Systems and methods for object localization and path identification based on RFID sensing

• US 10,586,086 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucomm Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lucomm Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cristache, Lucian
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US15/340,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20170053143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A networked radio frequency identification system includes a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag readers, a computer in signal communication with the RFID tag readers over a network, and a software module for storage on and operable by the computer that localizes RFID tags based on information received from the RFID tag readers using a network model having endpoints and oriented links. In an additional example, at least one of the RFID tag readers includes an adjustable configuration setting selected from RF signal strength, antenna gain, antenna polarization, and antenna orientation. In a further aspect, the system localizes RFID tags based on hierarchical threshold limit calculations. In an additional aspect, the system controls a locking device associated with an access point based on localization of an authorized RFID tag at the access point and reception of additional authorizing information from an input device.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for localizing at least two RFID tags, the system comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag readers;

a computer system communicatively coupled with the plurality of RFID tag readers;

a memory associated with the computer system, the memory storing a network model having a plurality of endpoints and oriented links between the endpoints, wherein the endpoints are associated with physical locations in space, each of the endpoints having associated with it one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tag readers, the memory further storing a plurality of group dependent semantic attributes and a plurality of tag categories, wherein at least one of the group dependent semantic attributes is representative of a combination of a semantic attribute associated with one of the oriented links and an indication of traversal of the oriented link by at least two tags, each one of the at least two tags being from a different one of the plurality of tag categories;

the computer system being configured to localize the RFID tag based on data received from the RFID tag readers;

the computer system further being configured to associate a group dependent semantic attribute to at least one of the RFID tags by;

determining that a first RFID tag within a first tag category passed an oriented link at a first time value;

determining that a second RFID tag within a second tag category passed the oriented link at a second time value; and

associating a group dependent semantic attribute to the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag based on a semantic attribute associated with the oriented link.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the system associates the group dependent semantic attribute to the first RFID tag when the difference between the second time value and first time value is within a predefined interval.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined interval is a semantic interval.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory further comprises a stored template for inferring a new group dependent semantic attribute, and further wherein the system infers a new group dependent semantic attribute based on the at least two RFID tags and further wherein the step of associating the group dependent semantic attribute comprises associating the new group dependent semantic attribute.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the group dependent semantic attribute is associated with access control rules.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the group dependent semantic attribute is further determined based on an external input or external semantic.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the group dependent semantic attribute is associated with time management rules.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system develops a semantic inference chain based on the group dependent semantic attribute.

9. The system of claim 1 where the system communicates with a semantic group by providing to the RFID readers a tag mask or filter based on the semantic group.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an TO controller, wherein the computer system issues a command to the TO controller based on the group dependent semantic attribute.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises a stored template for inferring the group dependent semantic attribute, and further wherein the template is indicative of the combination of the semantic attribute and the traversal of the oriented link by at least two tags from a different one of the plurality of tag categories.