn Carl Johnson
• Original Assignee: Glenn Carl Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Glenn Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2155 Acoustic coupling

Abstract

A locating system for locating objects, such as, but not limited to, keys is disclosed. The locating system may include a mobile communication device having at least one audible tone generator in communication with a control module, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone. The locating system may also include a locator device physically detached from the mobile communication device. The locator device may include a receiver configured to receive the audible signal from the audible tone generator and to generate a signal. In alternative configurations, the locating system may send an audible sound that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear. In another configuration, the locating system may send a sequence of audible tones to activate the audible tone generator, thereby enabling a set of keys on a key ring to be located.

Claims

1. A locating system for locating objects, comprising:

a mobile communication device having at least one audible tone generator in communication with a control module, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone;

a locator device physically detached from the mobile communication device comprising;

a receiver configured to receive the audible signal from the audible tone generator and to generate a signal;

a second audible tone generator configured to receive the signal from the receiver and create an audible sound.

2. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the audible tone generated by the audible tone generator is a single pitch ring tone.

3. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the audible tone generated by the audible tone generator is a ring tone that has been previously downloaded to the mobile communication device.

4. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone after detecting an inoperable sequence of tones that match a tone sequence corresponding to the locator device.

5. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator of the mobile communication device to emit an audible tone after detecting an inoperable sequence of tones that is four or more, but less than seven, distinct tones that match a tone sequence corresponding to the locator device.

6. The locating system of claim 5, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone after detecting an inoperable sequence of tones that is five distinct tones that match the tone sequence corresponding to the locator device.

7. The locating system of claim 5, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone after detecting an inoperable sequence of tones that is six distinct tones that match the tone sequence corresponding to the locator device.

8. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the audible tone generator is configured to emit a high-pitched audible tone that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear, and the receiver in the locator device is configured to receive the audible signal from the audible tone generator and to generate a signal to the second audible tone generator to generate an audible tone.

9. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is configured to receive input of a sequence and to transmit that sequence to the locator device using the at least one audible tone generator.

10. The locating system of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency generator that generates a radio frequency when a call send is activated, wherein the radio frequency is an audible tone that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear.

11. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is configured to emit unscrambled signals readable by the locator device.

12. The locating system of claim 11, wherein the mobile communication device is a cell phone and the unscrambled signals are emitted when the call is placed from the mobile communication device.

13. The locating system of claim 1, further comprising a GPS module coupled to the locator device to emit a GPS signal to be received by the mobile communication device to alert the user of the location of the locator device.

14. The locating system of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver coupled to the mobile communications device to emit a signal receivable by the locator device.

15. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the receiver in the locator device is configured to receive a cell phone call from the mobile communications device and to activate the second tone generator device.

16. A method of locating a key ring, comprising:

activating a mobile communication device having at least one audible tone generator in communication with a control module, wherein the control module sends a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone;

sending a signal from the control module to the audible tone generator, thereby emitting an audible tone from the audible tone generator;

receiving the audible tone in a receiver configured to receive the audible signal from the audible tone generator and to generate a signal, wherein the receiver is positioned in a locator device physically detached from the mobile communication device;

generating an audible sound in a second audible tone generator configured to receive the signal from the receiver and create an audible sound, wherein the second audible tone generator is contained within the locator device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein activating a mobile communication device and sending a signal from the control module to the audible tone generator, thereby emitting an audible tone is repeated multiple times to form a sequence and further comprising comparing the sequence to a stored sequence and if the sequences match, generating an audible sound using the second audible tone generator in the locator device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein activating a mobile communication device and sending a signal from the control module to the audible tone generator, thereby emitting an audible tone is repeated four or more but less than seven times to form a sequence and further comprising comparing the sequence to a stored sequence and if the sequences match, generating an audible sound using the second audible tone generator in the locator device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein activating a mobile communication device and sending a signal from the control module to the audible tone generator, thereby emitting an audible tone is repeated five or six times to form a sequence and further comprising comparing the sequence to a stored sequence and if the sequences match, generating an audible sound using the second audible tone generator in the locator device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein emitting an audible tone from the audible tone generator comprises emitting a single pitch ring tone.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein emitting an audible tone from the audible tone generator comprises emitting a ring tone that has been previously downloaded to the mobile communication device.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein emitting an audible tone from the audible tone generator comprises emitting a high-pitched audible tone that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear.

23. A method of locating a key ring, comprising:

inputting a sequence of characters into a mobile communication device;

activating the mobile communication device having at least one radio frequency generator for generating at least one radio signal;

sending the at least one radio signal from the at least one radio frequency generator in the mobile communication device upon activating the mobile communication device;

receiving the at least one radio signal in a receiver in a locator device that is physically detached from the mobile communication device; and

comparing the sequence to a stored sequence and if the sequences match, generating an audible sound in an audible tone generator configured to receive the signal from the receiver and create an audible sound, wherein the audible tone generator is contained within the locator device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein inputting a sequence of characters into a mobile communication device is repeated four or more but less than seven times to form a sequence.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein inputting a sequence of characters into a mobile communication device is repeated five or six times to form a sequence.

26. A locating system for locating objects, comprising:

a mobile communication device having at least one audible tone generator in communication with a control module, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone and further comprising an unscrambled signal generator;

a locator device physically detached from the mobile communication device comprising;

a receiver configured to receive an unscrambled signal from the unscrambled signal generator and to generate a signal;

a second audible tone generator configured to receive the signal from the receiver and create an audible sound.

27. The locating system of claim 26, wherein the mobile communication device is configured to receive input of a sequence and to transmit that sequence to the locator device using the at least one audible tone generator.

28. The locating system of claim 26, further comprising a radio frequency generator that generates a radio frequency when a call send is activated, wherein the radio frequency is an audible tone that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear.

29. The locating system of claim 26, further comprising a GPS module coupled to the locator device to emit a GPS signal to be received by the mobile communication device to alert the user of the location of the locator device.

30. The locating system of claim 26, further comprising a transceiver coupled to the mobile communications device to emit a signal receivable by the locator device.

31. The locating system of claim 26, wherein the receiver in the locator device is configured to receive a cell phone call from the mobile communications device and to activate the second tone generator device.