Electronic tether for portable objects
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic tether comprising:
- a monitoring module comprising an RFID tag adapted to receive a polling signal and to transmit a reflected signal in response to the polling signal, wherein the reflected signal comprises an identifier unique to the RFID tag; and
an alert module consisting of;
an RFID tag polling manager adapted to send the polling signal;
a receiver adapted to receive the reflected signal from the RFID tag and wherein the alert module is adapted to;
acquire the RFID tag identifier from the reflected signal;
determine that a separation distance between the monitoring module and the alert module exceeds a preset separation distance based on the non-presence of the reflected signal from the RFID tag; and
issue an alert when the separation distance exceeds the preset separation distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for issuing an alarm when the separation distance between a monitoring module associated with an object (animate or inanimate) and an alert module exceeds a preset threshold distance thereby forming a leadless electronic tether between the object and the object owner. A monitoring module comprises a portable transmitter provides a signal to an alert module comprising a receiver and a processor. The alert module is adapted to determine a separation distance between the monitoring module and the alert module based on an attribute of the signal. When the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold, the alert module issues an alert.
249 Citations
42 Claims
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1. An electronic tether comprising:
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a monitoring module comprising an RFID tag adapted to receive a polling signal and to transmit a reflected signal in response to the polling signal, wherein the reflected signal comprises an identifier unique to the RFID tag; and an alert module consisting of; an RFID tag polling manager adapted to send the polling signal; a receiver adapted to receive the reflected signal from the RFID tag and wherein the alert module is adapted to; acquire the RFID tag identifier from the reflected signal; determine that a separation distance between the monitoring module and the alert module exceeds a preset separation distance based on the non-presence of the reflected signal from the RFID tag; and issue an alert when the separation distance exceeds the preset separation distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 33, 34, 35, 42)
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16. An electronic tether comprising:
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a monitoring module comprising at least first and second RFID tags adapted to receive a polling signal and to transmit a first reflected signal and a second reflected signal in response to the polling signal, wherein the first reflected signal comprises a first identifier unique to the first RFID tag and the second reflected signal comprises a second identifier unique to the second RFID tag; and an alert module consisting of; an RFID tag polling manager adapted to send the polling signal; a receiver adapted to receive the first and second reflected signals from the first and second RFID tags and wherein the alert module is adapted to; acquire the first and second RFID tag identifiers from the first and second reflected signals; determine that a first separation distance between the monitoring module and the first alert module exceeds a first preset separation distance based on the non-presence of the first reflected signal from the first RFID tag and issue a first alert with respect to the first RFID tag when the first separation distance exceeds the first preset separation distance; and determine that a second separation distance between the monitoring module and the second alert module exceeds a second preset separation distance based on the non-presence of the second reflected signal from the second RFID and issue a second alert with respect to the second RFID tag when the second separation distance exceeds the second preset separation distance. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 36, 37)
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38. An electronic tether comprising:
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a monitoring module comprising an RFID tag adapted to receive a polling signal and to transmit a reflected signal, wherein the reflected signal consisting of an identifier unique to the RFID tag; and an alert module comprising and RFID tag polling manager, a receiver, and means to adjust a preset separation distance, and wherein; the RFID tag polling manager is adapted to send the polling signal; the receiver adapted to receive the reflected signal from the RFID tag; and the alert module is adapted to; acquire the RFID tag identifier from the reflected signal; determine that a separation distance between the monitoring module and the alert module exceeds the preset separation distance based on the non-presence of the reflected signal from the RFID tag; and issue an alert when the separation distance exceeds the preset separation distance. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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Specification