Comprehensive system and method of universal real-time linking of real objects to a machine, network, internet, or software service

A software module for detecting placement or misplacement of a plurality of objects associated with a plurality of wireless tags, the software module comprising a first set of instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory storage medium that, when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, causes the one or more processors to automatically:

• communicate signals with a radio transceiver of one or more wireless tags of the plurality of wireless tags;
• determine a status for the one or more wireless tags of the plurality of wireless tags, the status being “in range” when the first electronic device and the wireless tag are within a predetermined range and “out of range” when the first electronic device and the wireless tag are outside the predetermined range;
• wherein each of the one or more wireless tags includes a controller configured to:
• determine, in response to a strength or absence of signals communicated with the first electronic device and the wireless tag, that the status of the wireless tag is “out of range”;
• and
• render the wireless tag automatically detectable by two or more additional electronic devices unassociated with the wireless tag in response to determining that the status of the wireless tag is “out of range”;
• the software module comprising a second set of instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory storage medium that, when executed by one or more processors of each of the two or more additional electronic devices, enables the one or more processors to automatically;
• communicate data for a wireless tag rendered automatically detectable by the controller of the wireless tag to an external device in response to detecting that the wireless tag and the additional electronic device are within a predetermined range, the data including:
• the position of the additional electronic device;
• and
• a status of the wireless tag.

A method for detecting placement or misplacement of objects using a distributed network, the method comprising:

• receiving a first set of data from a first electronic device, the first set of data indicating a position of the first electronic device and a first status of a wireless tag, the first status indicating that the wireless tag and the first electronic device are within a predetermined range;
• receiving a second set of data from the first electronic device, the second set of data indicating a position of the first electronic device and a second status of the wireless tag, the second status indicating that the wireless tag and the first electronic device are outside the predetermined range;
• rendering the wireless tag automatically detectable by a plurality of unassociated electronic devices unassociated with the wireless tag in response to the second status of the wireless tag;
• receiving an additional set of data from one or more of the plurality of unassociated electronic devices, the additional set of data indicating a position of the one or more of the plurality of unassociated electronic devices and an identifier of the wireless tag, the additional set of data being automatically generated by the one or more of the plurality of unassociated electronic devices in response to the one or more of the plurality of electronic devices detecting the wireless tag when the status of the wireless tag is the second status;
• and
• transmitting to the first electronic device the position of the one or more of the plurality of unassociated electronic devices to indicate a position of the wireless tag.

A system for detecting placement or misplacement of an object, the system comprising:

• a wireless tag associated with the object, the wireless tag including an internal power source and a radio transceiver;
• and
• a first set of instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory storage medium that, when executed by one or more processors in a first electronic device, cause the one or more processors to automatically:
• determine a position of the first electronic device;
• determine a status of the wireless tag based upon a strength or absence of signals communicated with the radio transceiver of the wireless tag and a radio transmitter of the first electronic device, the status being “in range” when the first electronic device and the wireless tag are within a predetermined range and “out of range” when the first electronic device and the wireless tag are outside the predetermined range;
• communicate data, including the position of the first electronic device and the status to an external electronic device or network in response to the status being “in range”;
• communicate data, including the position of the first electronic device and the status to the external electronic device or network in response to the status being “out of range”;
• a second set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors in a plurality of additional electronic devices which are unassociated with the wireless tag, enable each of the additional electronic devices to automatically:
• determine a position of the additional electronic device;
• determine an identifier of the wireless tag using communicated signals from the radio transceiver of the wireless tag;
• and
• communicate the determined identifier and the position of the additional electronic device to the external electronic device or network;
• wherein the wireless tag includes a controller configured to:
• determine, in response to a strength or absence of signals communicated with the first electronic device and the wireless tag, that the status of the wireless tag is “out of range”;
• and
• render the wireless tag automatically detectable by all of the plurality of additional electronic devices in response to determining that the status of the wireless tag is “out of range.”