Patent Application
20250220389
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The disclosure relates to tracking devices and more particularly pertains to a new tracking device for locating a key on a map.
The prior art relates to tracking devices. Some prior art devices are trackable devices that can attach to an article, such as a key ring, to allow a user to locate the article using a smartphone. Such trackable devices commonly use global positioning system unit chips or radio frequency identification tags to provide location data of the article to the smartphone. Other prior art disclosures teach key fob devices having integrated transceivers that allow the user to locate the key fob using the smartphone. However, such integrated transceivers are typically only available for electronic key fobs and have not been integrated into keys with blades that are designed for insertion into a lock. Thus, there is a need for a key tracking system that can be used with electronic fobs as well as standard keys with blades, such as household, business, and construction vehicle keys. There is also a need in the art for a key tracking system that can provide location information quickly and easily for a plurality of keys.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a personal electronic device having an application providing a user interface. The embodiment further comprises a key having a bow. The bow has a front wall, a rear wall, and a peripheral wall extending between the rear wall and the front wall to define an interior space between the front wall and the rear wall. A location tracker is positioned within the interior space and is electronically coupled to the application. For example, the location tracker may comprise a global positioning system unit or a radio frequency identification tag. The location tracker identifies a location of the key and relays data corresponding to the location to the application thereby indicating the location of the key on the application. The user interface may include a map indicating the location. A battery is positioned within the interior space and is electronically coupled with the location tracker.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter, and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The application 22 may be paired with a key 26. In some embodiments, the key 26 comprises an electronic key fob 27. In other embodiments, the key 26 comprises a standard key 26, for example having a bow 28 and a blade 29 extending downwardly from the bow 28. The blade 29 is generally configured for insertion in a lock and may be cut in a shape corresponding to the lock. Embodiments of the key 26 generally include a bow 28. The bow 28 generally has a front wall 30, a rear wall 32, and a peripheral wall 34 extending between the rear wall 32 and the front wall 30 to define an interior space 36 between the front wall 30 and the rear wall 32.
A location tracker 38, or location identifying means 38, is generally positioned within the interior space 36 and electronically coupled to the application 22. The location tracker 38 identifies a location of the key 26 and relays data corresponding to the location to the application 22 thereby indicating the location of the key 26 on the application 22.
In some embodiments, the location identifying means 38 comprises a central processing unit 40 that is positioned within the interior space 36. The central processing unit 40 is in wireless electronic communication with the application 22. A global positioning system unit 42 is also positioned within the interior space 36. The global positioning system unit 42 is electronically coupled with the central processing unit 40. The global positioning system unit 42 provides a location of the key 26 to the central processing unit 40, whereby the central processing unit 40 is configured to provide data identifying the location to the application 22. As shown in
Such embodiments may further comprise a button 46 that is mounted on the bow 28, for example on the front wall 30. Some such embodiments may include more than one button 46, as shown in
In other embodiments, the location identifying means 38 may generally comprise a radio frequency identification tag 50 that is positioned within the interior space 36. The radio frequency identification tag 50 is wirelessly couplable to the personal electronic device 20. The user interface 24 may be configured to wirelessly couple the radio frequency identification tag 50 to the personal electronic device 20. For example, the user interface 24 may provide guided, step-by-step instructions for wirelessly connecting the radio frequency identification tag 50 with the application 22 or for identifying the particular key 26 in which the radio frequency identification tag 50 is positioned. The radio frequency identification tag 50 is actuatable to relay the data corresponding to the location to the application 22 thereby providing the location of the key 26.
In such embodiments, the user interface 24 may include the map 44 showing the location of the key 26 when the radio frequency identification tag 50 is wirelessly coupled to the personal electronic device 20. The user interface 24 may also have an electronic button 52, wherein actuating the electronic button 52 signals the radio frequency identification tag 50 to relay the location data to the personal electronic device 20.
A battery 48 is positioned within the interior space and electronically coupled with the location identifying means 38. For example, the battery 48 may be electronically coupled with the central processing unit 42 or with the radio frequency identification tag 50.
In use, a user can connect as may keys 26 or electronic key fobs 27 to the application 22 as desired. In some embodiments, the user may use the button 46 on the bow 28 to connect the key 26 with the application 22. In other embodiments, the user may use the electronic button or other means within the user interface 24 to connect the key 26 with the application 22. When the user is unable to find the key 26, the user can open the application 22 and view the map 44 showing the location of each connected key 26.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
