Rfid tag location using tag or host interaction record
First Claim
1. A remote communication unit arbitration system comprising:
- a. a housing;
b. a control system associated with said housing and having a memory;
c. communication electronics operatively associated with said control system and having a transmitter for transmitting signals to a remote communication unit and a receiver for receiving signals from the remote communication unit; and
d. attribute monitoring electronics having an output associated with said control system and an input associated with said communication electronics, said attribute monitoring electronics adapted to;
i. monitor an attribute of a signal received by said communication electronics, the attribute being indicative of the relative proximity between the remote communication unit and the housing, and ii. provide said control system with a new proximity value indicative of the relative proximity between the remote communication unit and the housing;
e. said control system adapted to;
i. compare said new proximity value with a prior proximity value from a prior communication with the remote communication unit, and ii. determine a relative proximity of the remote communication unit to the housing as compared to another communicative device that communicates with the remote communication unit associated with a prior communication based on the new and prior proximity values.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system to store a sequence of data records relating to attributes of interactions between fuel dispensers and tags. The data records may be stored on the tag or at a location remote from the tag, such as a fuel dispenser, central site controller or other network. The data records may contain the identity of the dispenser, tag and any attribute of a received signal, such as frequency band or signal strength, or other attribute indicative of proximity. Every dispenser that attempts to communicate with a tag in question adds its own interaction data to a limited history of a tag'"'"'s past interactions with the same and other dispensers. When a dispenser or central site control system examines the contents of the interaction histories, the detected presence of other dispensers or the relative strength of the recorded interaction attributes will determine what, if any, action is to be taken by the dispensers or central site control system to communicate with the tag at issue.
144 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A remote communication unit arbitration system comprising:
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a. a housing;
b. a control system associated with said housing and having a memory;
c. communication electronics operatively associated with said control system and having a transmitter for transmitting signals to a remote communication unit and a receiver for receiving signals from the remote communication unit; and
d. attribute monitoring electronics having an output associated with said control system and an input associated with said communication electronics, said attribute monitoring electronics adapted to;
i. monitor an attribute of a signal received by said communication electronics, the attribute being indicative of the relative proximity between the remote communication unit and the housing, and ii. provide said control system with a new proximity value indicative of the relative proximity between the remote communication unit and the housing;
e. said control system adapted to;
i. compare said new proximity value with a prior proximity value from a prior communication with the remote communication unit, and ii. determine a relative proximity of the remote communication unit to the housing as compared to another communicative device that communicates with the remote communication unit associated with a prior communication based on the new and prior proximity values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A fuel dispenser for providing independent arbitration of remote communication units wherein a remote communication unit has an interaction attribute database having a listing of records, each record including an interaction attribute associated with a prior communication between the remote communication unit and a communicative device and an identification indicia of the communicative device, said dispenser comprising:
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a. a housing and delivery system associated with said housing having a fuel supply line, a metering device, a delivery hose and a nozzle to permit the dispensing of fuel to a vehicle;
b. a control system having memory associated with said housing;
c. communication electronics operatively associated with said control system and having a transmitter for transmitting information to a remote communication unit and a receiver for receiving information from the remote communication unit; and
d. said control system adapted to;
i. determine an interaction attribute indicative of a relative proximity of communications between the remote communications unit and said dispenser;
ii. obtain from the remote communication device via said communication electronics;
a) a proximity value associated with a prior communication between the remote communication unit and a communicative device, and b) an identification indicia of the communicative device; and
iii. determine a relative proximity of said fuel dispenser with respect to the communicative device based on the interaction attributes associated with said fuel dispenser and the communicative device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A fuel dispenser for providing arbitration of remote communication units wherein a central control system apart from the fuel dispenser has an interaction attribute database having a listing of records, each record including an interaction attribute associated with a prior communication between the remote communication unit and a communicative device and an identification indicia of the communicative device and the remote communication device, said dispenser comprising:
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a. a housing and delivery system associated with said housing having a fuel supply line, a metering device, a delivery hose and a nozzle to permit the dispensing of fuel to a vehicle;
b. a control system having memory located with said housing;
c. first communication electronics operatively associated with said control system and having a transmitter for transmitting a signal to a remote communication unit and a receiver for receiving a identification indicia from the remote communication unit;
d. second communication electronics providing communications between said control system and said central control system; and
