EP2196968A1

EP2196968A1 - Detection of personal satellite objects in the vicinity of the user

Info

Publication number: EP2196968A1
Application number: EP08305891A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Véronique Daurensan; Bertrand Boidart
Original assignee: Alcatel Lucent SAS
Current assignee: Alcatel Lucent SAS
Priority date: 2008-12-05
Filing date: 2008-12-05
Publication date: 2010-06-16

Abstract

The invention is related to a computer program product for detecting the presence of satellite objects in the vicinity of a mobile terminal in a wireless telecommunication network, said program product being adapted to carry out all the following steps:
- a step for registering at least a satellite object through a respective name and a tag identifier with which the object is equipped, said tag having RF near field communication capabilities for communicating with the terminal,
- a step for triggering the detection search of the registered satellite objects as a function of an event, the event being predetermined by the user or manually triggered by the user,
- a step for alerting the user if at least a satellite object is not detected within the vicinity of the terminal.

Description

The invention is related to a computer program product for detecting the presence of satellite objects in the vicinity of a mobile terminal in a wireless telecommunication network. The invention is related as well to a mobile terminal.
In today's life, we suffer from the increasing number of "satellite objects" we have to deal with. What is referred to as a satellite object hereinafter is a commonly-used object that we need to keep with ourselves during the day: that is for example the case for the different sets of keys we handle, the wallet, the credits cards, badges, etc.
Much frustration is felt, time is spent and possibly damages occurred when the users of such satellite objects realize that they have forgotten these at home in the morning.
Unfortunately, there is no way currently to avoid such problem except for checking all by oneself every morning whether no satellite objects have been forgotten at home.
The present invention aims at solving the above-mentioned problems. The object of the present invention, according to an embodiment, is a computer program product for detecting the presence of satellite objects in the vicinity of a mobile terminal in a wireless telecommunication network, said program product being adapted to carry out all the following steps:

a step for registering at least a satellite object through a respective name and a tag identifier with which the object is equipped, said tag having RF near field communication capabilities for communicating with the terminal,
a step for triggering the detection search of the registered satellite objects as a function of an event, the event being predetermined by the user or manually triggered by the user,
a step for alerting the user if at least a satellite object is not detected within the vicinity of the terminal.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the program product comprises a list of vectors of satellite objects-related identifiers comprising for example the name and the corresponding tag identifier for each satellite object.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the registration step comprises approaching by the user each satellite object in the vicinity of the terminal below a maximum distance, and, for each satellite object such approached to the terminal, adding a vector to said list of vectors with entering the name and the corresponding tag identifier for each satellite object.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the computer program product comprises a module adapted to configure an agenda destined to store events entered by the user and a predetermined period (T) and a scheduler adapted to trigger automatically during predetermined time slots of the agenda periodically the triggering step and the alerting step in case at least a satellite object is not detected within the vicinity of the terminal.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the program product further comprises, further to the registration step, a step for cancelling a vector corresponding to a satellite object that is not any more taken into account by the program.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a parameter in the detection search of the registered satellite objects is the maximum distance for establishing RF near field communication between the tags and the terminal.
The invention according to an embodiment is related to a mobile terminal in a wireless telecommunication network, characterized in that it comprises a computer program product according to the invention.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 allows to illustrate the sizes of an RFID label compared to 1€ coin,
Figure 2 schematically illustrates a system and steps of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

A description will hereinafter be given of embodiments of the present invention, by referring to the drawings.
There are two main functions for the RFID personal tracking terminal. First, the user wants to be able to know the general vicinity of his satellite objects and second, the user wants to be able to find it rapidly without getting frustrated.
The description of an embodiment of the invention is described below:

