Holder for a user identification badge and an associated method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11482135-B2
Application number	US-202117302292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2021
Priority date	Sep 22, 2017
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

A badge holding system, a holder for a user identification badge and an associated method are provided in order to provide an alert in response to the identification of one or more objects proximate the holder of the badge holding system. In relation to a holder, the holder includes a housing to receive and hold the user identification badge and a controller carried by the housing. The holder also includes a proximity identification system carried by the housing to identify one or more objects proximate the holder. The proximity identification system also provides information to the controller regarding the one or more objects that have been identified. The holder further includes an alerting output device carried by the housing and responsive to the controller. The alerting output device provides an alert in response to identification of one or more objects proximate the holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for a user identification badge, the holder comprising:
a housing configured to receive and hold the user identification badge, wherein the housing defines an internal cavity and a slot in the housing providing access to the internal cavity, and wherein the user identification badge is received into the internal cavity through the slot in the housing;
a controller carried by the housing, wherein the controller is configured to receive an indication of an identification of a user associated with the user identification badge from the user identification badge received into the internal cavity defined by the housing; and
an alerting output device carried by the housing configured to provide an alert in response to the controller identifying an emergency condition, wherein the emergency condition comprises a condition satisfying a predefined threshold,
wherein the predefined threshold is user-specific and determined based on the identification of the user associated with the user identification badge, and
wherein the emergency condition comprises a medical emergency, wherein the alert comprises an indication of the medical emergency and medical information associated with the user.

2. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the alert further comprises a location of the holder.

3. The holder of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor carried by the housing, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an identification of a user associated with the user identification badge and provide the indication of the identification of the user to the controller.

4. The holder of claim 3 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a bar code reader, quick response (QR) code reader, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, and wherein the sensor is configured to read at least one of a barcode, QR code, or RFID code from the user identification badge in response to the user identification badge being received within the housing.

5. The holder according to claim 1 , wherein the holder for the user identification badge is configured to provide user-specific functionality based on the identification of the user.

6. The holder according to claim 5 , wherein the user-specific functionality is further based on a role served by the user identified based on the user identification badge.

7. The holder according to claim 1 , wherein the alerting output device comprises one or more of the following: one or more lights configured to provide a visual alert, one or more speakers configured to provide an audible alert, or a vibration source configured to provide a vibratory alert.

8. A method of operating a holder for a user identification badge comprising:
receiving a user identification badge within an internal cavity of a housing of the holder;
receiving, at a controller of the holder, an indication of an identification of a user associated with the user identification badge from the user identification badge received into the internal cavity of the housing of the holder;
identifying a predefined threshold based on the identification of the user; and
providing an alert from an alerting output device carried by the holder in response to the controller identifying an emergency condition, wherein the emergency condition comprises a condition satisfying the predefined threshold,
wherein the emergency condition comprises a medical emergency, wherein the alert comprises an indication of the medical emergency and medical information associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the alert further comprises a location of the holder.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
detecting, by a sensor, an identification of a user associated with the user identification badge; and
providing the indication of the identification of the user to the controller.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a bar code reader, quick response (QR) code reader, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, and wherein detecting, by the sensor, an identification of the user associated with the user identification badge comprises reading, with the sensor, at least one of a barcode, QR code, or RFID code from the user identification badge in response to the user identification badge being received within the housing.

12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: providing, by the controller, user-specific functionality to the holder based on the identification of the user.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user-specific functionality is further based on a role served by the user identified based on the user identification badge.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the alerting output device comprises one or more of the following: one or more lights configured to provide a visible alert, one or more speakers configured to provide an audible alert or a vibration source configured to provide a vibratory alert.

15. A badge holding system comprising:
a user identification badge; and
a holder comprising:
a housing configured to receive and hold the user identification badge, wherein the housing defines an internal cavity and a slot in the housing providing access to the internal cavity, and wherein the user identification badge is received into the internal cavity through the slot in the housing;
a sensor carried by the housing;
a controller carried by the housing,
wherein the controller is configured to receive an indication from the sensor of an identification of a user associated with the user identification badge from the user identification badge received into the internal cavity defined by the housing, wherein the controller is configured to identify an emergency condition; and
an alerting output device carried by the housing and responsive to the controller, wherein the alerting output device is configured to provide an alert in response to the controller identifying the emergency condition, wherein the emergency condition comprises a condition satisfying a predefined threshold, and wherein the predefined threshold is user-specific and determined based on the identification of the user.

16. The badge holding system of claim 15 , wherein the holder for the user identification badge is configured to provide user-specific functionality based on the identification of the user.

17. The badge holding system of claim 16 , wherein the user-specific functionality is further based on a role served by the user identified based on the user identification badge.

18. The badge holding system of claim 15 , wherein the alert further comprises a location of the holder.

19. The badge holding system of claim 15 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a bar code reader, quick response (QR) code reader, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, and wherein the sensor is configured to read at least one of a barcode, QR code, or RFID code from the user identification badge in response to the user identification badge being received within the housing.

20. The badge holding system of claim 15 , wherein the holder further comprises: a wireless transmitter carried by the housing, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the emergency condition.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Harkness William
• Murray Cynthia Dawn

Classifications

• G08B7/06

  using electric transmission {, e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources} · CPC title

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G09F3/18

  Casings, frames or enclosures for labels · CPC title

• G09F3/207 Primary

  in the form of a badge to be worn by a person · CPC title

• G06K7/10009

  sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves · CPC title