IP Library Granted Patent US 11,948,125
Granted Patent B2
US 11,948,125 · App. 16/519,436 · Granted Apr 2, 2024

Sensor-based object status determination

Inventors: Aaron John Klish (Savoy, IL); Jon Kilroy (Mahomet, IL); Emily Bernotas (Urbana, IL); Richard Pace (Champaign, IL); Kima Kheirolomoom (Urbana, IL)
Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
G06Q10/087G06F3/0482G06Q30/0633G07C1/10H04L12/2823H04W4/35H04W4/38H04W8/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,948,125
App. No.
16/519,436
Granted
Apr 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for determining statuses of objects using sensors are provided. For example, a first signal is received from a first device comprising a first sensor. The first signal is indicative of a first identifier associated with a first object that the first device is coupled to and/or one or more first properties detected by the first sensor. A first status associated with the first object is determined based upon the first identifier and/or the one or more first properties. In an example, a system comprises a first device coupled to a first object. The first device comprises a first sensor configured to detect one or more first properties of the first object. The first device comprises a first transmitter configured to transmit a first signal indicative of the one or more first properties and/or a first identifier associated with the first object.

Claims (66)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a first device comprising a first sensor, a first signal indicative of:

a first identifier associated with a first object to which the first device is coupled, and

one or more first properties, detected by the first sensor, corresponding to an acceleration associated with a first motion of the first object and a second acceleration associated with a second motion of the first object;

receiving a second signal indicative of at least one of an ambient light level of ambient light of a space within which the first object is located, a change of the ambient light level or the ambient light level meeting a threshold ambient light level;

determining, based upon the first identifier, the one or more first properties and at least one of the ambient light level, the change of the ambient light level or the ambient light level meeting the threshold ambient light level, a usage event associated with the first object, wherein the determining the usage event is based upon the acceleration associated with the first motion of the first object meeting a threshold acceleration level, wherein the second acceleration associated with the second motion of the first object is determined to not meet the threshold acceleration level; and

determining usage information, indicative of an amount of time that the first object is used, based upon the usage event and one or more other usage events associated with the first object, wherein the amount of time comprises an average amount of time that the first object is used per duration of time over a plurality of usage sessions.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a third signal indicative of one or more second properties corresponding to at least one of a weight associated with the first object or a pressure associated with the first object; and

determining a first status associated with the first object based upon the one or more second properties, wherein the determining the first status associated with the first object comprises:

determining an amount of product stored inside the first object based upon at least one of the weight associated with the first object or the pressure associated with the first object.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a third signal indicative of one or more second properties; and

determining a first status associated with the first object based upon the one or more second properties, wherein the determining the first status associated with the first object comprises:

determining an amount of product stored inside the first object based upon the one or more second properties.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first properties comprise at least one of a strain associated with the first object or a stress associated with the first object.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of time comprises the average amount of time that the first object is used over the plurality of usage sessions.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

comparing the amount of product with a threshold amount of product associated with the first object; and

storing an indication of the first object in a shopping list based upon a determination that the amount of product does not meet the threshold amount of product, wherein:

one or more objects indicated in the shopping list are associated with one or more amounts of product that do not meet one or more threshold amounts of product.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

controlling a graphical user interface of a client device to display the shopping list.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

analyzing, based upon one or more identifiers associated with the one or more objects, one or more shopping databases to identify one or more shopping items corresponding to the one or more objects; and

controlling a graphical user interface of a client device to display a shopping interface comprising an indication of the one or more shopping items and a selectable input corresponding to purchasing the one or more shopping items.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

identifying a shopping store based upon a location associated with the first object;

analyzing a plurality of shopping items associated with the shopping store to identify one or more shopping items corresponding to the one or more objects; and

controlling a graphical user interface of a client device to display an indication of the shopping store and the one or more shopping items.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the usage event associated with the first object is based upon the change of the ambient light level from an initial ambient light level below the threshold ambient light level to a second ambient light level above the threshold ambient light level, the method further comprising:

receiving a third signal indicative of at least one of a third ambient light level of ambient light of the space within which the first object is located, a change of the third ambient light level or the third ambient light level meeting the threshold ambient light level; and

determining, based upon the change of the ambient light level from the second ambient light level above the threshold ambient light level to the third ambient light level below the threshold ambient light level, a second usage event associated with the first object, wherein the second usage event is different than the usage event.

