Patent ID: 8253554

Claim:
A multi-purpose alarm device having first and second modes of operation, comprising: an alarm generating unit; an accelerometer; a first input element operable to adjust a first threshold; a second input element operable to adjust a second threshold; a third input element operable to adjust a predetermined period of time; a processor configured to determine an alarm condition based on an output from the accelerometer and issue a control signal to the alarm generating unit to generate an alarm; a casing in which the alarm generating unit, the accelerometer, and the processor are housed, wherein the casing has an attachment portion by which the casing is attached to an object, and the attachment portion includes at least one of an adhesive portion, a magnetic portion, and a clamp portion; and a mode-selector coupled with the alarm generating unit, the accelerometer, and the processor, the mode-selector being configured to switch the multi-purpose alarm device's operation between the first and second modes of operation, wherein, in the first mode of operation, the processor is programmed to issue the control signal if the output exceeds the first threshold, and in the second mode of operation, the processor is programmed to issue the control signal if the output has not exceeded the second threshold for the predetermined period of time.