System and method for identifying objects

• US 20020030587A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jerome D. Jackson
• Original Assignee: Jerome D. Jackson
• Inventors: Jackson, Jerome D.
• Application Number:
  US09/964,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/753 using frequency selective elements, e.g. resonator
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2422 using acoustic or microwave tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2485 Simultaneous detection of multiple EAS tags

Abstract

A system and method for identifying objects. A preferred embodiment employs a radio transceiver on each object. Each article is identified by recording a condition of an interrogation signal at a time in which the respective transceiver exhibits a nonlinearity.

Claims

1. In a system including a transmitter that transmits an interrogation signal, and a plurality of articles each having a respective circuit for transmitting a respective circuit signal responsive to the interrogation signal, the circuit signal having a nonlinearity, a method comprising the steps, performed for each circuit, of:

detecting the nonlinearity;

recording a condition of the interrogation signal, responsive to the previous step; and

using the recorded condition to access a record for the circuit.

2. The method of claim I wherein the condition includes an amplitude.

3. The method of claim I further including recording a plurality of digits in the record.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each digit corresponds to a respective frequency.

5. The method of claim I wherein detecting the nonlinearity includes causing an interrogation signal to have a first interrogation signal frequency at a first time, and the method further includes

detecting a plurality of digits includes by causing the interrogation signal to have other interrogation signal frequencies at a time different than the first time.

6. An apparatus for a system including a transmitter that transmits an interrogation signal, and a plurality of articles each having a respective circuit for transmitting a respective circuit signal responsive to the interrogation signal, the circuit signal having a nonlinearity, the apparatus comprising:

a detector that detects, for each circuit, the nonlinearity;

a recorder that records a condition of the interrogation signal, in response to an output of the detector; and

an allocator that allocates a respective record for each circuit, the record being accessible by the recorded condition.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further including logic that records a plurality of digits in the record.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further including logic that detects the plurality of digits, by causing an interrogation signal to have a plurality of interrogation signal frequencies.

9. An apparatus for a system including a transmitter that transmits an interrogation signal, and a plurality of articles each having a respective circuit for transmitting a respective circuit signal responsive to the interrogation signal, the circuit signal having a nonlinearity, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting the nonlinearity;

means for recording a condition of the interrogation signal, responsive to the previous means; and

means for accessing a record for a circuit by using the recorded condition.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further including an allocator that allocates a record responsive to an output of the means for detecting.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further including logic that records a plurality of digits in the record.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further including logic that detects the plurality of digits, by causing an interrogation signal to have a plurality of interrogation signal frequencies.