Alarm and geolocation system for simulated watch

Abstract

The invention relates to an alarm and geolocation system (100) for simulating a watch, comprising an alarm device (10) comprising a short-range communication module (21), a processor (20) and an energy storage device (24) mounted in a support and housing element (11) permanently fixable to the watch, and a reference device (30) having a short-range communication module, the short-range communication module of the reference device is configured to communicate with the short-range communication module (21) of the alarm device (10), and wherein the processor (20) is programmed to calculate a distance (D) between the alarm device (10) and the reference device (30) based at least on one parameter of the signal transmitted by the short-range communication module of the alarm device, and the state of the alarm device (10) is switched according to the change of the distance (D).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an alarm and geolocation system for a watch, in particular an analog watch. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system comprising an alarm device manufactured in such a way as to be permanently attached to an analog watch without altering its aesthetics, functionality and reliability.

[0002] The system of the present invention has particular application in the luxury watch industry. Background Art

[0003] The use of “luxury” watches, i.e. watches with an economic value of tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros for the rarest and most valuable models, has continued to grow in recent years.

[0004] Although these pieces are considered “collectors’ items,” their owners still wear them on a daily basis, not just on special occasions.

[0005] However, recently, with the increasing number of cases of losing these valuables due to pickpocketing, snatching or theft, watch owners are wearing them less frequently, preferring to store them in a safe, such as a safe or a safe.

[0006] The spread of this phenomenon is also confirmed by the conditions of the policies adopted by insurance companies to cover such items. Usually, these policies only guarantee the value of the watch if it is kept in a safe, thus excluding any compensation for theft while the watch is worn.

[0007] In this case, it is therefore necessary to provide a device or system that can notify one or more relevant parties of the potential theft of the watch by the person wearing the watch in real time or with limited delay, and monitor the geographic location of the item to make it possible to recover the watch.

[0008] In the prior art, there are a variety of known anti-theft devices that are configured to control the distance between an item to be protected and another electronic device (such as a smartphone, tablet, or the like) typically carried by the owner of the item, or the anti-theft device itself. These devices are also configured to generate an alarm when the distance exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0009] Some known anti-theft devices are also configured to geolocate stolen items.

[0010] Examples of these prior art anti-theft devices are described in US10643441B1, CN112566031A, US20210256169A1 and CN104809839B.

[0011] However, for different reasons, such devices are not suitable for use as anti-theft devices for luxury watches.

[0012] In fact, to control the distance between the object to be secured and the reference device, some of the aforementioned anti-theft devices use radio signals exchanged between the aforementioned reference device and a communication module integrated in the object to be secured.

[0013] As is known to all, since almost all luxury watches are of analog type, more precisely mechanical type, ie without any electronic components, it is obvious that this type of anti-theft device cannot be used.

[0014] Alternatively, other known anti-theft devices consist of attaching or fixing a component to the object to be protected, or integrating it into the object to be protected, said component comprising a plurality of electronic components (communication module, accelerometer, GPS, etc.) which enable the movement of the object, its distance from a reference device and / or its position to be detected.

[0015] It will be appreciated that these prior art devices, when attached externally to a watch, even if they are removable, have an undeniable negative impact on the appearance of such an article.

[0016] On the other hand, considering that the economic value of these items is greatly linked to their reliability, it is inconceivable to consider irreversibly modifying the structure of a watch in order to be able to incorporate the elements of the anti-theft device described above. Summary of the Invention

[0017] In this context, the object of the present invention is to propose an alarm and geolocation system for a watch, in particular an analog watch, which overcomes the aforementioned limitations of the prior art.

[0018] In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide an alarm and geolocation system for an analog watch that does not require any aesthetic or functional modification of the watch, thus preserving its reliability.

[0019] In more detail, the object of the present invention is to provide a system capable of detecting a potential theft of a watch from the person wearing the watch and generating an alarm which is notified to the various parties concerned.

[0020] The invention also aims to provide a system comprising an alarm device permanently fixed to a watch capable both of detecting the relative position with respect to a reference device and of tracking its global geographical location.

[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide a system including an alarm device that is completely hidden from view, or is integrated, or cannot be detected and fraudulently removed.

[0022] These and other objects are achieved by an alarm and geo-positioning system for a watch, in particular an analog watch, in accordance with claim 1 .

