Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
  • G08B21/02—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
  • G08B21/0202—Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
  • G08B21/0288—Attachment of child unit to child/article
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
  • G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
  • G08B21/18—Status alarms
  • G08B21/24—Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Definitions

• This invention is directed to the field of cordless telephony, and more particularly to adapting a cordless telephone base unit for use as an object locator.
• One object that may be misplaced is a handset from a cordless telephone.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Figure 4 is a simplified flowchart of a method of operating a device according to the invention.
• object locator system 105 includes a cordless telephone base unit 107 and an alerting device 109.
• the cordless telephone base unit 107 is a conventional cordless telephone base unit.
• 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.
• a page signal such as an RF 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• the coupling element may be a strap that can be tied to the object.
• it may be an adhesive, such as a tape or a glue, for use in adhering to the object.
• the coupling element may be a Velcro strip used to mate with an associated Velcro portion of the object.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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'.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 ehminating the need for coupling element 11 1.
• 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.
• 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.
• a user activates a page function at a cordless telephone base unit 107.
• 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.
• an alert signal from alerting device 109 (or 305) is sensed.
• 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.

Landscapes

• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Emergency Management (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Child & Adolescent Psychology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Telephone Function (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
• Telephone Set Structure (AREA)
• Emergency Alarm Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22931369

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (7)

• 2000
  • 2000-02-04 DE DE60012483T patent/DE60012483T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-02-04 AU AU29825/00A patent/AU2982500A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-02-04 JP JP2000597776A patent/JP2002536898A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-02-04 CA CA002361214A patent/CA2361214A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-02-04 EP EP00908495A patent/EP1151426B9/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-02-04 WO PCT/US2000/002996 patent/WO2000046774A1/en active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (7)

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