Proximity-based magnetic field generator for controlling operation of RF burst-transmitting tags of geolocation system
First Claim
1. A method of controlling the operation of a system for geolocating objects within a monitored environment, wherein RF transmissions from tags associated with said objects are detected at a plurality of spaced apart monitoring locations containing tag transmission readers, and outputs of said tag transmission readers are coupled to an object location processor which processes outputs of said tag transmissions to geolocate said tags and thereby their associated objects within said monitored environment, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating, from at least location of the monitored environment that is proximate to a region which a tagged object may enter, a magnetic field encoded with information intended for a tag entering said region; and
(b) at a tag that has entered said region, detecting said magnetic field and causing said tag to perform a prescribed function.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An object tracking system for locating radio-tagged objects within a monitored environment has a plurality tag transmission readers that detect RF transmissions from the tags, and generate output signals representative of the time-of-arrival of first-to-arrive tag transmissions. An object location processor processes the first to arrive signals in accordance with a multilateration algorithm to geolocate a tag. In order to modify the operation of a tag that comes within a prescribed region of the monitored environment (such as passing through a doorway), one or more relatively short range, magnetic field proximity-based, tag-programming ‘pingers’, are placed proximate to the region. A magnetic field receiver on the tag detects the field generated by the pinger and causes the tag to change operation such as increase its RF transmission rate.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the operation of a system for geolocating objects within a monitored environment, wherein RF transmissions from tags associated with said objects are detected at a plurality of spaced apart monitoring locations containing tag transmission readers, and outputs of said tag transmission readers are coupled to an object location processor which processes outputs of said tag transmissions to geolocate said tags and thereby their associated objects within said monitored environment, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating, from at least location of the monitored environment that is proximate to a region which a tagged object may enter, a magnetic field encoded with information intended for a tag entering said region; and
(b) at a tag that has entered said region, detecting said magnetic field and causing said tag to perform a prescribed function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An arrangement for controlling the operation of a system for geolocating objects within a monitored environment, wherein RF transmissions from tags associated with said objects are detected at a plurality of spaced apart monitoring locations containing tag transmission readers, and outputs of said tag transmission readers are coupled to an object location processor, which processes said outputs of said tag transmissions to geolocate said tags and thereby their associated objects within said monitored environment, said arrangement comprising:
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at least one magnetic field generator located proximate to a region which a tagged object may enter, and being operative to generate a magnetic field encoded with information intended for a tag entering said region; and
a magnetic field receiver installed on said tag and being coupled with RF transmission circuitry of said tag, and being operative, in response to detecting said magnetic field, to cause said tag to perform a prescribed function. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20)
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17. For use with a system for geolocating objects within a monitored environment, wherein RF transmissions from tags associated with said objects are detected at a plurality of spaced apart monitoring locations containing tag transmission readers, and outputs of said tag transmission readers are coupled to an object location processor, which processes said outputs of said tag transmissions to geolocate said tags and thereby their associated objects within said monitored environment, an arrangement for controlling the operation of a tag that comes within a prescribed proximity of prescribed region of said monitored environment, said arrangement comprising:
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at least one magnetic field generator located proximate to said region and being operative to generate at least one magnetic field modulated with information used to control the operation of said tag; and
a magnetic field receiver installed on said tag and being coupled with RF transmission circuitry of said tag, and being operative, in response to detecting information modulated on said at least one magnetic field by said at least one magnetic field generator, to cause said tag to increase the rate of RF transmissions thereby.
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Specification