Device to locate commonly misplaced objects

• US 4,101,873 A
• Filed: 01/26/1976
• Issued: 07/18/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Benjamin Ernest Anderson, Louise Creegan Mcintyre
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Ernest Anderson, Louise Creegan Mcintyre
• Inventors: Anderson, Benjamin Ernest, McIntyre, Louise Creegan
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US05/652,157
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 340/224, 340/280, 340/312, 340/311, 340/171 R, 325/55, 325/64, 325/466
• US Class Current: 340/539.32
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/00 Non-optical adjuncts; Attachment thereof G02C7/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/91 Portable sonar devices

Abstract

Miniaturized coded transmitter and battery powered receivers selectively responsive to a predetermined code transmission are provided with a miniaturized audible signal generator in each receiver such that the receiver, when interrogated by a proper signal, will respond audibly. By placing such receivers on commonly used objects such as eyeglasses, purses and other personal articles, audible location of these articles is accomplished by interrogating each object with a corresponding coded signal and following the audible response from the object to the position of the object to locate the latter. The duty cycle of the receiver is very short and recurrent over intervals less than the known energization interval of the transmitter to insure reception but materially minimize the power consumption of the receivers.

Claims

1. Audible communication means for selectively generating an audible signal at one of a plurality of random positions to be located within a general area comprising:

transmitter means adapted to be utilized by an individual having a plurality of tone generator means selectively interconnected to provide a plurality of transmitted signals corresponding to a respective plurality of random positions;

a plurality of receiver means being attached to corresponding ones of a respective plurality of objects at said random positions, one to locate each of said objects at said random positions, each of said receiver means comprising;

a power source means;

tuning means responsive to only a corresponding one of said transmitted signals and an audio generator means emitting an audible signal in response to said corresponding one of said transmitted signals to audibly identify the location of a corresponding one of said objects at said random positions to said individual;

detector circuit means cyclically energized by said power means and including AND gate means responsive to receipt of a predetermined transmitted signal to provide a control output;

one-shot switch means responsive to said control output to provide a power on signal;

audio generator means for providing an audible output signal; and

wherein said power means comprises;

a battery;

motor driven switch means powered by said battery and cyclically energizing said detector circuit means and said one-shot switch means; and

relay means responsive to said power on signal interconnecting said battery means to said audio generator means to energize the latter to provide said audible output signal.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said transmitter is energized for at least a given first time interval for each energization;

and

wherein said power means cyclically energizes and de-energizes said receiver means for a selected short duration at second recurrent intervals, each of lesser duration than said first interval.