Proximity sensor network

• US 9,100,788 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karam, Gerald, Hanson, Karrie, Purdy, Kermit Hal
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): EUSTAQUIO, CAL J
• Application Number:
  US14/177,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20140159859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system, device and method for a proximity sensor network are disclosed. The proximity detection device includes a short range wireless receiver, a wireless network transceiver; and a controller connected to the receiver and transceiver. The device receives a short-range radio signal from a user'"'"'s mobile communications device, and locates the user and takes various actions based on the identity of the user.

Claims

1. A device manager system for granting access, comprising:

a detection device comprising a short range wireless transceiver, a first wireless local area network transceiver, a processor and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the short range wireless transceiver to receive a short range radio signal transmitted by a mobile cellular voice communications device, the short range radio signal containing an identifier of the mobile cellular voice communications device, the instructions further causing the first wireless local area network transceiver to transmit via a local area network, in response to receiving the short range radio signal, a message containing information on a time difference of arrival of the short range radio signal as received by the detection device, an identifier of the detection device and the identifier of the mobile cellular voice communications device;

a device manager in the local area network comprising a second wireless local area network transceiver, a processor and a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the message via the second wireless local area network transceiver and to perform a detection task, the detection task comprising determining a location of the mobile cellular voice communications device using the information contained in the message, determining a location of a second mobile cellular voice communications device using a second message, and granting to a user of the mobile cellular voice communications device access to a physical area based on proximities of both the mobile cellular voice communications device and the second mobile cellular voice communications device to the detection device.

2. The device manager system of claim 1, wherein the device manager receives an identifier of the first mobile cellular voice communications device from at least two detection devices, and the detection task includes determining a location of the mobile cellular voice communications device based on predetermined positions of the at least two detection devices and on a time difference of arrival of the short range signals received by each one of the at least two detection devices.

3. The device manager system of claim 1, further comprising:

an appliance controller connected for controlling an appliance and in communication with the local area network; and

the detection task including controlling an appliance through the appliance controller in response to receiving the transmitted data.

4. The device manager system of claim 3, wherein the appliance controller is connected for controlling an appliance selected from the group consisting of room lighting, HVAC, audio equipment, video equipment and security equipment.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the device manager includes a database containing predetermined appliance states associated with particular mobile cellular voice communications device identifiers, and the detection task includes controlling an appliance through the appliance controller to assume a state associated in the database with the particular mobile cellular voice communications device identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless local area network transceiver is a low power device that consumes less than 1 Watt at full-rate active receive power.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the local area network utilizes an 802.11x wireless networking protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless transceiver utilizes a Bluetooth wireless networking protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection task further comprises updating a third party as to the location of the mobile cellular voice communications device.

10. A method for granting access using a location of a mobile cellular voice communications device, comprising:

receiving, at a detection device, a short range wireless signal containing an identity of a first mobile cellular voice communications device, the short range wireless signal originating from a short range wireless transceiver of the first mobile cellular voice communications device;

determining a proximity of the first mobile cellular voice communications device to the detection device based on a time difference of arrival of the short range signal;

in response to receiving the short range signal, transmitting, by a wireless local area network transceiver of the detection device, a message containing the first mobile cellular voice communications device identity and the proximity of the first mobile cellular voice communications device to the detection device;

transmitting from the detection device through the wireless local area network transceiver, a message containing a second mobile cellular voice communications device identity and a proximity of a second mobile cellular voice communications device to the detection device; and

granting to a user of the first mobile cellular voice communications device access to a physical area based on the proximities to the detection device of both the first mobile cellular voice communications device and the second mobile cellular voice communications device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the device manager receives an identifier and a proximity of the first mobile cellular voice communications device from at least two detection devices, the method further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile cellular voice communications device based on predetermined positions of the at least two detection devices and on a time difference of arrival of the short range signals received by each one of the at least two detection devices.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to receiving the transmitted message, controlling an appliance through an appliance controller connected to the local area network.

13. The device manager system of claim 12, wherein the appliance is selected from the group consisting of room lighting, HVAC, audio equipment, video equipment and security equipment.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the device manager includes a database containing predetermined appliance states associated with particular mobile cellular voice communications device identifiers, and controlling the appliance comprises controlling the appliance to assume a state associated in the database with the particular mobile cellular voice communications device identifier.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the detection device receives the short range wireless signal via a low power transceiver that consumes less than 1 Watt at full-rate active receive power.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless local area network transceiver utilizes an 802.11x wireless networking protocol.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the short range wireless transceiver utilizes a Bluetooth wireless networking protocol.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

updating a third party as to the location of the mobile cellular voice communications device.

19. A device manager system for granting access, comprising:

a detection device comprising a short range wireless transceiver, a first wireless local area network transceiver, a processor and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the short range wireless transceiver to receive a short range radio signal transmitted by a mobile cellular voice communications device, the short range radio signal containing an identifier of the mobile cellular voice communications device, the instructions further causing the first wireless local area network transceiver to transmit via a local area network, in response to receiving the short range radio signal, a message containing information on a signal strength of the short range radio signal as received by the detection device, an identifier of the detection device and the identifier of the mobile cellular voice communications device;

a device manager in the local area network comprising a second wireless local area network transceiver, a processor and a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the message via the second wireless local area network transceiver and to perform a detection task, the detection task comprising determining a location of the mobile cellular voice communications device using the information contained in the message, determining a location of a second mobile cellular voice communications device using a second message, and granting to a user of the mobile cellular voice communications device access to a physical area based on proximities of both the mobile cellular voice communications device and the second mobile cellular voice communications device to the detection device.

20. The device manager system of claim 19, wherein the device manager receives an identifier of the first mobile cellular voice communications device from at least two detection devices, and the detection task includes determining a location of the mobile cellular voice communications device based on predetermined positions of the at least two detection devices and on a signal strength of the short range signals received by each one of the at least two detection devices.