Tracking system and method employing plural smart tags

• US 20040036623A1
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avante International Technology
• Original Assignee: AII Technology Company Limited (Wistron Corporation)
• Inventors: Chung, Kevin Kwong-Tai
• Granted Patent: US 7,098,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

A system and method are useful for tracking two or more objects moving by separate transport paths to a destination and associating the objects at the destination. Object and check smart tags are associated respectively with each object to be tracked and with an associated check object. Each smart tag includes at least an electronic memory from which information man be transmitted and/or into which information may be stored. Smart tag control units (reader and/or writer) and antenna arrays along the transport path communicate with the smart tags and/or communicate directly or indirectly with one or more processors that process the information. Object and check smart tags are read and compared for matching the object and check object at the destination.

Claims

1. A system for tracking first and second objects associated respectively with first and second smart tags, comprising:

a plurality of smart tag readers for providing and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in a smart tag format, wherein at least one of the plurality of smart tag readers is associated with a tracking location and one of the plurality of smart tag readers is associated with a destination location,

wherein each of the plurality of smart tag readers produces information signals representative of information contained in the received information-bearing electrical signals and/or inserts information contained in information signals into the transmitted information-bearing electrical signals;

a plurality of antenna arrays operatively coupled to a respective one of the plurality of smart tag readers for transmitting and/or receiving the information-bearing electrical signals in a detection region proximate one of a tracking location and a destination location associated therewith,

at least some of said plurality of antenna arrays including a plurality of loop antenna arranged with spatial or temporal separation for coupling the information-bearing signals between the smart tag reader and a smart tag in the detection region with substantially 100% reading rate;

at least first and second smart tags associated with first and second objects,

the first and second smart tags each including an electronic memory and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in the smart tag format,

wherein the information-bearing electrical signals represent information to be stored in the electronic memory and/or represent information produced from the electronic memory;

whereby information is communicated between the electronic memory of the smart tag and the smart tag reader of a particular location when the smart tag is in the detection region of that particular location; and

a computer processor for processing at least information signals from the smart tag reader at the destination location for comparing information read from the electronic memories of the first and second smart tags for providing an indication of a match or of lack of a match thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the information contained in the information-bearing signals is representative of one or more of:

the identity of any one or more of;

the smart tag, the object, the location, a passenger, a passenger and his baggage, an object of transport, the owner of an object of transport, an recipient of an object of transport, a mode of transport or travel, a route of transport or travel, a prescription, an order, a medication, an implement, a medical implement, and a medical device; and

a date, and a time.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the information contained in the information signals is communicated to and is stored in both the computer processor and the electronic memory of at least one of the first and second smart tags.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the information to be stored in and the information produced from the electronic memory of the smart tag includes a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of antenna arrays comprises a plurality of loop antenna disposed on flexible substrates providing a flexible curtain at an access way.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of antenna arrays comprises a plurality of loop antenna that are one of:

spatially separated such that less than about 50% of the effective electromagnetic field region of the respective loop antenna overlaps within the detection region, and

temporally separated by being activated sequentially in time.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer processor includes a central processor in communication with one or more local processors in communication with the smart tag readers.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer processor provides a human perceivable indication responsive to the presence of said first and second smart tags within the detection region of the antenna array at the destination location.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the human perceivable indication is provided responsive to lack of a match of information from said first and second smart tags.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the human perceivable indication includes one of a light, an audible alarm, an anti-theft alarm, a display on a computer monitor and a print out.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the information processed by the computer processor includes a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising communication means for communicating the information signals between said computer processor and at least one of said plurality of smart tag readers.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said communication means comprises one or more of wire, cable, optical fiber, radio or RF transmission, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the tracking and destination locations includes one of a travel facility, a travel terminal, a baggage facility, a baggage checking facility, matching a passenger and his baggage, medical facility, a hospital, a pharmacy, a warehouse, a manufacturing facility, a processing facility, a display, a storage bin, entrance and exit gates, a vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a train, a truck, a container, a storage container, a transport container, and a terminal associated with any of the foregoing.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the first object is a passenger and the second object is the passenger'"'"'s baggage, wherein said computer processor matches the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage before departure of a conveyance carrying at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage.

