EP1151426B1

EP1151426B1 - Method and system for location of an object apt to be mislaid

Info

Publication number: EP1151426B1
Application number: EP00908495A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Syed S. Ali; Charles William Berthoud; M. Bradley Feick
Original assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp
Current assignee: Agere Systems LLC
Priority date: 1999-02-08
Filing date: 2000-02-04
Publication date: 2004-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 2020-02-04
Also published as: EP1151426A1; DE60012483T2; EP1151426B9; CA2361214A1; WO2000046774A1; AU2982500A; DE60012483D1; JP2002536898A

Abstract

In one embodiment according to the invention, an object locating system includes a cordless telephone base unit and an alerting device. The alerting device is adapted to be coupled to an object, and is further adapted to receive a page signal from the cordless telephone base unit. The alerting device provides an alert signal when it receives the page signal, thus enabling a person to locate the object by activating the page feature of the cordless telephone base unit. The alerting device may include a coupling element adapted to couple the alerting device to an object, a page signal receiving element adapted to receive a page signal from a cordless telephone base unit, and a signal transmitter adapted to transmit an alert signal upon the receipt of the page signal. In another embodiment according to the invention, a keychain includes a key holding element, a page signal receiving element adapted to receive a page signal from a cordless telephone base unit, and a signal transmitter adapted to transmit an alert signal upon the receipt of the page signal. In yet another embodiment according to the invention, a method of locating an object includes the steps of activating a page function of a cordless telephone base unit, and sensing an alert signal transmitted from an alerting device coupled to the object.

Description

This invention relates to the location of an object apt to be mislaid such as a keyring.
People lose stuff. People misplace stuff. People spend lots of time looking for things that have been misplaced. For example, almost everybody has experienced a frantic search for car keys that includes rifling through every drawer in the home, inspecting every coat pocket, looking in every cubby hole. Eventually, the car keys are usually located, but the amount of time spent during the search is wasted, and could be used more productively.
One object that may be misplaced is a handset from a cordless telephone. For example, a user may roam around the home while engaged in a telephone call, and upon completion of the telephone call, may mindlessly place the telephone in the nearest convenient spot. Later, when the user wishes to place an outgoing telephone call, the user may be unable to locate the telephone handset. To address this issue, conventional cordless telephones include a "page" function. The page function takes advantage of the RF link between the base unit and handset of the cordless telephone. When a user activates the page function at the base unit, the base unit transmits an RF signal to the handset. The handset receives the RF signal, and, conventionally, causes the output of an audible signal, such as three "beeps", in response thereto. The user then locates the source of the beeps, and hence locates the handset.
Unfortunately, although there is a convenient way to locate a misplaced cordless telephone handset, there is not a similarly convenient way to locate many other frequently misplaced items. The present invention seeks to solve this problem.
Sasaki et al in US-A-5040204 describe a cordless telephone which has a pager separate from the handset and the base unit of the cordless telephone, and to which signals can be sent from the telephone.
Sacca et al in US-A-5638050 describe a system for locating an object such as a remote control. A receiver is attached to the remote control and a separate transmitter has a push button for causing an alarm signal at the receiver. However, this system does not solve the problem of locating objects apt to be mislaid as the push-button transmitter is just as apt to be mislaid as the remote control itself.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of locating an object apt to be mislaid using a cordless telephone, comprising the steps of affixing a receiver separate from both a base unit and a remote handset of a cordless telephone to the object; and subsequently, when the object is to be located, transmitting a locating signal independent of telephone operations from said cordless telephone targeted to said receiver, said receiver being effective to output a sensory alert signal therefrom upon receipt of said locating signal sufficient to allow a person to locate said object.
In a second and alternative aspect of this invention, there is provided, in combination: a keyring and a cordless telephone adapted for locating that keyring, the keyring having a receiver separate from both a base unit and a handset of the cordless telephone affixed thereto, the cordless telephone including means for transmitting a locating signal independent of telephone operations from said cordless telephone targeted to said receiver affixed to said keyring, and the receiver including means for outputting a sensory alert signal upon receipt of said locating signal sufficient to allow a person to locate said keyring.
Preferably, the sensory alert comprises an audible signal and/or a visual signal.

Brief Description of the Drawing:

The objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to one of skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description in light of the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a simplified block diagram of a first embodiment according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a simplified block diagram of a second embodiment according to the invention;
Figure 3 depicts an inventive keychain incorporating the attributes of the invention; and
Figure 4 is a simplified flowchart of a method of operating a device according to the invention.

Detailed Description:

