System, device and method for reminding a user of a forgotten article

• US 7,880,613 B1
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Strauss Acquisitions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Maeng, Joon
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang; Son M
• Application Number:
  US11/052,702
• Time in Patent Office: 2,185 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/572.1, 340/505, 340/506, 340/520, 340/10.4, 340/10.42, 340/10.51
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A system, device and method for reminding a user of a forgotten article are disclosed. According to one aspect, a reminder system includes an object identification discrimination module operable to identify at least one object identification tag proximally located to the object identification discrimination module in response to activating a discrimination operating mode of the object identification discrimination module. The reminder system further includes at least one object identification tag identifiable by the object identification discrimination module when proximally located to the object identification discrimination module.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a master object identification tag associated with a corresponding set of one or more object identification tags; and

an object identification discrimination module configured to (i) detect object identification tags including the master object identification tag and (ii) generate an alert in response to determining that the master object identification tag has been detected and that at least one object identification tag of the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags associated with the master object identification tag has not been detected, wherein the alert identifies the at least one non-detected object identification tag, and

wherein the object identification discrimination module comprises a switch configured to selectively configure the object identification discrimination module into a search mode, wherein in the search mode, the object identification discrimination module is configured to generate an alert in response to being physically moved to within a defined proximity of the at least one non-detected object identification tag.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein object identification tags can be added to or removed from the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags by a user associated with the master object identification tag.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the object identification discrimination module is configured to detect the master object identification tag, and then generate the alert upon determining that at least one object identification tag of a first subset of the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags has not been detected when a present day and/or time is during a first time period, and generate the alert upon determining that at least one object identification tag of a second subset of the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags has not been detected when the present day and/or time is during a second time period.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the alert comprises at least one of a visible alert or an audible alert.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein any of the one or more object identification tags and the master object identification tag are tags selected from a group consisting of (i) removable tags capable of being affixed to an item by a user and (ii) integrated tags that have been affixed or installed into an item by the item'"'"'s manufacturer.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the alert comprises a text string corresponding to a non-detected object identification tag.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the alert comprises a pre-recorded or computer generated audible message corresponding to a non-detected object identification tag.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a proximity sensor configured to (i) detect the presence of a user and (ii) instruct the object identification discrimination module to initiate an attempt to detect the master object identification tag and the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags in response to detecting the presence of a user.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the proximity sensor comprises a motion sensor.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the proximity sensor comprises a contact switch.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein any of the one or more object identification tags and the master object identification tag are tags selected from a group consisting of (i) active tags and (ii) passive tags.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein object identification tags can be added to or removed from the set of one or more object identification tags via one or more commands entered via a physical user interface on the object identification discrimination module.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein each object identification tag is associated with a physical object.

14. A method comprising:

detecting a master object identification tag, wherein the master object identification tag is associated with a corresponding set of one or more object identification tags;

generating an alert in response to determining that at least one object identification tag of the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags associated with the master object identification tag has not been detected, wherein the alert identifies the at least one non-detected object identification tag;

entering a search mode; and

while in the search mode, generating an alert in response to an object identification tag identifier being physically moved to within a predetermined proximity of a the at least one non-detected object identification tag.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

adding object identification tags to and/or removing object identification tags from the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags associated with the master object identification tag.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining whether a present day and/or time is during a first time period or a second time period;

generating the alert in response to determining that at least one object identification tag of a first subset of the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags has not been detected when the present day and/or time is during the first time period; and

generating the alert in response to determining that at least one object identification tag of a second subset of the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags has not been detected when the present day and/or time is during the second time period.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the alert comprises at least one of a visible alert or an audible alert.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the alert comprises a text string corresponding to a non-detected object identification tag.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the alert comprises a pre-recorded or computer generated audible message corresponding to a non-detected object identification tag.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

detecting the presence of a user; and

in response to detecting the presence of a user, initiating an attempt to detect the master object identification tag and the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein detecting the presence of a user is performed by a motion sensor.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein detecting the presence of a user is performed by a contact switch.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein any of the one or more object identification tags and the master object identification tag are tags selected from a group consisting of (i) active tags and (ii) passive tags.

24. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

adding object identification tags to and/or removing object identification tags from the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags associated with the master object identification tag via a physical user interface.

25. The method of claim 14 wherein each object identification tag of the set of one or more object identification tags is associated with a physical object.

26. A system comprising:

a first input configured to receive a motion detection indication signal from a motion detector;

an object identification tag identifier configured to detect a master object identification tag and to detect a corresponding set of one or more object identification tags associated with the master object identification tag;

a processor configured to activate the object identification tag identifier in response to the motion detection indication signal, and to generate an alert in response to determining that the master object identification tag has been detected and that at least one object identification tag of the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags associated with the master object identification tag has not been detected, wherein the alert identifies the at least one non-detected object identification tag; and

a switch configured to selectively configure the system into a search mode, wherein in the search mode, the processor is configured to generate an alert in response to being physically moved to within a defined proximity of the at least one non-detected object identification tag.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising a display output configured to provide a signal to a display device configured to display the alert.

28. The system of claim 26 further comprising a speaker output configured to provide a signal to a speaker configured to play the alert.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the alert comprises a text string corresponding to a non-detected object identification tag.

30. The reminder system of claim 26 wherein the alert comprises a pre-recorded or computer generated audible message corresponding to a non-detected object identification tag.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein object identification tags can be added to or removed from the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags by a user associated with the master object identification tag.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein each object identification tag is associated with a physical object.

33. The system of claim 26 further comprising a second input configured to receive a switching indication signal from a switch, wherein the processor is configured to activate the object identification tag identifier in response to the motion detection indication signal and/or the switching indication signal.

34. The system of claim 26 further comprising one or more master object identification tags and one or more object identification tags.

35. The system of claim 26 wherein the motion detection indication signal from the motion detector is configured to distinguish between a person leaving a location where the object identification tag identifier is positioned from a person entering or passing by a location where the object identification tag identifier is positioned.

36. The system of claim 26 further comprising a second input configured to receive an activation signal to activate the system in response to receiving the activation signal from a security system.

37. The system of claim 26 wherein the object identification tag identifier is a component of a home network.

38. The system of claim 26 wherein the one or more object identification tags in the corresponding set of one or more object identification tags associated with the master object identification tag is based on a day of the week and a time of day.