Oh, patents! Chipolo tracking tags

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The rainbow-colored palette of Chipolo tracking tags is designed to assist you in finding, and prevent you from losing, valuable items, such as your keys, your cell phone or your bike! 

Embodying tracking technology such as that which is disclosed in the patent application US2010283600, Chipolo tracking tags consist of small, energy efficient, Bluetooth-enabled, lithium cell CR battery-operated tags, containing a small microprocessor and a program that executes inside the tags.  

Once you have downloaded the proprietary Chipolo app to your mobile phone, your Chipolo tag will sync with it, and you will always be able to track the whereabouts of your tagged items. For example, all you will need to do if you misplaced your keys is to ring them, tapping on the Chipolo tag icon appearing on the Chipolo app.

If your tagged valuable is out of Bluetooth range then you can tap into the community of Chipolo tag users, using crowd GPS functionalities, to see if your item will sync with someone else’s Chipolo app, so that you can see where your tagged belonging is located.

And if it is your mobile phone that is missing, you can use any Chipolo tag that you own to make your mobile phone ring, even if it is turned off! All you have to do is shake your Chipolo tag.

Considering Tiles and Trackr tracking tags…here's what's different....!

Beyond the vibrantly colored design, Chipolo uggests you shake your Chipolo tag in front of the Chipolo app, as soon as you find a tagged misplaced valuable using the  Chipolo tracking system… This will generate a selfie that you can add to the community Hall of Finders, using the hashtag #ChipoloSelfie, and it will no doubt capture your 'appiness! 

The Chipolo app also offers to find your mobile programmable devices without purchasing a Chipolo tag! Just download to your devices, and tap to ring your missing tablet or mobile phone! 

References
Chipolo
https://chipolo.net/
Tiles
https://www.thetileapp.com
Trackr
https://www.thetrackr.com/

Oh, patents! The Trackr tracking tags

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

If you thought that tracking tag Tiles were your only embodied option for such tracking technology as that which is disclosed in US2010283600, designed for preventing the loss of your most valuable possessions, then surf some more! 

There are more than one --even two or three - small, low-energy, Bluetooth-enabled tracker tags with built-in microprocessors, a lithium cell CR battery and an executable application that periodically synchs with your cell phone, available to assist you in locating your glasses, your keys, your purse or wallet!   

 

ITRW [In The Real World] then, consider for example the Trackr, a tracking tag made of stainless steel that comes in various colors, and most importantly in various forms such as sticker pucks, key rings or an ultra thin wallet option, enabling you to tag the indispensable objects of your everyday life such as your glasses, your purse or wallet, your keys or your pooch, so that you may retrieve them and ultimately avoid ever losing them again!

The Trackr tag (called Trackr Bravo), the Trackr Wallet, the Trackr key ring or The Trackr tag sticker all synch with a proprietary Trackr app downloaded to your Iphone or other mobile programmable devices. In turn, you will be able to call all your tagged valuables displayed as icons on your cell phone app, and thus locate them.

Similarly, in the event that it is your iPhone, or other mobile  programmable device, that is misplaced you can then press any Trakr tag you own to make your Iphone or other programmable device beep lourdly at 90 dB, even if your cell phone sound is off and the device is turned off!. 

And finally, if you still cannot find your possessions because they are out of Bluetooth range, you can always tap into the network of Trackr tech users to see if your lost item can synch to another Trackr app, and thus show you its whereabouts using crowd GPS functionalities!

So what's the Trackr difference? Trackr Bravo is made of stainless steel where other tracking tags are made of plastic. The battery inside Trackr tags can be changed, at minimal cost. And the Trackr design comes in several slick variations: as a sticker puck, a keyring, an ultra thin wallet tag and as a a super Atlas Trackr that plugs into an outlet, thus enabling you to track all the tagged items in your house! 

Reference

Trackr
https://www.thetrackr.com/
Tiles
https://www.thetileapp.com

Oh, patents! GRUSH – A gaming toothbrush for kids!

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

You are going to steal your kid’s GRUSH! This is a Bluetooth®--enabled (no pun intended), motion-sensing toothbrush, that enables kids to visualize the effectiveness of brushing their teeth using interactive games that coach them into brushing in all the right places, for the right amount of time, and at the right time, twice every day! Additionally, for very thorough parenting styles.. the GRUSH app also gives parents a full dashboard report of their children's teeth brushing activity using a GRUSH score of brushing consistency and technique…!

