The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for determining when at least on individual equipped with a portable proximity detector comes within a predetermined range of a user who is also equipped with a similar portable proximity detector.
When participating in various activities, whether outdoors, on a school campus, in a shopping mall or the like, individuals, particularly children and young adults, would like to know if a friend or companion is nearby. While a large variety of personal locating systems such as a child monitoring system are available, these systems generally do not allow two individuals to monitor the location of each other. Rather, one individual, typically an adult, can monitor the location of a second individual, typically a child, using a low power radio transmitter worn by the child. In relatively simple systems the location of the child is usually monitored so that if the child leaves a predetermined area, the radio transmitter will inform the adult. In other systems the precise location of the child can be determined, but at the expense of a more complex and physically large monitoring unit.
Even in systems in which two or more monitors are employed, each monitor is usually preprogrammed to respond to a companion monitor. That is, the user cannot customize or program one monitor to identify or otherwise respond to other such monitors as the user chooses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,883 shows a proximity alert system in which a pair of portable transceiver units transmits a coded signal that is picked up by the other unit. The strength of the received coded signal controls the rate of an audible beeper. The rate of the beeper indicates the approximate distance between companion units.
Accordingly, it would desirable to provide a compact and inexpensive system that is also flexible and programmable, and which alerts individuals equipped with companions units when they come in proximity of one another.
In accordance with the present invention, a portable proximity alert detector is provided for a user to determine when at least one companion comes within a predetermined range of the user. The device includes a receiving portion for wirelessly receiving a first signal encoded with a code identifying a companion and a transmitting portion for wirelessly transmitting a second signal encoded with a user identifying code. The device also includes a processor, a modulator operationally coupling the processor to the transmitting portion for modulating the user identifying code, and a demodulator operationally coupling the processor to the receiving portion for demodulating the companion identifying code. A first memory segment is operationally coupled to the processor for storing companion identifying codes received by the receiving portion. A second memory segment is operationally coupled to the processor for storing companion identifying codes of companions whom the user desires to contact. A third memory segment operationally coupled to the processor for storing the user identifying code. A user interface is operationally coupled to the processor through which the companion identifying codes of the companions whom the user desires to contact are programmed into the second memory segment. An indicator is provided for alerting the user when at least one companion identifying codes received by the receiving portion matches one of the companion identifying codes stored in the second memory segment.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a housing is provided in which is secured the receiving portion, the transmitting portion, the processor, the modulator, the first, second and third memory segments, the user interface, and the indicator.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the housing is configured as a keychain.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the receiving and transmitting portions are incorporated in a transceiver.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the user interface is an interface port for externally programming the companion identifying codes of the companions whom the user desired to contact into the second memory segment.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the interface port is selected from the group consisting of a serial, infrared, USB, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and an IEEE 1394 port.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the indicator is a visual indicator.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the indicator is an audio indicator.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the audio indicator plays a sound sequence associated with the companion who has been identified as coming within the predetermined range.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the audio indicator plays a different sound sequence for each different companion who has been identified as coming within the predetermined range.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the first and second memory segments are volatile memory segments.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the third memory segment is a non-volatile memory segment.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for determining when at least one companion comes within a predetermined range of a user. The method begins by storing an identification code of each companion whom the user desires to contact. A first signal encoded with a code identifying a companion is received over a wireless communication link. A second signal encoded with a user identifying code is transmitted over a wireless communication link. The received companion identifying code is compared with the stored identifying codes. The user is alerted when the received companion identifying code matches one of the stored identifying codes.
It is worthy to note that any reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Referring to
The user interface 108 allows the user to set all of the devices' user selectable features and functions. In operation, the user, via the user interface 108, programs the device 100 with one or more codes of other users who have similar devices. The user's own code, which is to be transmitted so that his or her companions can identify the user, may be preprogrammed either during manufacture or at the point of sale. Alternatively, the user can program the user's code in the same manner as companion's codes are programmed. To keep the dimensions of the device 100 to a minimum, the user interface 108 may include only a limited number of buttons such as an up/down button, an on/off button, and possibly a function/select button, for example. The user interface 108 may also contain an LCD display on which the user can view the entries selected with the buttons. The user can enter a numeric code, visible on the LCD display, which corresponds to the code of the companions who are to be identified.
