SOUND OR RADIATION TRIGGERED LOCATING DEVICE WITH ACTIVITY SENSOR

• US 20130321144A1
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary S. Shuster
• Original Assignee: Gary S. Shuster
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,858,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/522
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A portable device is equipped with a signaling circuit that responds to a searching signal (e.g., hand clap, light flash, RF signal, infrared light) generated to locate the portable device when it is misplaced or lost. The device generates a location signal to enable the user to find the device. The location signal may be an audible, light, vibration, or other signal that calls attention to the device to enable the user to find it. The device may also sense events which cause it to disable the sensor, render it less sensitive, or suppress the generation of the location signal. The sensed event is any event, e.g., heat, motion, which indicates that the device is not, in fact, lost.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a circuit coupled to a user interface device,

wherein the circuit is configured to cause the portable electronic device to automatically perform a locating function comprising emitting a locating signal, in response to detecting a predetermined first wireless signal using at least one sensor coupled to the circuit and distinct from the user interface device,

wherein the circuit is further responsive to sensor input from the at least one sensor to automatically control a level of sensitivity of, but not disable, the circuit to the first wireless signal in response to determining that the sensor input satisfies a predetermined threshold condition before the device emits the locating signal, and

wherein the circuit decreases the level of sensitivity based on the second sensor sensing an absence of at least one of ambient noise or light.

22. The portable electronics device of claim 21, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first sensor and a different second sensor connected to the circuit, wherein the first sensor is configured to detect the first wireless signal and the second sensor is configured to provide the sensor input in response a signal distinct from the first wireless signal.

23. The portable electronics device of claim 22, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor comprise different sensors from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a microphone, a visible light sensor, and an infrared light sensor.

24. The portable electronics device of claim 21, wherein the at least one sensor consists of a single sensor.

25. The portable electronics device of claim 21, wherein the circuit further comprises a processor processing the sensor input using an algorithm to determine when the locating function is disabled.

26. The portable electronics device of claim 21, wherein, in response to disabling the locating function, the circuit reactivates the locating function after a predetermined time.

27. The portable electronics device of claim 21, wherein the predetermined condition is characterized by sensor input having signal strength above a defined sensitivity threshold, and wherein decreasing the level of sensitivity increases the sensitivity threshold.

28. A system for controlling activity of a locating function in a portable electronic device, comprising:

a sensor-activated locator apparatus;

a signal logic module coupled to the sensor-activated locator apparatus, the signal logic module determining whether to activate emission of a locating signal from a searching signal sensor of the portable electronic device, in response to input from a suppression signal sensor, wherein the signal logic module decreases a level of sensitivity of the signal logic module based on the suppression signal sensor sensing an absence of at least one of ambient noise or light, wherein the searching signal sensor and the suppression signal sensor comprise different types of sensors sensing different input.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein a level of sensitivity of the signal logic module is controlled but not disabled based on the input satisfying a predetermined threshold condition.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the signal logic module processes input from the searching signal sensor using false-positive logic in determining whether to activate emission of the locator signal.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the signal logic module processes input from the suppression signal sensor independently of input from the searching signal sensor, in determining whether to activate emission of the locator signal.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the portable electronic device is a wireless remote control device generating control signals for a second electronic device, in response to user input.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the searching signal sensor is configured to provide the input to the signal logic module, in response to a signal transmitted from the second electronic device.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the signal logic module suppresses emission of the locator signal, in response to a predetermined suppression signal received from the suppression signal sensor.

37. A method for controlling a locating function in a portable electronic device, comprising:

automatically adjusting a level of sensitivity of the locating function to a locating signal, but not disabling the location function, based on input from a sensor to a processor of the portable electronic device connected to the sensor, wherein the processor increases a sensitivity threshold required to trigger the locating function, based on the sensor sensing an absence of at least one of ambient noise or light.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the processor further decreases the sensitivity threshold of the locating function based on the sensor sensing a presence of at least one of ambient noise or light exceeding a threshold.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising activating the locating function to emit a locating signal from the portable electronic device in response to detecting a locating signal exceeding the sensitivity threshold.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising automatically re-activating the locating function after a period of time has elapsed since automatically disabling the locating function, in response to a timer.