Processor-Based Learning of User-Specific Uses of Portable Items

Abstract

A portable item reporting device (PIRD) automatically learns a use of a portable item which is selected by an owner or authorized user of the portable item, where the PIRD is configured to be attached to and in substantial collocation with the selected portable item, or to be integrated into the portable item. The PIRD includes environmental monitors which monitor item location, item movement, and/or other environmental factors. The PIRD detects obtains and analyzes environmental data during usage of the portable item by the authorized user, or during user-designated storage of the portable item in a storage location. The PIRD further identifies and/or learns, based on the detected environmental data, one or more repeated patterns and/or context-determined patterns of usage or physical storage of the user's portable item. The PIRD then stores the past, learned pattern(s) of usage data as indicative of expected and/or normal, future use/storage by the authorized user of the portable item. In some embodiments, the PIRD includes linking elements to ensure that the PIRD remains attached to, and/or in substantial colocation with, a designated portable item of an owner or authorized user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic portable item reporting device (PIRD), comprising:
 an exterior casing which is configured for sustained physical attachment to or for sustained containment within any selected first portable item of a plurality of portable items which are under the ownership and/or authorized control of an owner or authorized user of the plurality of portable items, wherein each portable item of the plurality is a portable item suitable for holding in hand, carrying on-person, for in-pocket carriage, or for transport by manual pushing, pulling, or lifting by the owner or authorized user of the portable items;   a ring, tether, clasp, clip, clamp, or other link element (RTCCC-OLE) configured for establishing sustained coupling, in close physical proximity to and in substantial colocation with the first portable item during a first time interval of first portable item usage, or to be contained within the first portable item during the first time interval of first portable item usage, wherein: the PIRD may subsequently be removed from the close physical proximity with the first portable item and subsequently placed in close physical proximity with and sustained colocation with a different selected second portable item from among the plurality via the RTCCC-OLE, during any subsequent second time interval; and   a plurality of environmental sensors configured to obtain environmental data and to monitor an item usage of the first portable item, said sensors configured to identify at least one aspect of the ambient environment of the first portable item and at least one aspect of a personal usage by a current user of the portable item, wherein:
 (a) the current user comprises either the owner or authorized user of the portable item or a user of the portable item who is not the owner or authorized user; and 
 (b) said at least one aspect of personal usage comprises at least one of a usage data for a real-time usage of the first portable item by the current user; 
   a processor configured to determine, during the first time interval of first portable item usage, a pattern of item usage for the first portable item by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item based on the environmental data and the usage data detected by the plurality of environmental sensors when the first portable item is in personal usage by the owner or authorized user during the first time interval of first portable item usage; and   a non-volatile memory configured to store the pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item, wherein the stored pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user is suitable for automatically identifying when an item usage by any one current user of the first portable item is consistent with the stored pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user.   
     
     
         2 . The PIRD of  claim 1 , wherein the PIRD further comprises an item link integrity detection module configured to determine at least one of: (a) a link integrity of the first portable item with the PIRD via the RTCCC-OLE, or (b) whether the sustained state of colocation is maintained by the first portable item and the PIRD. 
     
     
         3 . The PIRD of  claim 1 , wherein said RTCCC-OLE is configured to identify a link integrity between the PIRD and the first portable item, wherein said link integrity comprises a sustained mechanical connection of the PIRD and the first portable item. 
     
     
         4 . The PIRD of  claim 3 , wherein said RTCCC-OLE comprises at least one of (a) an electrically conducting RTCCC-OLE or (b) an optically transmitting RTCCC-OLE, wherein:
 the PIRD is configured to determine whether the link integrity between the PIRD and first portable item is intact or broken by determining a change in electrical conductivity of the electrically conducting RTCCC-OLE or a change in the optical conductivity of the optically transmitting RTCCC-OLE.   
     
     
         5 . The PIRD of  claim 1 , further comprising the other link element and wherein:
 the other link element comprises a radio-frequency (RF) based detector, and   the PIRD is configured to determine whether the sustained state of colocation is maintained via detection by the RF-based detector of an RF signal from an RF-element of the first portable item.   
     
