h a l f b a k e r ySugar and spice and unfettered insensibility.
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On your way out your door, (late as usual) you suddenly realize you've forgotten your keys... no time for this "between the couch pillows" or "under the bed" searching, life is too short. Whip out your video-enabled cell-phone (or if you have more time than in this scenario, boot up your web-cam enabled
computer) and voila, highlighted on the video screen is the item you're looking for... in this case your keys.
Eventually, common day small items like shoes, ear-rings, watches even cats would come with this little electronic device that didn't just tell your computer or phone where it was located, but it's exact position and shape. Two sensors would be placed inside the object, most likely at separate ends that could tell the computer exactly how it was tilted, and which way it was facing.
But why? You ask... well how many times has it been night time and you have all the lights off and you can't find your remote? You don't want to get up and turn the lights on and start reaching elbow deep in gum and nickles to find it, so whip open your cell phone, point around the couch until you see a highlighted remote, and simply grab it with ease at the easiest place your fingers can reach!
Find One, Find All (FOFA)
http://www.findonefindall.com/
Another Halfbakery contributor,[BritUSA], recently reported that he had patented and marketed this item. It allows you to tie a number of articles (e.g., keys, wallet, cell phone, cat...up to 36 items) to the same network so that if you find any one article, you can locate the others. [jurist, Sep 09 2005]
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<Whistles>Beep, beep, beep</Whistles> |
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So what is it that the video screen actually shows? Does it tell give you a GPS image of the object's location? |
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a bit like those images of guns in suitcases, I imagine. |
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I think mine's broken, it's just showing me a picture of a pile of clothes. |
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[BritUSA]'s FOFA device isn't quite as sophisticated as the device proposed herein, but it seems a great deal more practical and economical, to boot. [link] |
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Thanks for the plug, Jurist (although we don't want to get into trouble here) The Patent also covers what we call 4th generation finders - that is where the finder circuits are built in to devices we commonly lose. A FOFA equipped Universal Remote Control is being produced this year. It can find your keys and be found by them. Boring yes, but practical. |
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Erm..... forgive me for my ignorance, but i don't seem to understand everyone's zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 's.
Whats boring about it? |
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Maybe it's boring because it is a real problem folks face everyday, and this solution does not have the off-beat aspect folks here are looking for. I did ask my Patent attorney about this site and he recommended (as moderators here have also recommended) that if you do have a viable invention, do NOT post it. It would NOT be ownable as "prior art" for you, in case you ever did want to market your invention. Jutta said it best, "I don't want to turn [the halfbakery] into a chat room for inventors" I respect that. |
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In the US, you still have a year after disclosing the invention to file for a patent. This is not true in most other countries, so you give up potential foreign rights when you make a public disclosure. |
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Yes, but if you disclose it here, you better have had it witnessed on paper first. Prior art from on-line content is still a bit risky, since it's authorship is difficult to prove. If someone reads your idea here, writes it down and signs it in front of a notary before you do, or worse, files for Patent, you could be sunk. I am in the US BTW |
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Oh for sure! And the halfbakery is particularly dicey, because you can go back and edit your words, keeping the same posting date. |
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What if I've lost my computer and my web cam? |
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[Blisterbob] Thats the usual customer objection. Our system uses the fact that while folks lose things, they rarely lose everything at once. As long as you can find one thing, you can find them all. Sadly, this was proven wrong in New Orleans of course. |
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