1. It is assumed that the user always carries his mobile terminal 1 with him. As a mobile terminal, it is encompassed a mobile phone 1 or a Personal Digital Assistant 2 or a mobile computer 3 or any other object linked to a wireless mobile network which the user is always carrying on. This object is called hereinafter the MainDriver 3.
An application running from the operating system of the terminal is called hereinafter the application "ForgetMeNot" which supports to perform the functions aimed at in the present patent application.
2. On the MainDriver 3, there is a RFID-enabled reader. As an alternative, the terminal or MainDriver could use other Near Field Communication techniques.
3. Moreover, on each satellite communicating objects such as the set of keys 4 and the badge 5, there is an RFID sticker (the user could easily add RFID sticker on each satellite object).
4. At first, there is a step of "Registration" in the embedded application.
1. a. The user chooses the menu "Registration" in the "ForgetMeNot" application;
2. b. A list of vectors of identifiers of the satellite communicating objects called ListSat is created. A vector of identifiers is composed of a name (as "HomeKey") and the corresponding RFID tag;
3. c. The user approaches each satellite close to the RFID/NFC mobile phone reader (the distance is below 5cm).
4. d. When a satellite is approached near the RFID/NFC mobile phone reader, a vector is added to ListSat. And the user has to enter the friendly name of the satellite object;
5. There is as well possibly a "Cancel" step for cancelling a vector.
1. a. The user chooses in the menu the tab "Cancel" in the "ForgetMeNot" application.
2. b. The user can display the ListSat and remove the vector corresponding to the satellite object that is not any more taken into account by the application.
6. When a satellite object is approached near the RFID/NFC mobile phone reader, a vector is added to ListSat.
7. The application "ForgetMeNot" comprises:
1. a. Global parameters:
  - i. the telephone number and/or the mail address of MainDriver
  - ii. a specific sound for the user of MainDriver to immediately recognize that he/she is receiving a message from the application "ForgetMeNot"
2. b. a module to configure:
  1. i. a tooFar distance D (Default Value=2 m).
  2. ii. an agenda
  3. iii. a period T (Default Value=2 minutes)
  4. iv. and a list of vectors of identifiers of the satellite communicating objects called ListSat. A vector of identifiers is composed of a name (as "HomeKey") and the corresponding RFID tag
3. c. a module "DetectSatellites" which can be launched:
  1. i. manually on demand of the user
  2. ii. automatically in the time slots defined in the agenda
4. d. The module "DetectSatellites" uses the RFID reader to see if it can detect the RFID of the items of ListSat. If it can't detect an RFID tag, the module "DetectSatellites" sends a message (SMS, email, ring alert, etc.) to the MainDriver. In the message is indicated the name of the objects which can't be detected.
8. In the application "ForgetMeNot", there is a scheduler which triggers automatically during the time slots of the agenda periodically the module "DetectSatellites"
9. The user can also launch Himself/herself the module "DetectSatellites".
10. The user if he/she forgot one of the RFID objects hears the "ForgetMeNot" sound and receives the message with the names of the objects he/she forgot.

There is as well a possible extension of the embodiment:
The user has several RFID readers in different places, for example:

an RFID reader connected to his/her PC at home,
another one connected to his/her PC at office.

Then the user could have, in step 10 of the embodiment of the invention, the names of the objects he/she forgot and their localization (ie : at home, office,..., unknown). A scheduler will also triggers all the RFID readers, at home, at office , etc.. The RFID readers will send a mail with the list of all the satellites around the RFID reader to MainDriver. So the application can associate to each satellite object its localization.

Claims

Computer program product for detecting the presence of satellite objects in the vicinity of a mobile terminal in a wireless telecommunication network, said program product being adapted to carry out all the following steps:
- a step for registering at least a satellite object through a respective name and a tag identifier with which the object is equipped, said tag having RF near field communication capabilities for communicating with the terminal,

- a step for triggering the detection search of the registered satellite objects as a function of an event, the event being predetermined by the user or manually triggered by the user,

- a step for alerting the user if at least a satellite object is not detected within the vicinity of the terminal.
Computer program product according to claim 1 characterized in that the program product comprises a list of vectors of satellite objects-related identifiers comprising for example the name and the corresponding tag identifier for each satellite object.
Computer program product according to claim 2 characterized in that the registration step comprises approaching by the user each satellite object in the vicinity of the terminal below a maximum distance, and, for each satellite object such approached to the terminal, adding a vector to said list of vectors with entering the name and the corresponding tag identifier for each satellite object.
Computer program product according to any of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that it comprises a module adapted to configure an agenda destined to store events entered by the user and a predetermined period (T) and a scheduler adapted to trigger automatically during predetermined time slots of the agenda periodically the triggering step and the alerting step in case at least a satellite object is not detected within the vicinity of the terminal.
Computer program product according to claim 2, 3 or claim 4 combined with claim 2 characterized in that the program product further comprises, further to the registration step, a step for cancelling a vector corresponding to a satellite object that is not any more taken into account by the program.
Computer program product according to any of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that a parameter in the detection search of the registered satellite objects is the maximum distance for establishing RF near field communication between the tags and the terminal.
Mobile terminal in a wireless telecommunication network, characterized in that it comprises a computer program product according to any of claims 1 to 6.