Kids can see how they brush on the small animated screen of a Bluetooth-connected device such as a tablette or smartphone, and are coached to brush “30 seconds for every quadrant, with proper brush angle towards the gumline” all within the context of an interactive game where “every stroke is counted and rewarded”! Monster Chase, Toothy Orchestra and Brush a Pet are the three games that provide the interactive coaching and feedback for brushing.

The patent application US 2003001787 titled Toothbrush with electronic game apparatus recites this invention in broken English. In addition to the standard Bluetooth®-, motion sensing, connected toothbrush (manual or electric) and the apps for the interactive game, there are provisions in the patent for communication among family member toothbrushes! So, at some point in the future, you may no longer have to steal your kid’s GRUSH for the GRUSH experience of interactive brushing feedback on screen!

A pediatric dentist on staff at GRUSH appears to have endorsed this invention, claiming that it is sure to motivate kids to brush their teeth. Although admittedly, your kid will be the judge!  Otherwise, in its manually-operated version, the GRUSH will certainly have to compete with all the electric toothbrushes for kids, already on the market. Equipped with highly patented pulsating, oscillating and/or rotating tufts (e.g.; US 20120227201) designed to remove plaque and clean teeth in ways that exceed what can be achieved with manual brushing, electric toothbrushes have already accumulated irrefutable data (e.g.; Klukowska et al. 2009; Bartizek and Biesbrock 2002). Additionally, the use of a rotary or rotary-oscillating electric toothbrush with proactive manual rotary or vertical strokes appears counterproductive (US2014230169, [0002]), so the GRUSH motion-sensing and coaching for manual brushing would have to be re-programmed for an electric version of the GRUSH to prevent the use of counterproductive manual techniques with an electric toothbrush.

Below you will find the stylistically wanting abstract for US 2003001787 titled Toothbrush with electronic game apparatus, and a patent figure. And above an image of the “soon to be ” marketed product! You can pre-order here (for 59$). The GRUSH will ship sometime during Q1 2015. The GRUSH is designed for kids as young as three.

“Toothbrush with electronic-game apparatus”, as its alias “gamebrush”, has an electronic-gamer combined and turns boring daily tooth-cleaning into charming electronic-games. The toothbrush can detect what time user brush his teeth and for how long, it requests user do tooth-cleaning upon a regular daily timetable, morning and evening, twice a day. A good oral-care habit is the key factor for user to win in the electronic-game. The game model can be vast of kinds. Thetoothbrush use charming games to “bind” user with a regular daily timetable of tooth-cleaning. It encourages those people without good oral-care habit, especially kids and youngster, brush their teeth regularly. At the meantime, tooth-cleaning history records can be stored in the electronic-game IC chip, so user can check this history record. An advanced model of this toothbrush can communicate with each other and invert its game into multi-player model, another advanced model of this invention allows these toothbrush can speak with each other by voice, for example in a family pack son's toothbrush can speak with dad's toothbrushby voice, just like conversations between real family members. To contact inventor for licensing or other opportunities, please send email to: bizants_jeff@hotmail.com

References

• Bartizek, R. D. & A. R. Biesbrock (2002) Dental plaque removal efficacy of a battery-powered toothbrush vs. a control Japanese manual toothbrush. Am. J. Dent. Sept, 15, Spec. No 33A-36A.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12512990  
• Grush, Inc Gaming Toothbrush: http://www.grushgamer.com/
• Klukowska, M.A., Timm, H., Grender, J.,  Rooney, J., and A, Biesbrock (2009) Plaque removal by battery-powered toothbrush and manual toothbrush. Research presented at the 87^th session of the IADR (Indian Academy of Restorative Dentistry), April 1-14, 2009, in Miami, FL. http://www.dentalcare.com/media/en-US/research_db/pdf/Page31_2580.pdf
• Merchant, P. Dr. (DDS) https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/grush-the-gaming-toothbrush-for-kids  
• US2014230169 Brush Section For An Electric Toothbrush  http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/description?CC=US&NR=2014230169A1&KC=A1&FT=D&ND=3&date=20140821&DB=worldwide.espacenet.com&locale=en_EP
• US 20120227201 Electric toothbrush head https://www.google.com/patents/US20120227201?dq=US2012227201&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kO3WVMeWE4PxoASkgIEo&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA