Method and system for tracking items using a distributed infrastructure
First Claim
1. A method of tracking an item, the method comprising:
- providing the item with an identifier for specifying an item-identification of the item and a tracking-station-identification of a tracking station related to the item;
obtaining from the identifier of the item, via a gate having a gate-identification, the item-identification of the item and the tracking-station-identification; and
communicating to the tracking station identified by the tracking-station-identification the item-identification of the item and the gate-identification of the gate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of items is tracked using a distributed network of gates, each having a gate-identification. Each item is provided with an identifier for specifying an item-identification of the item and a tracking-station-identification of a tracking station related to the item. Whenever one of the items approaches one of the gates, the item-identification of that item and the tracking-station-identification of the tracking station related to the item are obtained from the identifier of the item via that gate. The item-identification of the item and the gate-identification of the gate are then communicated to the tracking station identified by the tracking-station-identification obtained from the identifier of the item such that the item can be tracked as it moves amongst the gates.
12 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method of tracking an item, the method comprising:
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providing the item with an identifier for specifying an item-identification of the item and a tracking-station-identification of a tracking station related to the item;
obtaining from the identifier of the item, via a gate having a gate-identification, the item-identification of the item and the tracking-station-identification; and
communicating to the tracking station identified by the tracking-station-identification the item-identification of the item and the gate-identification of the gate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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19. A system for tracking an item, the system comprising:
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a tracking station associated with the item;
an identifier for specifying an item-identification of the item and a tracking-station-identification of the tracking station; and
a gate coupled with the tracking station for obtaining the item-identification of the item and the tracking-station-identification of the tracking station and communicating the obtained item-identification and a gate-identification of the gate to the tracking station identified by the tracking-station-identification.
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36. A system for tracking a plurality of items, each having a unique item-identification and being associated with one of a plurality of tracking stations, the system comprising:
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an identifier for each item for specifying an item-identification of that item and a tracking-station-identification of the tracking station associated with the item; and
a plurality of gates for obtaining the item-identification and tracking-station-identification from each approaching item and communicating the obtained item-identification and a gate-identification of the gate to the tracking station identified by the tracking-station-identification.
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37. A method of tracking a plurality of items, each having a unique item-identification and being associated with one of a plurality of tracking stations, the method comprising:
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providing for each item an identifier for specifying the item-identification of that item and a tracking-station-identification of the tracking station associated with that item;
providing a plurality of geographically distributed gates, each having a unique gate-identification;
obtaining, at each gate approached by one of the items, the item-identification of that item and the tracking-station-identification from the identifier of that item; and
communicating each obtained item-identification and the gate-identification of the gate approached by that item to the tracking station identified by the tracking-station-identification.
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Specification