     
         6 . The PIRD of  claim 1 , further comprising the other link element and wherein the other link element comprises the exterior casing of the PIRD, wherein said exterior casing is small enough to permit the PIRD to be maintained within an interior compartment of the first portable item. 
     
     
         7 . The PIRD of  claim 1 , wherein the PIRD is configured in weight, size, and structure so that when structurally linked to the first portable item or contained within the first portable item, the PIRD and the first portable item together are suitable for holding in hand or for in-pocket carriage by woo the owner or authorized user of the first portable item. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a portable item reporting device (PIRD) causes the processor to execute a method comprising:
 during a first time period when said PIRD is, via a ring, tether, clasp, clip, clamp, or other link element (RTCCC-OLE) of the PIRD, configured for establishing sustained coupling, in close physical proximity to and in substantial colocation with, the first portable in sustained physical attachment to and/or a sustained physical colocation with any selected first portable item of a plurality of portable items which are associated with an owner or authorized user of the selected first portable item, obtaining during the first time period an environmental data for the first portable item and monitoring during the first time period a usage of the first portable item by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item, wherein: (a) the obtaining and the monitoring are performed via a plurality of environmental sensors of the PIRD, said sensors of the PIRD configured to identify at least one aspect of the ambient environment of the first portable item and at least one aspect of the portable item usage by the owner or authorized user; and (b) wherein each portable item of the plurality is a portable item suitable for holding in hand, carrying on-person, for in-pocket carriage, or for transport by manual pushing, pulling, or lifting by the owner or authorized user of the portable items;   determining a pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item via a processor of the PIRD, based on the environmental data and the usage data detected by the plurality of environmental sensors during the first time period; and   storing the pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item in a non-volatile memory of the PIRD, wherein the stored pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user is suitable for automatically identifying when an item usage by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item by a current user of the first portable item is consistent with the stored pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user;   wherein:   during a second time period which is disjoint from the first time period, the PIRD is configured to be no longer in sustained colocation with the first portable item, and during the second time period, via the RTCCC-OLE, to be attached to or in substantial colocation with a different, arbitrarily selected second portable item from among the plurality; and   the method further comprises:   determining and storing a second pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user for the second portable item for usage of the second portable item by the owner or authorized user during the second time period;   wherein the method determines and stores a plurality of different respective patterns of item usage by the same owner or authorized user for different respective portable items from among the plurality.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the PIRD is configured to be no longer in sustained colocation with the first portable item and the PIRD is subsequently contained within a different, arbitrarily selected second portable item from among the plurality; and   the method further comprises:   determining and storing a second pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user for a second personal item from among the plurality for a second training period when the PIRD is in sustained colocation with the second portable item via containment within the second portable item;   wherein the PIRD determines and stores a plurality of different respective patterns of item usage by the owner or authorized user by the owner or authorized user for different respective portable items from among the plurality.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the PIRD further comprises at least one of: (a) an exterior casing which is configured for the sustained containment within the first portable item, thereby linking the PIRD and the first portable item via the sustained colocation, and (b) a ring, tether, clasp, clip, clamp, or other link element (RTCCC-OLE) configured for establishing the sustained physical linkage between the PIRD and the first portable item; and   the method further comprises:   identifying a link integrity between the PIRD and the first portable item, wherein said link integrity comprises the physical attachment of the PIRD and the first portable item or the sustained colocation of the PIRD and the first portable item.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein:
 said RTCCC-OLE is an electrically conducting RTCCC-OLE or an optically transmitting RTCCC-OLE configured to detect the state of physical attachment linking the PIRD to the first portable item; and   the method further comprises:   determining via the processor whether the link integrity between the PIRD and first portable item is maintained via physical attachment to the first portable item.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the PIRD further comprises the other link element and wherein the other link element comprises a RF-based detector; and   the method further comprises:   determining via the processor whether the link integrity is maintained via detection by the RF-based detector of a RF signal from an RF-element of the first portable item.   
     