[0023] The objects of the invention are also achieved by an alarm device in accordance with claim 13 that can be attached to a watch, in particular an analog watch.

[0024] In more detail, according to the invention, the system comprises at least one alarm device attachable to a watch and at least one reference device. According to some variants of the invention, as will be described in detail below, the system may also comprise a remote processing and storage unit and optionally one or more authorized electronic devices and one or more enabled portable electronic devices.

[0025] According to the present invention, the alarm device at least comprises:

[0026] a) A short-range communication module equipped with an antenna;

[0027] b) a processor connected to the short-range communication module; and

[0028] c) Energy storage devices;

[0029] d) At least one supporting and containing element.

[0030] The short-range communication module, processor, energy storage device, and any other components of the alarm device provided for certain variations are mounted in the at least one support and containment element.

[0031] According to the invention, the support and housing element is equipped with connection means allowing it to be permanently fixed to the watch.

[0032] Advantageously, according to the invention, the support and housing element is constructed in such a way that it can be attached instead of a crown, a clasp, a link of a bracelet or, according to a preferred variant, a fixing pin of a watch bracelet.

[0033] In the last case, ie with the support and housing element in the form of a pin, in addition to being quick and easy to disassemble and reassemble, there is no risk of damaging the watch, it being a component completely hidden from view.

[0034] Thus, with this configuration, it is possible to integrate the aforementioned alarm device into a watch even of the analogue / mechanical type without any relevant modifications and while maintaining its reliability.

[0035] Moreover, this operation is completely reversible, since the support and housing elements can be removed at any time and replaced with the watch's original pins.

[0036] According to other embodiments, the support and housing elements may be added or, more typically, may replace the corresponding parts (crown, bracelet, clasp). In these cases, since these parts are visible, it is sufficient to use replacement elements of a shape and size corresponding formally to the parts of the watch and made of the same or equivalent material.

[0037] Likewise, in these cases, components can be removed and replaced easily and in a fully reversible manner, preserving the full value of the watch.

[0038] According to the invention, the alarm device can comprise even more than one housing element, wherein each of these elements houses a specific component of the device, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0039] According to the invention, the reference device comprises a short-range communication module configured to exchange signals and / or data with the short-range communication module of the alarm device.

[0040] The reference device is usually wearable or portable. Usually, the reference device is carried by the person wearing the watch and more usually (as will be explained in more detail below) must be kept at a certain distance from the watch.

[0041] According to some variants of the invention, the device is in the form of a "tag", i.e., it comprises a housing of small dimensions (with a maximum length / width / height ranging from a few millimeters to 3-4 cm) that can be kept in a pocket or fixed to keys, a belt, a bag or any other item typically carried by a person.

[0042] According to other variations of the present invention, the reference device may be included in or integrated into a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, a tablet, a smartwatch, or more generally, the device includes at least one short-range communication module (such as Bluetooth, etc.).

[0043] In more detail, according to the present invention, the short-range communication module of the reference device is configured to send a control signal containing at least a unique identifier of the alarm device. Said signal is usually sent in a broadcasting manner.

[0044] The short-range communication module of the alarm device is correspondingly configured to receive the control signal continuously or at predetermined time intervals.

[0045] As will be explained in more detail below, the control signal is used to calculate the distance between the alarm device - and therefore the watch to which it is attached - and a reference device (ie, for example, the person wearing the watch).

[0046] The unique identifier contained in the control signal transmitted by the reference device enables the alarm device to identify the control signal against any other signals transmitted by other devices in the vicinity.

[0047] According to a preferred variant, the short-range communication module of the reference device and the short-range communication module of the alarm device are configured to exchange respective signals in beacon frame mode (ie comprising beacon frames).

[0048] According to another aspect of the present invention, the short-range communication module of the alarm device may include a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) module. This configuration minimizes energy consumption and makes it possible to use a very small energy storage device that is compatible with the size of the above-mentioned support and housing elements.

[0049] In order to further reduce energy consumption, the short-range communication module of the alarm device can be controlled by the processor to operate in an on / off mode, that is, in period T1 off The module is placed in a deactivated state ("sleep mode") and in period T1 on Put the module into a short active state, where T1 off >>T1 on .

[0050] In the activation period T1 on In the embodiment of the present invention, the processor analyzes the data packets received in the broadcast mode and verifies the presence of at least one packet with the expected unique identifier.

[0051] After identifying the signal from the reference device, the processor is programmed to calculate the distance between the alarm device and the reference device based on at least one physical parameter of the signal. According to a typical embodiment, the parameter is the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the signal.

[0052] Based on the parameter, the processor is further programmed to determine the state of the alarm device between a quiet state when the calculated distance between the alarm device and the reference device is below a predetermined threshold and an alarm or warning state when the distance is above the predetermined threshold.

[0053] This limit distance is usually lower than the standard range of the signal of the short-range communication module.In this way, the lack of a signal containing a unique identifier is also interpreted as a distance above the threshold distance.

[0054] Therefore, when a watch with an alarm device is moved too far from the reference device, for example, if the watch is removed or stolen from the person wearing it, the processor of the alarm device no longer receives the control signal containing the unique identifier, detects the event and generates an alarm or warning state.

[0055] Depending on the configuration of different variants of the system and alarm device described below, the detection of such an alarm or pre-alarm state enables interested and authorized parties to be notified of the event.

[0056] The authorized parties may include, for example, the person wearing the watch, the owner (who may not be the person wearing the watch), an insurance company, etc.

[0057] Furthermore, as will be explained below, the system of the invention enables the aforementioned authorized parties to receive information relating to the geographical location of the alarm device - and thus of the watch.

[0058] According to one aspect of the present invention, as described above, the system further comprises a remote processing and storage unit connected to the Internet (hereinafter referred to as the "remote unit"). The remote unit is typically a cloud platform, or more generally, a distributed processing environment, which allows users to access and use information resources, such as processing power, storage space, and networks, via the Internet.

[0059] According to the present invention, the remote unit is configured to receive from the alarm device, or as will be explained below, from another enabled device, information related to the alarm or warning status of a specific alarm device (identified by a control signal containing a unique identifier), and preferably, information related to the geographical location of the alarm device.

[0060] The remote unit is further configured to transmit the aforementioned information regarding the status of the device and its geographic location to one or more authorized electronic devices.

[0061] According to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the alarm device further comprises a telecommunication module and a GPS module, said modules also being mounted in said support and housing element (or in a plurality of support and housing elements if there is more than one of these modules).

[0062] The remote communication module is connected to the processor and is configured to access the geographic network (WAN) and thereby connect to the Internet to exchange data with the remote unit.

[0063] The telecommunication module is preferably of a low energy consumption type, such as LoraWan, SIGFOX, NB-IoT or equivalent.

[0064] Furthermore, in order to reduce energy consumption, the system is preferably configured to keep the remote communication module in a normally deactivated state in a silent state of the alarm device, and activate the remote communication module only in a pre-alarm or alarm state.

[0065] Thus, according to this variant, when the processor detects, by analyzing the control signal or in the absence of such a control signal, that the distance to the reference device is greater than a threshold distance, the processor can put said device into an alert state in which the remote communication module is activated.

[0066] The alarm device transmits a signal to the remote unit via the remote communication module, the signal including at least a unique identifier of the alarm device and information regarding the change in status from quiet to alert.

[0067] The remote unit is correspondingly configured to send a request to confirm the alarm state or a request to cancel the pre-alarm state to at least one authorized electronic device.

[0068] The authorized electronic device is usually connected to the Internet to communicate with the remote unit. The authorized electronic device may include, for example, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a computer, etc.

[0069] Typically, these authorized devices are equipped with programs or applications that allow exchanging information with the remote unit. However, information can also be sent from the remote unit to the authorized devices via email, SMS, etc.

[0070] Upon receiving a request, the authorized party can cancel the alarm state, for example when the person wearing or holding the watch moves further away intentionally or unintentionally, or can confirm the alarm state, for example in case of theft (snatching, robbery, etc.) or if the watch is lost.

[0071] A signal containing the authorized object's response (cancellation or confirmation) is sent from the authorized device to the remote unit, which then forwards it to the alarm device via the Internet.

[0072] If the authorized party cancels the pre-alarm state, the processor switches the state of the alarm device from alarm to silent.

[0073] According to one embodiment, after canceling the warning state, the processor can be configured to prohibit or suspend the analysis of the control signal for a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc.), or delay further switching to the warning state for a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc.), which also applies when the calculated distance between the alarm device and the reference device is still higher than a predetermined threshold.

[0074] In this way, the wearer or owner of the watch can move the reference device closer to the watch and vice versa.

[0075] Alternatively, if the authorized party confirms the alert state, the processor switches the state of the alarm device from alert to alarm.

[0076] In this state, the processor also activates the GPS module and sends a signal to the remote unit via the telecommunication module, the signal containing at least information about the geographical location (geographic coordinates) of the alarm device and information about the unique identifier of the alarm system.

[0077] This information is forwarded by the remote unit to the authorized device.

[0078] Still in order to limit energy consumption, the time at which the GPS module switches on and sends data to the remote unit can be specified at fixed intervals. These intervals are established based on the type of support and housing element, ie based on the capacity of the storage means installed in said element.

[0079] However, according to one variation of the invention, the alarm device has only two states - silent and alarm.

[0080] In this variant, when the processor detects, through analysis of the control signal, that the distance to the reference device is higher than a threshold distance, it puts the device directly into an alarm state, activating the remote module and the GPS module.

[0081] In this case, the signal sent to the remote unit contains at least the unique identifier of the alarm device and at least information regarding the change in state from quiet to alarm and the geographical location of the alarm device.

[0082] As described above, the information is then transmitted from the remote unit to the authorized device.

[0083] Thanks to the system according to the invention, it is possible to detect in almost real time the loss or possible theft of a watch from the person wearing it, to notify one or more authorized parties of said event and to send them the geographical location information of the watch for possible recovery.

[0084] In particular, when the watch is not worn by a person but is kept at a specific location, such as when the watch is kept at home or stored in a safe place, the system of the present invention can also be effectively used as an anti-theft device.

[0085] In this case, it is sufficient to place the reference device near the watch, below the threshold distance, preferably out of sight.

[0086] Any movement of the watch relative to the reference device will in fact cause the same steps described above to verify the distance and generate the alarm.

[0087] According to an aspect of the invention, which is applicable to all described variants, the reference device may be configured to send a control signal, such as an activation / deactivation signal, to the alarm device.

[0088] In case the reference device is a Bluetooth beacon, it may be equipped with at least one button which, when pressed, transmits the control signal.

[0089] For example, in the event of a deactivation signal being sent, the alarm device's processor may be configured to keep the device in a silent state regardless of the distance detected by the reference device. More specifically, according to a preferred variant, the processor may interrupt the interpretation of external signals to reduce energy consumption.

[0090] Sending of the activation signal instead returns the apparatus to the operating state described above.

[0091] When used as a reference device, the activation / deactivation control signal may also be sent from a smartphone, smartwatch or tablet.

[0092] According to another variant of the invention, the alarm device is produced in a more simplified form and is not equipped with a GPS module.

[0093] According to this variant, the operation is identical to that of the previous version, except for the method of detecting the geographical location of the alarm device (ie the watch).

[0094] In more detail, the processor may be programmed to calculate the geographical location of the alarm device based on changes in parameters of signals exchanged between the remote communication module of the alarm device and a base station or gateway radio station located within its radio range.

[0095] As in previous versions, this calculation is performed after the alarm device has received an acknowledgement of the alarm from the remote unit (sent by one of a plurality of authorized devices), or when no alarm state is specified, directly after detecting that the distance is above the threshold distance.

[0096] Geolocation can be performed by performing calculation methods known in the field of telecommunications, such as based on Cell ID, based on signal strength, angle of arrival (AOA), direction of arrival (DOA), direction finding (DF), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), multipath analysis.

[0097] According to another even simpler variant of the invention, the warning device is not equipped with a GPS module or a telecommunication module.

[0098] According to this variation, the system also uses one or more third-party portable electronic devices, identified herein as enabled portable devices, to transmit a signal to the remote unit containing a unique identifier of the alarm device and information regarding the status of the alarm device and its geographic location.

[0099] The enabled portable device comprises at least:

[0100] a short-range communication module capable of exchanging signals and / or data with a short-range module of an alarm device;

[0101] - a telecommunications module configured to communicate with a base station radio to connect to the Internet; and

[0102] -GPS module.

[0103] The enabled portable device is typically a smartphone or smartwatch.

[0104] According to this variant, the alarm device in the alarm state is configured to send a signal containing at least a unique identifier and information about the alarm state in a broadcasting manner via the short-range module.

[0105] The signal can optionally include other data, such as the date and time of the switching to the alarm state.

[0106] Due to local configuration, ie implemented in the operating system or added by installing a software application (APP), said third party is able to receive and analyze the signal generated by the alarm device and sent in broadcast mode.

[0107] More precisely, these enabled devices are able to understand whether a received signal is sent by a specific alarm device (installed on the watch) in an alarm state.

[0108] In this case, the enabled device is able to send a signal to the remote unit containing at least: information about the encounter with this alarm device (i.e. the proximity within the signal range of the short-range module), information about the geographical location (obtained due to the GPS module being integrated in said enabled device) and about the approximate distance from the indicated GPS position.

[0109] This approximate distance is preferably recalculated via the RSSI of the signal transmitted by the short-range module of the warning device (in this case by the activated device) or via a physical variable related thereto.

[0110] Alternatively, the process of sharing information from the remote unit with authorized parties is the same as described for the other variations.

[0111] For this last variant described, in particular in the case of a native application in the operating system of an enabled portable device (smartphone or smartwatch), it is very likely that within a limited time span the alarm device (and therefore the watch) will be in proximity (i.e. within radio range of the short-range module) to one or more enabled devices capable of sharing their alarm status and geolocation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0112] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of an example of embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0113] - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a watch equipped with an alarm device according to the present invention;

[0114] - Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a perspective view of an alarm device according to a variation of the present invention;

[0115] - Figure 3 yes Figure 2 a schematic diagram of a perspective view of a partially disassembled alarm device;

[0116] - Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an alarm and geolocation system according to a variation of the present invention;

[0117] - Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the operating steps of the alarm system;

[0118] - Figure 6a and 6b is a schematic diagram of two usage states of the alarm device of the system according to the present invention;

[0119] - Figure 7 and 8 is a schematic diagram of an alarm and geolocation system according to some variations of the present invention;

[0120] - Figure 9 is a perspective view of a wristwatch equipped with an alarm device according to another variant of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0121] Refer to the attached Figure 1 , which shows a mechanical type analog watch, the watch is equipped with an alarm device 10 at the pin P connecting the first link of the bracelet CT to the case CS.

[0122] The alarm device 10 comprises a pin-shaped supporting and receiving element 11 , ie an elongated cylindrical body.

[0123] Support and housing element 11 comprises a first structural part 12 and a cover 14. Said structural part 12 is generally made of metal, such as steel or titanium, and is suitable for ensuring the mechanical strength of the connection between bracelet CT and case CS.

[0124] The structure 12 has a hollow semi-cylindrical profile over a portion or the entire length thereof, and a plurality of components of the alarm device 10 are mounted in a cavity 13 .

[0125] The cavity 13 is closed by a cover 14, which also has a semi-cylindrical profile. The cover 14 is generally made of a polymer material, such as polycarbonate, which is transparent to electromagnetic waves, i.e. it allows electromagnetic waves to pass through its thickness without being attenuated or absorbed to any great extent and therefore without suffering energy losses.

[0126] The components installed in the supporting and containing element 11, more precisely in the cavity 13 of the structural part 12, are a processor 20 integrating a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) module 21, a low-energy long-range wireless communication module 22, such as Lorawan, Sigfox, NB-IoT or equivalent, a GPS module 23 and an energy storage device 24.

[0127] According to a preferred variant, the alarm device may further comprise an inductive charging module equipped with a receiving coil 25 to charge the energy storage device 24 .

[0128] The cover 14 has the function of protecting the above components from a mechanical point of view and from dust and water protection.

[0129] As mentioned above, support and housing element 11 has the same dimensions as the original pin of the watch, so as to be mounted quickly, without difficulty and in a completely reversible manner.

[0130] According to the present invention, the alarm device 10 may comprise two or more housing elements 11, for example configured to replace other parts of a watch, such as links M, crown CR or clasp CH, such as Figure 9 .

[0131] In this variant of the alarm device, the various components can be distributed in more than one support and housing element 11 to overcome the housing space problem. In this variant, each support and housing element is typically equipped with an energy storage device to supply energy to the corresponding components mounted thereon.

[0132] Figure 4 An alarm and geolocation system according to the present invention is schematically shown and designated as a whole by the numeral 100 .

[0133] The system 100 includes the alarm device 10 described above, a beacon 30 equipped with a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) module, and a cloud platform 40 serving as a remote processing and storage unit.

[0134] The beacon 30 is typically a small sized device that is portable, such as a key ring, card or the like.

[0135] According to another variant of the invention, beacon 30 can be replaced by a smartphone equipped with a Bluetooth module. In this case as well, the smartphone must preferably be carried by the person wearing the watch.

[0136] By sharing the unique identifier, the Bluetooth beacon is uniquely associated with the alarm device 10 .

[0137] According to the present invention, the beacon 30 is configured to transmit a signal in a broadcast manner, wherein the signal comprises a beacon frame including a unique identifier of the alarm device.

[0138] An example of a beacon frame, referred to herein as BEACON_PAYLOAD, sent in a broadcast mode by the BLE module of the beacon 30 is as follows:

[0139] digital_key

[0140] Wherein, digital_key is an integer from 0 to 999.999.999 and represents the unique identifier code of the alarm device, for example DG000000154. Therefore, the beacon 30 of the person wearing the watch can therefore send digital_key 000000154 in broadcast mode so that the alarm device 10 installed on the watch receives the signal.

[0141] The module BLE21 of the alarm device is configured to receive and analyze the signal and recognize the unique identifier.

[0142] According to a variant of the present invention, the BLE module of the alarm device 10 is further configured to transmit a signal comprising a beacon frame in a broadcast manner, preferably at predetermined intervals.

[0143] An example of a beacon frame, referred to herein as WATCH_PAYLOAD, sent in a broadcast manner by the BLE module 21 is as follows:

[0144]

[0145] in:

[0146] -X: is an integer with two possible values: 1 = static, 0 = alarm state;

[0147] - Digital_Key: is an integer from 0 to 999.999.999 and represents a unique identifier of the alarm device 10;

[0148] - Battery_Level: is an integer from 0 to 99 and represents the charge percentage of the energy storage device 24 .

[0149] In the example of a watch_payload corresponding to X1DG000000154BL55, the alarm device with digital_key 000000154 is in a silent state and has a battery charge level of 55%.

[0150] The signals sent by the beacon 30 and / or the BLE module 21 may be encrypted using different types of protocols, such as symmetric keys or asymmetric keys.

[0151] Beacon 30 must be kept near the alarm device, ie near the watch, for example at less than 10 meters, preferably at less than 5 meters. When the watch is worn, beacon 30 must also be carried by the person.

[0152] Figure 5 An operational flow chart of the alarm and geo-location system 100 is shown in FIG.

[0153] The system 100 is based on the continuous checking of the distance D between the beacon 30 and the watch to which the alarm device 10 is attached.

[0154] As described in the previous paragraphs, the evaluation of the distance D is based on the evaluation of the RSSI of the signal transmitted in broadcast mode by the beacon 30. The verification of the unique identifier of the signal and the calculation of the distance D are entrusted to the processor 20.

[0155] When the processor 20 calculates that the distance D is less than the preset threshold distance DTH ( Figure 6a ), which causes the alarm device 10 to be turned to a quiet state or remain in a quiet state.

[0156] The calculation of the distance D is usually repeated at fixed time intervals during the corresponding activation cycle of the module BLE21.

[0157] If the distance D calculated by the processor 20 is greater than the threshold distance DTH, or if the BLE module 21 does not detect any signal with a correct unique identifier, the processor 20 causes the alarm device 10 to change from the silent state to the alert state.

[0158] At the same time, the processor 20 activates the remote communication module 22 and sends a signal including the unique identifier of the alarm device 10 and information related to the warning state to the cloud platform 40 .

[0159] The cloud platform 40 then sends a notification via the Internet to at least one authorized device 50 , such as a smartphone or smartwatch having an APP configured to exchange data with the cloud platform 40 .

[0160] Authorized device 50 is usually carried by the person wearing the watch, but may also be in the possession of the owner of the watch, if not the person wearing the watch, or alternatively other parties entrusted with the care of the watch. Authorized device 50 may also be a computer or another device, not necessarily portable.

[0161] Through the authorized device 50, the authorized subject can cancel or confirm the alert status.

