GB2346506A

GB2346506A - Method of using a telephone to locate lost or stolen articles

Info

Publication number: GB2346506A
Application number: GB9822691A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Deborah Jane Hayes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-10-16
Filing date: 1998-10-16
Publication date: 2000-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 2018-10-16
Also published as: GB9822691D0; GB2346506B

Abstract

A mobile or cordless telephone 10 is adapted to send a signal 13 directly to device 14 attached to an article that may be lost or stolen. The signal triggers an alerting signal to attract the attention of the user. In an alternative described embodiment (fig. 2) a fixed line telephone (1) sends the triggering signal <I>via</I> a paging service of a telephone network (5).

Description

LOCATING ARTICLES This application relates to means and a method for locating articles which may have been misplaced, hidden or lost.

Remotely activated locator devices are known which when triggered emit an alerting signal which serves to guide a person seeking the article. One such device in the for-in of a key fob incorporates electronic circuitry comprising a microphone which can detect triggering signal (for example, a user's whistle) and responds by emitting an alerting signal such as an audible sound or flashing light which can serve to guide the user to the key fob if it has been misplaced. A drawback with such locator devices is that they are not easily triggered, and they generally only respond to the one whistle.

To overcome these problems, a second known type of locator device has been proposed for use with a specially provided transmitter device which transmits a signal to trigger the locator device. The signal transmitted by the transmitting device can be, for example, an infrared or radio signal, and each locator device is configured so that it responds only to a signal having a particular code or to a signal at a particular frequency.

However, this second type of locator device is made more cumbersome and more costly by the addition of the transmitter means.

According to a first aspect, the present invention consists in a mobile or cordless telephone adapted to transmit a triggering signal directly to a locator device associated with an article in order to cause the locator device to emit an alerting signal to attract the attention of a person seeking the article.

In a preferred embodiment, the mobile or cordless telephone transmits a triggering signal directly to the locator device using the radio transmitter and other existing components of the mobile telephone. The mobile or cordless telephone can be provided with a bespoke key, switch, button or the like for initiating the transmission of the triggering signal from the mobile or cordless telephone. In a cordless telephone, a pager button used to page other telephones in the system could be used as if the locator device were a telephone in the system.

Preferably, the mobile or cordless telephone transmits a triggering signal which is adapted to trigger a particular one or a group of corresponding locator devices. The triggering signal may comprise particular frequencies or particular codes to suit each particular locator device.

The alerting signal can be of any form which can be perceived by the human senses. For example, the alerting signal can comprise an audible sound or it can comprise a visual signal such as a flashing light.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a method of locating an article with which a locator device is associated comprising the steps of a user sending a triggering signal from a telephone and the locator device emitting an alerting signal in response to the triggering signal from the telephone in order to attract the attention of a person seeking the article.

The triggering signal sent by the user from the telephone may directly or indirectly cause the locator device to emit the alerting signal. The triggering signal could be transmitted directly from the telephone to the locator device as contemplated in the mobile or cordless telephone of the first aspect of the invention set out above. Alternatively, the triggering signal could be transmitted from the telephone into a telecommunications network and the telecommunications network could then send a signal to the locator device. This could be achieved using paging technology. Alternatively, the sending of the triggering signal by the user could comprise the user dialling up a manned or automatic service centre which could then forward a signal or"call"to the locator device which initiates activation of the alerting signal. In all of these cases the locator device is considered to emit an alerting signal in response to a user sending a triggering signal from a telephone.

According to a third aspect, the invention provides a locator device associated with an article, the locator device comprising alerting means for emitting an alerting signal in order to attract the attention of a person seeking the article and receiving means for receiving a triggering signal from a telephone and responsive to operate the alerting means.

Locator devices of this type which are adapted to be triggered by a signal from a telephone can be implemented by including paging technology in the locator devices.

The locator device can be integral with a chosen or valuable article which one desires to be able to locate. Alternatively, the locator device can be attached to the object which one desires to be able to locate by any suitable means. For example, the locator device could be in the form of a key fob which is connected to a key (the object to be protected) by means of a suitable clip.

To aid the understanding of the invention and its advantages, certain embodiments of the invention will now be described for the purposes of illustration only and with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure l shows a locator system comprising a mobile telephone and a locator device; Figure 2 shows another locator system comprising a telephone interacting with a locator device via a telephone network ; Figure 3 shows the locator device of Figure 2 in greater detail; and Figure 4 shows the mobile telephone of Figure 1 in greater detail.

In the embodiments of the invention described below the locator device is incorporated in a key fob which is connected to a key which the user or owner desires to be able to trace.

