Patent Application
20170238668
The disclosure relates to tracking devices and more particularly pertains to a new tracking device for remotely locating an article of luggage.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising at least one article of luggage. A base unit is coupled to the at least one article of luggage. The base unit selectively emits an audible alarm. A remote unit is provided and the remote unit may be carried. The remote unit is in electrical communication with the base unit. The remote unit selectively actuates the base unit to emit the audible alarm. Thus, the base unit may communicate a location of the at least one article of luggage.
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 base unit 14 comprises a base housing 16. A strap 18 is coupled to the base housing 16 and the strap 18 has a distal end 20 with respect to the base housing 16. The strap 18 has a first surface 22 and a first coupler 25 is coupled to the first surface 22. A second coupler 26 is attached to the first surface 22. The first coupler 25 is positioned adjacent to the base housing 16 and the second coupler 26 is positioned adjacent to the distal end 20.
The first coupler 25 is complementary with respect to the second coupler 24. Thus, the distal end 20 is matable to the strap 18 such that said strap 18 forms a closed loop. The strap 18 is selectively coupled to the at least one article of luggage 12. Thus, the base housing 16 is retained on the at least one article of luggage 12. Each of the first coupler 25 and the second coupler 26 may comprise a hook and loop fastener or the like.
A base processor 28 is positioned within the base housing 16 and the base processor 28 may comprise an electronic processor or the like. A base transceiver 30 is positioned within the base housing 16 and the base transceiver 30 is electrically coupled to the base processor 28. The base transceiver 30 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like.
A speaker 32 is coupled to the base housing 16 and the speaker 32 selectively emits the audible alarm. The speaker 32 is electrically coupled to the base processor 28. A light emitter 34 is coupled to the base housing 16 and the light emitter 34 may emit light. The light emitter 34 is electrically coupled to the base processor 28. The light emitter 34 may comprise an LED or the like.
A base power supply 36 is positioned within the base housing 16. The base power supply 36 is electrically coupled to the base processor 28. The base power supply 36 comprises at least one battery 38. A base battery cover 40 is removably coupled to the base housing 16. The base power supply 36 is positioned beneath the base battery cover 40.
A remote unit 42 is provided and the remote unit 42 may be carried. The remote unit 42 is in electrical communication with the base unit 14. The remote unit 42 selectively actuates the base unit 14 to emit the audible alarm. Thus, the base unit 14 may communicate a location of the at least one article of luggage 12 to a user.
The remote unit 42 comprises a remote housing 44 that may be carried. A key ring 46 may be coupled to the remote housing 44. Thus, the remote housing 44 may be coupled to a set of keys or the like. A remote processor 48 is positioned within the remote housing 44 and the remote processor 48 selectively generates an alarm sequence.
A remote transceiver 50 is positioned within the remote housing 44. The remote transceiver 50 is electrically coupled to the remote processor 48. The remote transceiver 50 is in electrical communication with the remote processor 48. Thus, the remote transceiver 50 communicates the alarm sequence to the base transceiver 30. The remote transceiver 50 may comprise a radio frequency transmitter or the like.
A button 52 is coupled to the remote housing 44 and the button 52 may be manipulated. The button 52 is electrically coupled to the remote processor 48. The remote processor 48 generates the alarm sequence when the button 52 is manipulated. Thus, the speaker 32 emits the audible alarm and the light emitter 34 emits light.
A remote power supply 54 is positioned within the remote housing 44 and the remote power supply 54 is electrically coupled to the remote processor 48. The remote power supply 54 comprises at least one battery 56. A remote battery cover 58 is removably coupled to the remote housing 44. The remote power supply 54 is positioned beneath the remote battery cover 58.
A plurality of base units 14 may be provided and the at least one article of luggage 12 may be one of a plurality of articles of luggage. Each of the plurality of base units 14 may be coupled to an associated one of a plurality of articles of luggage. Each of the remote transceiver 50 and the base transceiver 30 corresponding to each of the base units 14 may utilize a WPAN signal or the like. Thus, the remote transceiver 50 may be coded to communicate with the base transceiver 30 corresponding to each of the plurality of base units 14.
The base unit 14 may be an integral component of the at least one article of luggage 12. Additionally, the base unit 14 may comprise a chip or the like. Each of the remote housing 44 and the base housing 16 may come in a plurality of colors. Thus, each of the remote housing 44 and the base housing 16 may be visually identified.
In use, the base unit 14 is attached to the at least one article of luggage 12. The button 52 is manipulated to facilitate the at least one article of luggage 12 to be located. The at least one article of luggage 12 may be located in luggage claim in an airport. Additionally, the at least one article of luggage 12 may be located in any location involving multiple articles of luggage belonging to multiple owners. Thus, the audible alarm facilitates the at least one article of luggage 12 to be located among the multiple articles of luggage.
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, system 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 element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
