Portable wireless compatibility detection, location and communication device

• US 8,909,190 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dale Carson
• Original Assignee: Dale Carson
• Inventors: Carson, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US12/119,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,401 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/407, 455/408, 455/410, 455/412, 455/2, 340/853.2, 340/3.1, 340/3.9, 340/539.13, 340/539.15
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/14 based on stability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable (e.g., watch-sized) wireless electronic device configurable to reflect the identity, preferences or characteristics of the user, and adapted to determine the nearby presence and location of a compatibly configured device includes a microcontroller, data communications subsystem configured to enable two way digital radio communication; a received signal strength indicator subsystem operably coupled to the data communications subsystem and configured to provides a micro-controller subsystem with information about the strength of received signals; a range estimate indicator subsystem operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display an estimate of the range to a target unit based on signal strength observed during a scan for the direction of maximum signal strength; a compatibility indicator subsystem operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to provide an indication of a possible degree of compatibility of a user assigned to a opposing unit; a computer interface subsystem adapted to communicate with a user'"'"'s computer; and a user control subsystem configured to enable user input.

Claims

1. A portable compatibility detection device comprising a microcontroller, a radio frequency communication means operably coupled to the microcontroller, a first nonvolatile memory in which user data is stored, said first memory being operably coupled to the microcontroller, a second nonvolatile memory in which a data comparison instruction set is stored, said second memory being operably coupled to the microcontroller and said data comparison instruction set being executable by the microcontroller, a visual display operably coupled to the microcontroller, said user data including a dataset describing the user and a first dataset describing a personal preference of a user, said radio frequency communication means being configured to receive radio frequency signals directly from and send radio frequency signals directly to a compatible remote portable device within communication range, said compatible remote portable device being controlled by a second user, said microcontroller executing the data comparison instruction set to determine an extent to which the dataset describing the personal preference of the user is met by second user based upon a second dataset extracted from the radio frequency signals received from the compatible remote portable device within communication range via the radio frequency communication means, said second data set including personal preference data of the second user, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the extent to which the dataset describing the personal preference of the user is met by second user.

2. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication means includes means for determining signal strength for a received signal, and said microcontroller is configured to calculate an estimated distance based upon said signal strength, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the estimated distance.

3. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication means includes means for determining signal strength for a received signal, and said microcontroller is configured to calculate an estimated location using triangulation based upon a plurality of signal strength determinations, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the estimated location.

4. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication means includes means for determining signal strength for a received signal, and said microcontroller is configured to calculate an estimated location and direction using triangulation based upon a plurality of signal strength determinations, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the estimated location and direction.

5. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication means includes means for determining signal strength for a received signal, and said microcontroller is configured to calculate an estimated distance based upon said signal strength, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the signal strength and estimated distance.

6. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication means includes means for determining a time of arrival of a received signal, and said microcontroller is configured to calculate an estimated distance based upon said time of arrival, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the estimated distance.

7. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication means includes means for determining a roundtrip time of arrival of a received signal in response to a sent signal, and said microcontroller is configured to calculate an estimated distance based upon said time of arrival, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the estimated distance.

8. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, wherein the radio frequency communication means includes means for determining a roundtrip time of arrival for each of a plurality of received signals in response to each of a plurality of sent signals, and said microcontroller is configured to calculate an estimated distance and direction based upon said roundtrip time of arrival for each of a plurality of received signals, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the estimated distance and direction.

9. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system receiver operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to receive gps satellite signals and determine location data for the device based upon the received gps satellite signals, and said radio frequency communication means being configured to send said location data to the compatible remote portable device within communication range and further configured to receive location data for the compatible remote portable device within communication range, and said microcontroller being configured to calculate an estimated distance and direction from the portable compatibility detection device to the compatible remote portable device, and said microcontroller being configured to cause the visual display to present a visible indicator of the estimated distance and direction.

10. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, said radio frequency communication means comprising a Bluetooth compliant transceiver.

11. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, said radio frequency communication means comprising a ZigBee compliant transceiver.

12. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, said radio frequency communication means comprising a transceiver with a maximum output power of no more than 1 mW.

13. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, said radio frequency communication means including an omni-directional beacon transmitter and a directional beacon receiver, said omni-directional beacon transmitter being configured to send out a beacon signal that allows the omni-directional beacon transmitter to be located by a compatible remote portable device within communication range, said directional beacon receiver being configured to receive a beacon signal from the compatible remote portable device and the strength of the beacon signal received being a function of the orientation of the directional beacon receiver relative to the compatible remote portable device.

14. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, said radio frequency communication means including an omni-directional beacon transmitter and a directional beacon receiver, said omni-directional beacon transmitter being configured to send out a beacon signal that allows the omni-directional beacon transmitter to be located by a compatible remote portable device within communication range, said directional beacon receiver comprising a phased array of antennae and being configured to receive a beacon signal from the compatible remote portable device.

15. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, further including an alerting means for alerting a user to detection of a compatible remote portable device.

16. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, further including a computer interface operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to communicatively couple the device to a computer.

17. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, further including a plurality of user controls operably coupled to the microcontroller.

18. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, further including a fingerprint reader operably coupled to the microcontroller, said memory storing data representing an authorized fingerprint, said microcontroller preventing use of the device unless data for a fingerprint scanned using the fingerprint reader matches the stored data representing the authorized fingerprint.

19. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller is configured to encrypt data before transmission by the radio frequency communication means, and decrypt data received by the radio frequency communication means.

20. A portable compatibility detection device according to claim 1, said device being a wristwatch.