Tracking system with mobile reader
First Claim
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1. A tracking system comprising:
- a mobile device including a processor, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, and a sensor configured to obtain data from an information source external to the mobile device, the mobile device being disposed at a physical location when the sensor of the mobile device obtains the data from that external information source, the processor being configured to receive and record the data obtained by the sensor from the external information source and to activate the RF transmitter to transmit the obtained data in an RF signal;
at least two receiver antennae that receive the RF signal transmitted by the mobile device, the RF signal conveying the obtained by the mobile device from the external information source; and
central processing unit coupled to the at least two receiver antennae, the central processing unit being configured to calculate the physical location from which the mobile device transmitted the RF signal that conveys the obtained data based on a timing difference measured from when one of the at least two receiver antennae received the RF signal and another of the at least two receiver antennae received the RF signal.
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Abstract
A tracking system uses a mobile reader or scanner that scans, for example through a barcode reader, a passive tag reader, a probe, input, camera, or an active RF tag communication reader, and records item (asset or inventory) data. After being recorded, this item data and other relevant data is sent by radio transmission to a receiver network in the tracking system. The receiver network has at least two receivers (or at least two receiver antennae). The scanner location data, calculated by comparing the signal information at each receiver antenna receiving the radio transmission, is then used to register and record the location data of the scanned item.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A tracking system comprising:
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a mobile device including a processor, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, and a sensor configured to obtain data from an information source external to the mobile device, the mobile device being disposed at a physical location when the sensor of the mobile device obtains the data from that external information source, the processor being configured to receive and record the data obtained by the sensor from the external information source and to activate the RF transmitter to transmit the obtained data in an RF signal; at least two receiver antennae that receive the RF signal transmitted by the mobile device, the RF signal conveying the obtained by the mobile device from the external information source; and central processing unit coupled to the at least two receiver antennae, the central processing unit being configured to calculate the physical location from which the mobile device transmitted the RF signal that conveys the obtained data based on a timing difference measured from when one of the at least two receiver antennae received the RF signal and another of the at least two receiver antennae received the RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification