Jacket locator

• US 8,451,127 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2012
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bychkov, Eyal, Engelstein, Tal, Leshem, Yair, Ron, Uri, Levy, Ron, Perry, Hagit
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/567,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 296 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/539.13, 340/539.32, 340/568.1, 340/568.7, 340/571, 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/558, 455/557, 455/426.1, 455/550.1, 379/433.11
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A locator system for electronic devices including at least one jacket for a modular wireless communicator, each jacket having an identifier, and a modular wireless communicator that attaches to each one of the at least one jacket, including a positioning system for identifying a location of the modular wireless communicator, a log manager for recording a plurality of entries in a log, each entry including the jacket identifier for a jacket currently attached to the modular wireless communicator, and a current location as identified by the positioning system, and a controller for notifying the log manager of occurrence of a log trigger event, wherein the log manager records a new entry in the log when it receives a notification of a log trigger event from the controller, and wherein the log trigger events enable determination of a location where a jacket was last actively used with the modular wireless communicator.

Claims

1. A locator system for electronic devices comprising:

at least one jacket for a modular wireless communicator, each jacket having an identifier; and

a modular wireless communicator that attaches to each one of said at least one jacket, comprising;

a positioning system for identifying a location of the modular wireless communicator;

a log manager, coupled with said positioning system, for recording a plurality of entries in a log, each entry comprising the jacket identifier for a jacket currently attached to the modular wireless communicator, and a current location as identified by said positioning system; and

a controller coupled with said log manager for notifying said log manager of occurrence of a log trigger event,

wherein said log manager records a new entry in the log when it receives a notification of a log trigger event from said controller, wherein the log trigger event includes a designated action performed by a jacket to which said modular wireless communicator is attached, from among the group consisting of sending an SMS or an MMS message, browsing a designated web site, and playing an audio or a video file, whereby the log trigger events enable determination of a location where a jacket was last actively used with said modular wireless communicator.

2. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said modular wireless communicator further comprises a log reader, for viewing the plurality of entries recorded in the log.

3. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said positioning system generates navigable directions to reach a designated one of the locations recorded in the log.

4. The locator system of claim 1 wherein aid positioning system is a global positioning system (GPS).

5. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said positioning system is a cellular based positioning system.

6. The locator system of claim 1 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said wireless communicator based on a connection to a device in its vicinity.

7. The locator system of claim 6 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said modular wireless communicator based on a near field communication (NFC) connection.

8. The locator system of claim 6 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said modular wireless communicator based on a radio frequency identification (RFID) connection.

9. The locator system of claim 6 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said modular wireless communicator based on a BLUETOOTH®

connection.

10. The locator system of claim 6 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said modular wireless communicator based on a WiFi connection.

11. The locator system of claim 6 wherein said positioning system identifies the location of said modular wireless communicator based on an infrared (IR) connection.

12. A locator method, comprising:

maintaining a log for a wireless communicator that attaches to at least one jacket, each jacket having an identifier, the log comprising a plurality of entries and each entry comprising a jacket identifier and a location;

monitoring the wireless communicator for detection of occurrence of a log trigger event, wherein the log trigger event includes a designated action performed by a jacket to which the modular wireless communicator is attached, from among the group consisting of sending an SMS or an MMS message, browsing a designated web site, and playing an audio or a video file, whereby the log trigger events enable determination of a location where a jacket was last actively used with the wireless communicator; and

in response to detection of occurrence of a log trigger event, adding a new entry to the log.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising presenting a view of the log to a user.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising generating navigable directions to reach a designated one of the locations recorded in the log.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a connection of the wireless communicator to a device in its vicinity.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a near field communication (NFC) connection.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a radio frequency identification (RFID) connection.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a BLUETOOTH®

connection.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on a WiFi connection.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising identifying the location in the history log entry based on an infrared (IR) connection.