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

• US 9,269,253 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Principals, Inc.
• Original Assignee: First Principals, Inc.
• Inventors: Raniere, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/934,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.32, 340/539.13, 340/571, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/573.3, 340/573.4, 340/686.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Disclosed herein is a method and system for managing the location of at least one object that includes providing an object having a communication structure and providing a device capable of communicating with the communication structure operatively associated with the object within a communication range, the device being capable of providing a warning notification. The method and system further include determining, by the device, that the object is not detected within a predetermined proximity distance threshold and determining, by the device, that the object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold. The method include providing no warning notification when the at least one object is determined to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

Claims

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

providing at least one object having a communication structure;

providing a device capable of communicating with the communication structure of the at least one object when the at least one object is within a communication range, the device being capable of providing a warning notification;

providing, by the device, permission for the at least one object to not be detected within a predetermined proximity distance threshold;

determining, by the device, that the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

determining, by the device, that the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

providing no warning notification when the at least one object is determined to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

providing the warning notification when the at least one object is determined to not have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

generating a warning notification, by the device, when the at least one object has been detected re-entering the predetermined proximity distance threshold from outside the predetermined proximity distance threshold; 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, 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.

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

after determining, by the device, that the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, determining, by the device, that the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold; and

after determining, by the device, that 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.

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

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

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication structure of the at least one object includes at least one of:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a real time locating system (RTLS) tag.

5. A system for managing a location of at least one object comprising:

at least one object having a communication structure; and

a device capable of communicating with the communication structure, the device being capable of generating a warning notification;

wherein the device is configured to provide permission for the at least one object to not be detected within a predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to determine that the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to determine that the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to generate no warning notification if the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is determined to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to generate a warning notification if the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is determined to not have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to generate a warning notification when the at least one object has been detected re-entering the predetermined proximity distance threshold from outside the predetermined proximity distance threshold; and

wherein the device is configured to revoke permission for the at least one object to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold and send an alarm to user 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.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the device is configured to determine that the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, and wherein the device is configured to revoke the permission for the at least one object to not be detected within the predetermined proximity threshold.

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

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the device is configured to send an alarm to a user if the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold after permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is revoked.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the communication structure of the at least one object includes at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a real time locating system (RTLS) tag.

10. A method for managing a location of at least one object comprising:

providing at least one object having a communication structure;

providing a device capable of communicating with the communication structure of the at least one object when the at least one object is within a communication range, the device being capable of providing a warning notification;

determining, by the device, that the at least one object is not detected within a predetermined proximity distance threshold;

determining, by the device, that the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

providing no warning notification when the at least one object is determined to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

after determining, by the device, that the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, determining, by the device, that the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold; and

after determining, by the device, that 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.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

12. The method of claim 10, 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 cause the device to detect the communication structure.

13. The method of claim 12, 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.

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 12, 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.

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 object inside the predetermined proximity distance threshold.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

varying the predetermined proximity distance threshold without moving the device or the at least one object when the at least one object is required to activate the warning notification; and

determining the distance between the device and the at least one object.

18. A device for managing the location of at least one object comprising:

a transceiver capable of communicating with an object;

wherein the device is capable of generating a warning notification;

wherein the device is configured to provide permission for the at least one object to not be detected within a predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to determine that the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to determine that the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to generate no warning notification if the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is determined to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

wherein the device is configured to generate a warning notification if the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold is determined to not have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold; and

wherein the device is configured to generate a warning notification when the at least one object has been detected re-entering the predetermined proximity distance threshold from outside the proximity distance threshold; and

wherein the device is configured to revoke permission for the at least one object to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold and send an alarm to user 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.

19. A method for managing a location of at least one object comprising:

providing at least one object having a communication structure;

providing a device capable of communicating with the communication structure of the at least one object when the at least one object is within a communication range, the device being capable of providing a warning notification;

providing, by the device, permission for the at least one object to not be detected within a predetermined proximity distance threshold;

determining, by the device, that the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

determining, by the device, that the at least one object that is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold has permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

providing no warning notification when the at least one object is determined to have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

providing the warning notification when the at least one object is determined to not have permission to not be detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

generating a warning notification, by the device, when the at least one object has been detected re-entering the predetermined proximity distance threshold from outside the predetermined proximity distance threshold;

after determining, by the device, that the at least one object is not detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold, determining, by the device, that the at least one object is detected within the predetermined proximity distance threshold; and

after determining, by the device, that 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.