Index of everyday life

• US 9,973,913 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOBO Research LB LLC
• Original Assignee: Mikko Kalervo Vaananen
• Inventors: Vnnen, Mikko Kalervo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US15/802,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20180070193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 193 Days
• Field of Search: 340571
• 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 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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

Abstract

A mobile phone connected to a fleet of radio transceiver chips that can be individually identified by the mobile station, which automatically are associated with a photo when the phone camera is used in proximity. The transceiver chips have a small loudspeaker, vibrator and/or light emitter for producing an alarm, and the transceiver chip also can determine and send back its location to the mobile phone. The mobile phone deduces its location by GPS or triangulation, and has an application which can be programmed to check the location of items given predetermined criteria are met, or upon user request. For example the mobile phone can be used to program luggage lists, and check whether everything is with the user at a time. The best mode involves typically a smartphone with relevant application software and RFID tags enhanced by light emitter, loudspeaker and/or vibrator and adhesive.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a radio transceiver chip configured to be attached to an item, the item being one of an object and a person; and

a radio transceiver incorporated into a mobile station configured to communicate with the transceiver chip by transmitting a communication signal to the transceiver chip, the mobile station including a camera configured to photograph the item to obtain a photograph, wherein the transceiver chip attached to the item and the mobile station communicate to determine a relative or absolute location of the transceiver chip,

a deviation exceeding a threshold value in the relative or absolute location of the transceiver chip from a specified relative or absolute location value stored or received at the mobile station is indicated by the mobile station to a user of the mobile station, and

the mobile station being configured to associate the photograph of the item is associated with the transceiver chip attached to the item, the photograph of the item being associated with the transceiver chip attached to the item by the mobile station automatically transmitting an association signal to the transceiver chip attached to the item when the camera photographs the item and produces the photograph of the item, and

associating the transmitted association signal, or a response to the transmitted association signal by the radio transceiver chip, with the photograph of the item.

2. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication signal is arranged

to be sent via a direct radio path over air from the mobile station to the radio transceiver chip attached to the item.

3. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transceiver chip has at least one

surface covered wholly and/or partially with adhesive, and is configured to be pressed against the item with the adhesive covered surface facing the item, thereby attaching the transceiver chip to the item.

4. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile station or the user through the mobile station names the item with a text or number string, and the string is arranged to be indexed for a later computerized search.

5. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein several transceiver chips are attached to several items, each being listed on the mobile station, lists being stored in the mobile station, and selection of one of the lists controls the mobile station to communicate with the transceiver chips attached to the items listed in the list.

6. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile station is configured with programmed rules and/or user programmed rules that define sending or receiving a communication to determine location.

7. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile station is configured with programmed rules and/or user programmed rules that define any of the following:

i) the specified relative or absolute location value,

ii) the threshold value, and

iii) a manner of the indication to the user.

8. The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indication by the mobile station is a sound, light and/or vibration alarm and may include any of the following:

i) an image of the item on a screen of the mobile station, and

ii) a text string descriptive of the item on the screen.

9. A communication method, comprising:

associating a photograph of an item to which a radio transceiver chip is attached, by a mobile station, with the transceiver chip attached to the item, the photograph being obtained by a camera provided at the mobile station, the photograph of the item being associated with the transceiver chip

attached to the item by the mobile station automatically transmitting an association signal to the transceiver chip attached to the item when the camera photographs the item and produces the photograph of the item, and

associating the transmitted association signal, or a response to the transmitted association signal by the radio transceiver chip, with the photograph of the item;

transmitting a communication signal, from the mobile station having a transceiver incorporated therein configured to communicate with the transceiver chip, to the transceiver chip, the transceiver chip attached to the item and the mobile station communicating with each other to determine a relative or absolute location of the transceiver chip; and

indicating, by the mobile station to a user of the mobile station, a deviation exceeding a threshold value in the relative or absolute location of the transceiver chip from a specified relative or absolute location value stored or received at the mobile station.

10. The communication method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the communication signal is sent via a direct radio path over air from the mobile station to the radio transceiver chip attached to the item.

11. The communication method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transceiver chip has at least one surface covered wholly and/or partially with adhesive, and is configured to be pressed against the item with the adhesive covered surface facing the item, thereby attaching the transceiver chip to the item.

12. The communication method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising naming the item at the mobile station or by the user through the mobile station with a text or number string, the string being indexed for a later computerized search.

13. The communication method as claimed in claim 9, wherein several transceiver chips are attached to several items, each being listed on the mobile station, lists being stored in the mobile station, the method further comprising, upon selection of one of the lists, controlling the mobile station to communicate with the transceiver chips attached to the items listed in the list.

14. The communication method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile station sends and/or receives a communication to determine location according to rules and/or user programmed rules.

15. The communication method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mobile station has programmed rules and/or user programmed rules that define any of the following:

i) the specified relative or absolute location value,

ii) the threshold value, and

iii) a manner of the indication to the user.

16. The communication method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the indication by mobile station is a sound, light and/or vibration alarm and may include any of the following:

i) an image of the item on a screen of the mobile station, and

ii) a text string descriptive of the item on the screen.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a software program product configured to cause a processing device to execute a method, the method comprising:

associating a photograph of an item to which a radio transceiver chip having radio transceiver chip software is attached, by a mobile station, with the transceiver chip attached to the item, the photograph being obtained by a camera provided at the mobile station, the photograph of the item being associated with the transceiver chip attached to the item by the mobile station automatically transmitting an association signal to the transceiver chip attached to the item when the camera photographs the item and produces the photograph of the item, and

associating the transmitted association signal, or a response to the transmitted association signal by the radio transceiver chip, with the photograph of the item;

transmitting a communication signal, from the mobile station having radio transceiver software configured to communicate with the transceiver chip, to the transceiver chip, the transceiver chip software attached to the item and the mobile station communicating with each other to determine a relative or absolute location of the transceiver chip,

indicating, by the mobile station to a user of the mobile station, a deviation exceeding a threshold value in the relative or absolute location of the transceiver chip from a specified relative or absolute location value stored or received at software at the mobile station.

18. The software program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the communication signal is sent via a direct radio path over air from the mobile station to the radio transceiver chip attached to the item.

19. The software program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transceiver chip has at least one surface covered wholly and/or partially with adhesive, and is configured to be pressed against the item with the adhesive-covered surface facing the item, thereby attaching the transceiver chip to the item.

20. The software program product as claimed in claim 17, further comprising naming the item at the mobile station by a text or number string, the string being indexed for a later computerized search.

21. The software program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein several transceiver chips are attached to several items, each being arranged to be listed on the mobile station, lists being stored in the mobile station, the method further comprising, upon selection of one of the lists, controlling the mobile station to communicate with the transceiver chips attached to the items listed in the list.

22. The software program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the mobile station software is configured with programmed rules and/or user programmed rules that define sending or receiving a communication to determine location.

23. The software program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the mobile station software is configured with programmed rules and/or user programmed rules that define any of the following:

i) the specified relative or absolute location value,

ii) the threshold value, and

iii) a manner of the indication to the user.

24. The software program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the indication by the mobile station is a sound, light and/or vibration alarm and may include any of the following:

i) an image of the item on a screen of the mobile station, and

ii) a text string descriptive of the item on the screen.