Audible key locator system

• US 8,254,958 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Glenn Carl Johnson
• Original Assignee: Glenn Carl Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Glenn Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US12/650,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20110159917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/422.1, 340/539.32, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.23
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2155 Acoustic coupling

Abstract

A locating system for locating objects, such as, but not limited to, keys is disclosed. The locating system may include a mobile communication device having at least one audible tone generator in communication with a control module, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone. The locating system may also include a locator device physically detached from the mobile communication device. The locator device may include a receiver configured to receive the audible signal from the audible tone generator and to generate a signal. In alternative configurations, the locating system may send an audible sound that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear. In another configuration, the locating system may send a sequence of audible tones to activate the audible tone generator, thereby enabling a set of keys on a key ring to be located.

Claims

1. A locating system for locating objects, comprising:

a mobile communication device having at least one audible tone generator in communication with a control module, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone;

a locator device physically detached from the mobile communication device comprising;

a receiver configured to receive the audible signal from the audible tone generator and to generate a signal;

a second audible tone generator configured to receive the signal from the receiver and create an audible sound,

wherein the control module is further configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator of the mobile communication device to emit an audible tone after detecting an inoperable sequence of tones that is four or more, but less than seven, distinct tones that match a tone sequence corresponding to the locator device.

2. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the audible tone generated by the audible tone generator is a single pitch ring tone.

3. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the audible tone generated by the audible tone generator is a ring tone that has been previously downloaded to the mobile communication device.

4. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone after detecting an inoperable sequence of tones that match a tone sequence corresponding to the locator device.

5. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone after detecting an inoperable sequence of tones that is five distinct tones that match the tone sequence corresponding to the locator device.

6. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to send a signal to the audible tone generator to emit an audible tone after detecting an inoperable sequence of tones that is six distinct tones that match the tone sequence corresponding to the locator device.

7. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the audible tone generator is configured to emit a high-pitched audible tone that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear, and the receiver in the locator device is configured to receive the audible signal from the audible tone generator and to generate a signal to the second audible tone generator to generate an audible tone.

8. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is configured to receive input of a sequence and to transmit that sequence to the locator device using the at least one audible tone generator.

9. The locating system of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency generator that generates a radio frequency when a call send is activated, wherein the radio frequency is an audible tone that is incapable of being heard by an unaided human ear.

10. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is configured to emit unscrambled signals readable by the locator device.

11. The locating system of claim 10, wherein the mobile communication device is a cell phone and the unscrambled signals are emitted when the call is placed from the mobile communication device.

12. The locating system of claim 1, further comprising a GPS module coupled to the locator device to emit a GPS signal to be received by the mobile communication device to alert the user of the location of the locator device.

13. The locating system of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver coupled to the mobile communications device to emit a signal receivable by the locator device.

14. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the receiver in the locator device is configured to receive a cell phone call from the mobile communications device and to activate the second tone generator device.