Wearable charm anti-theft system with manually cancellable alert sequence

• US 9,786,142 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• 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:
  US15/228,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20160343218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053921, 34053923, 34053915, 34053913, 3406861, 3405731, 3405681, 3405721, 70 14, 70336, 70448, 63 113
• 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 proximity alert system that includes a wearable smart charm with a charm housing having a button for the wearer to manually cancel a triggered sensory alert sequence. The object monitor may include within its housing a motion detector that monitors the state of motion of the object monitor, and at least one operating instruction that adjusts a property of the transmitted proximity signal in response to a change in the object monitor'"'"'s motion state. A silent alarm of vibration and/or light on the charm housing perceptible to the wearer of the smart charm may be activated prior to the activation of an auditory alarm.

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;

wherein said ornamental charm housing contains an alarm controller, an alarm 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 alarm operating instruction to determine if said measure satisfies a threshold alert criterion, at least one alarm operating instruction to execute a manually cancellable sequence of sensory alert mechanisms when said measure fails to satisfy said threshold alert criterion, and a manual sensory alert sequence cancel button.

2. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 wherein said sequence of sensory alert mechanisms includes at least two sensory alert mechanism selected from the group of vibration, sound, or light.

3. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 wherein said sequence of sensory alert mechanisms includes the sensory alert mechanisms of vibration, sound, and light.

4. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 1 further including at least one operating instruction to activate an auditory sensory alert mechanism after a warning time period measured from the time of first activating a sensory alert mechanism selected from the group of vibration or light.

5. 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.

6. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 5 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.

7. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 5 wherein said sequence of sensory alert mechanisms includes at least two sensory alert mechanism selected from the group of vibration, sound, or light.

8. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 5 wherein said sequence of sensory alert mechanisms includes the sensory alert mechanisms of vibration, sound, and light.

9. The anti-theft proximity alert system of claim 5 further including at least one alarm operating instruction to activate an auditory sensory alert mechanism after a warning time period measured from the time of first activating a sensory alert mechanism selected from the group of vibration or light.