System and method for item self-assessment as being extant or displaced

摘要

A portable item reporting device (200) is configured to be attached to and in substantial collocation with a portable item (100), or to be integrated into a portable item (100). The device (200) includes environmental sensors (210) to monitor item location, movement, ambient light, sounds, temperature, etc. The device (200) is configured to store usage expectation data (600) indicative of historical and/or expected item usage and environments when the item (100) is in normal use/storage associated with an authorized user (AU). The device (200) monitors current environmental conditions (104) surrounding and pertaining to the item. If the current environment (104) is inconsistent with expected conditions (600), the device (200) assesses that the item (100) is displaced (503.0), meaning either that the item (100) is in abnormal use or abnormal storage, or is under the control of an unauthorized user (UU) who is other than the authorized user (AU). Based on the assessment the device initiates a signal (372) or message (374) to an authorized user (AU) of the item (100), indicating that the item (100) usage/storage is displaced (503.0) or otherwise anomalous (503.2).

主权项

1. A method for a device to self-assess a state of a portable item as being one of extant and displaced, the device configured for use when the device is in sustained collocation with the portable item, the method comprising:
storing in a memory of the device:
a detection context which comprises at least a date and time interval; andat least one item usage expectation which is associated with the detection context and which:
comprises at least a description of an environmental phenomena which an environmental sensor of the device is configured to detect, wherein said environmental phenomena is at least an expected location where the portable item is expected to be during the date and time interval of the associated detection context;is indicative of a first possible state of the portable item as being extant, wherein the portable item is subject to an expected environment which is associated with the detection context; andis indicative of a second possible state of the portable item as being displaced, wherein the portable item is subject to another environment, said another environment being other than the expected environment which is associated with the detection context;wherein the date and time interval and the associated expected location are locally stored at the portable item; obtaining, via the environmental sensor, usage data for the portable item, wherein the usage data is indicative of a substantially current environment of the portable item; comparing via a hardware processor of the device the usage data with the at least one item usage expectation; assessing by the hardware processor, via the comparing, whether the portable item is extant or displaced; and wherein in response to the assessment, at least, signaling an alert that the portable item is displaced upon detecting that the portable item is not located at the expected location during the associated date and time interval.