Smart charm anti-theft alarm system

• US 9,165,447 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charm Alarm LLC
• Original Assignee: Charm Alarm LLC
• Inventors: Jenkins, Diane, Tarnoff, Harry, Juran, Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US14/001,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.21, 340/539.23, 340/539.15, 340/539.13, 340/686.1, 340/573.1, 340/568.1, 340/686.6, 340/572.1, 70/14, 703/36, 704/48, 63/11.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1472 with force or weight detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0216 Alarm cancellation after generation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0225 Monitoring making use of different thresholds, e.g. for different alarm levels
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0233 System arrangements with pre-alarms, e.g. when a first distance is exceeded
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]

Abstract

An anti-theft system that has a first component that is an attractive and light-weight smart charm that uses an accessory attachment device to attach to a wearable accessory such as a bracelet or necklace, an item of clothing, or user. The system has a second component that is an object monitor for attaching or combining with a mobile object, such as a wallet or purse. The smart charm and object monitor communicate proximity information between each other, and set off a perceptible alarm through one or more sensory alert mechanisms when the separation distance between the smart charm and object monitor exceeds a threshold alert criterion.

Claims

1. An anti-theft proximity alert system comprising:

a wearable smart charm and an object monitor;

said wearable smart charm having an ornamental charm housing with an accessory attachment means, said ornamental charm housing containing a charm controller, a charm communicator capable of receiving a radio frequency proximity signal transmitted from said object monitor, at least one operating instruction to determine a measure of said radio frequency proximity signal, at least one operating instruction to determine if said measure satisfies a threshold alert criterion, and at least one operating instruction to activate a sensory alert mechanism when said measure fails to satisfy said threshold alert criterion.

2. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 wherein said wearable smart charm is attached to an accessory by said accessory attachment means.

3. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 2 wherein said accessory is a bracelet.

4. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 wherein said accessory attachment means is a jewelry clasp.

5. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 wherein said accessory attachment means is a channel through said ornamental charm housing.

6. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 wherein said measure is of the received signal strength for said radio frequency proximity signal, and said threshold alert criterion is related to a determined path loss for said radio frequency proximity signal.

7. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 wherein said measure is a count of the number of radio frequency proximity signal pulses received in a period of time, and said threshold alert criterion is related to said count of received radio frequency proximity signal pulses.

8. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 wherein said object monitor has an object monitor housing that contains a motion detector that monitors a motion state of said object monitor and produces an object monitor motion signal in response to a change in said motion state of said object monitor, and said object monitor contains at least one object monitor operating instruction for said object monitor to adjust a property of said transmitted radio frequency proximity signal in response to said object monitor motion signal.

9. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 8 wherein said at least one object monitor operating instruction for said object monitor to adjust a property of said transmitted radio frequency proximity signal in response to said object monitor motion signal is at least one operating instruction to adjust a transmittal power of said radio frequency proximity signal.

10. A method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a wearable smart charm having an ornamental charm housing with an accessory attachment means comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a radio frequency proximity signal from said object monitor;

(b) receiving said proximity signal on a charm radio frequency receiver within said ornamental charm housing;

(c) executing at least one operating instruction within said ornamental charm housing to obtain a measure of said received proximity signal;

(d) executing at least one operating instruction within said ornamental charm housing to determine whether said measure satisfies a threshold alert criterion; and

(e) executing at least one operating instruction within said ornamental charm housing to activate a sensory alert mechanism if said threshold alert criterion is not satisfied.

11. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a wearable smart charm of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

(a) executing at least one operating instruction within said ornamental charm housing to activate a first sensory alert mechanism on said wearable smart charm for a warning time period;

(b) after said warning time period executing at least one operating instruction within said ornamental charm housing to transmit from said wearable smart charm a radio frequency alarm signal;

(c) receiving said radio frequency alarm signal by said object monitor using a radio frequency receiver within an object monitor housing of said object monitor; and

(d) executing at least one operating instruction within said object monitor housing to activate a second sensory alert mechanism on said object monitor in response to said alarm signal.

12. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a wearable smart charm of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a subsequent proximity signal from said object monitor;

(b) receiving said subsequent proximity signal on said wearable smart charm;

(c) executing at least one operating instruction within said ornamental charm housing to obtain a subsequent measure of said received subsequent proximity signal;

(d) executing at least one operating instruction within said ornamental charm housing to determine whether said subsequent measure satisfies said threshold alert criterion; and

(e) executing at least one operating instruction within said ornamental charm housing to cancel all sensory alert mechanisms if said threshold alert criterion is satisfied.

13. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a wearable smart charm of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring a state of motion for said object monitor using a motion detector contained within an object monitor housing of said object monitor; and

(b) said object monitor adjusting a property of said transmitted proximity signal in response to a change of said motion state of said object monitor.

14. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a wearable smart charm of claim 13 wherein said property is the transmission power of said transmitted proximity signal.

15. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a wearable smart charm of claim 10 wherein said measure is of the received signal strength of said proximity signal, and wherein said threshold alert criterion is related to a determined path loss for said radio frequency proximity signal.

16. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a wearable smart charm of claim 10 wherein said measure is a count of the number of proximity signal pulses received during a period of time.

17. A method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a smart device comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a proximity signal from the object monitor;

(b) monitoring a motion state for said object monitor with a motion detector contained within an object monitor housing of said object monitor;

(b) adjusting in response to a change in said motion state of said object monitor a property of said proximity signal;

(c) receiving said proximity signal on a receiver within a smart device housing of the smart device;

(d) executing at least one operating instruction within said smart device housing to obtain a measure of said received proximity signal;

(e) executing at least one operating instruction within said smart device housing to determine whether said measure satisfies a threshold alert criterion; and

(f) executing at least one operating instruction within said smart device housing to activate a sensory alert mechanism if said threshold alert criterion is not satisfied.

18. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a smart device of claim 17 wherein said property adjusted is the transmission power of said proximity signal.

19. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a smart device of claim 18 wherein said measure is of the received signal strength of said proximity signal.

20. The method of monitoring the proximity of an object monitor to a smart device of claim 17 wherein said object monitor transmits said proximity signal as a number of pulses in a transmittal period of time, and said measure is a count of the number of proximity signal pulses received during a receiving period of time.