Positional information management system

• US 20060016882A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PositionTech LLC (Endpoint IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp.
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,061,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A positional information management system includes a positional information management server including a memory and a clock: a card carried by a user in a facility and having a tag IC storing a tag ID; detectors, each detector having a detector ID and a detection range and being installed at a respective location in the facility, for detecting the tag ID via a signal transmitted from the tag IC, and transmitting the tag ID and the detector ID detected to the positional information management server, the memory recording the tag ID, and the detector ID, and, from the clock, time at which the detector has detected the tag ID, the positional information management server managing positional information regarding the user, based on the tag ID, the detector IDs, and the times recorded.

Claims

1. A positional information management system comprising:

a positional information management server including a memory and a clock.

a card carried by a user in a facility and having a tag IC storing a tag ID; and

a plurality of detectors communicating with the positional information management server, each detector having a detector ID and a detection range and being installed at a respective location in the facility for detecting presence of the card when the card is located within the detection range of the respective detector, for detecting the tag ID via a signal transmitted from the tag IC, each detector transmitting to the positional information management server the tag ID detected and the detector ID of the receiver detecting the tag ID, the memory recording together the tag ID, the detector ID of the detector, and, from the clock, time at which the detector has detected the tag ID, for managing positional information regarding the user, based on the tag ID, the detector IDs, and the times recorded.

2. The positional information management system according to claim 1, wherein the positional information management server uses locations of the card, based on the detector IDs and corresponding times of detection of the tag ID to produce a movement history of the user within the facility

6. The positional information management system according to claim 1, wherein the positional information management server specifies the detector ID based on the tag ID of the user to specify a location of the user based on the detector ID.

7. The positional information management system according to claim 6, further comprising a terminal connected to the positional information management server, wherein, when the tag ID is input into the terminal, the positional information management server searches for location of the user based on the tag ID and supplies location information regarding the user to the terminal.

8. The positional information management system according to claim 6, wherein the memory records a relationship between name of the user and the tag ID, and the positional information management server specifies the tag ID of the user based on the name of the user.

9. The positional information management system according to claim 8, further comprising a terminal connected to the positional information management server, wherein, when the name of the user is input into the terminal, the positional information management server searches for location of the user based on the name and supplies location information regarding the user to the terminal.

12. The positional information management system according to claim 1, wherein the positional information management server identifies an area defined by the detection range of at least one of the detectors, identifies the corresponding detector IDs, and determines whether the user is in the area based on detected tag IDs for the corresponding detector ID.

13. The positional information management system according to claim 12, wherein the positional information management server identifies the area as a restricted area and manages security by generating an alarm or by setting a flag in the memory when the user is in the restricted area.

4-5. -5. (canceled)

14. A positional information management system comprising:

a positional information management server including a memory and a clock;

a first card carried by a customer in a facility and having a tag IC storing a tag ID of the customer;

a second card carried by a staff member of the facility and having a tag IC storing a tag ID of the staff member; and

a plurality of detectors communicating with the positional information management server, each detector having a detector ID and a detection range and being installed at a respective location in the facility for detecting presence of each of the first and second cards when at least one of the first and second cards is located within the detection range of the respective detector, for detecting the tag ID of the customer and the tag ID of the staff member via signals transmitted from the respective tag IC, each detector transmitting to the positional information management server the tag ID detected and the detector ID of the receiver detecting the tag ID, the memory recording together the tag ID, the detector ID of the detector, and, from the clock, time at which the detector has detected the tag ID, for managing positional information regarding the customer and the staff member, based on the tag IDs of the customer and the staff member, the detector IDs, and the times recorded.

3. The positional information management system according to claim 14, wherein the positional information management system separately manages positional information regarding the customer and the staff member, based on the tag IDs detected.

10. The positional information management system according to claim 14, further comprising a service manager within the positional information management server, for managing services for the customer, wherein

the service manager transmits the tag ID of the customer to the positional information management server, and

the positional information management server specifies the detector ID detecting the tag ID of the customer to the service manager for providing services for the customer the.

11. The positional information management system according to claim 10, wherein

the service manager manages delivery of services by the staff member for the customer by transmitting the tag ID of the staff member to the positional information management server, and

the positional information management server specifies the detector ID detecting the tag ID of the staff member to the service manager for providing services by the staff member for the customer.