Proximity sensor network

• US 20100141437A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karam, Gerald, Hanson, Karrie, Purdy, Kermit Hal
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.230
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system, device and method for a proximity sensor network are disclosed. The proximity detection device includes a short range wireless receiver, a wireless network transceiver; and a controller connected to the receiver and transceiver. The device receives a short-range radio signal from a user'"'"'s mobile communications device, and locates the user and takes various actions based on the identity of the user.

Claims

1. A proximity detection device comprising:

a short range wireless receiver for receiving an identifier of a mobile communications device;

a wireless network transceiver; and

a controller connected to each of the short range wireless receiver and the wireless network transceiver, the controller including a processor and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of (1) receiving the identifier from the short range wireless receiver, (2) in response to receiving the identifier, composing a message based at least in part on the identifier, and (3) transmitting the message to a data network through the wireless network transceiver.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless receiver is a receiver utilizing a protocol selected from the group consisting of BLUETOOTH wireless networking protocol, near field communication, ultra wide-band and infrared.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless network transceiver utilizes an 802.11x protocol.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless network transceiver is a low power device that consumes less than 1 Watt at full-rate active receive power.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the message comprises at least an identification of a mobile communications device and an identification of the proximity detection device.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one sensor connected to the processor for measuring an environmental characteristic; and

wherein the message further comprises a measurement from the sensor.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the sensor is a sensor selected from the group consisting of a microphone, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a camera, a barometric pressure sensor and a light sensor.

8. A system for detecting proximity, comprising:

a plurality of detection devices, each detection device comprising a short range wireless receiver for receiving a signal containing an identifier of a mobile communications device, a wireless network transceiver; and

a controller connected to each of the short range wireless receiver and the wireless network transceiver, for transmitting to a data network through the wireless network transceiver, in response to receiving an identifier from the short-range wireless receiver, a message based at least in part on the identifier;

a wireless base station for communicating with the wireless network transceivers, the base station being connected to a data network; and

a manager application in the data network configured for receiving data from a detection device including the mobile communications device identifier and an identifier of the detection device, and performing a detection task based on the mobile communications device identifier.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection task includes determining a location of a mobile communications device based at least in part on a detection device identifier.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the manager application receives an identifier of a first mobile communications device from at least two detection devices substantially simultaneously, and the detection task includes calculating a location of the mobile communications device based on predetermined positions of the at least two detection devices.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an appliance controller connected for controlling an appliance and in communication with the data network; and

the detection task including controlling an appliance through the appliance controller in response to receiving the data at the manager application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the appliance controller is connected for controlling an appliance selected from the group consisting of room lighting, HVAC, audio equipment, video equipment and security equipment.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the manager application includes a database containing predetermined appliance states associated with particular mobile communications device identifiers, and the detection task includes controlling an appliance through the appliance controller to assume a state associated in the database with the particular mobile communications device identifier.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the detection task includes determining a location of a particular mobile communications device based on a location technique applied to at least one signal received by the short range wireless receivers, the technique selected from a group consisting of a signal strength technique, a time difference of arrival technique and a signal echo technique.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the wireless network transceiver is a low power device that consumes less than 1 Watt at full-rate active receive power.

16. A method for determining a location of a mobile communications device, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a detection device through a short range wireless connection, a signal containing a mobile communications device identity of a transmitting mobile communications device; and

in response to receiving the device identity, transmitting from the detection device through a wireless network transceiver, a message containing the identity of the transmitting mobile communications device and an identity of the detection device, the message defining the location of the mobile communications device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving the mobile communications device identity comprises receiving utilizing a protocol selected from the group consisting of BLUETOOTH wireless networking protocol, near field communication, ultra wide-band and infrared.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting the identities comprises utilizing an 802.11x protocol.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

taking a measurement of at least one environmental characteristic; and

in response to receiving a particular device identity, transmitting from the detection device through the wireless network transceiver, data representing the measurement.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless network transceiver is a low power device that consumes less than 1 Watt at full-rate active receive power.