U.S. patent application number 17/668291 was filed with the patent office on 2022-08-25 for inventory control system with integrated id tags.
The applicant listed for this patent is Worthwhile Products. Invention is credited to Stanley B. Solomon.
Application Number | 20220270457 17/668291 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006330285 |
Filed Date | 2022-08-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220270457 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Solomon; Stanley B. |
August 25, 2022 |
INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED ID TAGS
Abstract
The inventory control system process includes steps for printing
a circuit to a sheet stock having at least one ID tag formed
therewith such that the circuit is carried by the ID tag, assigning
a unique identification code to the circuit associated with the ID
tag, removing the ID tag carrying the circuit from the sheet stock,
associating the removed ID tag with a product, and entering the
product into an inventory control system secured in connection with
a user account accessible only by an authorized user associated
with the user account, for real-time location tracking of the
product thereof by way of the circuit.
Inventors: |
Solomon; Stanley B.; (Rancho
Palos Verdes, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Worthwhile Products |
Rancho Palos Verdes |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006330285 |
Appl. No.: |
17/668291 |
Filed: |
February 9, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
17567350 |
Jan 3, 2022 |
|
|
|
17668291 |
|
|
|
|
17237953 |
Apr 22, 2021 |
11227472 |
|
|
17567350 |
|
|
|
|
17039357 |
Sep 30, 2020 |
11037422 |
|
|
17237953 |
|
|
|
|
63022811 |
May 11, 2020 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 4/80 20180201; H04L
67/1091 20130101; H04W 84/18 20130101; G08B 13/2431 20130101; G08B
13/2462 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G08B 13/24 20060101
G08B013/24; H04W 4/80 20060101 H04W004/80; H04L 67/1087 20060101
H04L067/1087; H04W 84/18 20060101 H04W084/18 |
Claims
1-17. (canceled)
18. An integrated ID tag, comprising: an adhesive at least
partially disposed on a base layer of the integrated ID tag; a
selectively removable protective layer having a surface area
generally overlying the adhesive of the base layer; and a printable
surface of the base layer having a conductive ink deposited thereon
forming a resilient passive communication circuit that remains
communicatively operational after the protective layer is removed
to expose the adhesive and the base layer is at least partially
bent for attachment to a product to be tracked in real-time, the
resilient passive communication circuit accessible only by an
authorized user associated with the integrated ID tag.
19. The integrated ID tag of claim 18, wherein the passive
communication circuit remains communicatively operational after the
base layer is bent upwards of 180 degrees.
20. The integrated ID tag of claim 18, wherein the exposed adhesive
permits bending to conjoin opposite ends of the base layer.
21. The integrated ID tag of claim 18, wherein the integrated ID
tag has a size and weight relatively smaller than a paper sheet,
and is bendable for wrap-around attachment to an eyeglasses
frame.
22. The integrated ID tag of claim 18, wherein the resilient
passive communication circuit includes a receiver and a
transmitter, the receiver energizing the resilient passive
communication circuit in response to receiving a wireless
communication signal.
23. The integrated ID tag of claim 18, wherein the integrated ID
tag includes a unique identification code programmed into the
resilient passive communication circuit.
24. The integrated ID tag of claim 23, wherein the unique
identification code comprises a sequential number.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to an inventory
control system. More specifically, the inventory control system
disclosed herein includes integrated ID tags printable with a home
computer using conductive ink to form a trackable tag attachable to
products that are non-electronic or otherwise do not have a
tracking tag attached thereto.
[0002] Consumerism in the United States and throughout the world is
a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of
goods and products. Not only do people continue to acquire goods
and products over time, but, with added spending power, the rate at
which goods and products are acquired can increase as well. As a
result, it becomes increasingly difficult to track the ownership of
products, and is certainly a time consuming and continual process.
In this respect, certain inventory control systems have been
designed to create a catalog of products, e.g., based on those
products owned by a single person or owned by multiple persons
within a household (e.g., parents, children, friends, etc.). Such
inventory control systems may update the catalog of products
periodically or in real-time in an effort to make sure the database
remains accurate. Certain immovable (e.g., heavy) or relatively
stationary goods such as home furnishings (e.g., couches, desks,
beds, wall-mounted televisions, etc.) may be relatively easy to
maintain in inventory because such goods, over time, tend to remain
in a single location within the household. Moreover, such goods may
also be relatively easy to track due to infrequent replacement
(e.g., due to expense) and lack of portability (e.g., a sofa is
unlikely to be moved from one room to another, or to a different
location, without owner awareness). Although, consumers may still
find benefits in maintaining such goods within an inventory control
system, e.g., for purposes of finding parts, supplemental products,
matching or coordinated products, etc. while at the store and away
from the product or good in question.
[0003] Although, smaller, less expensive and highly portable
products are typically far more difficult to track in real-time,
such as reading glasses or keys. Central to the problem is the
ever-changing location since these products are highly portable.
For example, sunglasses or keys may travel with the owner in and
among several destinations during the day, such as from home to the
car, into an office, to a meeting, back to the office, then into
the car for the commute home before being placed into a drawer in a
house for the evening. In each instance, sunglasses and/or keys are
prone to being misplaced (e.g., left in a home drawer, tucked away
in the car glove box, or otherwise forgotten at work). Misplacement
can be particularly problematic for those who have a large quantity
of products and/or for the elderly who may have a tendency to
forget where they last left a desired good or product (e.g.,
reading glasses). In other words, movement, increasing the acquired
quantity of goods and products, and memory loss can all compound
difficulties related to maintaining an accurate and up-to-date
inventory (and location) of all goods and products owned by any
particular person at any given point in time. For most people, it
is not possible to retain a detailed mental inventory of all goods
anyway, much less remembering all their locations. Even if one
could, the goods may be moved by a third party unbeknownst to the
owner anyway. Once misplaced, finding the lost good can be
particularly arduous, and especially so for smaller and/or highly
transportable goods.
[0004] As such, not being able to find a particular good (e.g., by
failing to recall its location, being moved by a third party, etc.)
is frustrating, and the process for trying to find the lost good is
oftentimes a tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming task. The
typical scenario is that the owner may spend time searching the
house, car, or office for a sought after good, relying only on some
"recollection" where the good was last seen. Without an accurate
way to identify where the good may be located, the owner may spend
a considerable amount of time searching the house, including, e.g.,
rummaging through cabinets, closets, storage boxes, etc. until the
desired good is found. For more frequently used and moved goods
(e.g., eyeglasses and/or keys), the searching process may involve
walking around the house and looking on tables, chairs, within
cabinets, drawers, in the garage, or even within cars. Oftentimes
the owner will simply attempt to "retrace" steps in hopes of
finding the lost or misplaced good. This, again, can be highly time
consuming and may not yield efficient or ready results, e.g., if
the owner cannot specifically remember enough of the day to
accurately retrace where the good may have been left. As a result,
the owner may not timely find the desired good and may give up
looking (and possibly spend more money to buy another product of
like characteristics to replace the presumably lost good).
[0005] Inventory control systems known in the art have used RFID
tags to track products within an inventory control system. RFID
technology uses radio waves to exchange information between a
reader and an electronic tag attached to an object/good, such as
for purposes of identification and/or tracking. Some of the most
common electronic tags are passive and powered by an interrogation
signal emitted from the reader. The amount of information and the
distance the reader can interrogate the RFID chip varies by
technology. For example, some electronic tags can only be read from
several feet, while other tags can be read from much farther
distances (e.g., beyond a line of sight with the reader). In
product applications, RFID tags are typically concealed within
product packaging or otherwise attached to the product itself (and
removed at checkout). In this respect, RFID tags can provide more
real-time information to the manufacturer and/or retailer since the
tag includes an embedded circuit able to send and/or receive
information wirelessly, such as when queried by a wireless reader
nearby. Although, the RFID tag is generally thrown away with the
product packaging or removed from the product at checkout and prior
to use so the RFID tag is of no use to the owner after
purchase.
[0006] One product known in the art that endeavors to address the
issue of maintaining an inventory of certain easily movable goods
in real-time is the Orbit line of products manufactured and sold by
Global Shopping Network Pty Ltd ("GSN") of 2 Grosvenor Street,
Suite 204, Bondi Junction, NSW Australia. More specifically, the
Orbit products include a variety of electronic devices such as the
"Orbit Keys", "Orbit Card", "Orbit Glasses", and "Orbit Stick-On"
that have integrated wireless transmitters and/or receivers (e.g.,
Bluetooth technology) within a housing that can attach to a good
desired to be tracked. The Orbit Glasses product, e.g., is a
tracking device that includes an elongated box-like structure
attachable to the arms/temples of a pair of glasses and is capable
of syncing with a Smartphone by transmitting and/or receiving a
wireless communication signal therewith over Bluetooth. The problem
with the Orbit Glasses product is that the box-like structure that
attaches to the glasses is bulky and uncomfortable. The same is
true with respect to other products, such as the Orbit Keys and/or
Orbit Stick-On, namely the housings retaining these electronic
devices are relatively large compared to the size of the product
the Orbit products are designed to track. The Orbit products must
also be purchased separately and otherwise cannot be created by the
owner on an as-needed basis. As such, new products purchased by the
owner may get lost before another Orbit product can be purchased by
the owner.
[0007] There exists, therefore, a significant need in the art for
an inventory control system that utilizes one or more printable ID
tags that can be made on demand such as by way of a home printer
and conductive ink, and of which have a relatively light weight and
size and that can attach to relatively small personal items such as
eyeglasses, keys, and/or credit cards, without unduly increasing
the size and weight thereof, while simultaneously enabling the user
to identify and track the tagged product. The present invention
fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In one embodiment disclosed herein, an inventory control
system process may include steps for printing a circuit to a sheet
stock having at least one ID tag formed therewith such that the
circuit is carried by the ID tag. Thereafter, a unique
identification code may be assigned to the circuit associated with
the ID tag for later use in location tracking of a product. In this
respect, the ID tag carrying the circuit may be removed from the
sheet stock and associated with a product desired to be identified
and tracked within the inventory control system, such as by way of
scanning a code (e.g., a barcode or a QR code) associated with the
ID tag and the product. Here, the product entered into the
inventory control system may be secured in connection with a user
account that is accessible only by an authorized user associated
with the user account, for real-time location tracking of the
product thereof by way of the circuit.
[0009] In one embodiment, the ID tag may be an adhesively backed ID
tag, and the associating step may include bending the adhesively
backed ID tag and the circuit thereon about at least a portion of
the product for attachment thereto, wherein the circuit remains
communicatively operational thereafter. In some embodiments, the ID
tag may be made from a flexible material that is bendable for
attachment to something as small as an eyeglasses arm. The circuit
may be a passive circuit formed from a conductive ink printed to
the sheet stock, and the sheet stock may include at least two
columns of ID tags with conductive circuits printed thereon. In
another aspect of these embodiments, the circuit may be a plurality
of circuits and the ID tag may be a plurality of ID tags, wherein
each of the plurality of ID tags may have one of the plurality of
circuits associated therewith.
[0010] The assigning step may further include printing the unique
identification code or a QR code to the sheet stock and/or
programming the circuit with the unique identification code. In one
embodiment, the unique identification code may be a numerical code
or an alphanumeric code, and the assigning step may further include
embedding the unique identification code within the circuit. The
unique identification code may be acquired from a local or a remote
server, and in the embodiment where the unique identification code
is acquired from the local server, the unique identification code
may be a user customizable identification code pre or -post
selected by the user. In the embodiment where the unique
identification code is acquired from the remote server, the server
may be a cloud-based server having a plurality of user accounts and
the product may include a plurality of products, wherein each of
the plurality of products are associated with at least one of the
plurality of user accounts in the cloud-based server. Here, the
entering step may include assigning an access right to each of the
plurality of user accounts such that transmission of the real-time
tracking information regarding each of the products associated with
one of the plurality of user accounts is only with respect to the
authorized user having access rights to the corresponding user
account.
[0011] In another embodiment, an integrated ID tag as disclosed
herein may include an adhesive at least partially disposed on a
base layer of the integrated ID tag that is generally covered by a
selectively removable protective layer having a surface area
generally overlying the adhesive of the base layer. A printable
surface of the base layer may have a conductive ink deposited
thereon forming a resilient passive communication circuit that
remains communicatively operational after the protective layer is
removed to expose the adhesive and the base layer is at least
partially bent for attachment to a product to be tracked in
real-time, wherein the resilient passive communication circuit is
accessible only by an authorized user associated with the
integrated ID tag. In one embodiment, the passive communication
circuit may remain communicatively operational after the base layer
is bent upwards of 180 degrees.
[0012] The exposed adhesive may be applied to the base layer in a
manner that permits bending to conjoin opposite ends of the base
layer together, such as to facilitate attachment of the integrated
ID tag to small objects. In this respect, in one embodiment, the
integrated ID tag may have a size and weight relatively smaller
than a paper sheet, and may be bendable for wrap-around attachment
to an eyeglasses frame. Moreover, the resilient passive
communication circuit may include a receiver and a transmitter,
wherein the receiver may energize the resilient passive
communication circuit in response to receiving a wireless
communication signal. Once energized, the resilient passive
communication circuit may send an outgoing communication signal
with location information by way of the transmitter. The integrated
ID tag may further include a unique identification code programmed
into the resilient passive communication circuit, which may also be
transmitted to a remote server by way of the transmitter. The
unique identification code may be a sequential number, including
one selected by the user.
[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following more detailed description, when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which
illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such
drawings:
[0015] FIG. 1 is an environmental view illustrating one embodiment
of a product location system disclosed herein, wherein multiple
connected devices are communicating with one another, with a
universal remote, and/or with a router;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a tag having a transmitter
and/or a receiver in communication with multiple connected
devices;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of products having
respective tags coupled thereto;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an ad hoc
peer-to-peer communication system;
[0019] FIG. 5 is an internal view of a house deploying the product
location system, and specifically triangulating the location of
multiple connected devices therein;
[0020] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view taken about the
circle 6 in FIG. 5, further illustrating a drawer of a cabinet;
[0021] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 6,
further illustrating the drawer in an open position with a slide
out shelf presenting a set of keys and a pair of glasses
thereon;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating recording
location information of a tagged connected device using GPS;
[0023] FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view further illustrating tracking
connected devices within an office building and/or an apartment
complex, and accessing their location information remotely by way
of a desktop computer, the universal remote, or a smart
assistant;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process for
registering a connected device with the product location
system;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process for tagging a
connected device and building a location-identified database;
[0026] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process for locating a
connected device within the product location system;
[0027] FIG. 13 is a flow chart of an inventory control system
process with integrated ID tags as disclosed herein;
[0028] FIG. 14 is an environmental view illustrating registering a
sample product with the inventory control system by way of the
universal remote;
[0029] FIG. 15 is an environmental perspective view illustrating
printing a set of passive circuits with conductive ink to a set of
individually removable adhesively backed ID tags integral with a
sheet of paper;
[0030] FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view taken about the
circle 16 in FIG. 15, more specifically illustrating one of the
passive circuits printed to one of the adhesively backed ID tags
with conductive ink;
[0031] FIG. 17 is an environmental perspective view illustrating
attachment of one of the individually removable adhesively backed
ID tags having the passive circuit printed thereto to a pair of
eyeglasses; and
[0032] FIG. 18 is an environmental perspective view similar to FIG.
14, further illustrating registering the pair of eyeglasses with
the inventory control system by way of the now attached ID tag and
the universal remote.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] As shown in the exemplary drawings for purposes of
illustration, the present invention for a product location system
is generally illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5, and 8-9 with respect to
reference numeral 20. More specifically, the product location
system 20 is designed for use with connected devices, namely
stationary and/or portable electronic devices having a
communication chipset for generating, transmitting, relaying,
and/or otherwise communicating data information, including location
information for tracking purposes. In some embodiments disclosed
herein, a connected device is one where the communication chipset
is integrated with other electronics upon manufacture (e.g.,
onboard). Examples might include Smartphones, laptops, computers,
tablets, smart TVs, security cameras, motion detectors, etc. In
other embodiments, a connected device may include products only
able to generate, transmit, relay, and/or communicate data
information, including location information for tracking purposes,
after select attachment to a tag housing a comparable communication
chipset. Examples might include attaching an aftermarket tag to a
personal item or product otherwise unable to generate, transmit,
relay, and/or communicate data information without the tag, such as
keys, glasses, clothing, wallets, etc. As such, once the tag
attaches to the personal item, the communication chipset therein
may interact with the product location system 20 per the
embodiments disclosed herein.
[0034] In this respect, FIG. 1 illustrates several example
connected devices within one embodiment of the product location
system 20. One such connected device may be an electronic device 22
having an onboard communications chipset that can, e.g., receive
location information from a GPS satellite 24, and then relay that
location information to a central database 26 by way of a cellular
network 28 and/or by way of a home router 30 coupled to an internet
gateway 32 in communication with the central database 26.
Alternatively, the connected device may be an after-market tag 34
housing a comparable communications chipset (e.g., with GPS and/or
wireless data communications capabilities). Here, the tag 34 may be
designed to mechanically or adhesively attach, couple, or otherwise
be associated with a wide variety of personal products/items, such
as those generally illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 with respect to
reference numeral 36; products that otherwise do not have an
integrated and/or onboard communications chipset for location
and/or data transmission purposes. Although, once tagged, the
respective products 36 are able to communicate location information
to the central database 26, such as by way of the router 30, the
internet gateway 32, or otherwise in accordance with the
embodiments disclosed herein. As such, the product location system
20 disclosed herein may utilize the location information obtained
by the communication chipset onboard the electronic device 22
and/or the tag 34 for real-time tracking of one or more of the
electronic devices 22 and/or one or more of the products 36. The
location information may be periodically or continually
communicated or transmitted to the central database 26 in
real-time, the data of which may be remotely accessible in
accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein.
[0035] More specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates that the tag 34 may
include a housing 38 retaining a transmitter 40 for generating an
outgoing communication signal 42 and/or a receiver 44 for accepting
an incoming communication signal 46. An onboard processor 48 may
generate the outgoing communication signal 42 and/or process the
incoming communication signal 46. The outgoing communication signal
42 and/or the incoming communication signal 46 may be used to
communicate data within the product location system 20 (e.g.,
similar to the type of data a Smartphone may communicate over a
wireless network) and may be use for location identification (e.g.,
localized triangulation). As such, the tag 34 may be used within
the product location system 20 to provide real-time location
information that may be maintained in the central database 26.
[0036] One aspect of the product location system 20 is that
maintaining real-time location information of any connected device
is not necessarily reliant on the connected device being within
communication range of a reader (e.g., in cases where tracking may
occur within the supply chain by a passive or active RFID tag) or
being within communication of a Smartphone (e.g., in cases of the
"Orbit" products discussed in the background of the present
application). Rather, as will become apparent from the embodiments
disclosed herein, any of the electronic devices 22 and/or the tags
34 may communicate with one another and/or with any other connected
devices disclosed herein, including third party connected devices
having protocol compatible firmware or software installed thereon.
As such, all connected devices may be able to produce and maintain
real-time location information within an ad hoc peer-to-peer
network, even in the absence of the reader or Smartphone. Such
peer-to-peer communication further enables localized triangulation
of the connected devices within the product location system 20, as
discussed in more detail below.
[0037] Certainly, location information that can be derived from a
local peer-to-peer communication network will be more specific than
location information via GPS. In fact, peer-to-peer communication
among the connected devices may make it possible to more
specifically pinpoint the location of the connected devices to
within a room in a house, or within a storage location (e.g., a
drawer or cabinet) in a room (i.e., within 6 feet or less). This
feature is certainly advantageous over other known inventory
control systems that: (a) rely on GPS satellite locating systems
that can only provide location information within about 15 feet of
the querying Smartphone; (b) require that the Smartphone be within
actual communication range of a tracked product to generate
location information based on the then current GPS location of the
Smartphone; and (c) require deployment of localized readers and/or
sensors within strategic locations, in an effort to more
specifically identify location information. In other words, known
inventory control systems are limited by the granularity of the GPS
location information and limited by requiring that the querying
device be within actual communication range of the connected device
to operate properly and/or effectively.
[0038] Specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment wherein the
tag 34 is generating the outgoing communication signal 42 with its
transmitter 40 for select reception and processing by the receiver
44' of another tag 34' nearby. In this example, the outgoing
communication signal 42 generated by the tag 34 is interpreted as
the incoming communication signal 46 that may require processing by
the onboard processor 48' embedded within the housing 38' of the
tag 34'. The tag 34' may reciprocate, namely generate its own
outgoing communication signal 42' for select reception and
processing by the receiver 44 of the tag 34 (of which the tag 34
interprets the outgoing communication signal 42' as its own
incoming communication signal 46'). As such, in this example, each
of the tags 34, 34' are able to engage in bilateral communication
with one another by way of the respective on-board transmitters 40,
40' and receivers 44, 44'. Of course, the respective transmitters
40, 40' and the respective receivers 44, 44' may communicate
wirelessly (e.g., over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a cellular network, GPS,
or another long or short-range wireless communication protocol such
as near field communication ("NEC")) or by wire line (e.g.,
Ethernet/RJ45, Ethernet over power, etc.).
[0039] Moreover, as also illustrated in FIG. 2, the tag 34 may
communicate directly with the central database 26 by way of the
aforementioned outgoing communication signal 42 (e.g., in
embodiments where the central database 26 may be local). Similarly,
the central database 26 may reciprocate with its own signal
interpreted by the tag 34 as the incoming communication signal 46.
As such, the tag 34 may provide location specific information
directly to the central database 26 by wireless or wired
communication therewith.
[0040] Moreover, the tag 34 may push location information to a
universal remote 50, or the universal remote 50 may pull location
information from the tag 34. Location information acquired by the
universal remote 50 may also be relayed to the central database 26,
such as over a wired or wireless communication network 52. Of
course, the communication network 52 may include the Internet, an
intranet, or another comparable wireless and/or wired communication
network capable of unilateral and/or bilateral communication in and
among the central database 26 and/or any of the communication
devices disclosed herein or known in the art, including, e.g., any
connected devices (e.g., the electronic device 22 and/or the tag
34), the router 30, the internet gateway 32, the universal remote
50, etc.
[0041] In general, the universal remote 50 may be any electronic
device capable of generating and/or receiving wireless and/or wired
data communications within the product location system 20, and may
include Smartphones, cell phones, laptops, tablet PCs, personal
digital assistants (PDAs), single or multi-purpose remote controls,
wristwatches, TV's, etc. Of course, the universal remote 50 may
have the ability to send and/or receive data information (e.g.,
product identity and/or location information) over a wireless
network (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular network such as 5G or 4G LTE, 3G,
etc., Bluetooth, NFC, or another long or short-range wireless
communication network) or a wired network (e.g., Ethernet, fiber
network, etc.).
[0042] The universal remote 50 may be designed to communicate with
tags 34 that are either passive or active. For passive tags, the
product location system 20 may be used or deployed in environments
that do not require that the tag 34 have the ability to self-power
the outgoing communication signal 42. Here, operation of the
passive tag 34 necessarily requires the incoming communication
signal 46 to power the onboard processor 48. In these embodiments,
powered devices such as the central database 26 (e.g., powered by a
mains power supply) or the universal remote 50 (e.g., powered by a
rechargeable battery) may generate the incoming communication
signal 46 having the requisite energy profile to power the onboard
processor 48 and any other related chipsets within the housing 38,
such as powering the transmitter 40 to generate and send the
outgoing communication signal 42 containing location information of
the tag 34.
[0043] In alternative embodiments, the tag 34 may be an active tag
that derives power from an onboard power supply 54, such as a
rechargeable battery or replaceable non-rechargeable battery. In
other embodiments, the onboard power supply 54 may simply be a
connector for coupling the tag 34 to a mains power supply to derive
continuous power therefrom. Of course, the power supply 54 is
optional given that the product location system 20 may also be
compatible with passive tags, as mentioned above. As such, the
optional power supply 54 may operate the transmitter 40, the
receiver 44, and/or the onboard processor 48, e.g., to proactively
transmit location information to the central database 26, the
universal remote 50, etc.
[0044] FIG. 2 also generally illustrates that the tag 34 may
communicate with third party connected devices, such as the home or
business router 30, a smart TV 56, etc. Of course, the tag 34 may
communicate with virtually any connected device, including those
that may have "smart" capabilities or interfaces (e.g., wired or
wireless home security cameras, door sensors, motion detectors,
computers, printers, audio and/or visual electronic devices such as
receivers, smart switches, light bulbs, etc.).
[0045] In an example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the
central database 26, the router 30, the tags 34, 34', the universal
remote 50, and/or the smart TV 56 may communicate with one another
over a common interface, such as the communication network 52.
Although, the product location system 20 does not require that all
connected devices (e.g., the electronic device 22, the central
database 26, the router 30, the tags 34, the smart TV 56, etc.) be
connected directly to the communication network 52 for proper
operation. Rather, as discussed in more detail below, one or more
connected devices may create an ad hoc peer-to-peer communication
network to make sure location data continually makes its way back
to the central database 26, even though one or more of the
connected devices may not be able to directly communicate therewith
over the communication network 52. Such feature enables the central
database 26 to remain better updated regarding the real-time
location of the connected devices entered into the product location
system 20, even in scenarios where a Smartphone may not be within
transmittable distance of one or more of the connected devices.
[0046] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an ad hoc peer-to-peer
communication network 58 deployed by the product location system 20
disclosed herein. As discussed in more detail below, the ad hoc
peer-to-peer communication network 58 is designed to keep the
central database 26 updated more frequently relative to known
inventory control systems by use of intercommunication of the
connected devices, even when one or more of the connected devices
may not be within transmittable distance of the central database 26
and/or the universal remote 50. In effect, location information may
be shared or bounced off various connected devices able to
communicate or repeat said location information throughout the ad
hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58.
[0047] As such, FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment where the ad hoc
peer-to-peer communication network 58 is formed in and among a
number of connected devices, including the electronic device 22,
the router 30, a first product 60 having a first tag 62 coupled
thereto, a second product 64 having a second tag 66 coupled
thereto, and the smart TV 56. As illustrated, each of the
electronic device 22, the router 30, the first product 60, the
second product 64, and/or the smart TV 56 may communicate with one
another within the ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58,
thereby effectively creating a communication web or communication
bubble. In this respect, location information may essentially be
repeated within this communication web or communication bubble
through each of these connected devices in real-time. Moreover, any
one of these connected devices may further communicate said
location information to the central database 26 (e.g., over the
communication network 52) or directly to the universal remote 50
when in range (FIG. 4 illustrating only that the electronic device
22 is in current range). The universal remote 50, in turn, may be
in bilateral communication with the central database 26 (e.g., over
the cellular network 28) to relay said location information to the
central database 26.
[0048] Powered devices such as the electronic device 22, the router
30, and/or the smart TV 56, in the example illustrated in FIG. 4,
may periodically generate the outgoing communication signal 42 to
query the surrounding area for connected devices that may be
tracked by the product location system 20 in the central database
26. Such querying may occur periodically (e.g., every hour or day)
or be based on an environmental conditions, such as sensing
movement. As such, powered connected devices within the product
location system 20 may simply respond to the outgoing communication
signal 42 with location information that the querying powered
connected device may, in turn, communicate to the central database
26 and/or the universal remote 50 (when in communication range).
Accordingly, even if the universal remote 50 is no longer within
communication range of one or more of the electronic device 22, the
router 30, the first product 60, the second product 64, and/or the
smart TV 56, the central database 26 may continue to receive
location information from one or more other connected devices in
communication therewith, such as by way of the communication
network 52. Accordingly, connected devices that may not have a
direct line of communication with the universal remote 50 and/or
the central database 26, may still be able to communicate location
information thereto. The connected devices may selectively operate
their communication chipsets (e.g., periodically turning them on
and/or off) to communicate location information on a periodic basis
for battery saving purposes. In the case of Bluetooth
communications, the connected devices may selectively couple and/or
de-couple to one another for similar reasons. Location information
data exchange may also be triggered by a motion sensor (e.g.,
integrated into a light switch within a room).
[0049] Another aspect of the ad hoc peer-to-peer communication
network 58 is the ability to communicate location information of an
isolated product 68 to the central database 26, despite the
isolated product 68 having no direct connection to the universal
remote 50 and/or the communication network 52. Initially, as
illustrated in FIG. 4, the isolated product 68 may have a
communication tag 70 associated therewith within range and capable
of unilateral and/or bilateral communication with the universal
remote 50. The communication tag 70 may also be able to communicate
directly with any of the connected devices, including the
electronic device 22, the router 30, the first tag 62 of the first
product 60, the second tag 66 of the second product 64, and/or the
smart TV 56, as illustrated in FIG. 4. One aspect of the ad hoc
peer-to-peer communication network 58 allows the isolated product
68 to communicate location information to the central database 26
through the universal remote 50; although, in the event the
universal remote 50 is carried away to another location, the tag 68
may become isolated by virtue of losing communication with the
universal remote 50. In known inventory control systems, the
isolated product 68 is no longer able to communicate location
information to the central database 26 as a result of no longer
being in communication range of the universal remote 50 and/or the
communication network 52.
[0050] Although, the ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58
disclosed herein allows the isolated product 68 to continue
communicating with one or more of the connected devices including,
e.g., the electronic device 22, the router 30, the first tag 62 of
the first product 60, the second tag 66 of the second product 64,
and/or the smart TV 56, as illustrated in FIG. 4, whereby the
electronic device 22, the router 30, the first tag 62 of the first
product 60, the second tag 66 of the second product 64, and/or the
smart TV 56 may transmit or relay the location information of the
isolated product 68 to the central database 26 by way of being
directly coupled to the communication network 52. That is, location
information transmitted from the isolated product 68 may be
repeated through the ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58
until that location information can be transmitted to the central
database 26 over the communication network 52. In fact, location
information for the isolated product 68 may be repeated through
multiple of the connected devices before being communicated to the
central database 26 over the communication network 52.
[0051] In one embodiment, location information for the isolated
product 68 may repeat through one or both of the tags 62, 66 before
being transmitted through the communication network 52 to the
central database 26. Alternatively, the isolated product 68 may
first communicate location information through one or more of the
tags 62, 66, which then repeat the location information to the next
closest or most efficient communication device (e.g., the router 30
or a hub designed for such communications) en route to the central
database 26 over the communication network 52. In another example,
the isolated product 68 may first communicate location data to the
smart TV 56 (also not within communication range of the central
database 26), which then communicates the location information to
the in-range second product 64 by way of the second tag 66, which
then repeats the location information to the universal remote 50,
which then eventually repeats the information to the central
database 26. As such, it will be readily apparent to a person of
ordinary skill in the art that the ad hoc peer-to-peer
communication network 58 can quickly and easily repeat information
in and/or among the various connected devices coupled thereto
(e.g., such as those within wireless communication range) to ensure
that the central database 26 remains up-to-date with the location
information of each connected device entered into the product
location system 20.
[0052] Of course, the ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58
may be deployed throughout a house 72 as illustrated, e.g., in FIG.
1. Here, FIG. 1 illustrates multiple of the products 36 within the
house 72 communicating location information to the router 30 over
an internal network 74 and/or communicating location information to
the universal remote 50 held by a user 76. The router 30 or the
like may be positioned centrally within the house 72 to deploy the
internal communication network 74 in wireless communication with
each of the tags 34 associated with each of the products 36 as
generally illustrated therein. As such, in this embodiment, the ad
hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58 may operate by way of the
router 30 communicating location data from each of the coupled tags
34 through the internet gateway 32 to the central database 26,
which may be located onsite or offsite.
[0053] Moreover, as also illustrated in FIG. 1, the universal
remote 50 may periodically communicate with one or more of the tags
34 when the user 76 carries the universal remote 50 within
communication range thereof. Even when at the house 72, the
universal remote 50 may communicate directly with the off-site
central database 26 (e.g., by way of the cellular network 28 and/or
the router 30/internet gateway 32). Accordingly, the central
database 26 may receive location information from both the router
30 and/or the universal remote 50. Then, when the user 76 removes
the universal remote 50 from the house 72, i.e., the universal
remote 50 is no longer in wireless communication with the connected
devices (e.g., the electronic device 22 and/or any of the tags 34
coupled to the products 36 within the house 72), the router 30 can
continue to relay location information to the central database 26
by way of the internet gateway 32. To this end, the universal
remote 50 carried offsite by the user 76 can continue to obtain
location information from the central database 26 (e.g., over the
cellular network 28) despite not being at the house 72.
[0054] FIG. 5 illustrates another aspect of the product location
system 20 disclosed herein, namely with respect to utilizing
various connected devices for localized triangulation within the
house 72. In one example, a product 78 within a storage unit 80 may
be specifically located within the house 72 by the product location
system 20 by triangulating the relative wireless communication
strength of the smart TV 56, a security camera 82 hanging from an
eave 84, and a lower level mesh router 86. In this respect, these
connected devices may communicate over the localized ad hoc
peer-to-peer communication network 58 to provide location
information having a higher triangulated granularity than
comparable GPS-based systems known in the art. Thus, rather than
simply identifying that the product 78 is within the house 72, the
ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58 can triangulate the
specific location of the product 78 to within the storage unit
80.
[0055] In another example illustrated in FIG. 5, a tagged product
88 stored within a cabinet 90 may similarly be specifically located
within the house 72 by triangulating the relative communication
strength of the lower level mesh router 86, a mid-level motion
sensor 92, and/or an upper level mesh router 94. Although, of
course, other connected devices in the house 72 could be used for
such triangulation purposes. For example, the product location
system 20 could run multiple triangulation scenarios using multiple
combinations of the connected devices within the house 72 to more
accurately identify the location of a desired product. This may be
especially so when the user 76 searches for a specific product
within the universal remote 50.
[0056] In this respect, FIG. 6 illustrates that the product
location system 20 may identify a particular cabinet drawer 96
within the cabinet 90 where the tagged product 88 may be located.
To this end, FIG. 7 illustrates the cabinet drawer 96 in an open
position exposing a slide out shelf 98 having a set of keys 100 and
a pair of glasses 102 thereon. While not shown, the set of keys 100
and the pair of glasses 102 may each include a tag coupled thereto
that enables the ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58 to
triangulate their location thereof to within the cabinet drawer
96.
[0057] A person of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize
that there may be an unlimited number of combinations for using the
connected devices as part of the ad hoc peer-to-peer communication
network 58 to more specifically triangulate the location of
connected devices as part of the operation of the product location
system 20. Additionally, while the embodiments discussed above
disclose use of three connected devices to triangulate location
information, more or less than three connected devices may be used
to ascertain location information with varying degrees of
specificity. For example, using fewer than three connected devices
may produce less specific location information than using more than
three connected devices to ascertain location information of a
desired connected device within the product location system 20.
[0058] In another alternative aspect of the embodiments disclosed
herein, FIG. 5 illustrates that the central database 26 may be
located within an attic 104 the house 72 (i.e., onsite/local as
opposed to remote/offsite). In this embodiment, the central
database 26 may communicate with the internal communication network
74 by way of the closer upper level mesh router 94 or the farther
lower level mesh router 86 (assuming the central database 26 is in
communication range of one or both). Moreover, the central database
26 may also communicate with the universal remote 50 through either
of the routers 86, 94 and by way of the Internet gateway 32. Here,
the universal remote 50 may receive transmitted location
information from the central database 26 while the universal remote
50 is offsite.
[0059] Moreover, the product location system 20 may more accurately
generate location information over time by analyzing movement of
connected devices within, e.g., the internal communication network
74. For instance, connected devices such as the lower level mesh
router 86, the upper level mesh router 94, and/or any other
connected devices that help form the internal communication network
74 and otherwise remain relatively stationary may generate a
distance footprint for better tracking the location of movable
connected devices within the product location system 20. More
specifically, the mesh routers 86, 94 may learn the location of
handoff zones by measuring relative signal strength as connected
devices move through the house 72. For instance, the product
location system 20 may ascertain a specific area in the house 72
where the connected device moves from a location in strong
communication with the lower level mesh router 86 (and little or no
communication with the upper level mesh router 94) to a location
having strong communication with the upper level mesh router 94
(and little or no communication with the lower level mesh router
86). Of course, the product location system 20 may also measure the
signal strength relative to other connected devices, e.g., the
motion sensor 92 and/or the security camera 82 hanging from the
eave 84 illustrated in FIG. 5, to provide further relative distance
estimation to better identify a triangulated location of connected
devices within the house 72 at any given point in time. Logic
within the product location system 20 may also take into
consideration that certain connected devices may have stronger
signal generation than others. For instance, the mesh routers 86,
94 may have a longer and/or stronger wireless communication range
signal than, e.g., the security camera 82 or the mid-level motion
sensor 92. Here, the product location system 20 may make
appropriate distance approximations based on the hardware and/or
software characteristics of each connected device to develop a
location profile that enables the user 76 to more quickly and
accurately find one or more of the connected devices entered into
the product location system 20. The product location system 20 may
also develop a profile specific for each ad hoc peer-to-peer
communication network and/or internal communication network 74 as
well. In this respect, such learning capabilities may aid in
generating higher accuracy location information for connected
devices that move within the house 72.
[0060] FIG. 8 illustrates another aspect of the product location
system 20, namely with respect to recording location information
when a tagged product 108 may not be able to communicate within the
ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58. Here, the universal
remote 50 may initially communicate with the tagged product 108 to
obtain its product information for storage in the central database
26. Of course, while the universal remote 50 illustrated in FIG. 8
is a Smartphone, the universal remote 50 may also be any device
generally disclosed herein and/or capable of scanning and/or
reading information on the tagged product 108. For example, the
universal remote 50 may also include a scanner compatible with a
barcode, a reader compatible with RFID circuits, a camera for
taking photographs of the tagged product 108, or a receiver for
receiving data through automatic and/or manual user entry, in the
event the tagged product 108 is incapable of being read or scanned.
The universal remote 50 may be wireless (e.g., such as the
aforementioned Smartphone or cell phone, or a personal digital
assistant (PDA), computer, netbook, etc.) or may be a device
permanently or removably affixed to a portion of a structure (e.g.,
the house 72). The universal remote 50 may also be capable of
transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals, such as radio
frequency signals and/or infrared light beams. The transmitters and
receivers integrated into the universal remote 50 may be configured
to send/receive high frequency GPS signals and low frequency RFID
signals.
[0061] Moreover, a person of ordinary skill in the art will readily
recognize that the devices compatible with the product location
system 20 disclosed herein may operate at any one of a number
different wireless frequencies, including AM radio frequencies,
shortwave frequencies, citizen's band (CB) frequencies, radio
frequencies, television station frequencies, FM radio frequencies,
and high-level television station frequencies. For instance, in the
United States, a cell phone-based universal remote 50 may operate
within the 824-849 MHz range. If the universal remote 50 utilizes
cordless telephone technology for shorter-range communication, the
universal remote 50 may operate at about 900 MHz. In another
embodiment, the universal remote 50 may be capable of operating
within a 1227-1575 MHz range for purposes of compatibility with a
global positioning system ("GPS"). The universal remote 50 may also
communicate through landlines or other wired technology, instead of
wirelessly.
[0062] The universal remote 50 may be in relatively continuous
communications with the database 26 (e.g., over a cellular data
network or home Wi-Fi network); although, of course, it is not
necessary for the universal remote 50 to be in constant
communication with the central database 26. In this respect, the
universal remote 50 may periodically communicate with the central
database 26 (e.g., every hour or every day), such as to preserve
battery life, or the universal remote 50 may communicate with the
central database 26 on demand (e.g., when the user 76 endeavors to
find one or more connected devices). In one embodiment, the central
database 26 may continuously receive real-time location information
from the connected devices as discussed in detail herein, including
when a connected device is moved from room-to-room or from
location-to-location. That location information may then be pushed
to the universal remote 50.
[0063] The central database 26 may be remote from the universal
remote 50 and/or any of the connected devices, as briefly disclosed
above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 5. In some cases, the central
database 26 may be located offsite in a secure facility or for use
as a backup system. Alternatively, the central database 26 may be
stored locally such as in the attic 104 (FIG. 5) or a basement of
the house 72. The central database 26 could also be stored within a
storage closet or other location that a business may designate
(e.g., in the office building 122) to house electronic items such
as computers or servers. The universal remote 50 and the central
database 26 may be in real-time bilateral communication (i.e., the
universal remote 50 may be able to initiate and/or send information
to the central database 26 and the central database 26 may be able
to initiate and/or send information to the universal remote 50 as
needed and/or desired). Accordingly, location information regarding
any of the connected devices entered into the product location
system 20 may also be stored locally on the universal remote 50
(e.g., for offline use) and/or remotely in the central database 26
(e.g., for on-demand access and/or use). In one embodiment, the
central database 26 may be an off-site backup database primarily
used to retrieve information in the event the universal remote 50
is broken or misplaced; or a second universal remote 50 is required
for use with product location system 20, such as if the user 76
purchases a new Smartphone.
[0064] As further illustrated in FIG. 8, the universal remote 50
may also operate seamlessly with a GPS sensor 110 to locate one or
more of the connected devices in the event, e.g., the tagged
product 108 is located outside the range of other connected devices
capable of localized communication therewith for purposes of
providing specific triangulated location information, as disclosed
above. At the same time, the GPS sensor 110 may also be in wireless
communication with a satellite system 112, which may include at
least three satellites, namely a first satellite 114, a second
satellite 116, and a third satellite 118. The satellites 114, 116,
118 may operate together to locate the general location of the
universal remote 50 for purposes of generally identifying the
location of the connected devices when the universal remote 50 is
within communication range thereof. For example, the satellites
114, 116, 118 may be able to locate the general latitude, longitude
and elevation of the universal remote 50. A fourth satellite 120
may supplement the first through third satellites 114, 116, 118 in
the event one of the first through third satellites 114, 116, 118
lose communication, breaks, becomes non-functional, or otherwise
drifts out of range. In essence, the fourth satellite 120 fills in
for and replaces one of the non-operational satellites 114, 116,
118. The satellites 114, 116, 118 then relay latitude, longitude,
and elevation information to the GPS sensor 110, which is then
communicated to the universal remote 50 and/or the central database
26. In FIG. 8, the universal remote 50 and/or the central database
26 would then associate location information for the tagged product
108 based on the approximate position of the universal remote 50
relative thereto to establish an approximate distance/route based
on use of the satellite system 112. That is, the product location
system 20 may ascertain the general location of the universal
remote 50 by way of the satellite system 112, then more
specifically identify the location of the tagged product 108 based
on the wireless signal strength of the universal remote 50 relative
thereto. As such, this will help the user 76 more quickly find
connected devices within the product location system 20, especially
relative to just using a GPS system alone.
[0065] The GPS sensor 110 integral with the universal remote 50 may
not only provide location information for the tagged product 108,
but also coordinated directions (e.g., walking directions, driving
directions, public transportation, etc.) in real-time. For example,
the universal remote 50 may connect to the Internet to access the
location of the tagged product 108 from the central database 26.
The coordinates of the tagged product 108 provided by the central
database 26 may integrate into an online map system (e.g., Google
maps or the like) running on the universal remote 50. The online
map may also provide directions to guide the user 76 to the
location of the tagged product 108. In this regard, the GPS sensor
110 may help the user 76 locate the tagged product 108 with the
universal remote 50. The GPS sensor 110 may communicate general
location information to the universal remote 50 to identify a
general area wherein the tagged product 108 may be located (e.g.,
within 15 feet). When the user 76 enters the general location of
the tagged product 108, the universal remote 50 may be able to
actively scan for the tagged product 108 (e.g., over the ad hoc
peer-to-peer communication network 58) to determine the more
specific location of the tagged product 108 (or to determine if the
tagged product 108 may have been moved). In this respect, the
universal remote 50 may be designed to actively scan for products
within a general location based on the coordinates obtained by the
GPS sensor 110. This may also help ensure that the location
information in the central database 26 for any connected devices
within range of the universal remote 50 remain updated in
real-time. Moreover, such feature may help preserve the battery
life of the universal remote 50, namely by activating the scanning
feature only when within a previously identified GPS location where
connected devices may be located. In places such as the house 72,
the scanning feature my only activate once every couple days, or
may activate if a particular connected device has not been logged
into the central database 26 after a predetermined duration (e.g.,
one day, week, month, year, etc.). The scanning feature may also be
activated by geo-location, such as when the user 76 arrives back to
the house 72 (e.g., after being away for some predetermined
duration).
[0066] FIG. 9 illustrates another aspect of the product location
system 20 disclosed herein, namely tracking and identifying the
location of connected devices at different locations, including,
e.g., an office building 122 and/or an apartment complex 124. As
shown, the central database 26 may be in communication with one or
both of the office building 122 and/or the apartment complex 124,
such as by way of a wired communication network (e.g., a cable or
fiber network hub, etc.) or wireless communication network (e.g.,
Wi-Fi, cellular, etc.). Location information regarding any
connected device within either of the office building 122 or the
apartment complex 124 may be accessed remotely, such as by way of a
desktop computer 126, the universal remote 50, or a smart assistant
128 (e.g., Google home or Alexa).
[0067] In accordance with the embodiments discussed above, the
central database 26 may retain specific location information for
the connected devices within each of the office building 122 and/or
the apartment complex 124 by way of the ad hoc peer-to-peer
communication network 58, e.g., as disclosed above with respect to
FIGS. 1 and 5. Specifically, the product location system 20 may
locate connected devices on a per floor basis, such as by way of
triangulation in and among multiple connected devices within the
product location system 20. Such triangulation may occur in a
single office or apartment (e.g., in and among connected devices
owned by a single person or entity), or triangulation may occur
within a broader network of connected devices that expands outside
the single office or apartment and/or expands outside only those
devices owned by a single person or entity. In the latter
embodiment, the product location system 20 may include a common
protocol or firmware that allows all common connected devices to
passively communicate with one another in the background to enhance
location identification services. As such, the product location
system 20 may be able to provide location information that a sought
after connected device is located within the office building 122 or
the apartment complex 124, in addition to identifying the floor,
office, or apartment within the office building 122 or the
apartment complex 124.
[0068] Specifically, e.g., FIG. 9 illustrates that the product
location system 20 may be able to identify that a first connected
device 130 is located on a first floor 132 of the office building
122, a second connected device 134 is located on a second floor 136
of the office building 122, and a third connected device 138 is
located on a third floor 140 of the office building 122, such as by
way of the connected devices 130, 134, 138 communicating with one
another within the ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network 58
utilizing the aforementioned triangulation. This may be true
regardless whether the connected devices 130, 134, 138 are commonly
owned, or owned by separate persons or entities. The same may be
true with respect to identifying the location of a fourth through
sixth connected devices 142, 144, 146 on various floors 148, 150,
152 within the apartment complex 124. Again, the more connected
devices that can communicate with one another to identify location
information, regardless of ownership, the higher the degree of
triangulation information can be provided to the product owner for
purposes of specifically locating the lost or misplaced connected
device.
[0069] Another feature of the product location system 20 is the
security of the information stored within the universal remote 50
and/or the central database 26. Security may be necessary in the
event someone steals the universal remote 50 and/or attempts
unauthorized access of the central database 26, such as for
purposes of retrieving information regarding the location of
connected devices stored by the product location system 20. As
such, security mechanisms such as passwords or biometric data may
be utilized to protect data information. For example, the user 76
may need to enter a password to gain access to the universal remote
50, which may have product location information stored therein (or
accessible by way of the central database 26). Alternatively, the
universal remote 50 may require input of biometric data such as a
thumbprint or retinal scan. Here, information on the universal
remote 50 and/or in the central database 26 may only be accessed by
a user providing matching biometric data. As such, the universal
remote 50 may only respond to user input matching security data,
such as a password or biometric information. Although, of course,
multiple persons may be granted access to use the universal remote
50 in the event multiple passwords or biometric data are registered
therewith. Such feature may be utilized by multiple members of a
family (e.g., husband, wife, kids, etc.). This way, all individuals
associated with the product location system 20 can store and
retrieve items at will, in accordance with the embodiments
disclosed herein.
[0070] Another aspect of the product location system 20 disclosed
herein is that the universal remote 50 may interoperate with an
inventory control system that analyzes commands (e.g.,
voice-activated commands) to execute instructions and search for
keywords, and input information into the database, such as the one
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,577,759, the contents of which are
herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. As such, with
that information, the user 76 may retrieve the location of
connected devices within the product location system 20 by simply
speaking one or more commands into the universal remote 50 and/or,
e.g., by way of interaction with the smart assistant 128. The
product location system 20 may recognize and respond to commands to
help the user 76 more quickly locate connected devices within the
product location system 20.
[0071] Another feature of the product location system 20 may be the
use of a "snapshot" feature that activates all connected devices at
once to create an instant full inventory catalog of connected
devices. In one embodiment, the "snapshot" feature may activate all
connected devices owned by a particular user (regardless where
located), such as for generating an accounting of personal items
for insurance purposes; or the "snapshot" feature may activate
certain connected devices within a selected geographic area (e.g.,
within the house 72, the office building 122, the apartment complex
124, etc.). As mentioned above, as long as one of the connected
devices is able to receive the activation request for said
"snapshot" feature (e.g., from the universal remote 50 or the
central database 26), the request may be designed to propagate
through all connected devices that may be in communication with one
another, regardless whether in direct communication with the
universal remote 50 or the central database 26.
[0072] Moreover, in another embodiment where product location may
be tracking in real-time, identifying the movement of connected
devices within a particular geographic location (e.g., the house
72, the office building 122, the apartment complex 124, etc.) when
a security system is armed may allow the product location system 20
to identify instances of potential theft. Thus, even though the
alarm system itself may not pick up movement of an intruder within
a room (e.g., due to the lack of a motion sensor therein),
unexpected movement of a connected device therein may be sensed
wirelessly by connected devices in adjacent rooms. Such unexpected
movement may generate an alert of suspicious activity, which may be
relayed to the user 76 by way of the universal remote 50. Moreover,
such feature may also be integrated in a home/away mode regardless
whether the user 76 has an alarm system. That is, when the product
location system 20 determines that the user 76 is away from the
house 72 (e.g., by way of geo-locating the location of the
universal remote 50 in real-time), movement of connected devices in
the house 72 while the user 76 is "away" may also be a sign of
theft, whereby the product location system 20 may generate or push
a notification to the user 76.
[0073] In one aspect of the product location system 20 disclosed
herein, any of the connected devices may be entered into the
central database 26 of the product location system 20 by way of the
universal remote 50; although, any of the connected devices may
also be entered manually or by another device, such as any third
party device that may run compatible software or firmware for
translating location data for the connected device into the central
database 26. In this respect, the universal remote 50 and/or any
powered third party device may initiate obtaining information from
the connected device (e.g., with presentation of proper security
credentials) to be entered into the product location system 20 by
initiating a query, especially in the case of adding
unpowered/passive connected devices. One process for inputting
information into the central database 26 may follow that as
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,577,759, the contents of which are
herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0074] FIG. 10 illustrates a sample process for registering a
connected device (1000) into the product location system 20.
Specifically, the first step is to determine whether the product
includes an enabled communication circuit as part of step (1002).
In the event the product does not include a communication circuit
(e.g., keys, reading glasses, clothing items, and other products
that may not have built-in electronics), then a communication
circuit, such as the aforementioned tag 34, should be attached to
the product as part of step (1004). Alternatively, if the connected
device already includes a communication circuit (e.g., electronic
devices such as Smartphones, smart watches, computers, etc.), then
the next step would be to activate the tag 34, or program an
existing communication circuit attached to the product, to be
responsive with the product location system 20, as part of step
(1006). Here, the user 76 may use biometric data such as a
fingerprint or iris scan to generate an encrypted and unique
authentication code to program the communication circuit for entry
into a user account associated with the product location system 20.
The unique identification code allows the connected device to
respond to the communication protocol of the product location
system 20, and not a miscellaneous stray code that may be emitted
by a randomly generated signal from an illicit reader. The
communication circuit associated with the connected device
identifies the request to authenticate and activates the
communication circuit for use with an encrypted and/or unique
identification signal associated with the product location system
20. The communication circuit associated with the connected device
may then respond with a unique identification number specific to
that particular product as part of step (1008). This unique
identification number is much like a serial number so the product
location system 20 can uniquely identify the connected device when,
e.g., the user 76 decides to search for the associated product.
Accordingly, the identification number may be logged by the
universal remote 50 and relayed to the central database 26 as part
of a step (1010). The identification number may be stored in a
remote database keyed only for access by authorized users. The
universal remote 50 may then send an encrypted signal based on the
authorized user's unique personal information back to the
communication circuit as part of step (1012). Here, the
communication circuit may be essentially programmed to respond to
unique encrypted signals associated only with the product location
system 20 owned by the user 76 as part of step (1014). Thereafter,
the connected device is activated for use with the product location
system 20 as part of step (1016).
[0075] FIG. 11 further illustrates a process (1100) for tagging the
connected device with the tag 34 for use in connection with the
product location system 20 disclosed herein. This may occur as part
of step (1004) illustrated in FIG. 10, when the connected device
needs the tag 34 because it does not already have a communication
device integrated and/or associated therewith. This may include
attaching the tag 34 to the connected device the user 76 endeavors
to track or otherwise easily locate by way of the product location
system 20 disclosed herein. In this respect, the tag 34 may vary in
size, shape, and/or configuration depending on the connected device
to which the tag 34 will attach. For example, in one embodiment,
the housing 38 of the tag 34 may include an adhesive initially
covered by a protective sheath. Upon deployment, the protective
sheath is removed, thereby exposing the adhesive underneath for
attachment to a smooth surface of the connected device. Such a
feature may be particularly suitable for connected devices that
include commensurate smooth surfaces, such as TVs that do not
already include a communication circuit integrated therewith. Of
course, the adhesive should have a strength suitable to keep the
tag 34 substantially attached to the connected device over the
long-term, including for connected devices that may be regularly
used and/or transported.
[0076] Additionally, the housing 38 may be flexible such that the
tag 34 may adhere to non-planar surfaces. For example, in one
embodiment, the tag 34 may be a printed RFID circuit with an
adhesive on one side, wherein the tag 34 may be wrapped around the
frame of eye glasses. In another embodiment, the tag 34 may include
structural characteristics (e.g., loopholes, key rings, apertures,
etc.) suitable for attaching the tag 34 to a set of keys, bags,
jewelry, etc.
[0077] Once tagged as part of step (1100), the user 76 may be given
an option to identify the connected device as part of a step
(1102), such as with the universal remote 50 or another device that
facilitates information input. In one embodiment, the universal
remote 50 may actively read the barcode off the retail product
packaging or obtain the product information from an RFID circuit
embedded within the inside of the product packaging (or otherwise
initially attached to the product itself). Alternatively, the
universal remote 50 may be able to read the product label or a
nameplate associated with the connected device, and compare the
image to an online product catalog database to obtain product
information related thereto. Alternatively, the user 76 may simply
manually enter the information into a virtual keyboard associated
with the universal remote 50 (e.g., as "glasses", "wallet", etc.).
The user 76 may also be given the option to take a picture of the
connected device for storage in connection with the naming
information and/or other product details, e.g., for differentiating
like named connected devices from one another.
[0078] The next step (1104) may be for the universal remote 50 to
display the product information for the now identified connected
device. If the information is incorrect, the user 76 may be
directed back to step (1102) to reenter the information for the
connected device. Alternatively, once the displayed connected
device information is correct as part of step (1104), the next step
(1106) is for the universal remote 50 to display the immediate
location information associated with the tagged connected device.
Here, the immediate location information may be displayed on the
universal remote 50, or it could be shown on another display
device, such as the smart TV 56 in communication with the product
location system 20. Of course, the location information may be
displayed to the user 76 by way of any display device known in the
art. In one embodiment, the universal remote 50 may display the
location information on any compatible LCD screen or the like.
Alternatively, the connected device location information may also
be conveyed by an audio system (e.g., headphones, one or more
speakers, etc.) as part of step (1106). In another example, the
user 76 may simply interact with the Google Home product
manufactured and sold by Google LLC of 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway,
Mountain View, Calif. 94043 and/or the Alexa and/or Echo products
manufactured and sold by Amazon Technologies, Inc. of Terry Ave.
North, Seattle, Wash. 98109. Here, the location information may be
conveyed to the user 76 by audio only (e.g., spoken by the Google
Home or Amazon Alexa/Echo products), by visual display (e.g., on an
associated LCD screen), or a combination of visual and audio.
[0079] In the next step (1108), the user 76 may be able to
associate location information with the tagged connected device
based on its current location. For example, if the connected device
is currently in the kitchen, the user 76 may be able to associate
the location information with a "kitchen" location. Next, the
information related to the tagged connected device, along with its
location information, is then sent to the central database as part
of step (1110). The process for tagging connected devices and
entering the same into the product location system 20 as part of
the process (1100) illustrated in FIG. 11 continues as needed
and/or desired for connected devices owned by the user 76. In this
respect, in step (1112), the central database 26 may continually
build a location-identified database by way of the location
information sent to the central database 26 by the universal remote
50 or the like as part of the process (1100). That is, the product
location system 20 may be able to better associate custom tag
location information within a certain geographic area (e.g., within
the house 76) based on input provided by the user 76 as part of the
process (1100) illustrated in FIG. 11.
[0080] FIG. 12 illustrates a process (1200) for finding one of the
connected devices within the product location system 20. Again, the
universal remote 50 or a comparable device (e.g., the smart device
128 such as Google Home or the Amazon Echo or Alexa products) may
be used to find the connected device, including as part of the
embodiment illustrated with respect to the process (1200) in FIG.
12. More specifically, the first step in the process (1200) is to
inform the system 20 of the desired connected device the user 76
endeavors to find as part of a step (1202). This may include
inputting a verbal command or inputting a keyboard/keypad entry in
the form of a request to "find", "locate", "search", etc. for the
connected device. For example, the user 76 may provide the verbal
command "find my reading glasses". The universal remote 50 or a
like device may then parse out the command into segments as part of
interpreting the command in a step (1204). For example, when the
user 76 speaks the phrase "find my reading glasses," the product
location system 20 may parse out the word "find" from the rest of
the statement that requests the "reading glasses". Such parsing may
process on the backend as part of an integrated speech recognition
software program able to receive and interpret the request as part
of step (1204). In this respect, the system 20 must then determine
whether the request has been understood, as part of a step (1206).
If the request is not understood, the user 76 may be again prompted
to inform the system 20 of the desired connected device as part of
the step (1202). Here, the user 76 may speak the request again, or
use an alternate input such as a virtual keyboard. Although, of
course, other forms of input may be used such as a touch screen
interface, stylus, mouse, etc. Alternatively, when the request is
understood as part of step (1206), then use of the word "find" (or
the like) will initiate searching the central database 26 for the
desired connected device matching the keyword "reading glasses",
such as part of a step (1208).
[0081] More specifically, the system 20 searches either the
universal remote 50 or the central database 26 in step (1208), such
as by comparing direct or related keywords to product descriptions
of connected devices stored therein. In the case of searching the
product location system 20 for "reading glasses", the search logic
engine may perform an algorithmic search similar to that of an
internet search engine (e.g., Google), namely the system 20 may
search for more than just the exact phrase "reading glasses". In
one embodiment, the system 20 may search for similar variants such
as "glasses" in general, or other more generic or combined words
that may be similar in substance or meaning and interpreted by the
search logic engine as being similar to the spoken phrase "reading
glasses", and especially so if the system 20 does not find an
identical match.
[0082] The search results may then be displayed as part of step
(1210), such as on the universal remote 50 or the smart TV 56 for
viewing by the user 76. The user 76 may then scroll through one or
more results to find the desired connected device the user 76
endeavors to locate. If the user 76 determines that the connected
device is not listed or shown as part of a step (1212), the user 76
may opt to show the next list as part of step (1214) as part of
determining whether the desired connected device is listed in the
system 20 at all. If the user 76 decides the desired connected
device is again not shown as part of a step (1216), the user 76 may
repeat the process of obtaining another list as part of step (1214)
until the connected device is shown and can be selected. Otherwise,
the user 76 may need to simply end the search (1218) if the desired
connected device has not been registered with the product location
system 20, such as by way of the process (1000) illustrated with
respect to FIG. 10. If the scroll feature is able to show each
product in the search without the need to obtain additional lists
or pages and the desired product is not listed, the user 76 may
move immediately to step (1218), thereby bypassing steps
(1214)-(1216).
[0083] If the desired connected device is shown in the list in
either of steps (1212) or (1216), the user 76 may select the
desired connected device by speech or keypad/keyboard entry as part
of a step (1220). The location information is then retrieved from
the universal remote 50 or the central database 26 and presented to
the user 76 as part of a step (1222). The user 76 may be shown
information such as a product description, a photograph of the
product, a general location of the product, and a more specific
(e.g., triangulated) location of the product. The user 76 may then
be given the option to search again as part of step (1224), whereby
the user 76 may opt to go back to step (1210) in the event the user
76 selected the wrong connected device or wants to search for a
different connected device. Of course, the user 76 always has the
option to simply restart the process (1200) to search for a new
connected device. In one embodiment, the user 76 may be taken back
to the previous list of tagged connected devices so the user 76
does not need to go back through each list. In the event all the
tagged connected devices are listed on one scroll page, the user 76
may be taken back to the last viewed scroll point. Alternatively,
the user 76 may confirm that the connected device selected is
accurate at part of a step (1226), wherein the universal remote 50
then displays pertinent location information regarding the
connected device as part of a step (1228) so the user 76 may locate
the tagged connected device based on the then current location
information, such as part of a step (1230). Here, in embodiments
wherein the universal remote 50 is a Smartphone or similar
electronic device having map software installed thereon, the
universal remote 50 may provide directions to the location of the
connected device. For example, in one embodiment, the directions
may include driving directions from the house 72 to, e.g., the
office building 122 of the user 76 where the connected device may
be located.
