NeverLoseIt: System to Alert Users When They Are About To Misplace An Item

• US 20140055262A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edward Luis Cavalcanti
• Original Assignee: Edward Luis Cavalcanti
• Inventors: Cavalcanti, Edward Luis
• Application Number:
  US13/803,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055262A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0238 adding new units to the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

The present invention relates to the tracking of a user'"'"'s personal belongings, in particular, to systems and methods utilizing radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to track one or more personal belongings associated with a mobile device with a RFID reader. The systems and methods detect whether registered RFID-tagged personal belongings are within or outside a range in proximity to the mobile device. And, upon detecting one or more registered RFID-tagged personal belongings outside the range, the systems and methods alert the user to prevent the loss or misplacement of the user'"'"'s personal belongings.

Claims

1. A system for tracking one or more personal belongings associated with a mobile device comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to each of the one or more personal belongings;

an application software running on a mobile operating system which registers for tracking each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings positioned within a range in proximity to the mobile device and assigns a label to describe each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings registered in the application software; and

a RFID reader associated with the mobile device to track the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings by detecting whether each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings registered to the application software is outside the range in proximity to the mobile device, and

wherein the mobile device running the mobile operating system provides an alert to a user for each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings when the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings are detected outside the range.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device stops the alert for one of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings when said one of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings is within the range.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an alert interface employable by the user to stop the alert.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a selection interface employable by the user to select which of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings registered to the application software to track.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of Smartphone, tablet, and personal digital assistant.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the range in proximity to the mobile device is between two to three feet.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the alert is selected from the group consisting of graphic displays, sounds, and vibrations.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the label assigned to each of the one or more personal belongings is selected from the group consisting of keys, wallet, glasses, purse, coat, umbrella and teddy.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the RFID reader includes read and write capabilities.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an on/off interface employable by the user to turn on and off the system.

11. The system according to claim 11, wherein the RFID tag is embedded into at least one of said one or more personal belongings.

12. A method for tracking one or more personal belongings associated with a mobile device with a RFID reader comprising:

installing an application software for tracking the one or more personal belongings on the mobile device with the RFID reader;

attaching a RFID tag to each of the one or more personal belongings;

positioning each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings within a range in proximity to the mobile device with the RFID reader;

assigning a label to describe each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings;

registering each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings to the application software for tracking;

tracking the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings registered to the application software;

detecting whether each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings registered to the application software is outside the range in proximity to the mobile device with the RFID reader; and

providing an alert to a user for each of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings when the one or more personal belongings are detected outside the range.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising stopping the alert for one of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings when said one of the one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings is within the range.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising stopping the alert by the user.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising selecting by the user which of the registered one or more RFID-tagged personal belongings to track.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the mobile device is selected from the group consisting of Smartphone, tablet, and personal digital assistant.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the range in proximity to the mobile device is between two to three feet.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the alert is selected from the group consisting of graphic displays, sounds, and vibrations.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the label assigned to each of the one or more personal belongings is selected from the group consisting of keys, wallet, glasses, purse, coat, umbrella, and teddy.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the RFID reader includes read and write capabilities.

21. The method according to claim 12, further comprising turning on and off the application software by the user.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the RFID tag is embedded into at least one of said one or more personal belongings.