US 2015/0084745 A1Published application

Misplaced Article Recovery Process

OwnerAllen D. Hertz, Paul K. Silverberginventors

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Abstract

A misplaced article recovery system utilizing an application operating on a computing device, such as a point of sale system, a Smartphone, a tablet, and the like. A unique article registration identifier (numeric or alphanumeric) is associated with a registrant. A tag, label, or other identifying element is attached or permanently applied onto (etched, printed, etc.) each desired article. An application operating on an application hosting device obtains the unique article registration number and a current location of the misplaced article. The article registration identifier and reported article location are forwarded to an article return service provider. The article return service provider determines the rightful owner and associated contact information, then informs the owner that the article has been reported at the current article location. The owner returns to the reported location and retrieves the misplaced article. The system maintains privacy and anonymity between parties.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for informing an owner of a current location of a misplaced article, the method comprising steps of:

establishing a plurality of registrant's accounts on an article return service provider server, wherein each registrant's account of the plurality of registrant's accounts is associated with an owner;
storing a series of unique article identifiers on the article return service provider server;
establishing an association between each unique article identifier of the series of unique article identifiers and an associated registrant's account of the plurality of registrant's accounts by way of an article ownership index stored on the article return service provider server;
applying one of the unique article identifiers of the series of unique article identifiers onto an article;
locating the article when the article is misplaced at a location;
activating an article location notification application on an application hosting device, wherein the application hosting device is one of:
a networked computer, a point of sale computing device, a portable computing device, a tablet, a Smartphone, a portable computing watch;
entering the unique article identifier into the application hosting device;
determining a current location of the misplaced article;
transmitting the unique article identifier and the current location of the misplaced article to the article return service provider server;
utilizing the article ownership index stored on the article return service provider server to determine the owner of the misplaced article and an associated contact method based upon the registrant's account;
and
transmitting a notification message to the owner by way of the associated contact method, wherein the notification message conveys that a misplaced article has been located and a reported current location of the misplaced article.

10 more elements

A method for informing an owner of a current location of a misplaced article, the method comprising steps of:

establishing a plurality of registrant's accounts on an article return service provider server, wherein each registrant's account of the plurality of registrant's accounts is associated with an owner;
storing a series of unique article identifiers on the article return service provider server;
establishing an association between each unique article identifier of the series of unique article identifiers and an associated registrant's account of the plurality of registrant's accounts by way of an article ownership index stored on the article return service provider server;
applying one of the unique article identifiers of the series of unique article identifiers onto an article;
locating the article when the article is misplaced at a location;
activating an article location notification application on an application hosting device, wherein the application hosting device is one of:
a networked computer, a point of sale computing device, a portable computing device, a tablet, a Smartphone, a portable computing watch;
entering the unique article identifier into the application hosting device;
determining a current location of the misplaced article using an automated location identification process integrated into the application hosting device;
transmitting the unique article identifier and the current location of the misplaced article to the article return service provider server;
utilizing the article ownership index stored on the article return service provider server to determine the owner of the misplaced article and an associated contact method based upon the registrant's account;
and
transmitting a notification message to the owner by way of the associated contact method, wherein the notification message conveys that a misplaced article has been located and a reported current location of the misplaced article.

10 more elements

A method for informing an owner of a current location of a misplaced article, the method comprising steps of:

establishing a plurality of registrant's accounts on an article return service provider server, wherein each registrant's account of the plurality of registrant's accounts is associated with an owner;
storing a series of unique article identifiers on the article return service provider server;
establishing an association between each unique article identifier of the series of unique article identifiers and an associated registrant's account of the plurality of registrant's accounts by way of an article ownership index stored on the article return service provider server;
applying one of the unique article identifiers of the series of unique article identifiers onto an article;
locating the article when the article is misplaced at a location;
activating an article location notification application on an application hosting device, wherein the application hosting device is one of:
a networked computer, a point of sale computing device, a portable computing device, a tablet, a Smartphone, a portable computing watch;
entering the unique article identifier into the application hosting device by at least one of:
(1a) scanning a machine readable image representative of the unique article identifier,
(1b) optically character recognizing a human readable image unique article identifier,
(1c) manually entering the unique article identifier by reading the human readable image unique article identifier,
(1d) reading a near field communications device,
(1e) reading a radio frequency identification circuit (RFID),
(1f) interfacing with a Bluetooth protocol enabled device,
(1g) interfacing with a Wi Fi protocol enabled device, and
(1h) interfacing with a Zigbee protocol enabled device;
determining a current location of the misplaced article using an automated location identification process integrated into the application hosting device by using at least one of:
(2a) Global Positioning System (GPS),
(2b) Wi Fi location processing,
(2c) iBeacon location processing,
(2d) a cellular network locating system, and
(2e) a locally deployed location based system;
transmitting the unique article identifier and the current location of the misplaced article to the article return service provider server;
utilizing the article ownership index stored on the article return service provider server to determine the owner of the misplaced article and an associated contact method based upon the registrant's account;
and
transmitting a notification message to the owner by way of the associated contact method, wherein the notification message conveys that a misplaced article has been located and a reported current location of the misplaced article, wherein the notification is provided by at least one of:
(3a) a text message,
(3b) an email,
(3c) an audio alert,
(3d) a visual alert,
(3e) a voice message,
(3f) an instant messaging,
(3g) a social media correspondence, and
(3h) a printed correspondence.

31 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/550,932Filed 22 Nov 2014
Priority: 23 May 2012
Published: 26 Mar 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04W 4/12
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
H04W 4/02
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: services making use of location information
H04W 4/024
Services making use of location information: guidance services
H04W 4/029
Services making use of location information: location-based management or tracking services

Family

Application61/650,984Us provisional application · filed 23 May 2012
Application13/901,544Continuation in part · filed 23 May 2013
Application61/908,057Us provisional application · filed 23 Nov 2013
Application14/550,932Continuation in part
US 2015/0084745 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.