Sensory Enhancement Systems and Methods in Personal Electronic Devices

Abstract

Disclosed are personal electronic devices (PEDs) having a sensory enhancement (SE) system for monitoring environmental conditions and detecting environmental events, for example but not limited to, changes in acoustic, thermal, optical, electromagnetic, chemical, dynamic, wireless, atmospheric, or biometric conditions. The detection of such events can be used to invoke a notification, an alert, a corrective action, or some other action, depending upon the implementation to the PED user or another party.

At least the following inventions are claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for a personal electronic device (PED) that can be transported with a user, the PED having a computer based architecture with a memory and a processor designed to execute computer program code instructions stored in the memory, the PED designed to perform a first electronic based intelligence function, the first electronic based intelligence function enabling the user to initiate and receive wireless telephone calls over a telephone network, the computer program code instructions designed to enable the PED to perform a second electronic based intelligence function that is different than the first electronic based intelligence function, the second electronic based intelligence function involving detection of an event in an environment associated with the PED, the PED further comprising an RF subsystem transducer designed to interrogate radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to sense a signal from an RFID tag in the environment, the method comprising:
 (a) performing a first electronic based intelligence function, the first electronic based intelligence function being a wireless telephone function that enables the user to initiate and receive telephone calls over a telephone network; and   (b) performing a second electronic based intelligence function comprising:
 (1) determining whether or not the RFID tag is within a predefined range of the PED by:
 (i) transmitting a query signal from the RFID transducer to the RFID tag; 
 (ii) in response to the query signal, receiving a response signal from the RFID tag with the RFID transducer; 
 (iii) determining a sensed range of the RFID tag by analyzing signal communication information associated with the response signal; and 
 (iv) comparing the sensed range and the predefined range; and 
 
 (2) producing an alert when a determination is made that the RFID tag is not within the predefined range. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal communication information associated with the response signal includes a signal power of the response signal and a time delay between the transmitting of the query signal and the receiving of the response signal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the RFID transducer is designed as an automatic beam steering antenna array and further comprising:
 determining a direction of the RFID tag when the RFID tag is outside the predefined range; and   indicating the direction to the user of the PED.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alert indicates that an item associated with the RFID tag is lost, forgotten, damaged, submerged, or stolen. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving transducer information from the RFID tag produced from an RFID tag transducer; and   producing a different alert based upon the received RFID tag transducer information.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the different alert is indicative of temperature in a vicinity of the RFID tag. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the different alert is indicative of humidity in a vicinity of the RFID tag. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the determined direction and sensed range values are periodically determined and further comprising:
 storing at least one or more determined direction and sensed range values in the PED memory;   determining if the response signal from the RFID tag is not received; and,   producing an alert when a determination is made that the response signal is not received; wherein the alert identifies the most recent determined direction and sensed range values that were stored when the last successful response signal was received.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alert is produced if a response signal from the RFID tag is not received. 
     
     
         10 . A method for a personal electronic device (PED) that can be transported with a user, the PED having a computer based architecture with a processor designed to execute computer program code instructions, the PED designed to perform a first electronic based intelligence function, the first electronic based intelligence function enabling the user to initiate and receive wireless telephone calls over a telephone network, the computer program code instructions designed to enable the PED to perform a second electronic based intelligence function that is different than the first electronic based intelligence function, the second electronic based intelligence function involving detection of an event in an environment associated with the PED, the PED further comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) transducer designed to sense a signal from an RFID tag in the environment, the method comprising:
 (a) performing a first electronic based intelligence function, the first electronic based intelligence function being a wireless telephone function that enables the user to initiate and receive telephone calls over a telephone network; and   (b) performing a second electronic based intelligence function, the second means comprising:
 (1) determining whether or not the RFID tag is within a predefined proximity of the PED by interrogating the RFID tag with the RFID transducer; 
 (2) refraining from producing an alert when a determination is made that the RFID tag is within the predefined proximity; and 
 (3) producing an alert when a determination is made that the RFID tag is not within the predefined proximity, the alert indicating a lost, forgotten, damaged, submerged, or stolen item associated with the RFID tag. 
   
     
     
         11 . A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for a personal electronic device (PED) that can be transported with a user, the PED having a computer based architecture with a memory and a processor designed to execute the computer program code instructions, the PED designed to perform a first electronic based intelligence function, the first electronic based intelligence function enabling the user to initiate and receive wireless telephone calls over a telephone network, the computer program code instructions designed to enable the PED to perform a second electronic based intelligence function that is different than the first electronic based intelligence function, the second electronic based intelligence function involving detection of an event in an environment associated with the PED, the PED further comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) transducer designed to sense a signal from an RFID tag in the environment, the computer program on the computer readable medium comprising:
 (a) code that performs a first electronic based intelligence function, the first electronic based intelligence function being a wireless telephone function that enables the user to initiate and receive telephone calls over a telephone network; and   (b) code that performs a second electronic based intelligence function comprising:
 (1) code that determines whether or not the RFID tag is within a predefined range of the PED comprising:
 (i) code that causes a query signal to be transmitted from the RFID transducer to the RFID tag; 
 (ii) code that causes a response signal to be received from the RFID tag with the RFID transducer; 
 (iii) code that determines a sensed range of the RFID tag by analyzing signal communication information associated with the response signal; and 
 (iv) code that compares the sensed range and the predefined range; and 
 
 (2) code that produces an alert when a determination is made that the RFID tag is not within the predefined range. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer program of  claim 11 , wherein the signal communication information associated with the response signal includes a signal power of the response signal and a time delay between the transmitting of the query signal and the receiving of the response signal. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program of  claim 11 , wherein the RFID transducer is designed as an automatic beam steering antenna array and wherein the computer program further comprises:
 code that determines a direction of the RFID tag when the RFID tag is outside the predefined range; and   code that indicates the direction to the user of the PED.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program of  claim 11 , wherein the alert indicates that an item associated with the RFID tag is lost, forgotten, damaged, submerged, or stolen. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 code that causes transducer information to be received from the RFID tag produced from an RFID tag transducer; and   code that produces a different alert based upon the received RFID tag transducer information.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program of  claim 15 , wherein the different alert is indicative of temperature in a vicinity of the RFID tag. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program of  claim 15 , wherein the different alert is indicative of humidity in a vicinity of the RFID tag. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program of  claim 13 , wherein the determined direction and sensed range values are periodically determined and wherein the computer program further comprises:
 code that causes storing of at least one or more determined direction and sensed range values in the PED memory;   code that determines if the response signal from the RFID tag is not received;   code that produces an alert when a determination is made that the response signal is not received; and   wherein the alert identifies the most recent determined direction and sensed range values that were stored when the last successful response signal was received.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program of  claim 11 , wherein the alert is produced if a response signal from the RFID tag is not received.