Signaling device

• US 8,218,810 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stanley Security Solutions Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stanley Security Solutions Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Griess, Herbert C., Murray, Thomas A., Nosov, Eugene I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Seth, Manav
• Application Number:
  US11/780,305
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 382100-322
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6889 Rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A signaling device is disclosed that transmits a signal to a personal monitoring system. The signaling device may include an array of RLC components that determine the frequency of the signaling device. The frequency may be tuned by adding or removing RLC components from impacting the frequency. The signaling device may also include a wake-up mechanism for activating the signaling device for normal use and a signal indicating that a predetermined useful life is about to end.

Claims

1. A signaling device assembly including

a package including an interior region, and

a signaling device for use with a personal monitoring system that detects the location of a person wearing the signaling device, the signaling device being positioned in the interior region of the package, the signaling device including a housing, a control circuit, and non-intrusive means for changing the mode of the control circuit, wherein the housing is devoid of seals.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the non-intrusive changing means includes a wave sensor configured to detect a wave and the package substantially blocks the wave.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the wave sensor is an IR sensor and the package blocks IR waves.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the wave sensor receives predetermined commands to program the control circuit.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the housing is opaque to the wave.

6. A method of enabling a signaling device for use with a personal monitoring system that detects the location of a person wearing the signaling device, the method including the steps of

providing a signaling device configured to communicate with the personal monitoring system, the signaling device having a sleep mode and an active mode, and

automatically changing the mode of the signaling device from the sleep mode to the active mode to enable the signaling device, wherein the signaling device is positioned in a package and the automatically changing step occurs after the package is opened.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of automatically changing the mode of the signaling device from the sleep mode to the active mode is triggered by waves being detected by a wave sensor of the signaling device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of automatically changing the mode of the signaling device from the active mode to the sleep mode while the signaling device is positioned in the package.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the signaling device includes a strap, further comprising the step of coupling the housing to a patient with the strap.

11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the control circuit instructs the communicator to send the signal at a predetermined time before the end of the predetermined useful life of the signaling device.

12. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the control device continues to instruct the communicator to send the signal until the predetermined useful life ends.

10. A signaling device assembly including

a package including an interior region,

a signaling device for use with a personal monitoring system that detects the location of a person wearing the signaling device, the signaling device being positioned in the interior region of the package, the signaling device including a housing, a control circuit, and non-intrusive means for changing the mode of the control circuit, the control circuit is supported by the housing, and

a communicator supported by the housing and configured to communicate with the personal monitoring system, the control circuit monitors a predetermined useful life of the signaling device and instructs the communicator to send a signal indicating the end of the useful life is approaching, wherein the predetermined useful life is 90 days.

13. A signaling device assembly including

a package including an interior region,

a signaling device for use with a personal monitoring system that detects the location of a person wearing the signaling device, the signaling device being positioned in the interior region of the package, the signaling device including a housing, a control circuit, and non-intrusive means for changing the mode of the control circuit, the control circuit is supported by the housing, and

a communicator supported by the housing and configured to communicate with the personal monitoring system, the control circuit monitors a predetermined useful life of the signaling device and instructs the communicator to send a signal indicating the end of the useful life is approaching, wherein the predetermined useful life begins automatically after the package is opened.