Protecting mobile objects

• US 9,940,804 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blustream Corp.
• Original Assignee: Blustream Corp.
• Inventors: Bean, Robert, Audi, Michael Dominick, Gordon, Jr., James Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US15/037,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20160284184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention integrates hardware and software for sensing, communications, data storage and control into a protection module that is sufficiently small and inexpensive to be attached directly to individual objects, such as musical instruments, and the inventory of stores and museums. Sensors monitor environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, and accelerometers alert owners to unwanted motion, such as theft or misuse. Sensed data is stored locally and transmitted wirelessly to nonproprietary data receivers, such as smart phones or tablets that generate alerts. In some embodiments the data is forwarded to cloud servers for storage and analysis. Bluetooth communication between the attached module and the data receiver allows large spaces, such as stores and showrooms containing many attached modules to be protected. In some embodiments accelerometers enable finger-tap-controlled recording of musical performance and tuning of the instrument relative to tonal frequencies stored in the module.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server;

a mobile device in communication with the server; and

a mobile data collection module including;

a humidity sensor;

an accelerometer;

a wireless communications module; and

a controller operatively coupled to the humidity sensor, the accelerometer, and the wireless communications module, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising;

transitioning the controller from a low power state to an active state at a frequency;

sampling, using the humidity sensor and in the active state, a relative humidity of an environment of the mobile data collection module;

transmitting, using the wireless communications module and in the active state, the relative humidity to the mobile device, the mobile device being proximal to the mobile data collection module during transmission;

sampling, using the accelerometer and in the active state, motion data generated by the accelerometer; and

transmitting, using the wireless communications module and in the active state, the motion data to the mobile device, the mobile device being proximal to the mobile data collection module during transmission;

wherein the mobile device is configured to receive the relative humidity and transmit the received relative humidity to the server, the mobile device is further configured to receive the motion data and transmit the received motion data to the server;

wherein the server includes a database for storing the relative humidity for subsequent access, the database for storing the motion data for subsequent access;

wherein the mobile device is further configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting motion of the mobile data collection module based on the motion data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise adaptively adjusting the frequency in response to activation by the accelerometer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to generate an alarm indicating that the relative humidity exceeds the threshold value.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to generate an alarm indicating that the relative humidity exceeds the threshold value.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining a rate of change of relative humidity;

determining a difference between a previous relative humidity and the received relative humidity exceeds a threshold value; and

determining that the rate of change of relative humidity exceeds a second threshold value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobile device is further configured to perform operations comprising generating an alarm indicating that the rate of change of relative humidity exceeds the second threshold value and that the difference between the previous relative humidity and the received relative humidity exceeds the threshold value.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to generate an alarm indicating that the rate of change of relative humidity exceeds the second threshold value and that the difference between the previous relative humidity and the received relative humidity exceeds the threshold value.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the relative humidity exceeds a high set point or a low set point; and

generating an alarm indicating that the relative humidity exceeds the high set point or the low set point.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the high set point is a value between 70 and 100;

and wherein the low set point is a value between 30 and 80.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile data collection module further comprises:

a temperature sensor operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations further comprising;

sampling, using the temperature sensor and in the active state, a temperature of the environment of the mobile data collection module; and

transmitting, using the wireless communications module and in the active state, the temperature to the mobile device, the mobile device being proximal to the mobile data collection module during transmission;

wherein the mobile device is configured to receive the temperature and transmit the received temperature to the server;

wherein the server includes a database for storing the temperature for subsequent access.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the temperature exceeds a temperature high set point or a temperature low set point.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is further configured to generate an alarm indicating that the temperature exceeds the temperature high set point or the temperature low set point.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to generate an alarm indicating that the temperature exceeds the temperature high set point or the temperature low set point.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to generate an alarm indicating motion detection.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to generate an alarm indicating motion detection.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the temperature high set point is a value above 69;

and wherein the temperature low set point is a value below 68.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

generating, using historical relative humidity measurements received from the mobile data collection module, a visualization of relative humidity over time; and

rendering, in a graphical user interface display space of the mobile device, the visualization of relative humidity over time.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

generating, using historical temperature measurements received from the mobile data collection module, a visualization of temperature over time; and

render, in a graphical user interface display space of the mobile data collection module, the visualization of temperature over time.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

