WIRELESS THEFT DETECTION SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20140118145A1
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: WAWRZYNIAK, Laurent, Vernet, Jerome, Heinrich, Philippe, Baffrey, Celine
• Application Number:
  US14/056,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20140118145A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.8
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength

Abstract

A wireless theft detection system comprises a device holder and a docking station. The device holder includes a first wireless communication module adapted to establish a wireless link with an external second wireless communication module, a first alarm module, and a first processing module. The docking station includes the second wireless communication module, a second alarm module, and a second processing module. The first wireless communication module is adapted to generate first link quality information or the second wireless communication module is adapted to generate second link quality information, and both the first processing module and the second processing module are adapted to control the first and the second alarm module to generate a first and a second alarm signal, respectively, when a quality of the wireless link is below a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. A wireless theft detection system, comprising

a device holder including

a first wireless communication module adapted to establish a wireless link with an external second wireless communication module,

a first alarm module adapted to generate a first alarm signal, and

a first processing module adapted to communicate with the first wireless communication module and to control the first alarm module, and

a docking station including

the second wireless communication module adapted to establish the wireless link with the first wireless communication module of the device holder,

a second alarm module adapted to generate a second alarm signal, and

a second processing module adapted to communicate with the second wireless communication module and to control the second alarm module,

wherein the first wireless communication module is adapted to generate first link quality information or the second wireless communication module is adapted to generate second link quality information, and both the first processing module and the second processing module are adapted to control the first and the second alarm module to generate the first and the second alarm signal, respectively, when a quality of the wireless link is below a predetermined threshold value.

2. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 1, wherein the docking station comprises a pairing instruction detection module adapted to detect a pairing instruction triggered by an external pairing key, and the docking station is adapted to notify the device holder of a secret identification information when the device holder is mechanically connected with the docking station and, at the same time, the pairing instruction detection module detects the pairing instruction triggered by the external pairing key.

3. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 2, wherein the device holder is adapted to transmit the secret identification information via the wireless link to the docking station for authenticating the device holder.

4. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 2, wherein the secret identification information is required for establishing the wireless link.

5. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 2, wherein the docking station is adapted to determine identification information associated with a device holder when the device holder is mechanically connected to the docking station and to generate a notification signal when the identification information is not the secret identification information previously notified to the device holder.

6. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises an alarm stop instruction detection module adapted to detect an alarm stop instruction triggered by an external alarm key, wherein both the first processing module and the second processing module are adapted to control the first and the second alarm module to stop generating the first and the second alarm signal, respectively, when the alarm stop instruction detection module detects the alarm stop instruction triggered by the external alarm key.

7. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 1, the device holder further comprising a light sensor adapted to measure a light intensity surrounding the device holder, and both the first processing module and the second processing module are adapted to control the first and the second alarm module to generate the first and the second alarm signal, respectively, when the light intensity measured by the light sensor is below a predetermined threshold light intensity value.

8. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 1, the device holder further comprising an acceleration sensor adapted to measure an acceleration of the device holder, and both the first processing module and the second processing module are adapted to control the first and the second alarm module to generate the first and the second alarm signal, respectively, when the acceleration of the device holder exceeds a predetermined threshold acceleration value.

9. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 1, wherein both the first processing module and the second processing module are adapted to control the first and the second alarm module to generate the first and the second alarm signal, respectively, when the docking station is electrically disconnected from an external power supply.

10. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 1, wherein both the first processing module and the second processing module are adapted to control the first and the second alarm module to generate the first and the second alarm signal, respectively, when a tampering sensor on the device holder has detected an attempt of a forceful removal of the device from the device holder or when another tampering sensor on the docking station has detected an attempt of a forceful removal of the docking station from a surface to which the docking station was affixed.

11. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 1, wherein the device holder comprises a battery.

12. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 11, wherein the first wireless communication module is adapted to transmit charging status information of the battery of the device holder to the second wireless communication module and the docking station comprises a displaying means for displaying the charging status information.

13. The wireless theft detection system according to claim 11, wherein the docking station is electrically connectable to an external power supply and both the device holder and the docking station are adapted to charge the battery of the device holder when the device holder is mechanically connected to the docking station.

14. A method for a wireless theft detection system comprising a device holder and a docking station, comprising the steps of:

establishing a wireless link between the device holder and the docking station,

determining a quality of the wireless link in at least one of the device holder and the docking station,

generating a first alarm signal in the device holder when the determined quality of the wireless link is below a predetermined threshold value, and

generating a second alarm signal in the docking station when the determined quality of the wireless link is below the predetermined threshold value.

15. A computer program for a wireless theft detection system comprising a device holder and a docking station, for instructing microprocessors of the device holder and the docking station such that the device holder and the docking station perform the steps according to claim 14.