Smart space RFID system and method

• US 20050246094A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mountain Box Systems
• Original Assignee: Mountain Box Systems
• Inventors: Moscatiello, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/111,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246094A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) system and method are provided for enabling a mobile radio transceiver to establish the location of moveable objects in a finite space, such as a building or campus, by identifying passive RFID transponders placed on the moveable objects, and correlating the objects with passive RFID transponders placed at fixed positions in the finite space.

Claims

1. A method for locating a moveable object, comprising the steps of:

a. placing a first RFID tag at a first fixed position, wherein the first RFID tag is adapted to broadcast a first identifier;

b. placing a second RFID tag on the moveable object, wherein the second RFID tag is adapted to broadcast a second identifier;

d. receiving the first identifier broadcast from the first RFID tag and the second identifier broadcast from the second RFID tag; and

e. identifying the location of the movable object as a function of its proximity to the first RFID tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second RFID tags are passive RFID tags.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing information associated with the first and second RFID tags in a storage device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the storage device comprises a database.

5. A method for locating a moveable object using a mobile interrogator, comprising the steps of:

a. placing a first RFID tag at a first fixed position, wherein the first RFID tag is adapted to broadcast a first identifier in response to an interrogation request;

b. placing a second RFID tag on the moveable object, wherein the second RFID tag is adapted to broadcast a second identifier in response to an interrogation request;

c. transmitting a first interrogation request from the mobile interrogator;

d. receiving the first identifier broadcast from the first RFID tag and the second identifier broadcast from the second RFID tag; and

e. identifying the location of the movable object as a function of its proximity to the first RFID tag.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of storing information associated with the first and second RFID tags in a storage device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the storage device comprises a database.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the mobile interrogator comprises a battery and a processor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile interrogator further comprises a network interface device.

10. A method for locating one or more moveable objects, comprising the steps of:

a. placing a RFID tag at one or more fixed positions, wherein each RFID tag is adapted to broadcast an identifier;

b. placing a RFID tag on one or more moveable objects, wherein each RFID tag is adapted to broadcast an identifier;

c. receiving at a first time RFID broadcasts identifying one or more RFID tags and storing the received identifiers in a first list;

d. receiving at a second time RFID broadcasts identifying one or more RFID tags and storing the received identifiers in a second list;

e. comparing the first and second lists to determine a difference; and

f. using the difference to determine the location of one or more moveable objects.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the RFID tags are passive RFID tags.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the steps of receiving RFID broadcasts at the first time and the second time are performed by a mobile interrogator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile interrogator comprises a battery and a processor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mobile interrogator further comprises a network interface device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the steps of storing the first list and the second list comprise storing the first list and the second list in a storage device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the storage device is a database.

17. A system for locating a moveable object, comprising:

a. a first RFID tag at a first fixed position, wherein the first RFID tag is adapted to broadcast a first identifier;

b. a second RFID tag on the moveable object, wherein the second RFID tag is adapted to broadcast a second identifier;

c. a receiver for receiving the first identifier broadcast from the first RFID tag and the second identifier broadcast from the second RFID tag; and

d. a processor for identifying the location of the movable object as a function of its proximity to the first RFID tag.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second RFID tags are passive RFID tags.

19. A device for locating a moveable object, wherein a first RFID tag is located at a first fixed position, the first RFID tag adapted to broadcast a first identifier, and wherein a second RFID tag is located on the moveable object, the second RFID tag adapted to broadcast a second identifier, the device comprising:

a. a receiver for receiving the first identifier broadcast from the first RFID tag and the second identifier broadcast from the second RFID tag; and

b. a processor for identifying the location of the movable object as a function of its proximity to the first RFID tag.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first and second RFID tags are passive RFID tags.