System and method to protect personal property

• US 7,710,268 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Schoen, Neil C., Schoen, Wendy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/533,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 235/375, 726/16, 726/26
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection

Abstract

A system to protect personal property may include an electronic tag associable with a personal property item. The system may also include a controller adapted to wirelessly communicate with the electronic tag to determine a status of the electronic tag to protect the personal property item from loss or theft.

Claims

1. A system to protect personal property, comprising:

an electronic tag associable with a personal property item, wherein the electronic tag comprises;

a Global Positioning System and an Inertial Measurement Unit to determine a coordinate location of the electronic tag, wherein the electronic tag comprises the Global Positioning System;

a communications device to transmit a signal to a controller, wherein the signal includes the coordinate location of the electronic tag; and

a motion sensor to detect any motion of an associated personal property item, wherein the controller comprises means for selecting operation between a combination motion sensor and range sensor mode, only in a range sensor mode for sensing a range of the electronic tag and personal property from the controller, and only in a motion sensor mode to sense movement of the electronic tag and the personal property;

wherein the communications device transmits a signal to the controller in response to any motion of the personal property and associated electronic tag being detected, the controller including a disable motion button or switch, wherein any signal received by the controller from the electronic tag in response to motion being detected by the electronic tag is ignored when the disable motion button or switch is active, or the controller sends a disable motion signal to the electronic tag to disable the motion sensor in response to the disable motion button or switch being active.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a unique identification code to distinguish the electronic tag from other electronic tags.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a device to determine a status of the electronic tag.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a device to report a status of the electronic tag to the controller.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a device to determine at least one of a group including a proximity of the electronic tag to the controller, the electronic tag being out of communications range of the controller, motion of the electronic tag, a direction of motion of the electronic tag and a location of the electronic tag.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, Bluetooth-type transceiver, ultrasonic transceiver and an infrared transceiver to communicate with the controller.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a memory to store a unique identification code to distinguish the electronic tag from other electronic tags and to store information related to a status of the electronic tag.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises:

an antenna to receive a signal from the controller to power the electronic tag to perform predetermined operations; and

another antenna connected to the communications device for sending and receiving communications signals.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications device transmits a status of the electronic tag via a satellite.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a processor to determine a status of the electronic tag based on information from the electronic tag.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a processor to determine a status of the electronic tag in response to at least one of a signal received from the electronic tag or absence of a signal from the electronic tag after an interrogation signal.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises at least one of an audible alarm and a visual alarm to alert a user about a status of the electronic tag.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a display to present a status of the electronic tag.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the status of the electronic tag comprising at least one of a range indication of the electronic tag, a location of the electronic tag, a direction of motion of the electronic tag.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises one of an RFID reader, Bluetooth-type transceiver, ultrasonic transceiver and an infrared transceiver to communicate with the electronic tag.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a module to access a stored status of the electronic tag to determine if an alarm condition exists.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is embodied in at least one of a portable computing device, handheld computing device, and a mobile communications device.

18. An electronic tag for use in a personal property protection system, comprising:

a unique identification code to distinguish the electronic tag from other electronic tags;

a component to determine a status of the electronic tag;

a motion sensor to detect any motion of an associated personal property item;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to determine a coordinate location of the electronic tag, wherein the personal property protection system is selectively operable in a combination motion sensor and range sensor mode, only in a range sensor mode for sensing a range of the electronic tag and personal property from a controller, and only in a motion sensor mode to sense movement of the electronic tag and the personal property; and

a communications device to report a status of the electronic tag to a controller in response to detecting any motion and information from the at least one GPS and IMU, wherein the controller comprises a disable motion button or switch to ignore any signal received by the controller from the electronic tag in response to motion being detected by the electronic tag when the disable motion button or switch is active, or the controller being adapted to send a disable motion signal to the electronic tag to disable the motion sensor in response to the disable motion button or switch being active.

19. The electronic tag of claim 18, further comprising a component to determine at least one of a group including a proximity of the electronic tag to the controller, that the electronic tag is out of range of the controller, motion of the electronic tag, a direction of motion of the electronic tag and a location of the electronic tag.

20. The electronic tag of claim 18, further comprising one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, Bluetooth-type transceiver, ultrasonic transceiver and an infrared transceiver to communicate with the controller.

21. A method to protect personal property, comprising:

selecting operation between a combination motion sensor and range sensor mode, only in a range sensor mode for sensing a range of a electronic tag and personal property from a controller, and only in a motion sensor mode to sense movement of the electronic tag and the personal property;

determining a status of an electronic tag associated with a personal property item;

transmitting an interrogate or ping signal to the electronic tag at predetermined time intervals;

receiving an in-range signal from the electronic tag in response to the electronic tag being in-range and the electronic tag receiving the interrogate or ping signal;

activating an alarm in response to the status of the electronic tag being in a predetermined condition; and

ignoring an alarm signal received by a controller in response to a disable motion button or switch on the controller being active, wherein the alarm signal is sent by the electronic tag in response to the electronic tag detecting motion.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the status of the electronic tag comprises at least one:

detecting motion of the electronic tag;

determining that the electronic tag is beyond a range of communications of a controller;

determining a proximity of the electronic tag to the controller;

determining a direction of motion of the electronic tag;

determining a location of the electronic tag.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising reporting a status of the electronic tag to a controller.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising reporting a status of the electronic tag via a satellite.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising storing a unique identification code of each electronic tag in a personal property protection system.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising accessing a stored status of the electronic tag to determine if an alarm condition exits.

27. A computer program product to protect personal property from theft or loss, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to select operation between a combination motion sensor and range sensor mode, only in a range sensor mode for sensing a range of a electronic tag and personal property from a controller, and only in a motion sensor mode to sense movement of the electronic tag and the personal property;

computer usable program code configured to determine a status of an electronic tag associated with a personal property item;

computer usable program code configured to transmit an interrogate or ping signal to the electronic tag at predetermined time intervals;

computer usable program code configured to receive an in-range signal from the electronic tag in response to the electronic tag being in-range and the electronic tag receiving the interrogate or ping signal;

computer usable program code configured to activate an alarm in response to the status of the electronic tag being in a predetermined condition; and

computer usable program code configured;

to permit deactivation of an alarm signal in a controller in response to a signal from the electronic tag caused by motion of the electronic tag being received by the controller and a disable motion button or switch on the controller being active, or

to transmit a disable motion signal from the controller to the electronic tag to disable a motion sensor in the electronic tag in response to the disable motion button or switch on the controller being active.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer usable program code configured to at least one of:

detect motion of the electronic tag;

determine that the electronic tag is beyond a range of communications of a controller;

determine a proximity of the electronic tag to the controller;

determine a direction of motion of the electronic tag;

determine a location of the electronic tag.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer usable program code configured to report a status of the electronic tag to a controller.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer usable program code configured to access a stored status of the electronic tag to determine if an alarm condition exits.