Wireless item loss prevention system

US9779612B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Tether Technologies, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Matthew D. Darval · Yakima, US
• Keith W. Kirkwood · Seattle, US
• John D. Suryan · Bellevue, US
• Scott C. Thielman · Seattle, US
• George M. Niederauer · Seattle, US
• Keith M. Brown · Seattle, US
• Edgar R. Neely, III · Vashon, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 15, 2014
• Grant date: Oct 3, 2017
• Expiry date: Sep 15, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G08B13/248
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An item loss prevention system for protecting from the loss of items from a user, and more specifically to an electronic device utilizing a wireless connection between a remote unit attached to an item, such as a set of one or more keys, and a host or belt unit attached to the user, to prevent the loss of the item. The system includes magnetic sensors between the item and the belt, which are Hall type magnetic sensors, coupled with an accelerometer. With the additional input from the accelerometer, an alarm activates when the item, such as a key, is separated at a distance from the belt or host unit. Additionally, the key unit can attach to an unpairing station to re-set the remote unite for re-pairing to another host unit.