US 12,262,831 B2
Smart device for retaining planar items
Camie Amber Crawford, Meridian, ID (US)
Filed by Camie Amber Crawford, Meridian, ID (US)
Filed on May 7, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/657,703.
Application 18/657,703 is a continuation of application No. 17/250,994, granted, now 11,974,685, previously published as PCT/US2019/055266, filed on Oct. 8, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 1816405 (GB), filed on Oct. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0292971 A1, Sep. 5, 2024
Int. Cl. A47G 29/122 (2006.01); A47G 29/12 (2006.01)
CPC A47G 29/1225 (2013.01) [A47G 29/12 (2013.01); A47G 2029/1226 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a retaining device for retaining planar items including mail and/or documents, in which the planar items can be added and from which the planar items can be collected;
attaching means, wherein:
the retaining device is configured for mounting on a fixed object using the attaching means; and
the attaching means includes a strap means locatable through an aperture in the fixed object where the aperture extends from a first side of the fixed object to a second side, and wherein the retaining device, a control means and a sensor means hang from an end of the strap means on the first side of the fixed object, and another end of the strap means is secured on the second side of the fixed object;
the control means;
the sensor means for indicating to the control means information indicative of:
the planar items having been placed in the retaining device and/or removed from the retaining device, and/or a person and/or a robot in a vicinity of the retaining device, wherein the sensor means comprises a motion detector arranged to indicate to the control means the person and/or the robot in a vicinity of the retaining device;
wherein the control means is arranged to cause, in response thereto, at least one action to be performed by at least one action unit, wherein the at least one action unit comprises means for:
capturing an image and/or video of the person and/or the robot, and
sending the image and/or video to another device, and/or storing the image and/or video locally on a storage device and/or remotely on a server, and the at least one action comprises the capturing and the sending and/or storing.