SYSTEM, METHOD AND DEVICE TO INTERROGATE FOR THE PRESENCE OF OBJECTS

• US 20110084807A1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pairable, Inc.
• Original Assignee: James D. Logan
• Inventors: Form, Michael A., Opalacz, Daniel, Tanpitukpongse, T. Paul, Call, Charles G., Logan, Jeffrey D., Pan, Heng, Logan, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/025 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses absence of reply signal after an elapsed time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• 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, method and device to interrogate for the presence of objects, to prevent the inadvertent separation of the objects from their owner. An owner is alerted when they are separated from the objects by determining when a trigger event occurs, such as a person leaving and/or entering a particular monitored area or location. These monitored areas can be retrofitted with an electronic interrogation device that monitors local conditions to determine whether a user is entering or leaving the monitored area to trigger an interrogation of the personal items. The interrogation device is constructed and arranged to communicate with the objects to determine whether the objects are with the owner. The interrogation device automatically determines the presence of a particular object at the monitored environment and automatically generates a notification when needed. The system further controls functionality of the objects, according to illustrative embodiments, when the object is present.

Claims

1. An interrogator device that monitors at least one object, the device comprising:

a sensor that detects when a trigger event has occurred so as to initialize interrogation for the at least one object to determine whether the at least one object is within a detectable range of the interrogator device;

a controller that, when the at least one object is outside the detectable range of the interrogator device, generates a notification and, when the at least object is within the detectable range of the interrogator device, is constructed and arranged to control functionality of the at least one object; and

wherein the interrogator device is constructed and arranged to store identifying data for the at least one object to determine when the at least one object is within the detectable range of the interrogator device.

2. The interrogator device of claim 1 wherein the interrogator device determines when the at least one object is within the detectable range of the interrogator device by Bluetooth communication established between the interrogator device and the at least one object.

3. The interrogator device of claim 1 wherein the controller is constructed and arranged to monitor at least another object to determine whether the at least another object is within the detectable range of the interrogator device.

4. The interrogator device of claim 1 wherein the interrogator device comprises a device pluggable into a power port of a vehicle and the trigger event is one of movement and power output of the vehicle.

5. The interrogator device of claim 1 wherein the interrogator device comprises a pluggable wall socket adapter that continuously monitors for the presence of the at least one object.

6. The interrogator device of claim 1 wherein the at least one object comprises one of a cell phone, an infant car seat, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a dongle, a wallet, a purse, and a portable computer.

7. The interrogator device of claim 1 wherein the detectable range of the interrogator device is specified by the manufacturer of the interrogator device and is in the range of up to 30 feet.

8. The interrogator device of claim 1 wherein the detectable range of the interrogator device is specified by user input to an interface operatively connected to the interrogator device and.

9. The interrogator device of claim 1 wherein the interrogator device is Bluetooth equipped and the at least one object is Bluetooth equipped to establish Bluetooth communication between the interrogator device and the at least one object.

10. A method for monitoring at least one object, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interrogator device that includes a sensing circuit to determine when a trigger event occurs by monitoring a power output of the vehicle;

determining whether the at least one object is within a detectable range of the interrogator device when the trigger event occurs, based upon transmitting data stored in the interrogator device, the data corresponding to the at least on object; and

generating a notification when the at least one object is outside the detectable range of the interrogator when the trigger event occurs.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

monitoring the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is in motion by monitoring at least one of a noise output of the vehicle, a Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the vehicle, and movement of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the trigger event is at least one of the vehicle being turned on, the vehicle being turned off, the vehicle commencing motion, the vehicle stopping motion, and the GPS location of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

controlling functionality of the at least one object when the at least one object is within the detectable range of the interrogator device.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein generating the notification occurs on at least one of the interrogator device and the at least one object.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the detectable range of the interrogator device is approximately up to 8 feet.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the detectable range of the interrogator device is approximately up to 30 feet.

17. A system that monitors at least one object, the system comprising:

an interrogator device including a sensor having a detectable range within which the interrogator device interrogates for the presence of at least one object; and

a communication module on the at least one object, in communication with the interrogator device, to determine whether the at least one object is within the detectable range of the interrogator device and generate a notification when the at least one object is outside the detectable range of the interrogator device.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the communication module is Bluetooth equipped and the interrogator device is Bluetooth equipped to establish Bluetooth communication between the interrogator device and the at least one object to thereby determine whether the at least one object is within the detectable range of the interrogator device.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one object is one of a cell phone, an infant car seat, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a dongle, a wallet, a purse, and a portable computer.