Item locator

• US 9,977,936 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arquero, Gregg M., Dow, Eli M., Hossain, Syed F., Schaeffer, Joshua, Tang, Yunli
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, NABIL H
• Application Number:
  US15/275,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20180089476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for tracking an item having an electromagnetic frequency signature is provided. The method includes obtaining, using a processor system of a device, an electromagnetic frequency signature of an item. The item associated with the obtained electromagnetic frequency signature is identified and the location of the device at the time the item is identified. The identity of the item associated with the electromagnetic frequency signature and the location of the device at the time the electromagnetic frequency signature is obtained are recorded for associating the item with the location of the device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tracking and retrieving an item having an electromagnetic frequency signature, the method comprising:

obtaining, using a processor system of a device, an electromagnetic frequency signature of an item;

identifying the item associated with the obtained electromagnetic frequency signature, a location of the device, and a time the item is identified;

recording the identity of the item associated with the electromagnetic frequency signature, the location of the device, and the time the electromagnetic frequency signature is obtained for associating the item with the location of the device; and

storing the recorded location of the item in a remote storage;

wherein the device is a mobile apparatus comprising a processor and a memory in data communication with the processor, and a global positioning system (GPS) configured to generate information related to a current location of the mobile apparatus and the processor, and wherein the memory stores at least one application computer program configured for controlling the processor for obtaining the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item, the application computer program querying a user via the display to associate a name for the item with the obtained electromagnetic frequency signature;

wherein a plurality of electromagnetic frequency signatures have been identified and associated with a plurality of items and wherein the method further includes determining that the user has enabled the device for obtaining the electromagnetic frequency signatures of a plurality of items previously identified and automatically updating the location of the previously identified item when the electromagnetic frequency signature corresponding to the previously identified item is obtained after the electromagnetic frequency signature is initially obtained, and wherein the location of the items stored in the remote storage are automatically updated when the device automatically updates the location previously identified items;

wherein the device includes a display having a strength of signal indicator configured to display a strength of the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item relative to a position of the device using a plurality of bars that are selectively activated depending on the strength of the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item when tracking the item; and

wherein the display of the device displays the recorded location and the time the electromagnetic frequency signature was obtained when retrieving the item.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the mobile apparatus includes a microphone for receiving an audible command from a user directing the processor to display on the display the location of a respective item.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the user submits a query requesting the location of a previously identified item, the display displaying the last recorded location of the item.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the user submits a query requesting the location of a previously identified item, the application controlling the processor to search for and obtain an electromagnetic frequency spectrum of the item and directing the user to the location of the previously identified item.

5. A system for tracking an item having an electromagnetic frequency signature, the system comprising:

a processor system obtaining the electromagnetic frequency signature of an item;

a Global Positioning System, the Global Positioning System configured to generate information related to a current location of the mobile apparatus and the processor;

an input receiving the identification of the item having the electromagnetic frequency signature obtained by the processor system and a time associated with the identification;

the processor system associating the location of the processor system with the electromagnetic frequency signature, the identification of the item received by the input and the time associated with the identification;

a memory in communication with the processor system, the memory storing the identification, location and electromagnetic frequency signature of the item for subsequent retrieval, wherein the memory stores at least one application computer program configured for controlling the processor for obtaining the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item, the application computer program querying a user; and

a display in communication with the processor system, wherein the display displays the recorded location and the time the electromagnetic frequency signature was obtained when retrieving the item and displays a strength of signal indicator configured to display a strength of the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item relative to a position of the processor system using a plurality of bars that are selectively activated depending on the strength of the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item when tracking the item,

wherein the processor system is in communication with a remote storage, the remote device storing the location of the item;

wherein a plurality of electromagnetic frequency signatures have been identified and associated with a plurality of items and wherein a determination that the user has enabled the processor system to obtain the electromagnetic frequency signatures of a plurality of items previously identified and automatically update the location of the previously identified item when the electromagnetic frequency signature corresponding to the previously identified item is obtained after the electromagnetic frequency signature is initially obtained, and wherein the location of the items stored in the remote storage are automatically updated when the processor system automatically updates the location previously identified items.

6. The system of claim 5 including at least one application computer program configured for controlling the processor for obtaining the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item.

7. The system of claim 5 including a microphone for receiving an audible command from a user directing the processor to display on the display the location of a respective item.

8. A computer program product for tracking an item having an electromagnetic frequency signature, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method comprising:

obtaining, using a processor system of a device, an electromagnetic frequency signature of an item;

identifying the electromagnetic frequency signature, a location of the device and a time the item is identified; and

recording the identity of the item associated with the electromagnetic frequency, the location of the device in a database and the time the electromagnetic frequency signature is obtained for associating the item with the location of the device;

storing the recorded location of the item in a remote storage;

wherein the device is a mobile apparatus comprising a processor and a memory in data communication with the processor, and a global positioning system (GPS) configured to generate information related to a current location of the mobile apparatus and the processor, and wherein the memory stores at least one application computer program configured for controlling the processor for obtaining the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item, the application computer program querying a user via the display to associate a name for the item with the obtained electromagnetic frequency signature;

wherein a plurality of electromagnetic frequency signatures have been identified and associated with a plurality of items and wherein the method further includes determining that the user has enabled the device for obtaining the electromagnetic frequency signatures of a plurality of items previously identified and automatically updating the location of the previously identified item when the electromagnetic frequency signature corresponding to the previously identified item is obtained after the electromagnetic frequency signature is initially obtained, and wherein the location of the items stored in the remote storage are automatically updated when the device automatically updates the location previously identified items;

wherein the device includes a display having a strength of signal indicator configured to display a strength of the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item relative to a position of the device using a plurality of bars that are selectively activated depending on the strength of the electromagnetic frequency signature of the item when tracking the item; and

wherein the display of the device displays the recorded location and the time the electromagnetic frequency signature was obtained when retrieving the item.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a user submits a query requesting the location of a previously identified item, the application controlling the processor to search for and obtain an electromagnetic frequency spectrum of the item and directing the user to the location of the previously identified item.