APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCATING A LOST INSTRUMENT OR OBJECT

• US 20150022396A1
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald Michael Shields, Walter Fields
• Original Assignee: Walter Fields
• Inventors: FIELDS, Walter, SHIELDS, Donald Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,024,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.54
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection

Abstract

A locatable object includes a microprocessor for operating the object, and a memory for storing at least a first position and a second position. The locatable object also includes an instrument recovery system integrated into the object. The instrument recovery system further includes a receiver for determining the location of an object, and a communications device for communicating at least the second position to another system.

Claims

1. A locatable object comprising:

a microprocessor for operating the object;

a memory for storing at least a first position and a second position;

an instrument recovery system integrated into the object, the instrument recovery system further comprising;

a receiver for determining the location of an object;

a communications device for communicating at least the second position to another system.

2. The locatable object of claim 1 wherein the instrument recovery system uses at least a portion of the microprocessor of the object.

3. The locatable object of claim 1 wherein the instrument recovery system includes a second microprocessor.

4. The locatable object of claim 1 wherein the communications device further comprises:

a radio; and

an antenna.

5. The locatable object of claim 4 further comprising a motherboard which includes the microprocessor, the memory and the instrument recovery system, the antenna of the communications device incapable of being disabled without disabling the motherboard.

6. The locatable object of claim 1 further comprising a motherboard which includes the microprocessor, the memory and the instrument recovery system, the instrument recovery system incapable of being disabled without disabling the motherboard.

7. The locatable object of claim 1 wherein the receiver for determining the location of the object is a Global Positioning System receiver.

8. The locatable object of claim 1 wherein the receiver for determining the location of the object is a differential Global Positioning System receiver.

9. The locatable object of claim 1 wherein the communications device for communicating at least the second position delivers a message to a cell phone.

10. The locatable object of claim 1 wherein the communications device for communicating at least the second position delivers a message to a network.

11. The locatable object of claim 1 further comprising an energy store in the form of a rechargeable battery.

12. The locatable object of claim 1 further comprising an energy store in the form of a ultracapacitor.

13. The locatable object of claim 11 wherein the rechargeable battery obtains energy from an AC mains.

14. A computerized method comprising:

determining a position of an object using an instrument recovery system formed integrally with a motherboard of the object;

placing the determined position into memory; and

comparing the determined position to an original position and, if different communicating the determined position.

15. The computerized method of claim 14 further comprising determining if the object is moving.

16. The computerized method of claim 15 further comprising increasing the rate of determining a position of the object if the object is moving.

17. The computerized method of claim 15 wherein communicating a relocated position of the object is communicated when the object has stopped moving.

18. The computerized method of claim 15 wherein a trajectory of an object can be determined from at least two of the determined positions of the object.

19. The computerized method of claim 14 programmed into a memory of a general purpose computer to form a special purpose machine.

20. The computerized method of claim 14 wherein the method programmed into a memory of a general purpose computer is in the form of a non transitory set of instructions.

21. A machine-readable medium providing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

determining a position of an object using an instrument recovery system formed integrally with a motherboard of the object;

placing the determined position into memory; and

comparing the determined position to an original position and, if different communicating the determined position.