Object identification system and method

• US 10,033,197 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Wave LLC (Mad Energy)
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Lilly, James D., Corum, Kenneth L., Corum, James F., Pinzone, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stables, David M
• Application Number:
  US14/849,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20180175630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/75 using transponders powered from received waves, e.g. using passive transponders , or using passive reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2405 characterised by the tag technology used

Abstract

An object identification system includes a guided surface waveguide probe that produces a guided surface wave; and an object identification tag having a receive structure and a tag circuit, the tag circuit coupled to the receive structure and electrically powered as a load on the probe by conversion of the guided surface wave to electrical current at the receive structure, the tag circuit configured to emit a return signal containing a tag identifier when electrically powered by presence of the guided surface wave.

Claims

1. An object identification system, comprising:

a guided surface waveguide probe comprising a charge terminal elevated over a terrestrial medium that produces a guided surface wave by generating at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) of the terrestrial medium; and

an object identification tag comprising a receive structure and a tag circuit, the tag circuit coupled to the receive structure and electrically powered as a load on the probe by conversion of the guided surface wave to electrical current at the receive structure, the tag circuit configured to emit a return signal containing a tag identifier when electrically powered by presence of the guided surface wave.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a receiver that receives the return signal.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a computer system operatively coupled to the receiver and that determines the tag identifier and identifies an object that was previously associated with the tag.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the tag is addressable and the receiver transmits an addressed message to the tag.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the guided surface wave has a first frequency and the return signal has a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the return signal is a radio frequency (RF) signal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the guided surface wave penetrates high permittivity material to power tags located therein.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag is addressable and the guided surface wave includes an addressed message for the tag.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag is addressable and, upon receipt of a message addressed to the tag, the tag circuit executes logic to carry out a function corresponding to the message.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the function includes reading data from a memory of the tag and transmitting a signal containing the read data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the function includes storing data in a memory of the tag.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the function is to not transmit a return signal for at least a period of time.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the message is sent by a receiver configured to receive the return signal.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a computer system, the computer system configured to manage an inventory of objects for a site, each object associated with a tag and the inventory managed according to tag identifiers in return signals that are respectively received from the tags.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a computer system, the computer system configured to identify locations of objects, each object associated with a tag and the locations determined according to return signals respectively received from the tags.

16. An object identification system, comprising:

a guided surface waveguide probe that produces a guided surface wave having a frequency-dependent illumination area in which tags responsive to a frequency of the guided surface wave are powered and emit respective return signals; and

an object identification tag comprising a receive structure and a tag circuit, the tag circuit coupled to the receive structure and electrically powered as a load on the probe by conversion of the guided surface wave to electrical current at the receive structure, the tag circuit configured to emit a return signal containing a tag identifier when electrically powered by presence of the guided surface wave.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the guided surface waveguide probe comprises a charge terminal elevated over a terrestrial medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) of the terrestrial medium.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein one or more tags are queried to each return data in addition to the tag identifier.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein one or more tags are commanded to not transmit respective return signals for at least a period of time.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein a size of the illumination area is controlled to be non-overlapping with an adjacent second illumination area that is defined by a second guided surface wave produced by a second guided surface waveguide probe.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein a shape of the illumination area is controlled by producing the guided surface wave to vary as a function of direction.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the illumination area is global.