System and method for orientation-based object monitoring and device for the same

• US 9,519,417 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twin Harbor Labs, LLC (Bradley David Liddle)
• Original Assignee: Twin Harbor Labs, LLC (Bradley David Liddle)
• Inventors: Logan, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/551,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,661 Days
• Field of Search: 702/141, 702/150, 702/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser

Abstract

This invention relates to methods and systems for accelerometer-based sensing of motion and orientation of a portable device affixed to or integral with an object, to trigger an audio or visual output based on the motion or orientation of the object the portable device is monitoring. The audio output can be pre-recorded in the device memory or can be user recorded through the “tilt and tell” device voice recording. The invention also employs unique movement and orientation to estimated usage, the person using the device, and other application specific usage information. The unique movement can also be used as user interface to the device.

Claims

1. A device to determine information about when an object was last touched, comprising;

a housing affixed to the object including electrical components of the device, the electrical components including a sensor, a display and a pre-programmed processor;

the sensor affixed to the housing to generate a signal when the object is touched wherein the sensor is a multi-axis accelerometer;

the preprogrammed processor with instructions related to information concerning the object affixed to the housing and receiving the signal from the sensor to provide predetermined information about the touched object to a user of the device, and

the display connected to the processor for displaying time information related to when the object was last touched.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the affixed housing is mounted into the object.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the affixed housing is mounted onto the object.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the affixed housing is concealed within the object.

5. The of claim 1, wherein the housing is affixed to a medicine pill box with prescription pills therein and the pre-programmed instructions provide information to the user when the pill box is touched on whether the prescription pills have been taken according to a doctor prescription of the pills for a day, a week, a month or a year.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing is affixed to a food storage container and the pre-programmed instructions provide information about a date and time when the container was placed into a refrigerator.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the pre-programmed processor with the instructions related to information concerning the object is a microprocessor.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the pre-programmed processor with the instructions related to information concerning the object is an ASIC.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor generates the signal when tilted.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor generates the signal with any movement of the device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the pre-programmed processor further includes a memory for the instructions, display, and a display controller.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the device notifies a user when a unique movement signature is detected by the sensor.

13. A method and process for determining intelligence on how an object is touched, comprising;

affixing a housing to the object, said housing including electrical components of a device;

generating a signal from a sensor affixed to the housing when the object is touched wherein the sensor is a multi-axis accelerometer;

affixing a pre-programmed processor with instructions related to how the object is touched within the housing for receiving the signal from the sensor to provide predetermined information about how the object was touched to an end user of the device, and

displaying time information related to when the object was last touched.

14. The method and process of claim 13 wherein the signal is first filtered for a unique movement signature.