     
         13 . The PIRD of  claim 10 , wherein the PIRD further comprises an item link integrity detection module configured to determine at least one of: (a) a link integrity of the first portable item with the PIRD, or (b) whether the sustained state of colocation is maintained by the first portable item and the PIRD. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining the environmental data, determining the pattern of item usage, and storing the pattern of item usage for a plurality of passive portable items of the owner or authorized user, said passive items comprising portable items which have no in-built digital processing. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining the environmental data, determining the pattern of item usage, and storing the pattern of item usage for a plurality of active portable items of the owner or authorized user, said active items comprising portable items which have built-in digital processing but are not conventionally configured for identifying the one or more patterns of portable item usage by the current user based on the environmental data and the usage data. 
     
     
         16 . An electronic portable item reporting device (PIRD), comprising:
 a casing configured for maintaining sustained colocation to any selected first portable item of a plurality of portable items which are under the ownership and/or control of an owner or authorized user of the plurality of portable items, wherein each portable item of the plurality is a portable item suitable for holding in hand, for carrying on-person, for in-pocket carriage, or for manual transport by pushing, pulling, or lifting by the owner or authorized user of the portable items; and wherein:   (a) the casing includes a motherboard; and   (b) the PIRD is configured in weight, size, and structure so that when maintained in sustained colocation with the first portable item, the PIRD and first portable item in combination are suitable for holding in hand or for in-pocket carriage by the owner or authorized user of the portable items; and   the PIRD further comprises:   a plurality of environmental sensors configured to monitor at least one aspect of the ambient environment of the first portable item, and to monitor at least one aspect of a personal usage by the owner or authorized user during a first training period of time, wherein said at least one aspect of personal usage comprises usage data for a real-time usage of the first portable item by the owner or authorized user during the training period;   a processor configured to determine a pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item based on (a) an environmental data comprising a measure of the at least one aspect of the ambient environment and (b) the usage data comprising the identified at least one aspect of the item usage of the personal item by the owner or authorized user as detected by the plurality of environmental sensors, wherein:
 the processor is configured to identify the one or more recurring patterns of item usage by the owner or authorized user without the PIRD obtaining any confirmation via input, by the owner or authorized user once the first training period of time has commenced, of first portable item activity by the owner or authorized user; and without the PIRD obtaining any confirmation via input, by the owner or authorized user throughout the duration of the first training period, of first portable item activity by the owner or authorized user; and 
   a local non-volatile memory of the PIRD configured to store the pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item during the first training period of time, wherein the stored pattern of item is suitable for identifying when an item usage by a current user of the portable item, during a second period of time which is subsequent to the training period, is consistent with the stored pattern of item usage for the owner or authorized user.   
     
     
         17 . The PIRD of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the pattern of item usage without the PIRD requiring the confirmation by the owner or authorized user, via a pattern recognition algorithm which analyzes or interprets all item usage data for the portable item, as sensed by the environmental sensors of the PIRD for the first portable item during the training period of time, as representing normal, typical, or routine portable-item usage by the owner or authorized user. 
     
     
         18 . The PIRD of  claim 16 , further comprising a user interface, wherein the PIRD is configured to receive from the owner or authorized user, prior to the first training period of time, a context definition, wherein said context definition establishes at least one of: (a) a time and/or date for an expected usage of the first portable item by the owner or authorized user and (b) a location for an expected usage of the first portable item by the owner or authorized user during the first training period of time. 
     
     
         19 . The PIRD of  claim 16 , further comprising a user interface, wherein the PIRD is configured to receive from the owner or authorized user, prior to the first training period of time, an activity definition, wherein:
 said activity definition establishes a type of personal activity expected to be performed by the owner or authorized user during the first training period of time, and   the one or more determined, recurring patterns of item usage by the owner or authorized user are associated with a user activity conforming to the activity definition.   
     
     
         20 . The PIRD of  claim 16 , further comprising a user interface, wherein the PIRD is configured to present to the owner or authorized user, subsequent to the first training period, a user interface to modify the stored pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user. 
     
     
         21 . The PIRD of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the plurality of portable items of the owner or authorized user comprises a plurality of passive portable items of the owner or authorized user, said passive items comprising portable items which have no in-built digital processing.   
     
