Personal item monitor using radio frequency identification

• US 7,034,684 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Boman, Robert C., Hanson, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Toan N.
• Application Number:
  US10/751,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20050148339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.32, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/421
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection

Abstract

A personal item monitoring system includes a monitor having a transmitter and a receiver located therein. At least one radio identification tag is adapted to be coupled to a personal item. Alternatively, the radio identification tag may be pre-installed into the personal item. The monitor emits a radio frequency received by the radio frequency identification tag, and the radio frequency identification tag emits a responding signal if within a detection range. The monitor then alerts a user if the radio identification tag leaves the range of detection.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring personal items in an item monitoring system comprising:

monitoring a first set of radio frequency identification tags found within a first detection range of a portable monitor, where said first set is associated with personal items to be monitored;

monitoring a second set of radio frequency identification tags found within a second detection range of a second monitor, where said second set is associated with other personal items to be monitored; and

providing an alert by the portable monitor when at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set exceeds said first detection range or when at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set exceeds said second detection range, wherein the second monitor notifies the portable monitor that one radio frequency identification tag of said second set has exceeded said second detection range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable monitor is a cellular phone.

3. The personal item monitoring system method of claim 2, wherein said cellular phone is programmed to dial a pre-selected phone number to alert said user when said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set leaves said first detection range.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said cellular phone is disabled when said at least one radio frequency identification tag leaves said first detection range until a password is entered into said cellular phone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable monitor is a PDA device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of radio frequency identification taps includes an adhesive for adhering to said personal items and said second set of radio frequency identification taps includes said adhesive for adhering to said other personal items.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable monitor can be temporarily deactivated to cease monitoring said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set and said second monitor can be temporarily deactivated to cease monitoring said at least one radio frequency identification tap of said second set.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one radio frequency identification tap of said first set emits a first return signal received by said portable monitor upon receiving a first radio frequency signal from said portable monitor when said at least one radio frequency identification tap of said first set is within said first detection range and;

said at least one radio frequency identification tap of said second set emits a second return signal received by said second monitor upon receiving a second radio frequency signal from said second monitor when said at least one radio frequency identification tap of said second set is within said second detection range.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein said portable monitor alerts said user when said portable monitor fails to receive said first return signal or when said second monitor fails to receive said second return signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable monitor is used to locate said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set by determining a strength of a returning signal from said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable monitor includes a menu system for listing said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set and said second monitor includes a second menu system for listing said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said portable monitor includes speech recognition capabilities to input the name of said personal item coupled with said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set and said second monitor includes speech recognition capabilities to input the name of said other personal item coupled with said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said alert from said portable monitor includes a synthesized voice identifying said personal item coupled with said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set or said other personal item coupled with said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring system can be temporarily activated or deactivated for said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set using a clock in said portable monitor and wherein said monitoring system can be temporarily activated or deactivated for said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set using a clock in said second monitor.

15. An item monitoring system comprising:

a portable monitor having a transmitter and a receiver located therein;

a first set of radio frequency identification tags found within a first detection range of said portable monitor;

a second monitor having a second transmitter and a second receiver therein;

a second set of radio frequency identification tags found within a second detection range of said second monitor,

said portable monitor provides an alert when at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set exceeds said first detection range or when at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set exceeds said second detection range, wherein the second monitor notifies the portable monitor that one radio frequency identification tag of said second set has exceeded said second detection range.

16. A system of claim 15, wherein said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set emits a first returning signal received by said portable monitor upon receiving a first radio frequency signal from said portable monitor when said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set is within said first detection range and;

said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set emits a second returning signal received by said second monitor upon receiving a second radio frequency signal from said second monitor when said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set is within said second detection range.

17. A system of claim 15, wherein said portable monitor alerts said user when said portable monitor fails to receive said first return signal or when said second monitor fails to receive said second return signal.

18. A system of claim 15, wherein said portable monitor wirelessly communicates with said second monitor.

19. A system of claim 15, wherein said second monitor operates from a predetermined location.

20. A system of claim 15, wherein said second monitor is portable.

21. A system of claim 15, wherein said portable monitor is temporarily disabled if said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set exceeds said first detection range until an authentication input is accepted by said portable monitor.

22. A system of claim 15, wherein said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set is adapted to be coupled to a personal item and said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set is adapted to be coupled to an other personal item.

23. A system of claim 15, wherein said system can be temporarily enabled or disabled for said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said first set based on time and wherein said system can be temporarily enabled or disabled for said at least one radio frequency identification tag of said second set based on time.

24. A system of claim 15, wherein said alert from said portable monitor includes at least one of:

1) signaling an external device;

     2) generating an audio output;

     3) generating a visual output;

or

     4) generating a pulsation.

25. A system of claim 15, wherein said portable monitor and said second monitor are capable of receiving input including at least one of:

1) manual input;

     2) audio input;

or

     3) signaled input.