11. A system, comprising:

a first device coupled to a first object, the first device comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect one or more first properties of the first object comprising an acceleration of motion of the first device,

wherein the first device is configured to:

perform sensing to attempt to detect one or more client devices configured for reception of a signal indicative of the one or more first properties comprising the acceleration of motion of the first device;

determine that the acceleration of motion of the first device meets a threshold acceleration level;

determine at least one of an ambient light level of ambient light of a space within which the first object is located, a change of the ambient light level or the ambient light level meeting a threshold ambient light level;

generate a first signal based upon a combination of (i) an indication of at least one of the acceleration of motion of the device or the acceleration of the device meeting the threshold acceleration level, (ii) a first identifier associated with the first object and (iii) and at least one of the ambient light level, the change of the ambient light level or the ambient light level meeting the threshold ambient light level; and

store at a first time the first signal in memory of the first device upon not detecting one or more client devices configured for reception of the first signal; and

a first transmitter configured to transmit, to a client device, the first signal indicative of the combination of (i) the indication of at least one of the acceleration of motion of the device or the acceleration of the device meeting the threshold acceleration level and (ii) the first identifier associated with the first object upon detecting the client device at a second time after the first time, wherein the first device is powered by motion of the first device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more first properties correspond to at least one of a weight associated with the first object or a pressure associated with the first object.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more first properties correspond to at least one of motion of the first device, or an ambient light level.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first device is further powered by at least one of:

a battery;

a capacitor; or

fluctuations in ambient electromagnetic energy.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first device is attached to the first object using an adhesive.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the first object corresponds to a container comprising a product; and

the one or more first properties are indicative of an amount of product of the product.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the one or more first properties correspond to a level of a property associated with the first object; and

a usage event associated with the first object is determined based upon the level of the property associated with the first object meeting a threshold level of the property.

18. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that when executed cause performance of operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a first device comprising a first sensor, a first signal indicative of:

a first identifier associated with a first object to which the first device is coupled, and

one or more first properties, detected by the first sensor, corresponding to an acceleration associated with a first motion of the first object and a second acceleration associated with a second motion of the first object;

receiving a second signal indicative of at least one of an ambient light level of ambient light of a space within which the first object is located, a change of the ambient light level or the ambient light level meeting a threshold ambient light level; and

determining, based upon the first identifier, the one or more first properties and at least one of the ambient light level, the change of the ambient light level or the ambient light level meeting the threshold ambient light level, a first status associated with the first object, wherein the determining the first status is based upon the acceleration associated with the first object meeting a threshold acceleration level, wherein the second acceleration associated with the second motion of the first object is determined to not meet the threshold acceleration level, the first status indicative of an amount of time that the first object is used, wherein the amount of time comprises an average amount of time that the first object is used per duration of time over a plurality of usage sessions.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18 ,

wherein the determining the first status associated with the first object is based upon the change of the ambient light level from an initial ambient light level to a second ambient light level.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18 ,

wherein the determining the first status associated with the first object is based upon the ambient light level meeting the threshold ambient light level.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2021
From: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 057453/0431 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: OATH INC.
To: VERIZON MEDIA INC.
Reel/Frame 054258/0635 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2019
From: KLISH, AARON JOHN; KILROY, JON; BERNOTAS, EMILY; PACE, RICHARD; KHEIROLOMOOM, KIMA
To: OATH INC.
Reel/Frame 049833/0130 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210027237A1 · Jan 28, 2021