IP Library Granted Patent US 9,659,479
Granted Patent B2
US 9,659,479 · App. 14/836,162 · Granted May 23, 2017

System and method to indicate lack of usage for personal items

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,659,479
App. No.
14/836,162
Granted
May 23, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method, system and computer-usable medium for performing a usage monitoring operation on an item, comprising: defining a predefined criteria relating to usage of the item; monitoring usage of the item based upon input provided by a sensor associated with the item; and, generating an indication when the predefined criteria is detected.

Claims (41)

1. A computer-implemented method for performing a usage monitoring operation on an item, comprising:

defining a predefined criteria relating to usage of the item, the item comprising a clothing item;

monitoring usage of the item based upon input provided by a sensor associated with the item, the sensor being included with a hanger, the hanger being associated with the clothing item; and,

generating an indication when the predefined criteria is detected, the sensor causes the hanger associated with the clothing item to present a visual indication, the visual indication causing a characteristic of the hanger to change.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the predefined criteria defines an amount of time that the item has not been used and the indication comprises an indication that the personal item has not been used in a threshold amount of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the indication includes one or more of a visual indication, a short message type indication, a service event indication, and a machine readable indication.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the sensor comprises at least one of an RFID sensor, a Bluetooth compatible sensor, a WiFi sensor, an environmental sensor and an accelerometer sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

a user can set a preference for when to be alerted when an item has not been used for a predetermined amount of time and after the set amount of time passes, the indication is generated to represent that the item has not been used for the predetermined amount of time.

6. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code used for analyzing and deducing criteria-related content for evaluation in a system capable of answering questions and comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for:

defining a predefined criteria relating to usage of the item, the item comprising a clothing item;

monitoring usage of the item based upon input provided by a sensor associated with the item, the sensor being included with a hanger, the hanger being associated with the clothing item; and,

generating an indication when the predefined criteria is detected, the sensor causes the hanger associated with the clothing item to present a visual indication, the visual indication causing a characteristic of the hanger to change.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor are further configured for:

the predefined criteria defines an amount of time that the item has not been used and the indication comprises an indication that the personal item has not been used in a threshold amount of time.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the indication includes one or more of a visual indication, a short message type indication, a service event indication, and a machine readable indication.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the sensor comprises at least one of an RFID sensor, a Bluetooth compatible sensor, a WiFi sensor, an environmental sensor and an accelerometer sensor.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein:

a user can set a preference for when to be alerted when an item has not been used for a predetermined amount of time and after the set amount of time passes, the indication is generated to represent that the item has not been used for the predetermined amount of time.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

defining a predefined criteria relating to usage of the item, the item comprising a clothing item;

monitoring usage of the item based upon input provided by a sensor associated with the item, the sensor being included with a hanger, the hanger being associated with the clothing item; and,

generating an indication when the predefined criteria is detected, the sensor causes the hanger associated with the clothing item to present a visual indication, the visual indication causing a characteristic of the hanger to change.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for:

the predefined criteria defines an amount of time that the item has not been used and the indication comprises an indication that the personal item has not been used in a threshold amount of time.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the indication includes one or more of a visual indication, a short message type indication, a service event indication, and a machine readable indication.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the sensor comprises at least one of an RFID sensor, a Bluetooth compatible sensor, a WiFi sensor, an environmental sensor and an accelerometer sensor.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

a user can set a preference for when to be alerted when an item has not been used for a predetermined amount of time and after the set amount of time passes, the indication is generated to represent that the item has not been used for the predetermined amount of time.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client system from a server system at a remote location.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a user on an on-demand basis.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2021
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: MAPLEBEAR INC.
Reel/Frame 055155/0943 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2015
From: DELUCA, LISA SEACAT
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036426/0857 →