Patent Application
20150136552
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to security and tracking systems. More specifically, it relates to discreet luggage tracking and surveillance devices.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Checked luggage is a multi-billion dollar industry and yet 26 million pieces of luggage go missing every year. Recent increased security measures prevent travelers from locking their luggage when using various transportation ports, such as airports. When traveling through these transportation ports luggage is regularly searched by unknown security personnel and too often valuables become lost or stolen.
Many searches are conducted in closed rooms lacking video surveillance making it nearly impossible to identify the perpetrator. Additionally an owner may be unaware that his/her valuables have been stolen until it is too late because of the extend period of separation between owner and luggage and the hectic nature of traveling. Recovering stolen valuables and identifying perpetrators has become extremely difficult.
Accordingly, what is needed is a simple means for adapting luggage with an effective security system to aid in locating an individual's luggage and providing evidence to the identity of the perpetrator. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
All referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.
For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and within which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
The present invention is a discreet luggage tracking and surveillance system having a replaceable zipper pull and a replaceable interior retaining fastener capable of communicating with each other and transmitting data in a manner known by a person having ordinary skill in the art. The zipper pull has an aesthetic design generally similar to that of existing zipper pulls such that a thief would be unaware of that zipper pull of the present invention is anything other than a simple structure providing a user with a handle to aid in opening a zipper. The zipper pull of the present invention contains a fastener such that it can be easily attached to an existing zipper structure when the existing zipper pull has been removed. Additionally, the zipper pull has a touch sensor, antenna, power system, GPS, and system for communicating with the retaining fastener.
The interior retaining fastener has an aesthetic design generally similar to that of existing fastener members attached to fastening straps found inside most luggage. The interior retaining fastener has a connection feature adapted to indiscreetly replace an existing fastener member. The retaining fastener includes a photo and video camera, preferably a low-light wide angle photo and HD video camera with built in image stabilization, embedded date/time stamp, and audio recording. The retaining fastener also contains a GPS, a system for communicating with the zipper pull, and a transmission system. Moreover, the retaining fastener contains a power system having an awake and sleep mode, where the sleep mode is the default mode to reduce power consumption and conforms with FAA and TSA requirements for inflight electronics. The retaining fastener may contain a USB port to allow for easy recharging of the power system. In a certain embodiment the retaining fastener may also contain a touch sensor capable of shifting the retaining fastener to awake mode when the touch sensor detects a human being touching the retaining fastener.
The retaining fastener may also contain an additional photo and/or video camera on the surface of the retaining fastener that is facing downwards towards the contents of the piece of luggage when the retaining fastener is locked and securing the contents of the piece of luggage. This ensures that images of a potential thief will be captured if the retaining fastener were to be flipped upside down from the desired orientation.
In a certain embodiment, the retaining fastener may be lockable to aid in preventing theft of valuables secured by the retaining straps, but will also contain a key hole accessible by a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) master key. In such an embodiment the system may contain an indicator, transmission, and/or notification to a user, known by a person having ordinary skill in the art, to confirm that the master key was used to unlock the retaining fastener. In a certain embodiment the retaining fastener contains a touch screen key pad, known by a person having ordinary skill in the art, for locking and unlocking Such an embodiment may also utilize “locked” and “unlocked” icons which alternately illuminate, depending on the status of the lock, to indicate to a user the position of the lock. This lock may be adapted for remote locking and unlocking capabilities known to a person having ordinary skill in the art.
When the zipper pull's touch sensor is activated the zipper pull communicates, preferably wirelessly, with the retaining fastener causing the retaining fastener to shift to awake mode. The retaining fastener remains in awake mode for a predetermined length of time. Once in awake mode, the GPS is activated and the cameras on the retaining fastener begin recording audio, video and/or a plurality of images. The GPS automatically transmits the location of the retaining fastener, to a database and/or a user's account, at a predetermined time before the retaining fastener shifts back to sleep mode. The camera recordings are also automatically transmitted, via the transmission system known by a person having ordinary skill in the art, to a database at a predetermined time before the retaining fastener shifts back to sleep mode. In a certain embodiment the information sent to the database is organized based on the specific zipper pull and retaining fastener from which the information was sent. Each zipper pull and retaining fastener may have identifying information contained in the transmission to associate a particular owner with the gathered information. In a certain embodiment, the transmitted information will be sent to a database accessible only by the proper authorities to reduce the risk of vigilante actions and keep the identity of innocent search personnel private. However, the system may provide users with alerts that the system has been activated and information was transmitted. The alerts may be transmitted through a process known to a person having ordinary skill in the art.
In a certain embodiment, the zipper pull and retaining fastener are linked to a user account and interactive computer software. Upon arrival at the user's destination, the software allows the user to record whether his/her luggage and all belongings are in his/her possession. If the user indicates that the user is in possession, all transmitted data from the preceding trip is removed from the database. If the user indicates that his belongings were not returned, the information will be saved to allow the proper authorities to utilize the information. In certain embodiments, the software may ask additional information that may aid authorities in their investigation. Additionally, the user account and interactive software may allow a user to identify several pieces of luggage and respective security systems.
Moreover, the system may allow remote access to the fastening member and the zipper pull using a receiver known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Remote access will allow a user or the proper authorities to activate either device in the event that one of the devices fails to perform as designed. The user may also have the ability to remotely access the GPS of either device to confirm the location of his/her luggage at any point while the luggage is not in his/her possession. The GPS may use provided Wi-Fi services to transmit the location in a manner known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, the GPS may utilize a processor that will enable the unit to operate in challenging GPS environments, such as indoor tracking or when the end-user is on the move. This high level of GPS performance is achieved by using innovative GPS firmware which can detect changes in context, temperature, and satellite signals, and opportunistically update its internal parameters which enables near-continuous navigation by maintaining and opportunistically updating its internal parameters while consuming mere microwatts of battery power.
A certain embodiment may utilize any touch sensor, including but not limited to pressure and heat sensors, known by a person having ordinary skill in the art. The present invention may use any systems, preferably wireless, for communicating between the zipper pull and the retaining fastener, which is known by a person having ordinary skill in the art. A certain embodiment may also use any camera, GPS, and power system known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. A certain embodiment may replace the zipper pull device of the present invention with a latch member device for luggage containing latches instead of zippers. The latch member has all of the features of the zipper pull and performs the same functions.
In a certain embodiment the power systems of the zipper pull and retaining fastener may be capable of converting solar or kinetic energy to electric energy using any conversion technique known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. The devices may also notify the user when their respective power supply is low.
Glossary of Claim Terms
Awake Mode: is a power mode providing increased power distribution from sleep mode.
GPS: is a global positioning system.
Latch Member: is any fastener used to close luggage other than a zipper.
Luggage: is any suitcase, bag, or container used to carry or transport personal belongings.
Retaining Fastener: is a device attached to retaining straps typically found in luggage.
Sleep Mode: is a power mode intended to the reduce power distribution rate from the maximum rate.
Zipper Pull: is a device attached to a zipper which provides a user with a handle-like means to aid in opening the zipper.
The advantages set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained. Since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention that, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61906691 | Nov 2013 | US |
