Adjunct device and a handheld wireless communication device with location features

• US 8,253,560 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: THL Holding Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: THL Holding Company, LLC
• Inventors: Howard, John W., Cutler, Richard, Kennard, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): MA, KAM WAN
• Application Number:
  US12/713,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20110210848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.32, 340/539.35, 340/7.21, 340/539.1, 340/573.4, 345/156
• US Class Current: 340/539.32
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0244 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal delay or phase shift
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

An adjunct device includes a first housing for coupling to a handheld wireless communication device via a communication port of the handheld wireless communication device. A short-range wireless receiver receives a first RF paging signal from a remote wireless device. A user interface emits a first detectable alert signal in response to the first RF paging signal to assist the user in locating the handheld wireless communication device.

Claims

1. An adjunct device for locating at least one object including a handheld wireless communication device, the adjunct device comprising:

a housing for coupling to the handheld wireless communication device via a communication port of the handheld wireless communication device, the housing forming a case that encloses at least a portion of the handheld wireless communication device so that the case can be carried mobilely;

a communication port, coupled to the housing, for communication with an external device;

a device interface that couples communications between the communication port of the adjunct device and the communication port of the handheld wireless communication device;

a short-range wireless receiver, coupled to the housing, receives a first RF paging signal from at least one remote wireless device;

a user interface, coupled to the housing and the short-range wireless receiver, that emits a first detectable alert signal in response to the first RF paging signal to assist a user in locating the handheld wireless communication device;

a short-range wireless transmitter, coupled to the user interface, that transmits a second RF paging signal to the at least one remote wireless device in response to a first location request signal;

wherein adjunct device receives the first location request signal from a location application loaded in and executed by the handheld wireless communication device, via the communication port of the handheld wireless communication device.

2. The adjunct device of claim 1, wherein the adjunct device further comprises:

a battery, coupled to provide power to the short-range wireless receiver and the user interface, wherein the battery is separate from a battery of the handheld wireless communication device.

3. The adjunct device of claim 2 wherein the adjunct device further comprises:

a charging port, coupled to the housing, for coupling a power signal from an external power source to charge the battery of the adjunct device.

4. The adjunct device of claim 3 wherein the device interface couples the power signal to the communication port of the handheld wireless communication device to charge the battery of the handheld wireless communication device.

5. The adjunct device of claim 2 wherein the device interface couples the power from the battery of the adjunct device to the handheld wireless communication device via the communication port of the handheld wireless communication device to charge the battery of the handheld wireless communication device.

6. The adjunct device of claim 5 wherein the device interface operates in an auxiliary power mode to couple the power from the battery of the adjunct device to the handheld wireless communication device via the communication port of the handheld wireless communication device to charge the battery of the handheld wireless communication device, and wherein the device interface operates in a battery isolation mode to decouple the battery of the adjunct device from the battery of the handheld wireless communication device.

7. The adjunct device of claim 1 wherein the communication port operates in accordance with a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

8. The adjunct device of claim 5 wherein the short-range wireless receiver receives a first RF location signal in response to the second RF paging signal, and wherein adjunct device includes:

a directional antenna, coupled to the short-range wireless receiver;

wherein the short-range wireless receiver generates a signal strength in response to the first RF location signal;

wherein the signal strength is coupled to the location application via the communication port of the handheld wireless communication device to assist the wireless application in determining a direction to the remote wireless device.

9. The adjunct device of claim 8 wherein the directional antenna includes a reception pattern that includes a null.

10. The adjunct device of claim 1 wherein the location application generates first paging data and wherein the second RF paging signal includes the first paging data.

11. The adjunct device of claim 1 wherein the first RF paging signal includes first paging data and wherein the short-range wireless receiver sends the first paging data to the location application via the communication port of the handheld wireless communication device.

12. The adjunct device of claim 1 wherein the at least one remote wireless device is couplable to a personal object and wherein the at least one remote wireless device emits a detectable alert signal in response to the second RF paging signal to assist the user in locating the personal device.

13. The adjunct device of claim 1 wherein the at least one remote wireless device includes a plurality of remote wireless devices.

14. The adjunct device of claim 13 wherein the plurality of remote wireless devices comprise a first paging network wherein each of the plurality of remote wireless devices emits corresponding detectable alert signal in response to at least one of a plurality of RF paging signals that include the second RF paging signal.

15. The adjunct device of claim 13 wherein the plurality of remote wireless devices comprise a plurality of paging networks including:

a first paging network wherein a first subset of the plurality of remote wireless devices emits corresponding first detectable alert signals in response to a first broadcast paging signal transmitted by the short-range wireless transmitter; and

a second paging network wherein a second subset of the plurality of remote wireless devices emits corresponding second detectable alert signals in response to a second broadcast paging signal transmitted by the short-range wireless transmitter.

16. The adjunct device of claim 1 wherein the RF paging signals include paging data.