e. said control system having adapted to;
i. determine an interaction attribute indicative of a relative proximity of communications between the remote communications unit and said dispenser;
ii. obtain from the central control-system;
a) a proximity value associated with a prior communication between a remote communication unit and a communicative device, and b) an identification indicia of the communicative device; and
iii. determine a relative proximity of said fuel dispenser with respect to the communicative device based on the interaction attributes associated with said fuel dispenser and the communicative device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A fuel dispensing system for providing independent arbitration of remote communication units comprising:
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a. a central control system including an interaction attribute database having a listing of records, each record including a interaction attribute associated with a prior communication between the remote communication unit and a communicative device and an identification indicia of the communicative device and the remote communication device; and
b. at least one dispenser located apart from said central control system and comprising;
i. a housing and delivery system associated with said housing having a fuel supply line, a metering device, a delivery hose and a nozzle to permit the dispensing of fuel to a vehicle;
ii. a dispenser control system having memory located with said housing;
iii. first communication electronics operatively associated with said dispenser control system and having a transmitter for transmitting a signal to a remote communication unit and a receiver for receiving a identification indicia from the remote communication unit;
iv. second communication electronics providing communications between said dispenser control system and said central control system; and
v. said dispenser control system having adapted to;
a) determine an interaction attribute indicative of a relative proximity of communications between the remote communications unit and said dispenser;
b) obtain from the central control system;
(1) a proximity value associated with a prior communication between a remote communication unit and a communicative device, and (2) an identification indicia of the communicative device; and
c) determine a relative proximity of said fuel dispenser with respect to the communicative device based on the interaction attributes associated with said fuel dispenser and the communicative device.
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34. A remote communication unit facilitating arbitration in a multiple communicative device environment comprising:
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a. radio communication electronics adapted to receive information from a plurality of communicative devices and transmit information to the communicative devices;
b. a memory having an interaction attribute database having a listing of records, each record including;
i an interaction attribute associated with a prior communication between said remote communication unit and a communicative device, and ii. an identification indicia of the respective communicative device; and
c. a control system operatively associated with said communication electronics and said memory and adapted to;
i. receive an interactive attribute and associated identification indicia from a first communicative device via said communication electronics;
ii. store the interactive attribute and associated identification indicia from the first communicative device in said database;
iii. receive an interactive attribute and associated identification indicia from a second communicative device via said communication electronics;
iv. store the interactive attribute and associated identification indicia from the second communicative device in said database; and
v. transmit the interactive attributes and associated identification indicia to a communicative device via said communication electronics.
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35. A method of providing independent arbitration of remote communication units wherein a central control system apart from the fuel dispenser has an interaction attribute database having a listing of records, each record including an interaction attribute associated with a prior communication between the remote communication unit and a communicative device and an identification indicia of the communicative device and the remote communication device, the method comprising:
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a. transmitting a signal to a remote communication unit;
b. receiving an identification indicia from the remote communication unit;
c. determining an interaction attribute indicative of a relative proximity of communications between the remote communications unit and said dispenser based on the received signal;
d. obtaining from the central control system i. a proximity value associated with a prior communication between a remote communication unit and a communicative device, and ii. an identification indicia of the communicative device; and
e. determining a relative proximity of said fuel dispenser with respect to the communicative device based on the interaction attributes associated with the fuel dispenser and the communicative device.
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36. A method of providing arbitration of remote communication units wherein a remote communication unit includes an interaction attribute database having a listing of records, each record including a interaction attribute associated with a prior communication between the remote communication unit and a communicative device and an identification indicia of the communicative device and the remote communication device, the method comprising:
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a. transmitting a signal to a remote communication unit;
b. receiving a identification indicia from the remote communication unit;
c. determining an interaction attribute indicative of a relative proximity of communications between the remote communications unit and the dispenser based on the received signal;
d. obtaining from the remote communication unit;
i. a proximity value associated with a prior communication between a remote communication unit and a communicative device, and ii. an identification indicia of the communicative device; and
e. determining a relative proximity of the fuel dispenser with respect to the communicative device based on the interaction attributes associated with the fuel dispenser and the communicative device.
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Specification