Systems and methods for permitting movement of an object outside a predetermined proximity distance threshold

• US 8,508,363 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: First Principals, Inc.
• Original Assignee: First Principals, Inc.
• Inventors: Raniere, Keith A
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/466,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20100289646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/571, 340/573.3, 340/573.4, 340/539.32, 340/539.13, 340/686.6
• US Class Current: 340/539.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

Systems and methods for permitting movement of an object not detected within a predetermined proximity distance threshold, the systems and methods comprising registering at least one object with a device; tracking the at least one object with the device; allowing at least one object not detected within a predetermined proximity distance threshold; and reregistering the at least one object with the device once the object has returned inside the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

Claims

1. A method for managing the location of at least one object comprising:

providing at least one object;

providing at least one communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object;

providing a device having a communication range and being capable of communicating with the communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object within the device communication range, the device being capable of providing a warning notification;

establishing a predetermined proximity distance threshold for the at least one object in relation to the device;

providing the warning notification if the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object;

determining whether or not the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold; and

if the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, determining whether or not the at least one object not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold; and

if the at least one object is determined to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, no warning notification is provided; and

if after having permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, revoking the permission for the at least one object to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

if the at least one object is determined not to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, a warning notification is provided.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

if after permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is revoked, the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, a warning notification is provided.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

if after having permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, permission for the at least one object to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is revoked and an alarm is sent to a user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object includes at least one of:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a mobile radio frequency device (M-RFID), a mobile item management and identification system (MIMIS), a real time locating system (RTLS), a global positioning system (GPS), an optical scanner and an ultra-sound identification system (UIS).

6. A system for managing the location of at least one object comprising:

at least one object;

at least one communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object;

a device having a communication range and capable of communicating with the communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object, the device being capable of generating a warning notification; and

a predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object, wherein the warning notification is generated by the device if the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object in relation to the device;

wherein

the device receives an instruction that the at least one object has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object;

wherein

if the at least one object is determined to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, determining whether or not the at least one object not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold; and

if the at least one object is determined to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, no warning notification is generated by the device; and

if after having permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, the permission for the at least one object to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is revoked.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:

if the at least one object is determined not to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, a warning notification is generated by the device.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein, if after permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is revoked, the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, a warning notification is generated by the device.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein:

if after having permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, permission for the at least one object to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is revoked and an alarm is sent to a user.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object includes at least one of:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a mobile radio frequency device (M-RFID), a mobile item management and identification system (MIMIS), a real time locating system (RTLS), a global positioning system (GPS), an optical scanner and an ultra-sound identification system (UIS).

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object comprises:

a global positioning system (GPS).

12. A method for managing the location of at least one object comprising:

providing at least one object;

providing at least one communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object;

providing a device having a communication range and being capable of communicating with the communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object within the device communication range, the device being capable of providing a warning notification;

establishing a predetermined proximity distance threshold for the at least one object in relation to the device;

determining whether or not the at least one object exceeds the predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object;

determining whether the at least one object has permission to exceed the predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object;

providing the warning notification based on the at least one object exceeding the predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object if it is determined that the at least one object does not have permission to exceed the predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object;

providing a first permission for the at least one object not to be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold by deactivating the warning notification to permit the at least one object not to be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold such that no warning notification is provided; and

revoking the first permission for the at least one object not to be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold when the at least one object is detected having reentered within the predetermined proximity distance threshold by activating the warning notification unless a second permission is provided for the at least one object not to be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of activating the warning notification to determine location of the at least one object that comprises the step of:

moving the at least one object to detect the communication structure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of moving the at least one object further comprises the step of:

moving the at least one object outside the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of moving the at least one object further comprises the step of:

moving the at least one communication structure outside the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of moving the at least one object further comprises the step of:

moving the at least one communication structure inside the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of moving the at least one object further comprises the step of:

moving the at least one object inside the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of activating the warning notification to determine location of the at least one object, wherein the steps of

establishing a predetermined proximity distance threshold for the at least one object;

and

activating the warning notification to determine location of the at least one object further comprising the step of;

varying the predetermined proximity distance threshold without moving the device or the at least one object required to activate the warning notification and thus determine the distance between the device and the at least one object.

19. A system for managing the location of at least one object comprising:

at least one object;

at least one communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object;

a device having a communication range and capable of communicating with the communication structure operatively associated with the at least one object, the device being capable of generating a warning notification; and

a predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object in relation to the device, wherein the warning notification is generated by the device if the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold associated with the at least one object in relation to the device;

wherein

a first permission is provided by an instruction to the device for the at least one object not to be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold by deactivating the warning notification; and

the first permission is revoked when the at least one object is detected reentering within the predetermined proximity distance threshold by activating the warning notification unless a second permission is provided by an instruction to the device for the at least one object not to be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the communication structure further comprises:

a triangulation structure.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the triangulation structure includes:

radiolocation triangulation between radio towers.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the communication structure further comprises:

Doppler shift structure.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the Doppler shift structure comprises:

Doppler radar.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the Doppler shift structure comprises:

a structure emitting sound waves.