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US 12,262,831 B2Granted
Smart device for retaining planar items
OwnerCamie Amber Crawfordinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus comprising: a retaining device for retaining planar items including mail and/or documents, in which mail can be located and from which mail can be collected; a control means; a sensor means for indicating to the control means information indicative of mail and/or documents having been placed in the retaining device and/or removed from the retaining device, wherein the control means is arranged to cause, in response thereto, at least one action to be performed.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a retaining device for retaining planar items including mail and/or documents, in which the planar items can be added and from which the planar items can be collected;
- attaching means, wherein:
- the retaining device is configured for mounting on a fixed object using the attaching means;
- and
- the attaching means includes a strap means locatable through an aperture in the fixed object where the aperture extends from a first side of the fixed object to a second side, and wherein the retaining device, a control means and a sensor means hang from an end of the strap means on the first side of the fixed object, and another end of the strap means is secured on the second side of the fixed object;
- the control means;
- the sensor means for indicating to the control means information indicative of:
- the planar items having been placed in the retaining device and/or removed from the retaining device, and/or a person and/or a robot in a vicinity of the retaining device, wherein the sensor means comprises a motion detector arranged to indicate to the control means the person and/or the robot in a vicinity of the retaining device;
- wherein the control means is arranged to cause, in response thereto, at least one action to be performed by at least one action unit, wherein the at least one action unit comprises means for:
- capturing an image and/or video of the person and/or the robot, and
- sending the image and/or video to another device, and/or storing the image and/or video locally on a storage device and/or remotely on a server, and the at least one action comprises the capturing and the sending and/or storing.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving at a control means from a sensor means information indicative of at least one planar item including mail and/or a document having been removed from and/or added to a retaining device and/or a person and/or a robot in a vicinity of the retaining device;
- wherein the retaining device comprises a second portion pressing against a first portion, wherein the second portion moving from a first position relative to the first portion to a second position relative to the first portion causes the sensor means to send said information to the control means;
- wherein a motion detector comprised in the sensor means indicates to the control means the person and/or the robot in the vicinity of the retaining device;
- in response thereto, causing at least one action to be performed, wherein the at least one action is performed by at least one action unit, wherein the at least one action unit comprises means for capturing an image and/or video of the person and/or the robot collecting the at least one planar item, wherein the at least one action comprises capturing the image and/or video of the person and/or the robot collecting the at least one planar item, and sending the image and/or video of the person and/or the robot collecting the at least one planar item to another device, and/or storing the image and/or video of the person and/or the robot collecting the at least one planar item locally on a storage device and/or remotely on a server.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a retaining device for retaining planar items including mail and/or documents, in which the planar items can be added and from which the planar items can be collected;
- wherein the retaining device comprises:
- first and second portions;
- and
- a base, a respective edge of each item of the planar items being locatable between the first and second portions, the second portion being arranged to press respective sides of the planar items against the first portion and to be moveable away from the first portion to release the planar items;
- a control means;
- a sensor means for indicating to the control means information indicative of:
- the planar items having been placed in the retaining device and/or removed from the retaining device, and/or a person and/or a robot in a vicinity of the retaining device, wherein the sensor means comprises a motion detector arranged to indicate to the control means the person and/or the robot in a vicinity of the retaining device;
- wherein the control means is arranged to cause, in response thereto, at least one action to be performed by at least one action unit, wherein the at least one action unit comprises means for:
- capturing an image and/or video of the person and/or the robot, and
- sending the image and/or video to another device, and/or storing the image and/or video locally on a storage device and/or remotely on a server, and the at least one action comprises the capturing and the sending and/or storing.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.