     
         22 . The PIRD of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the plurality of portable items of the owner or authorized user comprises a plurality of active portable items of the owner or authorized user, said active items comprising portable items which have built-in digital processing but are not conventionally configured for identifying the one or more patterns of portable item usage by the current user based on the environmental data and the usage data.   
     
     
         23 . A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a portable item reporting device (PIRD), causes the processor to execute a method, the method comprising:
 monitoring, via a plurality of environmental sensors of the PIRD, an item usage by the owner or authorized user of a portable item during a first training period of time when the portable item is physically attached to the PIRD, or when the PIRD is embedded within the portable item, or when the portable item is maintained in sustained colocation with the PIRD, wherein: (a) each portable item of the plurality is a portable item suitable for holding in hand, carrying on-person, for in-pocket carriage, or for manual transport by pushing, pulling, or lifting by the owner or authorized user of the portable items, and (b) the environmental sensors of the PIRD detect during the training period of time at least one aspect of the ambient environment of the portable item, and the environmental sensors of the PIRD detect at least one aspect of an item usage by the owner or authorized user during the training period of time; and   determining via the processor of the PIRD a pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item based on (a) an environmental data comprising a measure of the at least one aspect of the ambient environment, and (b) a usage data comprising a data which identifies the at least one aspect of the item usage by the owner or authorized user, as detected by the plurality of environmental sensors, during the first training period of time, wherein:
 one or more recurring patterns of item usage by the owner or authorized user are identified by the processor without the PIRD obtaining any confirmation via input, by the owner or authorized user once the first training period of time has commenced, of first portable item activity by the owner or authorized user; and without the PIRD obtaining any confirmation via input, by the owner or authorized user throughout the duration of the first training period, of first portable item activity by the owner or authorized user; and 
   storing in a local non-volatile memory of the PIRD the determined pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user of the first portable item during the first training period of time, wherein the stored pattern of item usage for the portable item by the owner or authorized user is suitable for identifying when, during a second period of time which is subsequent to the first training period of time, an item usage by a current user of the portable item is consistent with the stored pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the step of determining via the processor the pattern of item usage by the owner or authorized user without the PIRD obtaining active user input confirmation comprises:
 the processor determining the pattern via a pattern recognition algorithm which analyzes or which interprets all item usage data for the portable item as sensed by the PIRD for the first portable item during the training period as representing normal, typical, or routine portable item usage by the owner or authorized user.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the method further comprises receiving from the owner or authorized user prior to the first training period, via a user interface of the PIRD, a context definition, wherein said context definition establishes at least one of: (a) a time and/or a date for an expected usage of the first portable item and (b) a location for an expected usage of the first portable item during the first training period. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the method further comprises receiving from the owner or authorized user prior to the first training period, via a user interface of the PIRD, an activity definition, wherein: (a) said activity definition establishes a type of personal activity expected to be performed by the owner or authorized user during the first training period of time, and (b) the one or more determined, recurring patterns of item usage by the owner or authorized user are associated with a user activity conforming to the activity definition. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the steps of monitoring, determining, and storing comprise monitoring a passive portable item of the owner or authorized user, said passive portable item comprising a portable item which has no in-built digital processing. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the steps of monitoring, determining, and storing comprise monitoring an active portable item of the owner or authorized user entirely via the processor and the environmental sensors of the PIRD, said active item comprising a portable item which has at least one of built-in digital processing or built-in sensors but is not conventionally configured for identifying the one or more patterns of portable item usage by the current user based on the environmental data and the usage data. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the steps of monitoring, determining, and storing comprise monitoring an active portable item of the owner or authorized user, wherein:
 said active item comprises a portable item which has internal electronics comprising at least one of built-in digital processing or built-in sensors but is not conventionally configured for identifying the one or more patterns of portable item usage by the current user based on the environmental data and the usage data,   said active item and said PIRD are configured to share digital data via one or more buses and/or one or more local data links;   and;   the steps of monitoring, determining and storing comprise digital processing steps which are shared and/or distributed between the PIRD and the active item.