Personnel and asset tracking method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A system for locating and tracking tags within an awareness area including a first sub-awareness area and a second sub-awareness area, each tag including a transmitter configured to transmit a unique identifier periodically, and at least one tag being assigned to the first sub-awareness area, the system comprising:
- a communication network, a first monitoring system associated with the first sub-awareness area, the first monitoring system comprising a receiver positioned to receive transmissions from tags positioned within the first sub-awareness area and configured to provide location messages in response to the transmissions, an intermediate location processor connected to the receiver and configured to transmit location messages from the receiver, and a master station connected to the intermediate location processor and connected to the communication network, a second monitoring system associated with the second sub-awareness area and connected to the communication network, the second monitoring system being configured to transmit downstream location messages to the communication network in response to transmissions from tags positioned within the second sub-awareness area, and a server connected to the communication network and configured to provide a network location message for each downstream location message associated with a tag assigned to the first monitoring system over the communication network to the first monitoring system.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided for locating and tracking tags within an awareness area including a first sub-awareness area and a second sub-awareness area. Each tag includes a transmitter configured to transmit a unique identifier periodically, and at least one tag is assigned to the first sub-awareness area. The system includes a first monitoring system associated with the first sub-awareness area and a second monitoring system associated with the second sub-awareness area.
46 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A system for locating and tracking tags within an awareness area including a first sub-awareness area and a second sub-awareness area, each tag including a transmitter configured to transmit a unique identifier periodically, and at least one tag being assigned to the first sub-awareness area, the system comprising:
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a communication network, a first monitoring system associated with the first sub-awareness area, the first monitoring system comprising a receiver positioned to receive transmissions from tags positioned within the first sub-awareness area and configured to provide location messages in response to the transmissions, an intermediate location processor connected to the receiver and configured to transmit location messages from the receiver, and a master station connected to the intermediate location processor and connected to the communication network, a second monitoring system associated with the second sub-awareness area and connected to the communication network, the second monitoring system being configured to transmit downstream location messages to the communication network in response to transmissions from tags positioned within the second sub-awareness area, and a server connected to the communication network and configured to provide a network location message for each downstream location message associated with a tag assigned to the first monitoring system over the communication network to the first monitoring system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for locating and tracking objects within an awareness area including a sub-awareness area, the system comprising:
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a plurality of tags, each tag being associated with an object, each tag including a transmitter configured to transmit a unique identifier periodically, at least one tag being associated with the sub-awareness area, an independent monitoring system associated with the sub-awareness area and configured to provide first location messages in response to transmissions from tags positioned within the sub-awareness area, a second monitoring system configured to provide second location messages in response to transmissions from tags detected by the second monitoring system, a communication network coupled to the independent monitoring system and coupled to the second monitoring system, the communication network being configured to transmit first location messages and second location messages, and a server connected to the communication network and configured to receive the first location messages and the second location messages and to provide a network location message in response to each second location message associated with a tag associated with the sub-awareness area to the independent monitoring system through the communication network. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for locating and tracking objects within an awareness area including a sub-awareness area, the system comprising
a plurality of tags, each tag being associated with an object, at least one tag being associated with the sub-awareness area, an independent monitoring system associated with the sub-awareness area and configured to provide first location messages in response to the detection of tags positioned within the sub-awareness area, a second monitoring system configured to provide second location messages in response to the detection of tags detected by the second monitoring system, and a server in communication with the independent monitoring system and the second monitoring system and configured to receive the first location messages and the second location messages and to provide to the independent monitoring system a network location message in response to each second location message associated with a tag associated with the first sub-awareness area.
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17. A method for locating and tracking objects in an area, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a first sub-area, establishing a second sub-area, assigning objects to the first sub-area, monitoring objects in the first sub-area, monitoring objects in the second sub-area, and notifying a monitor of the first sub-area of the detection in the second sub-area of an object assigned to the first sub-area. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for locating and tracking tags associated with objects, the tags being configured to transmit a unique identifier periodically, the system comprising:
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a communication network, a monitoring system coupled to the communications network, the monitoring system being configured to provide location data for the objects in response to transmissions from tags, a server in communication with the monitoring system through the communications network, the server including a web server, the monitoring system being configured to provide the location data to the server, and a client including a web browser interface configured to couple the client to the web server to enable the client to communicate with the server through the web browser interface to obtain location data for a selected object. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A system for locating and tracking objects in an area, the system comprising:
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a plurality of tags, each tag being associated with an object, a monitoring system configured to provide messages in response to the detection of a tag in the area, a server comprising a web server and an awareness engine, the server being in communication with the monitoring system and configured to receive the messages from the monitoring system, and a client in communication with the web server to locate and track the objects in the area. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for processing a location message in a system for locating and tracking objects, the method comprising the steps of
receiving a location message, updating a location entry to indicate a new object at a location, updating an object ID entry to indicate the object ID at a new location, evaluating the location message, notifying a client, and updating a database.
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40. A system for locating and tracking at least one object within a first area and a second area, the at least one object being assigned to the first area and including a signal transmitter which transmits object information, the system comprising:
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a first monitoring system having a first memory, a second monitoring system, and a server in communication with the first monitoring system and the second monitoring system, the server being configured to store object and location information for the at least one object in a memory and transmit location update information for the at least one object to the first monitoring system, the first monitoring system being configured to receive object information from the signal transmitters within the first area, to receive location update information for the at least one object from the server, and to store the object information and location update information in the first memory. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for identifying, locating and tracking at least one object not previously associated with a monitoring system, the at least one object including a transmitter which transmits a unique identifier for the object, the monitoring system being in communication with a server having a central database, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the unique identifier from a detected object;
determining whether the detected object is associated with the monitoring system, storing location information related to the detected object in the a memory of the monitoring system, transmitting an identification request query to the server if the detected object is not associated with the monitoring system, receiving an identification of the detected object stored in the central database from the server, and storing the identification of the detected object in the memory of the monitoring system along with the location information for the detected object. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for locating and tracking objects in a monitoring system, the objects configured to a unique identifier to the monitoring system, the monitoring system being configured to provide location messages for the objects, and the monitoring system providing information to a plurality of clients over a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:
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storing the location messages for the objects, indexing the location messages by location and object, storing rules for the objects and locations, storing interests for the plurality of clients, evaluating the rules and location messages to determine whether a change event has occurred, evaluating the interests to determine which clients to notify of a change event, and notifying the appropriate clients of change events. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55)
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56. A system for monitoring objects in an area, the objects having tags configured to transmit an identifier, the system comprising:
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a plurality of clients, and a server in communication with the plurality of clients, the server comprising a location cache comprising location data indexed by object, a location update cache comprising location data indexed by location, an interests cache, a rules cache, a change event database, a location update application for processing location updates, an interests application for processing interests and rules associated with each of the plurality of clients and objects, a tag association application for associating tags with objects, and a subscription application for notifying the plurality of clients of change events in accordance with the rules and interests. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification