Abstract:
A system includes a mobile telephone, such as a cellular telephone, and a base unit that is formed as an article that is ordinarily worn by the user of the telephone. The telephone transmits a radio-frequency proximity signal that is received in the base unit, which sounds an alarm if the distance between the telephone and the base unit increases so that the proximity signal is not received. The base unit may also generate a radio-frequency signal causing the telephone to produce an audible signal so that it can be easily found.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/833,409, filed Jul. 26, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     This Invention relates to a mobile telephone, such as a cellular telephone, that is used with a base unit producing an alarm signal indicating relative movement causing the mobile telephone to be moved out of proximity with the base unit.  
         [0004]     2. Background Information  
         [0005]     Mobile phones come with many different designs and features. Some have games, some have a digital camera, and some can receive e-mail and some play music. There are just too many features to mention here. Since mobile phones are relatively small and light, they easily can be forgotten and misplaced. Besides the inconvenience caused by a forgotten mobile telephone, it also can become an expensive experience, as others are able to use the mobile telephone to their advantages.  
         [0006]     The patent literature includes a number of descriptions of methods using radio signals for preventing the loss of items or for locating lost items. For example, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2005/0184150 A1 describes a system in which a piece of personal luggage containing a collection of items is provided with an RFID reader, while items within the collection are provided with RFID tags. The personal luggage may be a purse, wallet, backpack, brief case, etc. The RFID reader periodically polls the tags, expecting a given number of responses, corresponding to the number of tags ordinarily present in the luggage. If fewer responses are received, the reader issues a warning, such as a beeping sound.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 7,002,473 describes a system for preventing articles from becoming lost, misplaced or stolen, with the articles being tagged with, or with the articles otherwise containing an identifying device such as an RFID tag or a wireless network interface. The identifying device allows the articles to be monitored by a monitor, which periodically interrogates each identifying device with a transmitted RF signal, and which generates an alarm signal if an interrogated identifying device does not reply or is out of range. The identifying devices can be acquired by the monitor and associated with an alias that can be used to associate the identifying device with its associated article.  
         [0008]     What is needed is a mobile telephone with an integrated ‘Forget Me Not’ feature that sounds automatically a signal when the owner gets too far away from the mobile telephone. Combined with this feature can also be a ‘Find Me’ sound that is manually activated, when the mobile telephone has been misplaced.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     According to the first aspect of the present invention, a system is provided comprising a mobile telephone and a base unit. The mobile telephone has a proximity signal transmitter transmitting a radio-frequency proximity signal. The base unit, which is formed as an article normally carried by a user of the mobile telephone, includes a proximity signal receiver and an alarm unit. The proximity signal receiver receives the radio-frequency proximity signal when the base unit is carried by the user with the mobile telephone additionally being carried by the user separately from the base unit. The alarm unit provides an alarm indication perceivable by the user when the mobile telephone is out of range for the radio-frequency proximity signal to be received by the proximity signal receiver.  
         [0010]     In a first embodiment of the invention, the base unit causes an alarm, such as an audio signal, to be generated when the user leaves his mobile telephone at a location while walking away with carrying the base unit. In a second embodiment, this function is retained while providing an additional capability for aiding in the location of the mobile telephone when it is lost by causing the mobile telephone to ring or otherwise to produce an audible signal in response to the actuation of a switch within the base unit.  
         [0011]     The base unit may be configured as a jewelry item having an elongated member configured to extend around a portion of the mobile telephone user&#39;s body, as a pendant to be attached to a key chain, or as a remote-control vehicle entry device.  
         [0012]     According to various aspects of the invention, a mobile telephone may be built with integrated features serving conventional telephonic purposes and providing the loss detection and equipment finding capabilities of the invention, or a module may be added to provide additional loss detection and equipment finding capabilities to an existing conventional mobile telephone unit. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system built in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention to include a base unit and a mobile telephone, with a radio-frequency proximity signal being transmitted from the mobile telephone to the base unit;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a system built in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention to include the elements of  FIG. 1 , with additional means to transmit a radio-frequency locating signal from the base unit to the mobile telephone;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is block diagram of a first alternative version of the mobile telephone in  FIG. 2 , including a module used to retrofit a conventional mobile telephone unit;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation of a mobile telephone of  FIG. 3 ; showing the module therein in an exploded relationship with the conventional telephone unit therein;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a rear elevation of the mobile telephone of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation of a second alternative version of the mobile telephone in  FIG. 2 , including a rear access cover holding a module in an exploded relationship with a conventional telephone unit therein;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a pictographic view of a version of the system of  FIG. 2  with a base unit therein formed as a jewelry item;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a pictographic view of a version of the system of  FIG. 2  with a base unit therein formed as a pendant attached to a key chain;  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a pictographic view of a version of the system of  FIG. 2  with a base unit therein formed as a vehicle entry remote control device  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a pictographic view of a version of the system of  FIG. 2  with a base unit therein formed as a wristwatch. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system  10  configured in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention to include a mobile telephone  12 , which is, for example, a cellular telephone, and a base unit  14 , together with means to establish a radio-link with a radio-frequency proximity signal  16  between a transmitter  18  within the mobile telephone  12  and a receiver  20  within the base unit  14 . The base unit  14 , which is formed as an article that is normally carried by a user of the mobile telephone  12 , further includes an alarm unit  22  producing an signal perceptible to the user when the user when the radio-link is broken by moving the mobile telephone  12  or the base unit  14  so that the receiver  20  within the base unit  14  is out of range to receive the radio-frequency proximity signal  16  from the transmitter  18  within the mobile telephone unit  12 . For example, when the radio-link is broken, the alarm unit  22  drives a speaker  24  to produce an audible sound. A battery  26  within the base unit  14  provides power for the receiver  20 , and through the receiver  20 , for the alarm unit  22 .  
         [0024]     The mobile telephone  12  includes conventional elements, such as a telephonic transceiver  28  for sending and receiving telephone calls, a ringer  30 , which causes ring tones to be produced through a speaker  32  in response to an input signal from the telephonic transceiver  28 , and a battery  34 , which provides power for the telephonic transceiver  28 , for the transmitter  18 , and, through the telephonic transceiver  28 , for the ringer  30 .  
         [0025]     Because the base unit  14  is formed as an article that is normally carried by the individual using the mobile telephone  12 , the radio link formed by the radio-frequency proximity signal  16  is maintained during normal use of the mobile telephone. However, if the mobile telephone  12  is left behind, or if it is carried away by someone else without the base unit  14 , a perceptible alarm signal is formed, such as an audio signal through the speaker  24 , so that the user of the mobile telephone  12 , remaining in possession of the base unit  14  knows that the mobile telephone  12  is missing.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a system  36  configured in accordance with a second version of the invention to include a mobile telephone  38  and a base unit  40 . The system  36  is configured in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention to include the elements of the system  10 , which are accorded like reference numerals, together with additional elements used to facilitate locating the mobile telephone  38  in the event that the mobile telephone  38  is lost.  
         [0027]     Specifically, the base unit  40  additionally includes a transmitter  42 , which is powered by the battery  26  through a switch  44 , so that a radio-frequency locating signal  46  is transmitted whenever the switch  44  is actuated. The mobile telephone  38  additionally includes a receiver  48  for receiving the radio-frequency locating signal  46  and a sound generator  50  causing an audible sound to be produced whenever the radio-frequency locating signal  46  is received by the receiver  48 . For example, the sound generator  50  causes the ringer  28  to drive the speaker  30 , so that an audible sound is produced. The battery  34  additionally provides power for the receiver  48  and, through the receiver  48 , for the sound generator  50 .  
         [0028]     The mobile telephone  12  of  FIG. 1  and the mobile telephone  38  of  FIG. 2  are integrated devices, in which at least some circuits are used in both the apparatus for notifying the user of the loss of the mobile telephone and in the telephonic apparatus. For example, the battery  34  is used both to provide power for the telephonic transceiver  28  and to the transmitter  18  in both mobile telephones  12 ,  38 , and additionally to the receiver  48  in the mobile telephone  38 . This configuration provides a particular advantage, in that, whenever the battery is recharged, it is made available for continued use with the apparatus for notifying the user of the loss of the mobile telephone as well as for the operation of conventional telephonic processes. In the mobile telephone  38  of  FIG. 2 , circuits within the sound generator  50  and the telephonic transducer  28  are additionally integrated with one another to drive a common ringer  30 , which is therefore used both to provide an indication of an incoming telephone call and of an attempt to find the mobile telephone  38  by actuating the switch  44  within the base unit  40 . Therefore, according to preferred versions of the invention, mobile telephones built to include features to facilitate the detection of a lost mobile telephone and/or to facilitate finding such a telephone are configured as described in reference to  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2 .  
         [0029]     While such telephones may be built as new devices by original equipment manufacturers of mobile telephones, devices built in accordance with additional variations of the invention may be used to update vast numbers of telephones not equipped to provide the features of this invention. Such devices for updating conventional mobile telephone units will now be discussed in reference to  FIGS. 3-6 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a mobile telephone  52  built as an first alternative version of the mobile telephone  38  shown in  FIG. 2 , with a module  54  being provided for attachment to an otherwise conventional mobile telephone unit  56 . The mobile telephone  52  includes a number of elements in common with the mobile telephone  36 , which have been discussed above in reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and which are therefore accorded like reference numerals. However, in the example of  FIG. 3 , the circuits within the module  54  and the conventional mobile telephone unit  56  are separately configured, with a first battery  58  providing power within the telephone unit  56 , and with a second battery  60  providing power within the module  54 . Furthermore, the sound generator  50  produces an audible signal in response to an output from the receiver  50  by driving a separate speaker  62  within the module  52 . Preferably, the module  54  is distributed, together with the base unit  40 , for upgrading a number of different types of conventional mobile telephone units.  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation of the mobile telephone  52 , showing the module  54  in an exploded relationship with the conventional mobile telephone unit  56 . For example, the module  54  is attached to an external surface  58  of the conventional mobile telephone unit  56  by means of a pressure sensitive adhesive coating on an external surface  60  of the module  54 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 5  is a rear elevation of the mobile telephone  52 , showing the module  54  attached to a rear access cover  62  of the conventional mobile telephone unit  56 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation of a mobile telephone  64  built as a second alternative version of the mobile telephone  38  shown in  FIG. 2 , with a module  66 , including all of the elements within the module  54  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), except for the second battery  60 , being held in a rear access cover  68 . The rear access cover  68  is shown in an exploded relationship with a remaining portion of a conventional telephone unit  70 . A single battery  72 , extending between the module  66  and circuits within the conventional mobile telephone unit  70 , is electrically connected to provide power both for the circuits within the conventional mobile telephone unit  70  and the module  66 , so that the advantage of recharging a battery for both uses is maintained. Preferably, various versions of the rear access cover  68 , as required to fit various types of conventional telephone units  70 , are distributed with the base units  40  and the modules  54  to upgrade conventional telephone units  70 . A new battery  72  may also be included to provide electrical connections for both the module  66  and for circuits within the conventional telephone unit  70 .  
         [0034]     While the preceding discussion in reference to  FIGS. 3-6  has been directed at retrofitting a conventional mobile telephone unit to take the place of the mobile telephone  38  in the system  36  of  FIG. 2 , it is understood that similar methods can readily be employed to retrofit a conventional mobile unit to take the place of the mobile telephone  12  in  FIG. 1 , by using a module similar to the module  54  of  FIGS. 3-5 , or similar to the module  66  of  FIG. 6 , except that, in either case, the receiver  48 , sound generator  50 , and speaker  62  would be eliminated.  
         [0035]     Alternative versions of the base unit  40  will now be discussed, with reference being made to  FIGS. 7-9  each of which is a pictographic view of the system  36  having a different version of the base unit  40 .  
         [0036]     As shown In  FIG. 7 , the base unit  40  is formed as a jewelry item  74  having an elongated member  76 , such as a band or chain, formed to extend around a portion of the user&#39;s body, for example, as a bracelet or necklace, and additionally including a button  78  that is depressed to actuate the switch  44  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). As shown in  FIG. 8 , the base unit  40  is formed as a pendant  80  attached to a keychain  82 , having a button  84  that is used to actuate the switch  44 . As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the base unit  40  includes a pendant  80  having a hole  86  for attachment to either an elongated member  76 , formed to extend around a portion of the user&#39;s body, or a keychain  82 .  
         [0037]     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the base unit  40  is alternately formed as a remote control device  88  for vehicle entry, used to transmit a radio-frequency signal for vehicle entry in response to depression of a button  90 , with a battery powering the device  88  for vehicle entry also being used to power the transmitter  42  and receiver  20  (shown in  FIG. 2 ), and with a button  92  also being provided to actuate the switch  44 .  
         [0038]     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the base unit  40  is alternately formed as a wristwatch  90  having a button  92  provided to actuate the switch  44 , and with a battery powering the wristwatch  90  to provide timekeeping also being used to power the transmitter  42  and receiver  20 .  
         [0039]     Bi-directional radio-frequency communications between each of the access devices, in the form of a proximity signal  16 , and in the form of a locating signal  46  are established between each of the base units  40  of  FIGS. 7-9  and a mobile telephone unit  28 , in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, as described above in reference to  FIG. 2 . It is additionally understood, that a base unit  14  formed as described in reference to each of the  FIGS. 7-9  can be used in a system built, as described above in reference to  FIG. 1 , in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, with radio-communications being established between the mobile telephone  12  and the base unit  14 , and with the buttons  78 ,  84 ,  90 , described as being used for actuation of the switch  44 , being eliminated.  
         [0040]     In either embodiment of the invention, the radio-frequency proximity signal  16  is preferably composed of a series of pulses transmitted on a periodic basis to save battery energy, with the receiver  20  being configured to cause operation of the alarm unit  22  when a predetermined number of the pulses have not been received, as indicated by the passage of time without receiving a pulse. The radio-frequency proximity signal  16  may be encoded so that the receiver  20  can recognize a mobile telephone  12 ,  38  with which it is associated even in a room full of such mobile telephones  12 ,  38 . Such encoding may include varying the frequency at which the signal  16  is transmitted or varying the pattern, such as the width, of pulses transmitted. In the second embodiment of the invention, the locating signal may be similarly encoded, so that a particular mobile telephone  38  can be found in a room full of mobile telephones  38 .  
         [0041]     While the invention has been described in its preferred forms or embodiments with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example, and that many variations can be produced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as described in the appended claims.