A simplified block diagram of a first embodiment according to the invention is shown in Figure 1. Here, object locator system 105 includes a cordless telephone base unit 107 and an alerting device 109. In one embodiment according to the invention, the cordless telephone base unit 107 is a conventional cordless telephone base unit. In alternative embodiments, discussed in greater detail below, the cordless telephone base unit 107 is specially configured for operation according to the invention.
Alerting device 109 includes a coupling element 111 for use in coupling alerting device 109 to an object, and also includes antenna 113 for use in receiving a page signal, such as an RF signal, from cordless telephone base unit. Thus, according to the invention, a user can activate a page feature on cordless telephone base unit 107, and the alerting device 109 will produce an alert signal.
The alerting device 109 includes the necessary components to receive the RF signal from the antenna 113, process the RF signal, recognize that the RF signal includes a paging signal, and control the alerting device to output the alert signal based on this recognition. The specific implementation is not material, and is clearly within the knowledge of one of skill in the art. For example, in a simplest embodiment, a transceiver and digital signal processor DSP from a cordless handset may be adapted for use in alerting device 109 to perform the same functions in alerting device 109 as they perform within a cordless handset upon receipt of a paging signal. Of course, special purpose receiving elements, filters, and processors may instead be employed for this purpose to achieve form factor and power efficiencies.
The alerting device 109 may include one or more signal transmitters to transmit the alerting signal. For example, alerting device 109 may include a light 115 and/or a speaker 117 to provide visual and/or audible alerting signals, respectively. These alerting signals may then be sensed by a user in an attempt to locate the alerting device, and hence the object coupled thereto. It is also within the scope of the present invention that the alerting signal is another RF signal that is transmitted to a user or to a processor-based apparatus for use in providing the user an indication of the location of the alerting device.
Coupling element 111 may be any element capable of coupling the alerting device 109 to the object. For example, the coupling element may be a strap that can be tied to the object. Alternatively, it may be an adhesive, such as a tape or a glue, for use in adhering to the object. Alternatively, the coupling element may be a Velcro strip used to mate with an associated Velcro portion of the object. Other alternatives, such as key rings, and any other method of coupling to an object will likely be dictated by the size, shape and composition of the object and will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art.
As discussed earlier, cordless telephone base unit 107 may be a conventional cordless telephone base unit, in which case a user activates the object locator system according to conventional paging mechanisms, such as, for example, pressing a "page" button associated therewith. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, cordless telephone base unit 107' may be configured particularly for operation according to the invention. The concept associated with Figure 2 is that one or more alerting devices 109 may be associated with base unit 107'. For example, as part of the cordless telephone package that includes base unit 107' and an associated handset, a set of three alerting devices 109 may be provided. In this case. base unit 107' may be adapted to broadcast separate RF signals for each of the devices. and may include separate actuation mechanisms to initiate each broadcast.
The example of base unit 107' shown in Figure 2 thus includes, as an example of separate actuation mechanisms, an input panel 202 that includes separate paging buttons 204, 206 and 208 associated with each of the three alerting devices. In this way, the user can initiate a page signal to only the desired alerting device, and thus be subsequently alerted by only the corresponding alerting device.
Base unit 107' may also include a processor 210, such as a DSP. DSP 210 may perform conventional telephone functions known to one of skill in the art, but is also adapted to react to the activation of a particular key 204, 206 or 208 and cause the transmission of a corresponding RF signal from transmitter 212. Transmitter 212 similarly may also perform conventional telephone functions involving the transmission of voice or data information to a handset. For example, each key 204-206 and its corresponding alerting device 109 may be associated with a particular frequency, such that activation of a particular key caused transmission of a signal on a particular frequency that is reacted to by the associated alerting device 109 but ignored by the others. Alternatively, particular coding may be included in the transmission from transmitter 212 to identify the particular alerting device. Persons of skill in the art of communication and signaling may conceive of many alternative coding and signaling mechanisms that are capable of acting appropriately according to this aspect of the invention.
Figure 3 provides another embodiment according to the invention, wherein the functionality of alerting device 109 is integrated into another device, thereby eliminating the need for coupling element 111. Here, keychain 301 includes a key holding element 303, such as a key ring, on which a user can mount keys, and also includes a page signal receiving element 305. The page signal receiving element 305 incorporates the antenna, receiver, and other RF elements necessary for receiving the RF signal from base unit 107. Keychain 301 also includes a signal transmitter to transmit a visible and or audible signal For example, the surface of page signal receiving element 305 can include one or more lights or light emitting diodes 307, and may include a speaker 309. The keychain 301 may thus act as an alerting device, and, as with the other alerting devices 109, may be marketed together with a cordless telephone as a market differentiator.
Figure 4 provides an exemplary method of operation according to the invention. At step 402, a user activates a page function at a cordless telephone base unit 107. As discussed earlier, this activation may be a conventional activation, or may be the activation of a special purpose page function by, for example, activating a special key provided according to the invention. At step 404, an alert signal from alerting device 109 (or 305) is sensed. For example, a user may hear an audible alert signal issued by the alerting device. The "sensing" may be manual, such as a human sensing the audible signal as discussed in the above example, or may be automatic such that the signal is transmitted to another device, such as through RF or other forms of communication. Thus, although presented herein as an example whereby the alert signal is suitable for sensing by a human, this is purely for purposes of illustration and not of limitation.
Various novel devices and methods are thus provided to assist a user in locating a misplaced item while taking advantage of existing infrastructure. Upon reviewing this description of the invention, various alternative embodiments and variations of the inventive concept will undoubtedly be evident to those of skill in the art, and these variations are of course intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

A method of locating an object apt to be mislaid using a cordless telephone, comprising the steps of affixing a receiver separate from both a base unit and a remote handset of a cordless telephone to the object; and subsequently, when the object is to be located, transmitting a locating signal independent of telephone operations from said cordless telephone targeted to said receiver, said receiver being effective to output a sensory alert signal therefrom upon receipt of said locating signal sufficient to allow a person to locate said object.
A method according to Claim 1, further characterised in that said sensory alert comprises an audible signal and/or a visual signal.
A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, further characterised in that said object is a key ring.
An object location system comprising a keyring and a cordless telephone adapted for locating that keyring, the keyring having a receiver separate from both a base unit and a handset of the cordless telephone affixed thereto, the cordless telephone including means for transmitting a locating signal independent of telephone operations from said cordless telephone targeted to said receiver affixed to said keyring, and the receiver including means for outputting a sensory alert signal upon receipt of said locating signal sufficient to allow a person to locate said keyring.
Apparatus according to Claim 4, further characterised in that said sensory alert comprises an audible signal and/or a visual signal.