In some embodiments of the invention the user interface 108 may be an interface port that allows the device 100 to be programmed via a personal computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), or other similar device. The interface port may be a conventional port such as a serial, infrared, USB, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, or IEEE 1394 port, for example. In such cases the number of buttons located on housing 104 can be reduced or even eliminated. Alternatively, in some embodiments of the invention the user interface may include both an interface port and user inputs such as buttons.
Once the device 100 has been properly programmed, the indicator 110 will inform the user when a companion whose code is entered in the user's device comes within signal reception range. If the device 100 receives codes from other such devices that are not programmed in the user's device, the indicator will not be activated. The indicator 110 may be visual or audio. In one embodiment of the invention the indicator is an audio transducer that plays a unique tone or tune for each pair of companions. The tone or tune may be played on both the device receiving the code and the device transmitting the code. If another companion comes within signal range whose code is programmed in the other two devices, all three devices may play yet another tone or tune that identifies the presence of all three companions. In some alternative embodiments of the invention the tone or tune may be unique to each user. In this case the tone or tune may only be played by the device or devices receiving the code and not by the transmitting device. The tone or tune associated with each companion may be programmed directly via the user interface or, using a PC, via the interface port.
The internal circuitry of the companion identifying device 100 is shown in
The microprocessor/controller 214 is associated with one or more memories such as volatile memory 216 and non-volatile memory 218. Non-volatile memory 218 may be a rewritable memory such as an EEPROM or flash memory. One section 218a of non-volatile memory 218 may be used to store the sender's ID code that is to be broadcast by transmitter 210. Another section 218b of non-volatile memory 218 may be used to store programs and program related data used by microprocessor/controller 214. The volatile memory 216, which may be a random access memory, for example, has a section 216a for storing ID codes that are received by the receiver 206 of the companion identifying device 200. Another section 216b of volatile memory 216 stores the ID codes of the individuals whom the user wishes to make contact with.
The receiver 206 is under the control of microprocessor/controller 214, and employs a crystal or a frequency synthesizer for purposes of tuning as is known in the art. Likewise, the modulator 212 is coupled to the microprocessor/controller 214, and a carrier signal on which information is encoded by the transmitter 210 is derived from a frequency synthesizer in a known manner. Operating frequencies and modulation protocols used by the receiver 206 and transmitter 210 may be selected by those of ordinary skill in the art, based in part on the desired range, cost and size of the receiver 206 and transmitter 210. Since, as previously mentioned, in some embodiments of the invention the companion identifying device is to be embodied in a housing comparable in size to a keychain, the receiver and transmitter may be miniature devices that employ, for example, frequency modulation at data transmission speeds from 9600 bps to 100 Kbps, with a signal reception range of about 1000 feet or less. Thus, the device 200 is capable of establishing a direct two-way (half-duplex) communication link with companion devices 200.
While for purposes of clarity the various components depicted in
The companion identifying device of the present invention has been described in terms of device that alerts the user when a companion comes within a predetermined range. In some embodiments of the invention the device may also operate in a reverse detect mode in which the device alerts the user when a companion has traveled beyond the predetermined range. That is, the device alerts the user when the companion's signal is no longer received. This mode of operation may be particularly useful when the user is a parent or guardian and the companion is a child. In this way the parent or guardian will be alerted if the child leaves a predetermined area. The user interface 108 may include a mode selector to select this mode of operation.
This application is a continuation of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/401,385, filed Mar. 28, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,825,764, entitled “User Programmable Portable Proximity Detector,” which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20050068173 A1 | Mar 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10401385 | Mar 2003 | US |
Child | 10983489 | US |