A first embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to figures 1 and 4. Figure 1 shows a mobile telephone 10 which is capable of sending a triggering signal 13 to a locator device 14 incorporated in a key fob 2. The locator device 14 may be of the type which is triggered by a coded electromagnetic signal. If the user misplaces the key fob 2, then the user can trigger the locator device 14 in the key fob 2 using the mobile telephone 10.

Figure 4 shows the mobile telephone 10 of the first embodiment of the invention in greater detail. The mobile telephone 10 comprises transmitting means 9 (an antenna) for communicating with the telecommunications network and a control means 11 for controlling the operation of the mobile telephone and a keypad 12 for enabling the user to access the functions of the telephone 10. The mobile telephone 10 is adapted to run a modified control programme so that, in response to appropriate user input, the control means 11 will cause the antenna 9 to transmit a triggering signal 13 which is capable of triggering the alerting signal of the locator device 14 in the key fob 2.

The mobile telephone 10 is adapted such that it is capable of using its transmitter 9 (with which it normally communicates with the telecommunications network) to send an appropriate coded signal to the key fob 2 in order to trigger the alerting signal.

Transmission of the coded triggering signal from the mobile telephone 10 can be initiated by pressing a dedicated button on the keypad 12 of the mobile telephone. Alternatively, the triggering signal can be initiated by pressing either a single button or a sequence of buttons on the standard numeric keypad of the mobile telephone. The mobile telephone need not contain any additional hardware in order to produce the triggering signal. The triggering signal could be produced by a software routine within the mobile telephone which responds to user input requesting initiation of the triggering signal.

An avantage of this embodiment of the invention is that the triggering signal is transmitted directly to the locator device in the key fob from the mobile telephone without having to pass through the telecommunications network to which the mobile telephone is connected. To ensure that the triggering signal transmitted directly from the mobile telephone to the locator device in the key fob does not affect the telecommunications network, the mobile telephone could be arranged to transmit the triggering signal at a lower power level than used for normal transmissions to the telecommunications network such that although it will still have sufficient range to actuate a locator device within audible range, it will not be capable of being received by base stations of the titunications network at a signal strength great enough for the telecommunications network to take notice of the triggering signal. Alternatively, the triggering signal could be coded in such a way that if upon its transmission from the mobile telephone the triggering signal reaches a base station of the telecommunications network with sufficient signal strength to interact with the telecommunications network, then, by virtue of the information contained in the triggering signal, the telecommunications network recognises the triggering signal as not relating to call traffic for the telecommunications network and thus disregards the triggering signal so that it does not contribute to the load on the telecommunications network.

The mobile telephone of this embodiment could be replaced by a cordless telephone which would ordinarily use its transmitter to communicate with a base/recharging unit which is connected to the telecommunications network.

A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figure 2.

The locator system comprises a telephone 1 (which may or may not be a mobile or cordless telephone) and a key fob 2 which comprises a locator device 3. By dialling a digit or sequence of digits on the telephone 1, a user can send a call signal 4 into a telecommunications network 5 which consequently sends a wireless call signal 6 to the locator device 3, which in turn triggers the latter to emit an alerting signal, e. g. in the form of a distinctive sound.

The locator device 3 of this embodiment is shown in more detail in Figure 3. The locator device 3 comprises receiving means 6 which is capable of receiving a wireless call signal from the telecommunications network and can be analogous to the receiving circuitry of a pager device. In response to a received triggering signal or"call", the receiving means 6 sends an activation signal A to control means 7 which in turn activates a sound emitting means 8 to produce a sound which will attract the attention of a person seeking the locator device.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A telephone adapted to transmit a triggering signal to a locator device associated with an article in order to cause the locator device to emit an alerting signal to attract the attention of a person seeking the article.
2. A telephone according to claim 1, which is arranged to transmit the triggering signal directly to the locator device.
3. A telephone according to claim 1, which is arranged to transmit the triggering signal to the locator device via a telecommunications network
4. A telephone according to any preceding claim, wherein the telephone is adapted to transmit a triggering signal which is adapted to trigger a particular locator device or a particular group of locator devices.
5. A locator device for association with an article, the locator device comprising alerting means for emitting an alerting signal to attract the attention of a person seeking the article and receiving means for receiving a triggering signal from a telephone and responsive to operate the alerting means.
6. A locator device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the receiving means receives the triggering signal directly from the telephone.
7. A locator device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the receiving means receives the triggering signal from the telephone via a telecommunications network.
8. A method of locating an article with which a locator device is associated comprising the steps of a user sending a triggering signal from a telephone to the locator device and the locator device emitting an alerting signal in response to the triggering signal from the telephone in order to attract the attention of a person seeking the article.
9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the triggering signal is sent directly to the locator device.
10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the triggering signal is sent to the locator device via a telecommunications network.
11. A method of locating an article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying figures.
12. A telephone substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures.
13. A locator device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures.