EP1810525A4

EP1810525A4 - Mobile communication system and device

Info

Publication number: EP1810525A4
Application number: EP05767052A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Cameron Robb
Original assignee: PETSMOBILITY NETWORK Inc
Current assignee: PETSMOBILITY NETWORK Inc
Priority date: 2004-07-16
Filing date: 2005-07-18
Publication date: 2009-07-15
Also published as: CA2475823C; CA2475823A1; WO2006007705A1; EP1810525A1; AU2005263147A1

Abstract

There is provided a mobile communication device for communication with or monitoring of remote items. The device comprises a unit having paging means, two-way telephone, GPS means and display means and is adapted for attachment to a variety of remote items, including pets, children, adults, and physical assets. The device may also include camera means. The device of the invention has applications in police, medical and search and rescue agencies, in a variety of commercial applications in security, retail, maintenance and other industries, and by individuals for use with pets, property, children or other persons requiring monitoring.

Description

Title of the Invention

MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND DEVICE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems. In particular, the present invention relates to a multi-purpose wireless communication device.

Background of the Invention

Pet owners would like to ensure that their pet is safe and secure. To ensure the pet's safety, pet owners have traditionally restrained their pets by keeping them within a confined area or secured by a leash, but many pets still stray from home or run off in public places and become lost.

To assist in retrieval of a lost pet, a tag bearing the name and address of the owner may be fixed to the collar of the pet. While such tags could potentially expedite the owner notification process, there are still certain disadvantages. One problem with such identification tags is that upon reading the owner's telephone number from the tag, the finder must memorize the telephone number or hope that the lost pet will remain in the area while he gets a pencil and paper to write it down. Further, it is unlikely that pet owners, given a choice, would wish strangers to know their name, address, and telephone number. Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a simple electronic device securable to the pet which makes it possible for the finder of the lost pet to quickly contact the owner with minimal effort while maintaining the owner's expectations of privacy to the greatest extent possible. A need also exists for such a device which would permit two-way voice communication between the owner of the pet and the person finding or attending to the pet. One way to increase the safety and security of a pet is to monitor the pet's location to make sure that the pet has not become lost. Pet owners may need to monitor the location of their pets whenever the pet is left unattended, such as when the owner is at work or on vacation, hi some cases, the pet may be unattended for several days. If the pet strays from home and becomes lost while the owner is away, it may be many hours or even days before the pet owner learns that the pet has become lost. The longer the owner is unaware that their pet is missing, the harder it becomes to quickly locate and retrieve the pet. A long delay in locating the pet also increases the risk of injury to the pet, which can lead to increased anxiety for the owner.

Monitoring the pet's location may also be a concern when the owner takes the pet to public places, such as on a walk or to the park, where the pet may become distracted and run off. Many dogs may chase cats, cars, or other dogs and become temporarily lost, requiring their owners to search until the pets are found. The longer the owner is unaware that the pet is missing, the harder it becomes to locate and retrieve the pet.

Active pet collars have been developed to help notify passers-by that a pet is lost. For example, some pet collars allow the pet owner to remotely activate a visual display located on the collar with a message such as "If this pet is lost, please call ". Although these systems may help to recover the pet once the owner becomes aware that the pet is missing, they do not alert the owner that the pet has become lost. As a result, the pet may be lost for an extended period before the owner realizes that the pet is lost.

A number of systems have been proposed which employ existing wireless communication capabilities but which tend to be cumbersome, bulky, or expensive. Through the use of global positioning satellite system (GPS) services, it is possible to provide relatively inexpensive location systems for determining the location of pets. The position of an individual pet may be determined by the coincident reception of signals from at least three of the GPS satellites by a satellite receiver, which position can then be stored or can be transmitted to a central receiving station via a wireless link.

In addition to use with pets, there is a need for a multipurpose mobile wireless communication device in many other industries requiring two-way voice-enabled GPS technology

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be described by reference to the preferred embodiment and the drawings thereof in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention mounted on a pet;

Figure 2 A is a front view of the device according to the invention;

Figure 2B is a side view of the device according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a front view of device according to the invention depicting the manner of disengaging the device from a holster;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the internal components of the device according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a transparent perspective view of the device according to the invention;

Figure 6 is a side view of the device according to the invention; and

Figure 7 is a schematic of the components of the device according to the invention/

Description of the Invention

The communication system of the invention may comprise a worldwide communications network, incorporating wireless paging, telephony and GPS communications compatible with existing cellular and satellite technology. The system allows pet owners to be in contact with their pets. In addition, the system may be used as a means of reaching assistance should the pet owner or pet require such assistance. The device of the present invention may comprise several communication components: a pager component; a two-way voice telecommunication component; a GPS component; and a fibre optic camera component. All of the components may be integrated into a device which may be carried by a pet and accessible to a person who retrieves or accompanies a pet, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig 2A and Fig. 2B depict, respectively, a front view and a side view of the device according to the invention.

As shown in Fig. 3, the device according to the invention may be disengaged from a holster, for example a holster on a pet collar, by depressing the first release button 1, rotating the device in a clockwise direction 2 and depressing the second release buttons 3 before lifting the device away from the holster. The device may be reengaged by inserting it perpendicular to the holster and rotating it counter-clockwise into a locked position parallel to the holster.

In one of its aspects, the system of the invention will allow a pet owner to place a telephone call from anywhere in the world to a mobile communication device carried by their pet. This will permit the pet to hear their owner's voice, thereby calming the pet. While on vacation, at work, or on the road, pets can be contacted by that friendly recognizable voice of their owners. In addition, if a pet is lost and someone finds their pet wondering the streets, that person may communicate with the pet owner with a simple press of an auto-dial button on the mobile communication device. When the auto-dial button on the mobile device is depressed, the mobile device will dial the pre-programmed telephone or pager number of the owner, alerting the owner that their pet has strayed, and permitting two-way voice communication between the owner and the person who finds the pet. As used in this specification, a telephone call may be a voice-channel telephone call, or a data- channel telephone call, such as a paging call, hi addition, the telecommunication may alternatively be configured to permit communications using other types of communication channels, such as long- or short-range radio-frequency transmission, electronic mail sent over a computer network such as the Internet, or communication sent to an alarm monitoring station.

As used in this specification, wireless communication refers to any device that enables direct wireless communication with the components of the device. For example, the broadband wireless communication link could be a device that facilitates direct satellite communication from the mobile device to a remote receiver,

In one of its aspects, a paging receiver may be attached to a pet collar. Electrically, this paging receiver may be a very similar to pagers worn by many people. Upon receiving notice that his or her pet is lost, the pet owner may transmit a paging signal to the collar, typically by placing a telephone call to a directory number associated with the paging unit located in the collar. The paging signal may include a telephone number where the owner can be reached.

The paging receiver may be configured to allow the pet owner to determine which telephone number, pager number or email address is displayed on the mobile device. In this way, the system may continue to be used when the pet owner is away from usual home or work contact numbers, for instance on vacation.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the animal collar may be provided with a two-way voice mobile communications device. The device may be activated by depressing a button. Once activated, the device places a call to a pre-programmed number, preferably the pet owner or a central facility. A passer-by may then explain the location of the pet to the pet owner or central facility operator and exchange any other information deemed pertinent. The telephony device is preferably disposed on the device and may be activated and deactivated remotely.

The mobile device may contain a global positioning device, such as a Global Positioning Satellite ("GPS") receiver, and a bi-directional paging unit. The owner may activate the global positioning device by sending a paging signal to the paging unit in the pet collar. Once activated, the global positioning device may receive location signals from global positioning transmitters, typically satellites. The global positioning device triangulates this information to determine the coordinates where the pet is located, and the bi-directional paging unit periodically transmits the coordinates and a unique pet identification number to the pet owner or to a tracking station.

Alternatively, the global positioning device may simply retransmit the signals received from the global positioning transmitters, and a tracking station may perform the triangulation necessary to determine the coordinates for location of the mobile device and the pet. To conserve battery power, the global positioning equipment may be inactive until the owner transmits an initial paging signal to the collar. The pet owner can also turn off the global positioning equipment by transmitting a subsequent paging signal to the mobile device.

Figs. 4 depicts a front perspective of the working components of the device according to the invention. Fig. 5 is a transparent view of the device including outer housing. Fig. 6 is a side view of the device according to the invention. Fig. 7 is a schematic of the components of the device.

The present invention is well suited to a variety of applications, hi one such application the present invention may be used for locating and tracking pets. For example, the pet may be equipped with a mobile communication device in accordance with the invention allowing the pet owner to quickly obtain the pet's whereabouts. The device is designed to be attached to a pet collar or other harness carried by the pet. In a further aspect, the mobile device may incorporate a fibre optic camera capable of taking photographs and recording digital video. This camera embodiment may have applications in relation to military, search and rescue and police activities. Also, the device could be attached to a child or other person to permit tracking of the person if the person should become lost.

The mobile communication device may be designed to be operational in all weather conditions. A variety of sizes and shapes are possible.

Apart from its use with pets, the device according to the invention may be used in any activity where two-way voice enabled GPS unit could be used to facilitate communications between workers. Examples of such activities would include activities in the maintenance, medical, delivery, security, transportation, investigation, retail, and event industries. The device could also be used by government agencies, including police, medical, education and search and rescue agencies.

The device according to the invention may be attached to personal assets such as motor vehicles, including automobiles, all-terrain vehicles or boats.

The device includes a sealed universal service bus port on the unit which is waterproof and will enable other devices to be attached to and to communicate with the unit. Handheld digital camcorders, cameras or any other electronic device that can record or transmit sound, images, data or otherwise will be compatible with the device according to the invention. In certain of its embodiments, the device of the invention is provided with an internal antennae, a two-way waterproof speaker, multi-functional buttons which can be programmed remotely via the internet, programmable LED lights, and a detachable bezel.

The GPS function of the device will permit transmission of electronic mapping data in a wired or wireless format to a desktop PC, laptop, handheld PDA, cell phone, text message or any device capable of receiving such transmission of electronic data.

The present invention has the benefit to users of not permitting personal cell phone use by employees, resulting in fixed costs for companies. In one embodiment, the system is only operable within specified operating zones. This function permits an employer to track the movements of employees, for example, security personnel, during their shift.

The device according to the invention is designed to fasten to a variety of shapes and sizes of holsters, for attachment to a variety of things including a pet, a child, an adult, a physical asset, a car, or other item.

While the invention has been described in connection with the specific embodiments thereof, and in specific uses, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in this specification are used as terms of description and not of limitations, there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalence of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims to the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A remotely-controlled, wireless mobile communication device comprising:

a pager component;

two-way voice telephone component;

a global positioning device component;

a display component; and

means for reversibly attaching the device to a remote item.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a digital camera component.

3. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising a universal serial bus port for connection thereto of compatible electronic devices.

4. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising an internal antennae.

5. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising a two-way waterproof speaker.

6. The communication device of claim 1 in which at least one control button on the device is remotely programmable via the internet.