16. A method for associating first and second objects at a destination location, wherein a smart tag is associated with each of the first and second objects, comprising:

providing first and second smart tags having information stored therein relating to both of the first and second objects;

associating the first and second smart tags with the first and second objects, respectively;

associating the first and second smart tags at the destination location;

reading at the destination location the information stored in the first and second smart tags;

processing the information read from both the first and second smart tags for determining whether the information read includes the information relating to the first and second objects; and

providing an indication of whether the information read includes the information relating to the first and second objects.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said providing first and second smart tags includes storing information in the first and second smart tags relating to both of the first and second objects.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the information stored in the first and second smart tags includes at least one of:

the identity of any one or more of the first and second smart tags, one of the first and second objects, the destination location, a passenger, a passenger and his baggage, an object of transport, the owner of an object of transport, an recipient of an object of transport, a mode of transport or travel, a route of transport or travel, a prescription, an order, a medication, an implement, a medical implement, and a medical device; and

a date, and a time.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising storing information in the smart tag in a form including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said processing includes processing read information in a form including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising, at one or more tracking locations, reading the information stored in at least one of the first and second smart tags.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said processing further comprises processing the information read at the one or more tracking locations for tracking the at least one of the first and second smart tags.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising communicating the information read at the one or more tracking locations to a processor.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said communicating comprises sending information signals via one or more of wire, cable, optical fiber, radio or RF transmission, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a combination thereof.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising, at one or more tracking locations, storing information related to the tracking location in at least one of the first and second smart tags.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the information related to the tracking location includes one or more of an identification of the tracking location, a location thereof, a time, a date, application specific data, and a relational check number representative of application specific data and/or a permanent number stored in the at least one of the first and second smart tags.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said processing further comprises processing the information related to the tracking location for tracking the at least one of the first and second smart tags.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising communicating the information related to the tracking location between the tracking location and a processor.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein said communicating comprises sending information signals via one or more of wire, cable, optical fiber, radio or RF transmission, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a combination thereof.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein at least one of the tracking and destination locations includes one of a travel facility, a travel terminal, a baggage facility, a baggage checking facility, matching a passenger and his baggage, a medical facility, a hospital, a pharmacy, a warehouse, a manufacturing facility, a processing facility, a display, a storage bin, an entrance and/or exit gate, a vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a train, a truck, a container, a storage container, a transport container, and a terminal associated with any of the foregoing.

31. The method of claim 16 wherein said providing an indication comprises providing a human perceivable indication including one of a light, an audible alarm, an anti-theft alarm, a display on a computer monitor and a print out.

32. The method of claim 16 wherein the first object is a passenger and the second object is the passenger'"'"'s baggage, further comprising:

carrying at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage on a conveyance;

wherein said processing includes matching the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage before departure of the conveyance.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said providing an indication includes providing the indication when the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage do not match before departure of the conveyance.

34. Apparatus for associating first and second objects at a destination location, wherein a smart tag is associated with each of the first and second objects, comprising:

means for providing first and second smart tags having information stored therein relating to both of the first and second objects;

means for associating the first and second smart tags with the first and second objects, respectively;

means for associating the first and second smart tags at the destination location;

means for reading at the destination location the information stored in the first and second smart tags;

means for processing the information read from both the first and second smart tags for determining whether the information read includes the information relating to the first and second objects; and

means for providing an indication of whether the information read includes the information relating to the first and second objects.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said means for providing first and second smart tags includes means for storing information in the first and second smart tags relating to both of the first and second objects.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the information stored in the first and second smart tags includes at least one of:

the identity of any one or more of;

the first and second smart tags, one of the first and second objects, the destination location, a passenger, a passenger and his baggage, an object of transport, the owner of an object of transport, an recipient of an object of transport, a mode of transport or travel, a route of transport or travel, a prescription, an order, a medication, an implement, a medical implement, and a medical device; and

a date, and a time.

37. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising means for storing information in the smart tag in a form including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.

38. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said means for processing includes means for processing read information in a form including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.

39. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising, at one or more tracking locations, means for reading the information stored in at least one of the first and second smart tags.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said means for processing further comprises means for processing the information read at the one or more tracking locations for tracking the at least one of the first and second smart tags.

41. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising means for communicating the information read at the one or more tracking locations to a processor.

42. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said means for communicating comprises means for sending information signals via one or more of wire, cable, optical fiber, radio or RF transmission, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a combination thereof.

43. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising, at one or more tracking locations, means for storing information related to the tracking location in at least one of the first and second smart tags.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the information related to the tracking location includes one or more of an identification of the tracking location, a location thereof, a time, a date, application specific data, and a relational check number representative of application specific data and/or a permanent number stored in the at least one of the first and second smart tags.

45. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein said means for processing further comprises processing the information related to the tracking location for tracking the at least one of the first and second smart tags.

46. The apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for communicating the information related to the tracking location between the tracking location and a processor.

47. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein said means for communicating comprises sending information signals via one or more of wire, cable, optical fiber, radio or RF transmission, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a combination thereof.

48. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein at least one of the tracking and destination locations includes one of a travel facility, a travel terminal, a baggage facility, a baggage checking facility, matching a passenger and his baggage, a medical facility, a hospital, a pharmacy, a warehouse, a manufacturing facility, a processing facility, a display, a storage bin, an entrance and/or exit gate, a vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a train, a truck, a container, a storage container, a transport container, and a terminal associated with any of the foregoing.

49. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said means for providing an indication comprises means for providing a human perceivable indication including one of a light, an audible alarm, an anti-theft alarm, a display on a computer monitor and a print out.

50. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the first object is a passenger and the second object is the passenger'"'"'s baggage, wherein said means for processing matches the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage before departure of a conveyance carrying at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage.

51. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein said means for providing an indication includes means for providing the indication when the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage do not match before departure of the conveyance.

52. A method for storing information in a smart tag comprising:

providing a smart tag having a memory, the smart tag memory having a permanent number stored in a first portion thereof that cannot be changed, and having a second portion in which information can be stored;

storing application specific information in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

generating a relational check number representative of one of (a) the application specific information and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number; and

storing the relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

53. The method of claim 52 further comprising:

reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number and one of (a) the application specific information and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number;

generating a second relational check number representative of the read one of (a) the application specific information and (b) the application specific information and the permanent number;

comparing the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check number; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory and the second relational check number match.

54. The method of claim 52 further comprising:

storing in a memory independent of the smart tag at least the relational check number stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

thereafter, reading from the second portion of the smart tag memory the relational check number stored therein;

comparing the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory; and

indicating whether the relational check number read from the memory independent of the smart tag and the relational check number read from the second portion of the smart tag memory match.

55. The method of claim 52 further comprising:

one of modifying and supplementing the application specific information stored in the second portion of the smart tag memory;

regenerating the relational check number representative of one of (a) the modified and supplemented application specific information and (b) the modified and supplemented application specific information and the permanent number; and

storing the regenerated relational check number in the second portion of the smart tag memory.

56. A system for matching at a destination first and second objects associated respectively with first and second smart tags, comprising:

at least first and second smart tags associated at an origin location with first and second objects, the first and second smart tags each including a memory;

at least one smart tag writer at the origin location for storing in the respective memories of said first and second smart tags information relating to both the first and second objects;

a smart tag reader at the destination location for reading information stored in the memory of a smart tag, wherein said smart tag reader reads information from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags; and

a processor for providing an indication of whether the information read from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags both include the information relating to both the first and second objects.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein the information stored in the memory of each of said first and second smart tags includes a permanent number stored therein that cannot be changed, the information relating to both the first and second objects, and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the information relating to both the first and second objects.

58. The system of claim 56 further comprising an antenna array associated with said smart tag reader including a plurality of loop antenna that are one of:

spatially separated such that less than about 50% of the effective electromagnetic field region of the respective loop antenna overlaps within the detection region, and

temporally separated by being activated sequentially in time.

59. The system of claim 56 wherein the information relating to both the first and second objects is representative of one or more of:

the identity of any one or more of;

the first and/or second smart tags, the first and/or second objects, the origin and/or destination locations, a passenger, a passenger and his baggage, the owner of the first and/or second objects, a recipient of the first and/or second objects, a mode of transport or travel, a route of transport or travel, a prescription, an order, a medication, an implement, a medical implement, and a medical device; and

a date, and a time.

60. The system of claim 56 wherein said processor provides a human perceivable indication responsive to the presence of said first and second smart tags, wherein the human perceivable indication includes one of a light, an audible alarm, an anti-theft alarm, a display on a computer monitor and a print out.

61. The system of claim 56 wherein at least one of the origin and destination locations includes one of a travel facility, a travel terminal, a baggage facility, a medical facility, a hospital, a pharmacy, a warehouse, a manufacturing facility, a processing facility, a storage bin, an entrance and/or exit gate, a vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a train, a truck, a container, a storage container, a transport container, and a terminal associated with any of the foregoing.

62. The system of claim 56 wherein the first and second objects include:

baggage and a baggage check, a package and a package receipt, medication and a prescription, a medical device and a medical order, and a medical implement and a medical order.

63. The system of claim 56 wherein the first object is a passenger and the second object is the passenger'"'"'s baggage, wherein said processor matches the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage before departure of a conveyance carrying at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage, and wherein the indication includes an indication of the match or lack of match thereof.

64. A system for matching at a destination baggage and a baggage check associated respectively with first and second smart tags, comprising:

at least first and second smart tags associated at an origin location with baggage and a baggage check, respectively, the first and second smart tags each including a memory;

at least one smart tag writer at the origin location for storing in the respective memories of said first and second smart tags information relating to at least one of the baggage and the baggage check;

a smart tag reader at the destination location for reading information stored in the memory of a smart tag, wherein said smart tag reader reads information from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags; and

a processor for providing an indication of whether the information read from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags both include the information relating to at least one of the baggage and the baggage check,

whereby the indication provided indicates whether the baggage and the baggage check match.

65. The system of claim 64 wherein said processor matches the baggage and the baggage check before departure of a conveyance carrying at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage.

66. A system for matching a passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage associated respectively with first and second smart tags, comprising:

at least first and second smart tags associated at an origin location with a passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage, respectively, the first and second smart tags each including a memory;

at least one smart tag writer at the origin location for storing in the respective memories of said first and second smart tags information relating to at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage;

at least one smart tag reader for reading information stored in the memory of a smart tag, wherein said smart tag reader reads information from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags before departure of a conveyance carrying at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage; and

a processor for providing an indication of whether the information read from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags both include the information relating to at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage,

whereby the indication provided indicates whether the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage are on the conveyance before departure thereof.

67. The system of claim 66 further comprising:

a further smart tag reader at a destination location for reading information stored in the memory of a smart tag, wherein said smart tag reader reads information from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags; and

a further processor at the destination location for providing an indication of whether the information read from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags both include the information relating to at least one of the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage,

whereby the indication provided indicates whether the passenger and the passenger'"'"'s baggage match.

68. A system for matching medication and a prescription therefor associated respectively with first and second smart tags, comprising:

at least first and second smart tags associated at an first location with a medication and a prescription therefor, respectively, the first and second smart tags each including a memory;

one or more smart tag writers for storing in the respective memories of said first and second smart tags information relating to the medication and/or the prescription therefor;

a smart tag reader at a second location for reading information stored in the memory of a smart tag, wherein said smart tag reader reads information from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags; and

a processor for providing an indication of whether the information read from the respective memories of said first and second smart tags both include the information relating to information relating to the medication and/or the prescription therefor,

whereby the indication provided indicates whether the medication and the prescription match.