Proximity alerting systems and methods

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting a breach of a proximity threshold associated with a first electronic device comprising a first electronic device configured to transmit a first wireless signal; and a second electronic device configured to: 1) measure a strength of the first wireless signal, 2) determine, based on the measured strength of the first wireless signal, a proximity of the second electronic device to the first electronic device, 3) instruct the first electronic device, via a second wireless signal, to subsequently transmit the first wireless signal at a predetermined interval corresponding with a proximity of the second electronic device to a proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device, and 4) measure a strength of the first wireless signal being transmitted at the predetermined interval to detect when the second electronic device breaches the proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for detecting a breach of a proximity threshold, the system comprising:
 a first electronic device configured to transmit a wireless signal; and   a second electronic device configured to:
 measure a strength of the wireless signal transmitted from the first electronic device, 
 determine, based on the measured strength of the wireless signal transmitted from the first electronic device, a proximity of the second electronic device to the first electronic device, instruct the first electronic device, via a wireless signal transmitted from the second electronic device, to transmit subsequent wireless signals from the first electronic device at a predetermined interval corresponding with a proximity of the second electronic device to a proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device, and measure a strength of the subsequent wireless signals being transmitted at the predetermined interval from the first electronic device to detect when the second electronic device breaches the proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device. 
   
     
     
         2 . A system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal transmitted by the first electronic device is an omnidirectional signal or a directional signal. 
     
     
         3 . A system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device includes a wearable electronic device including at least one of a locator watch, anklet, pendant, animal collar, or the like configured to be worn or carried by a person, animal or vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . A system as set forth in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the wireless signal transmitted by the first electronic device contains an identifier of the first electronic device, and   wherein the identifier provides information concerning the proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device.   
     
     
         5 . A system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device is configured to determine the proximity of the second electronic device to the first electronic device by comparing the measured strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the first electronic device to a transmission strength of the wireless signal from the first electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . A system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the proximity of the second electronic device to the proximity threshold is determined as the difference between the proximity threshold and the determined proximity of the second electronic device to the first electronic device. 
     
     
         7 . A system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device is further configured to instruct, via the wireless signal transmitted by the second wireless device, the first electronic device to transmit the subsequent wireless signals from the first electronic device at a predetermined transmission strength corresponding with the proximity of the second electronic device to a proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device. 
     
     
         8 . A method for detecting a breach of a proximity threshold, the method comprising:
 transmitting, with a first electronic device, a wireless signal;   measuring, with a second electronic device, a strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the first electronic device;   determining, based on the measured strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the first electronic device, a proximity of the second electronic device to the first electronic device;   instructing the first electronic device, via a wireless signal transmitted from the second electronic device, to transmit subsequent wireless signals from the first electronic device at a predetermined interval corresponding with a proximity of the second electronic device to a proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device; and   measuring, with the second electronic device, a strength of the subsequent wireless signals transmitted by the first electronic device to detect when the second electronic device breaches the proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device.   
     
     
         9 . A method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the wireless signal transmitted by the first electronic device is an omnidirectional signal or a directional signal. 
     
     
         10 . A method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the second electronic device includes a wearable electronic device including at least one of a locator watch, anklet, pendant, animal collar, or the like configured to be worn or carried by a person, animal, or vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . A method as set forth in  claim 8 ,
 wherein the wireless signal transmitted by the first electronic device contains an identifier of the first electronic device, and   wherein the identifier provides information concerning the proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device.   
     
     
         12 . A method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the step of determining includes comparing the measured strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the first electronic device to a transmission strength of the wireless signal from the first electronic device. 
     
     
         13 . A method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein in the step of instructing, the proximity of the second electronic device to the proximity threshold is determined as the difference between the proximity threshold and the determined proximity of the second electronic device to the first electronic device. 
     
     
         14 . A method as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the step of instructing further includes instructing the first electronic device to transmit the subsequent wireless signals at a predetermined transmission strength corresponding with the proximity of the second electronic device to a proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device.