generating, using historical motion data received from the mobile data collection module, a visualization of motion over time; and

render, in a graphical user interface display space of the mobile data collection module, the visualization of motion over time.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that no communication between the mobile device and the mobile data collection module has occurred over a period of time; and

transmitting an alarm indicating loss of communication with the mobile data collection module, wherein the transmission includes using one or more of;

a push notification to the mobile device, a phone number, or an internet mail address.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second mobile device in communication with the server, the second mobile device is configured to receive data from the mobile data collection module and transmit the received data to the server.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile data collection module includes an ordered list of mobile devices eligible for connecting with the mobile data collection module.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile data collection module is configured to releasably attached to a musical instrument case.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a musical instrument case, the mobile data collection module i-s being releasably attached to the musical instrument case.

25. A method comprising:

transitioning a controller from a low power state to an active state at a frequency, the controller forming part of a mobile data collection module including;

a humidity sensor, an accelerometer, a wireless communications module, and the controller;

sampling, using the humidity sensor and in the active state, a relative humidity of an environment of the mobile data collection module;

transmitting, using the wireless communications module and in the active state, the relative humidity to a mobile device in communication with a server, the mobile device being proximal to the mobile data collection module during transmission;

adaptively adjusting the frequency in response to activation by the accelerometer;

sampling, using the accelerometer, motion data;

transmitting, using the wireless communications module and in the active state, the motion data to the mobile device, the mobile device being proximal to the mobile data collection module during transmission; and

detecting motion of the mobile data collection module based on the motion data;

wherein the mobile device is configured to receive the relative humidity and transmit the received relative humidity to the server, the mobile device is further configured to receive the motion data and transmit the received motion data to the server;

wherein the server includes a database for storing the relative humidity for subsequent access, the database for storing the motion data for subsequent access.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a rate of change of relative humidity;

determining a difference between a previous relative humidity and the received relative humidity exceeds a threshold value;

determining that the rate of change of relative humidity exceeds a second threshold value; and

generating an alarm indicating that the rate of change of relative humidity exceeds the second threshold value and that the difference between the previous relative humidity and the received relative humidity exceeds the threshold value.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining that the relative humidity exceeds a high set point or a low set point; and

generating an alarm indicating that the relative humidity exceeds the high set point or the low set point.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the high set point is a value between 70 and 100;

and wherein the low set point is a value between 30 and 80.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the low set point is a value of about 45.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the mobile data collection module further comprises:

a temperature sensor operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the method further comprises;

sampling, using the temperature sensor and in the active state, a temperature of the environment of the mobile data collection module; and

transmitting, using the wireless communications module and in the active state, the temperature to the mobile device, the mobile device being proximal to the mobile data collection module during transmission;

wherein the mobile device is configured to receive the temperature and transmit the received temperature to the server;

wherein the server includes a database for storing the temperature for subsequent access.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

determining that the temperature exceeds a temperature high set point or a temperature low set point; and

generating an alarm indicating that the temperature exceeds the temperature high set point or the temperature low set point.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

generating an alarm indicating motion detection.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

generating, using historical relative humidity measurements received from the mobile data collection module, a visualization of relative humidity over time; and

rendering, in a graphical user interface display space of the mobile device, the visualization of relative humidity over time.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

generating, using historical temperature measurements received from the mobile data collection module, a visualization temperature over time; and

rendering, in a graphical user interface display space of the mobile device, the visualization of temperature over time.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

generating, using historical motion data measurements received from the mobile data collection module, a visualization of motion data over time; and

rendering, in a graphical user interface display space of the mobile device, the visualization of motion data over time.

36. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining that no communication between the mobile device and the mobile data collection module has occurred over a period of time; and

transmitting an alarm indicating loss of communication with the mobile data collection module, wherein the transmission includes using one or more of;

a push notification to the mobile device, a phone number, or an internet mail address.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein a second mobile device is in communication with the server, the second mobile device is configured to receive the relative humidity from the data collection module and transmit the received relative humidity to the server.

38. The method of claim 25, wherein the mobile data collection module includes an ordered list of mobile devices eligible for connecting with the mobile data collection module.

39. The method of claim 25, wherein the mobile data collection module is configured to releasably attach to a musical instrument case.