[0084] In general, the product location system 20 is applicable to
virtually any environment and can record virtually any tangible
product as long as there is a communication circuit (e.g., the tag
34) associated therewith. While some embodiments disclosed herein
reference the use of RFID chips for location tracking purposes, the
product location system 20 is not necessarily limited to the size
and/or functionality of RFID circuits because emerging technologies
may enable the identification of smaller items that are otherwise
unable to currently receive communication circuits. Alternatively,
some products may include built-in transmitters/receivers (e.g.,
the smart TV 56) and may not otherwise need one of the tags 34. The
universal remote 50 and the central database 26 may be remotely
updatable with new menus as new products enter the market. A
software or firmware update may easily occur over the Internet, via
a flash update, or a system software update.
[0085] In another embodiment as disclosed herein, an inventory
control system process with integrated ID tags (1300) is generally
illustrated herein with respect to the flowchart of FIG. 13. The
first step (1302) is to acquire a product to be entered into the
inventory control system. This may be accomplished, e.g., by
purchasing a product at the store, receiving the product as a gift,
etc. Once the product is acquired as part of step (1302), the next
step (1304) is to determine if the acquired product has an active
tag. Products such as smart phones, computers (e.g., laptops,
tablets, desktop computers, etc.), smart TVs, wireless routers,
etc. may include an onboard communication circuit that allows the
product to actively communicate (e.g., wirelessly or wired) when
the product is powered by a battery or mains power supply. In
circumstances when the acquired product already includes an active
tag, then the acquired product may be immediately entered into the
inventory control system as part of step (1306).
[0086] Here, e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 14, the user 76 may use
the universal remote 50 to send an initiation interrogation signal
154 to an unentered product 156. In circumstances where the
unentered product 156 includes an active tag as part of the
determination step (1304), the unentered product 156 may be
immediately entered into the and inventory control system 158 as
part of step (1306). Specifically, for example, the initiation
interrogation signal 154 may include registration information that
provides or assigns the unentered product 156 with a sequential
unique serial code or identification number that the unentered
product 156 is then able to then relay to an inventory control
system 158 by way of an active communication signal 160 for
registration therewith. The initiation interrogation signal 154 may
include additional information such as Wi-Fi connection credentials
(e.g., wireless access point and/or password information) for
seamless connection to and registration with the inventory control
system 158 once the unentered product 156 receives its unique
serial code or identification number from the universal remote 50
by way of the initiation interrogation signal 154. Although, of
course, the unentered product 156 may communicate with other
wireless and/or wired devices that may form part of the ad hoc
peer-to-peer communication network 58, as discussed in detail
above. Once registered with the inventory control system 58, the
registration process (1300) then ends as part of step (1314) as the
tag has been entered into the inventory control system as part of
step (1306).
[0087] Alternatively, if the unentered product 156 includes a
passive/inactive tag 162, or no tag at all, then the unentered
product 156 is unable to send the active communication signal 160
to the inventory control system 158 as part of step (1306). As
such, in situations where the unentered product 156 is determined
in step (1304) not to have an active tag, the next step is to
determine whether the user 76 has a printed tag for attachment to
the unentered product 156, as part of step (1308). If the user 76
has one or more preprinted tags ready and/or available for use, the
user 76 may proceed to the next step for attaching one of the tags
to the product as part of step (1310). Alternatively, if the user
76 does not have one or more of the preprinted tags ready and/or
available for use as part of step (1308), then the next step would
be to print tags as part of step (1312).
[0088] In circumstances where the user does not have a set of
printed tags available as part of step (1308), then the next step
would be to print a set of tags (1312) so a tag can be attached to
the product as part of step (1310), which then enables the user 76
to add the now tagged product to the inventory control system as
part of step (1306). In this respect, FIG. 15 illustrates one
embodiment of a printer 164 applying a conductive ink 166 to a top
surface 168 (best shown in FIG. 16) of a sheet of paper 170. The
conductive ink 166 applied to the top surface 168 of the sheet of
paper 170 may form a passive circuit 172 thereon able to receive
and/or transmit information, such as when energized by an external
reader or the like as known in the art. Moreover, the sheet of
paper 170 may be perforated (not shown) such that individual strips
having the conductive ink 166 thereon may be separated into a set
of individual adhesively backed ID tags 174, one of which is more
specifically illustrated in the enlarged perspective view of FIG.
16. The adhesively backed ID tag 174 may include a backing (not
shown) selectively removable therefrom to expose an adhesive
underneath. As such, e.g., FIG. 17 illustrates one configuration
where the backing has been removed to expose the underlying
adhesive such that opposite ends of the adhesively backed ID tag
174 can be folded about itself around an arm 176 of a pair of
eyeglasses 178 for attachment thereto. Although, of course, in
alternative embodiments, the adhesively backed ID tag 174 may
attach to a relatively smooth surface, such as along the length of
the arm 176. Alternatively, and/or in addition to, in embodiments
wherein the adhesively backed ID tag 174 is substantially flexible,
the tag 174 with the passive circuit 172 formed thereon may conform
to an external surface of a product that is desired to be tracked,
even if that external surface is not exactly planar (e.g., rounded,
bumpy, jagged, etc.).
[0089] Attachment of the adhesively backed ID tag 174 to the arm
176 as part of step (1310) results in a previously untagged and
non-trackable product, such as the pair of eyeglasses 178
illustrated in FIG. 17, now being able to send and/or receive data
communications for tracking information within the inventory
control system. In this respect, FIG. 18 illustrates one embodiment
of the user 76 using the universal remote 50 to send the initiation
interrogation signal 154 to the adhesively backed ID tag 174
coupled to the eyeglasses 178 about the arm 176. That adhesively
backed ID tag 174 may then communicate back with the universal
remote 50 (which may directly transmit the newly added inventory to
the inventory control system 158), or the passive circuit 172 may
directly communicate with the inventory control system 158 (e.g.,
such as by way of a remote reader, wireless router, and/or other
wired and/or wireless devices as disclosed herein). Once the
previously unentered product 156 is tagged and entered into the
inventory control system, the process (1300) ends as part of step
(1314).
[0090] As part of the step for printing tags (1312), the inventory
control system 158 may impart the conductive ink 166 to the top
surface 168 of the sheet of paper 170 in a manner that uniquely
identifies the resulting passive circuit 172 formed thereon. In one
embodiment, the inventory control system 158 may maintain a
database of products therein such that each passive circuit 172 is
sequentially numbered with an identification code that is unique
relative to any other active tag and/or passive circuit 172 already
in the inventory control system 158. This may help ensure that the
user 76 can quickly identify unique products within the inventory
control system 158.
[0091] The inventory control system 158 may communicate with the
printer 164 so that the passive circuits 172 are printed based on
current and/or anticipated inventory of products within the
inventory control system 158. The inventory control system 158 may
maintain records of sequentially numbered active circuits and/or
passive circuits 172 within the system 158 in real-time so the
printer 164 does not print duplicates. As an example, the inventory
control system 158 may enter active circuits as part of the step
(1306) sequentially numbered as 000001-000006. Subsequently, the
printer 164 may print a set of the uniquely identified passive
circuits 172 sequentially numbered as 000007-000015. Thereafter,
the next active circuit entered by the inventory control system 158
or printed as the passive circuit 172 by the printer 164 would be
sequentially numbered as 000016. This would occur regardless
whether any of the previously printed and sequentially numbered
passive circuits 172 (i.e., those identified as 000007-000015) were
used to identify a product and entered into the inventory control
system 158, so as to prevent duplicates. This feature, e.g.,
ensures that each active communication circuit and/or the printed
passive circuit(s) 172 retain a unique identification number within
the inventory control system 158. Of course, any of the previously
printed passive circuits 172 identified as 000007-000015 could be
used at a later date to identify another passive product, despite
the fact that additional active tags (or the passive circuits 172)
may have been assigned a higher unique identification number and
entered into the inventory control system 158 before those passive
circuits 172 that may have been previously printed by the printer
164.
[0092] Creating the passive circuits 172 at home by way of the
conductive ink 166 is a fraction of the cost for producing unique
identification tags relative to those known in the art, such as the
Orbit and/or the Apple AirTag products. For example, in one
embodiment, it may cost as little as a few cents for the user 76 to
create multiple of the passive circuits 172 attachable to products
that do not otherwise have an active tag for location tracking
purposes. Moreover, the inventory control system 158 may store
unique product identification information in connection with the
unique code assigned to each active circuit and/or the passive
circuits 172. This allows the inventory control system 158 to
differentiate various products stored therein, and enables the user
76 to retrieve product specific information from the inventory
control system 158 (e.g., such as by way of the universal remote
50) in real-time. As an example, the product information may be
keyword searchable within the inventory control system 158.
Moreover, the unique identification codes can also be customizable
by the user 76, and are not necessarily limited only to sequential
numbers. For example, the unique identification code may be an
alphanumeric character. Moreover, in another embodiment, the
passive circuit 172 may be a one or two dimensional QR code
scannable by the universal remote 50 for automatic entry into the
inventory control system 158.
[0093] Although several embodiments have been described in detail
for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made
without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the
appended claims.
* * * * *