Interrogator and interrogation system employing the same

• US 10,417,465 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lone Star SCM Systems, LP (f/k/a Medical I.P. Holdings, LP) (Incucomm Holdings Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lone Star SCM Systems, LP (f/k/a Medical I.P. Holdings, LP) (Incucomm Holdings Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Volpi, John P., Laferney, Jimmy D., Hensley, David W., Hatch, Robert C., Boisbrun, Glenn W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neff, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US14/033,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,185 Days
• Field of Search: 375150, 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An interrogator, methods of discerning the presence of an object, and interrogation systems employing the same. In one embodiment, the interrogation systems include multiple interrogators that communicate with a base command unit to track a location of an object. In another embodiment wherein the object is an RFID object (e.g., an object with an RFID tag), the interrogators employ signal processing techniques such as precharging the RFID object, and correlating a reference code with a reply code from the RFID object using selected techniques to increase a sensitivity of the interrogator, especially for adverse environments. In other embodiments, the interrogation systems include variations of metal instruments and sponges employed therewith. In yet another embodiment, the interrogation system includes metal interrogators capable of discerning the presence of a metal object, especially in a presence of another metal object.

Claims

1. An interrogation system, comprising:

a first interrogator configured to detect a first object with a first interrogation signal at a first time and a second interrogator configured to detect a second object with a second interrogation signal at a second time, said second time being different than said first time, and said first interrogator being positioned at a first station in a facility and said second interrogator being a mobile interrogator; and

a base command unit configured to receive signals from said first interrogator and said second interrogator to determine a location of said first object and said second object.

2. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first object and said second object are selected from the group consisting of:

a radio frequency identification object,

a radio frequency object,

a metal object,

a bar coded object,

a microelectromechanical systems object,

an optical recognition object, and

a dot-peening object.

3. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first interrogator or said second interrogator employs antennas selected from the group consisting of:

far field antennas,

near field antennas,

near field antenna arrays,

ring antennas, and

bi-static antennas.

4. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base command unit is configured to determine said location of said first object and said second object in real time.

5. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first interrogator and said second interrogator are radio frequency identification interrogators and said first object and said second object are radio frequency identification objects.

6. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first station is locatable in an operating room selected from the group consisting of:

a back table,

a soiled consumable and instrument station,

a dirty basin station, and

an operating station.

7. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said second interrogator is configured to detect said second object at said first station in said facility.

8. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a charger for said second interrogator.

9. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base command unit communicates with another computer system.

10. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base command unit is coupleable to a display to show said location of said first object and said second object.

11. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base command unit is a laptop computer.

12. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base command unit, comprises:

an input/output device,

a device management module,

an operating system,

a processor,

a memory,

an external computer system interface,

a power management module, and

a remote communications module.

13. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first interrogator, comprises:

a device management module,

a sensing subsystem,

a power management module,

a remote communications module, and

a user interface module.

14. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said object is a sponge with an identification tag.

15. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a third interrogator configured to detect a third object with a third interrogation signal at a third time.

16. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first interrogator is configured to detect said first object employing a correlation operation.

17. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said second interrogator is configured to detect said second object at a second station in said facility and said base command unit is positioned at a third station in said facility.

18. A method of operating an interrogation system, comprising:

detecting a first object with a first interrogator with a first interrogation signal at a first time, said first interrogator being positioned at a first station in a facility;

detecting a second object with a second interrogator with a second interrogation signal at a second time, said second time being different than said first time, and said second interrogator being a mobile interrogator;

receiving signals from said first interrogator and said second interrogator at a base command unit; and

determining a location of said first object and said second object with said base command unit.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said first object and said second object are selected from the group consisting of:

a radio frequency identification object,

a radio frequency object,

a metal object,

a bar coded object,

a microelectromechanical systems object,

an optical recognition object, and

a dot-peening object.

20. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said first interrogator or said second interrogator employs antennas selected from the group consisting of:

far field antennas,

near field antennas,

near field antenna arrays,

ring antennas, and

bi-static antennas.

21. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said first interrogator and said second interrogator are radio frequency identification interrogators and said first object and said second object are radio frequency identification objects.

22. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

displaying said location of said first object and said second object; and

communicating with another computer system.

23. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said first interrogator is configured to detect said first object employing a correlation operation.

24. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein detecting said second object by said second interrogator is at a second station in said facility and said base command unit is positioned at a third station in said facility.