Method, apparatus and computer program product improving real time location systems with multiple location technologies

• US 10,509,099 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Hughes, John K., O'Hagan, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US14/732,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20150378002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 342463, 342386, 342350, 34053923, 340 1251, 340 1326
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02213 Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0718 the sensor being of the biometric kind, e.g. fingerprint sensors fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/13; biometric access-control systems in general, see G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10306 ultra wide band
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for improving, in some examples, real time location systems with multiple location technologies. In one embodiment, a method is provided including receiving blink data from a location tag associated with a first sensor; receiving proximity data generated based on communications between the first sensor and a second sensor, the proximity data including a sensor identifier; calculating location data associated with the location tag based on the blink data; and determining sensor position calculation data associated with the first sensor based on the proximity data.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a participant moving into and outside of a monitored area, the method comprising:

receiving location data calculated based on blink data transmitted by a location tag associated with the participant;

receiving sensor position calculation data calculated based on sensor data transmitted by a sensor associated with the participant;

determining, by a processor, a location of the location tag based on the location data;

selecting the location for the participant when the location tag is in the monitored area;

determining, by the processor, a position of the sensor based on the sensor position calculation data; and

selecting the position for the participant when the sensor is outside the monitored area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location tag is configured to transmit blink data at a first blink rate when receiving a transmission reliability signal and to transmit blink data at a second blink rate, which is less than the first blink rate, when not receiving a transmission reliability signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the location tag or the sensor, a transmission reliability signal transmitted from one or more exciters positioned proximate the monitored area; and

determining, by the processor, when the participant is in the monitored area and outside the monitored area based on the transmission reliability signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor, an over-determined location when the participant is in the monitored area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, not determining the location of the location tag based on the location data when the participant is outside of the monitored area.

6. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive location data calculated based on blink data transmitted by a location tag associated with a participant;

receive sensor position calculation data calculated based on sensor data transmitted by a sensor associated with the participant;

determine a location of the location tag based on the location data;

selecting the location for the participant when the location tag is in a monitored area;

determine a position of the sensor based on the sensor position calculation data; and

selecting the position for the participant when the sensor is outside the monitored area.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the location tag is configured to transmit blink data at a first blink rate when receiving a transmission reliability signal within the monitored area and to transmit blink data at a second blink rate, which is less than the first blink rate, when not receiving a transmission reliability signal outside the monitored area.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

at least one of the location tag or the sensor is configured to receive a transmission reliability signal transmitted from one or more exciters positioned proximate the monitored area; and

the at least one memory and computer program code is configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine when the participant is in the monitored area and outside the monitored area based on the transmission reliability signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine an over-determined location when the participant is in the monitored area.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to not determine the location of the location tag based on the location data when the participant is outside of the monitored area.

11. A location system configured to track a participant moving into and outside of a monitored area, the location system comprising:

a location tag configured to transmit blink data, wherein the location tag is associated with the participant;

a sensor configured to transmit sensor data, wherein the sensor is associated with the participant;

a plurality of receivers configured to receive the blink data and to determine location data based on the blink data;

a receiver hub configured to;

receive the location data;

receive sensor position calculation data calculated based on the sensor data;

determine a location of the location tag based on the location data;

select the location data for the participant when the participant is in the monitored area;

determine a position of the sensor based on the sensor position calculation data; and

select the position for the participant when the participant is outside the monitored area.

12. The location system of claim 11, wherein the location tag is configured to transmit blink data at a first blink rate when receiving a transmission reliability signal within the monitored area and to transmit blink data at a second blink rate, which is less than the first blink rate, when not receiving a transmission reliability signal outside the monitored area.

13. The location system of claim 11, at least one of the location tag or sensor to receive a transmission reliability signal transmitted from one or more exciters positioned proximate the monitored area, the receiver hub configured to determine when the participant is in the monitored area and outside the monitored area based on the transmission reliability signal.

14. The location system of claim 11, wherein the receiver hub is configured to determine an over-determined location when the participant is in the monitored area.

15. The location system of claim 11, wherein the receiver hub is configured to not determine the location of the location tag based on the location data when the participant is outside of the monitored area.