System and method for performing object association using a location tracking system
First Claim
1. A location system including a network with a network connection element and electronic device interfaced thereto, said network connection element including at least one signaling component capable of transmitting signals, and at least one receiving component capable of receiving signals, comprising:
- an object identifier, said object identifier being a device linked to an object, said object identifier having at least one transmitting component, said transmitting component generating a signal with a unique identifier, said signal received by said network connection element and incorporated into a second signal transmitted from said network connection element to said electronic device;
a database holding object associations, said associations being the interaction of an object with at least one of another object and a location, said interaction occurring when said object is within a defined distance of at least one of another object and a location; and
a location determining module interfaced with said network, said location determining module using said unique identifier to programmatically calculate the location of said object identifier and the object to which the object identifier is linked, said calculated location of said object being used to determine an association between said object and at least one of another object and a location, said determined association being stored in said database.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The illustrative embodiment of the present invention provides a method of recording object associations using a location system. Object locations are determined based on signals generated from object identifiers linked to the objects and forwarded to an electronic device interfaced with a network. The origin of the signal is calculated by a location determining module based on a variety of factors including the known position of the receivers receiving the signal, the historical recorded position of the object, the characteristics of the receivers receiving the signal (i.e. the range), the strength of the received signal, the type of signal, and whether or not the signal was repeated. Once the location of the object has been determined, the location determining module consults a database to determine associations between the located object and other objects or specified locations based on the other objects proximity to the located object. Once an association is determined, it is stored and the duration of the association is subsequently recorded. The data from the identified associations may then be leveraged in a number of ways as input data for a variety of applications, such as billing software, equipment utilization software, asset management software, and automatic event generation software.
-
Citations
38 Claims
-
1. A location system including a network with a network connection element and electronic device interfaced thereto, said network connection element including at least one signaling component capable of transmitting signals, and at least one receiving component capable of receiving signals, comprising:
-
an object identifier, said object identifier being a device linked to an object, said object identifier having at least one transmitting component, said transmitting component generating a signal with a unique identifier, said signal received by said network connection element and incorporated into a second signal transmitted from said network connection element to said electronic device;
a database holding object associations, said associations being the interaction of an object with at least one of another object and a location, said interaction occurring when said object is within a defined distance of at least one of another object and a location; and
a location determining module interfaced with said network, said location determining module using said unique identifier to programmatically calculate the location of said object identifier and the object to which the object identifier is linked, said calculated location of said object being used to determine an association between said object and at least one of another object and a location, said determined association being stored in said database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38)
-
-
12. In a location system, said location system including a network with an electronic device and a network connection element interfaced thereto, said network connection element including at least one signaling component capable of transmitting signals, and at least one receiving component capable of receiving signals, a method, comprising the steps of:
-
providing an object identifier linked to an object, said object identifier being a device having at least one transmitting component, said transmitting component generating a signal with a unique identifier, said signal received by said network connection element;
transmitting a second signal from said network connection element to said electronic device, said second signal incorporating said signal from said object identifier;
calculating programmatically the location of said object identifier and said object to which it is linked using said unique identifier and the location of said network connection element; and
recording associations in a database interfaced with said network, said associations being the interaction of an object with at least one of another object and a location, said interaction occurring when the calculated location of said object is within a defined distance of at least one of another object and a location
-
-
35. A location system, comprising:
-
an object identifier, said object identifier being a device linked to an object, said object identifier having at least one signaling component, said signaling component generating a signal with a unique identifier, and a location determining module, said location determining module using said unique identifier to programmatically calculate the location of said object identifier and the object to which the object identifier is linked, said location being used to determine object associations, said determined associations being the interaction of said object with at least one of another object and a location, said interaction occurring when said object is within a defined distance of at least one of another object and a location.
-
-
37. In a location system, said location system including a network with an electronic device and a network connection element interfaced thereto, said network connection element including a receiving component and a signaling component, a medium holding computer-executable steps for a method, comprising the steps of:
-
transmitting a signal from an object identifier linked to an object, said signal having a unique identifier, said signal received by said network connection and incorporated into a second signal broadcast on said network;
calculating programmatically the location of said object identifier and an object to which it is linked using said unique identifier and a known location of said network connection element; and
recording associations in a database interfaced with said network, said associations being the interaction of said object with at least one of another object and a location, said interaction occurring when the calculated location of said object is within a defined distance of at least one of another object and a location.
-
Specification