[0162] In the case of cancellation, the cloud platform 40 receiving the reply from the authorized subject sends a corresponding signal to the alarm device 10, and the processor 20 of the alarm device 10 switches the alarm back to the silent state.

[0163] Alternatively, if the warning state is confirmed, the processor 20 switches the state of the device from warning to alarm and activates the GPS module 23. The remote module 22 then sends a signal to the cloud platform 40 containing a unique identifier and information related to the alarm state of the device 10 and the geographic location detected by the GPS module 23.

[0164] The cloud platform 40 then sends a signal containing the unique identifier and the above-mentioned information related to the alarm status of the device 10 and its geographical location to the authorized device 50 via the Internet.

[0165] Figure 7 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 in which the alarm device 10 is not equipped with a GPS module compared to the previous variant. In addition to being more compact due to the lack of a GPS module, this variant has lower energy consumption and can therefore operate with an energy storage device 24 of smaller capacity and size.

[0166] According to this variant, when the alarm device 10 is in the alarm state, the geographical location is calculated by means of some known algorithms using the signals exchanged between the remote module 22 and the wireless base station 60 .

[0167] The remaining operating steps of the system 100 are substantially the same as described above.

[0168] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of system 100, wherein relative to Figure 7 In a variant, the alarm device 10 also does not have the remote communication module 22. This variant is even more compact and consumes even less energy than the previous variant.

[0169] The calculation of the distance D is the same as described for the other variants. However, for this variant, when the processor 20 detects that the distance D is higher than the threshold DTH, it directly switches the device to the alarm state and controls the BLE communication module 21 to broadcast a signal having a beacon frame containing a unique identifier and the alarm state, such as a watch_payload similar to the above.

[0170] For this variation of the system 100 , a third-party enabled device 70 , typically a smartphone or smartwatch, may be capable of receiving the signals sent by the BLE module 21 and processing them.

[0171] To this end, the aforementioned enabled devices are equipped with a specially configured application or, preferably, with a native function integrated in the operating system.

[0172] When one of the plurality of enabled devices 70 is within the radio range of the BLE module 21 , the Bluetooth module of the enabled device receives a signal containing a beacon frame, which can be recognized and processed by the installed application.

[0173] More precisely, the authorized device 70 is configured to send a signal to the cloud platform 40 via its equipped remote communication module, the signal containing a unique identifier and information about the alarm status of the alarm device and its approximate geographical location. The approximate geographical location may correspond to the location detected by the GPS integrated in the enabled device 70, or may be recalculated based on the RSSI of the signal transmitted by the BLE module 21.

[0174] The information is then sent to the authorized device 50 via the cloud platform 40 in the same manner as described above.

[0175] The present invention has been described in terms of some preferred embodiments for purposes of illustration and not limitation. Many other embodiments and variations will occur to those skilled in the art, all of which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An alarm and geolocation system (100) for a watch, in particular an analog watch, comprising: - an alarm device (10) attachable to a watch, said alarm device comprising at least: a) a short-range communication module (21) equipped with an antenna; b) a processor (20) connected to the short-range communication module (21); c) an energy storage device (24); d) at least one supporting and housing element (11) configured to be permanently fixed to the watch, said supporting and housing element (11) being chosen at least from a crown (CR) or a pin (P), a clasp (CH) or a link (M) of a bracelet; wherein the short-range communication module (21), the processor (20) and the energy storage device (24) are mounted within the at least one supporting and containing element (11); and - a reference device (30) comprising a short-range communication module configured to exchange signals and / or data with the short-range communication module (21) of the alarm device (10), the reference device (30) being of a wearable type and / or a portable type; wherein the short-range communication module of the reference module (30) is configured to transmit a control signal containing at least a unique identifier of the alarm device (10), wherein the short-range communication module (21) of the alarm device (10) is configured to receive the control signal continuously or at predetermined time intervals, and wherein the processor (20) is programmed to analyze the signal and calculate the distance (D) between the alarm device (10) - and therefore the watch to which the alarm device (10) is attached - and the reference device (30) based on at least one parameter of the signal, and wherein the processor (20) is further programmed to switch the state of the alarm device (10) from a silent state maintained when the calculated distance (D) between the alarm device and the reference device is lower than a predetermined threshold (DTH) to an alarm or warning state when the distance (D) is greater than the predetermined threshold (DTH).

2. The system (100) according to claim 1 further comprises a remote processing and storage unit (40) connected to the Internet, the alarm device (10) being configured to exchange data directly or indirectly with the remote processing and storage unit (40).

3. A system (100) according to claim 2, wherein the alarm device (10) further includes a remote communication module (22) also installed in the support and housing element (11), the remote communication module (22) being connected to the processor (20) and configured to be connected to a geographical network to connect to the Internet in order to exchange data with the remote processing and storage unit (40).

4. The system (100) of claim 3, wherein when the processor (20) determines that the state of the alarm device (10) changes from quiet to warning or alarm, the remote communication module (22) is configured to send a signal containing at least a unique identifier of the alarm device and information about the state change to the remote processing and storage unit (40).

5. The system (100) of claim 4, wherein when the processor (20) determines that the state of the alarm device (10) changes from quiet to alarm, the processor (20) is further programmed to calculate the geographic location of the alarm device (10) based on parameters of signals exchanged between the remote communication module (20) and a base radio station or portal within radio range, and wherein the signal sent to the remote processing and storage unit (40) also contains information related to the geographic location of the alarm device (10).

6. A system (100) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the remote processing and storage unit (40) is configured to receive the signal containing at least the unique identifier and information related to the change in status of the alarm device and its geographical location, and to send the corresponding signal to at least one authorized electronic device (50) connected to the Internet via the Internet.

7. A system (100) according to claim 6, wherein when the calculated distance (D) between the alarm device (10) and the reference device (30) is higher than a predetermined threshold value (DTH), the processor (20) is programmed to switch the state of the alarm device (10) to the warning state and send a signal to the remote processing and storage unit (40) via the remote communication module (22), the signal containing the unique identifier and at least information related to the change in state of the alarm device, and wherein the remote processing and storage unit (40) is configured to send a request for confirmation of the alarm state or cancellation of the warning state to the at least one authorized electronic device (50).

8. The system (100) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the alarm device (10) further comprises a GPS module (23) connected to the processor (20) and also mounted in the support and housing element (11), and wherein, When the processor (20) determines that the state of the alarm device has changed from silent to alarm, the processor (20) is programmed to detect the geographic location of the alarm device (10) and send a signal to the remote processing and storage unit (40) that also contains information related to the geographic location of the alarm device (10).

9. The system (100) according to claim 6, wherein the remote processing and storage unit (40) is configured to send a corresponding signal containing information related to the geographical location of the alarm device (10) to the at least one authorized electronic device (50).

10. The system (100) of claim 2, further comprising one or more enabled electronic devices (70), the enabled electronic devices (70) comprising at least: - a short-range communication module capable of exchanging signals and / or data with the short-range module of the alarm device; - a telecommunications module configured to communicate with a base station radio to connect to the Internet; -GPS module; The enabled electronic device (70) is configured to receive a signal containing at least a unique identifier of the alarm device (10) and information about the alarm state from the short-range module (21) of the alarm device (10), and to send a corresponding signal further containing the geographic location of the alarm device (10) to the remote processing and storage unit (40) within a time interval during which the short-range communication module of the enabled electronic device (70) received a signal from the short-range communication module (21) of the alarm device (10).

11. The system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reference device (30) is a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon or a portable electronic device equipped with a Bluetooth module configured to exchange signals and / or data in Bluetooth Low Energy mode.

12. The system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the short-range communication module (21) of the alarm device (10) and the short-range communication module of the reference device (30) are configured to send and / or receive signals in a beacon frame manner.

13. An alarm device (10) attachable to a watch, in particular an analog watch, comprising at least: a) a short-range communication module (21) equipped with an antenna; b) a processor (20) connected to the short-range communication module (21); c) an energy storage device (24); d) at least one supporting and housing element (11) configured to be permanently fixed to the watch, Therein, the support and housing element (11) is at least selected from a crown (CR) or a pin (P), a clasp (CH) or a link (M) of a bracelet.

14. Alarm device (10) according to claim 13, comprising a telecommunication module (22) mounted inside the supporting and containing element (11).

15. Alarm device (10) according to claim 13 or 14, comprising a GPS module (23) mounted in the supporting and containing element (11).

Images