Monitoring and alerting system for luggage

• US 6,515,588 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricardo Sarabia
• Original Assignee: Ricardo Sarabia
• Inventors: Sarabia, Ricardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/950,202
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.2, 340/539, 340/568.1, 340/598.7, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 340/691.1, 340/693.5, 340/571.AR, 340/693.6
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• 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 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article

Abstract

A monitoring and alerting system for luggage including a master unit and a plurality of slave units. Each slave unit has a unique identity. The master unit and slave units each have a status display having numbered indicia which normally displays the numbered indicia for the slave units in a first color, and has an annunciator. When the master unit and slave units are separated by a predetermined distance, an alert condition is established whereby the numbered indicia for that slave unit changes to a second color and both the master unit and slave unit sound an alert with their annunciators. A wire loop may be used to attach the slave units to luggage, which normally maintains a closed circuit, such that if the wire loop is removed from the luggage and becomes open circuited while the slave unit is on, the alert condition is established.

Claims

1. A monitoring and alerting system for luggage for alerting an individual that their luggage is being moved without their consent comprising, in combination:

a master unit, having a status display having numbered indicia and an annunciator;

a plurality of slave units, each of the slave units having a unique identity, each of the slave units having an annunciator and a status display capable of displaying numbered indicia, the status display of each slave unit normally displays its unique identity in a first color; and

wherein when the master unit and one of the slave units are separated beyond a predetermined distance, an alert condition is established whereby the annunciator on that slave unit and on the master units is enabled, and wherein the numbered indicia representing the unique identity of that slave unit changes to a second color on the display units of both the master unit and slave unit.

2. The monitoring and alerting system for luggage as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the slave units has a pair of connectors, and a wire loop selectively attachable between the connectors, such that when the wire loop is attached between the connectors a closed circuit is maintained thereby, and wherein when the connectors become open circuited the alert condition is established.

3. The monitoring and alerting system for luggage as recited in claim 2, wherein the slave units are contained within a housing, the housing having a wire loop storage compartment, the slave units further having a pair of wire loop swivels located on opposite sides of the wire loop storage compartment, each of the wire loop swivels having an outer surface and a dummy surface, each of the wire loop swivels is pivotable between a storage position wherein the outer surfaces face each other and an in-use position where the outer surfaces extend parallel, the connectors are located on the outer surfaces of the swivels, such that the wire loop extending between said connectors may be selectively stored within the wire loop storage compartment when the swivels are in the storage position.

4. The monitoring and alerting system for luggage as recited in claim 3, wherein each of the slave units has an identity set switch which allows the unique identity of that slave unit to be determined, and wherein each of the slave units transmits a periodic signal to the master unit with the unique identity of that slave unit encoded therein.

5. The monitoring and alerting system for luggage as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the slave units has a key switch which may be selectively placed in an on position, and wherein an alert condition is established if the key switch is in the on position while the connectors are open circuited.

6. The monitoring and alerting system for luggage as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the slave units has a belt clip for selectively attaching to a piece of luggage or to a user when not otherwise attached to luggage.

7. The monitoring and alerting system for luggage as recited in claim 6, wherein the predetermined separation distance is substantially six feet.