Systems and methods for zone security

• US 20060022823A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ryal, Kim Annon
• Granted Patent: US 7,187,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for utilizing a plurality of RFID readers as proximity sensors to detect one or more RFID tagged assets. In one embodiment, an array of RFID readers provides a coverage area and polls one or more tagged assets at a predetermined interval. If a tagged asset is removed from the coverage area, it will not be able to respond to the next RFID-reader poll, thereby indicating that it has been removed from the coverage area. One or more of the RFID readers may then provide a notification of this fact. In another embodiment, one or more RFID readers operating in combination with one or more RFID tags can be used to detect whether expendable items should be replaced, or whether a device should be allowed to be activated.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed to an asset, said RFID tag having an identification code stored therein; and

an RFID reader programmed to recognize said identification code, said RFID reader to,

poll for said RFID tag at a predetermined time interval,

receive a response signal from the RFID tag when the asset is within a predetermined area, said response signal to include said identification code, and

activate a notification device to indicate that the asset is not within said predetermined area when said response signal is not received.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said response signal is in the form of one of backscatter, energy from a discharged capacitor and a radio frequency response signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said RFID reader polls said RFID tag by emitting a radio frequency signal which triggers said response signal from said RFID tag.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said response signal is validated by said RFID reader by comparing the identification code in the response signal with a programmed value.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of RFID readers which includes said RFID reader, said plurality of RFID readers to be in communication with each other and to be able to detect said response signal when emitted from within the predetermined area.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a central processor coupled to the plurality of RFID readers and said notification device, wherein said plurality of RFID readers are to poll the RFID tag at the predetermined time interval, and wherein said central processor is to activate said notification device only when none of said plurality of RFID readers detect the response signal from the RFID tag.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of RFID tags which include said RFID tag, said plurality of RFID readers being programmed to recognize a plurality of identification codes that are associated with said plurality of RFID tags.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said asset is a replaceable item that is designated to be replaced, and said predetermined time interval is a period of time after which the replaceable item is to be replaced, and wherein said RFID reader is to poll the RFID tag after said predetermined time interval has lapsed to determine if said asset has been replaced, and if the replaceable item has not been replaced, said RFID reader is to activate said notification device to indicate that the replaceable item should now be replaced.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said RFID reader continues to poll said RFID tag and to indicate that the replaceable item should be replaced until said response signal is not received in response to the RFID reader polling the RFID tag.

10. A method comprising:

serializing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, said RFID tag having an identification code stored therein;

affixing the RFID tag to an asset;

programming an RFID reader to recognize said identification code;

polling said RFID tag at a predetermined time interval;

receiving a response signal from the RFID tag when the asset is within a predetermined area, said response signal to include said identification code; and

providing a notification when said response signal is not received, where said notification indicates that the asset is not within the predetermined area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the response signal comprises receiving the response signal from the RFID tag when the asset is within a predetermined area, where said response signal is in the form of one of backscatter, energy from a discharged capacitor and a radio frequency response signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein polling said RFID tag comprises polling said RFID tag by emitting a radio frequency signal which triggers said response signal.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising validating said response signal comparing the identification code in the response signal with a programmed value in the RFID reader.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting said response signal by a plurality of RFID readers, said plurality of RFID readers to include said RFID reader, said plurality of RFID readers to be in communication with each other and to be able to detect said response signal when emitted from within the predetermined area.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said polling comprises polling said RFID tag by said plurality of RFID readers at the predetermined time interval, the method further comprising providing said notification when none of said plurality of RFID readers detects the response signal from the RFID tag

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising programming said plurality of RFID readers to recognize a plurality of identification codes that are associated with a plurality of RFID tags, where said plurality of RFID tags includes said RFID tag.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein polling comprises polling said RFID tag after a predetermined time interval where said predetermined time interval is a period of time after which said asset is to be replaced, and if the asset has not been replaced, the method further comprises providing said notification to indicate that the asset should now be replaced.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising polling, periodically, said RFID tag and indicating that the asset should be replaced until said response signal is not received in response to said polling.

19. A system comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having an identification code stored therein;

an activation device; and

an RFID reader coupled to the activation device, the RFID reader being programmed to recognize said identification code, said RFID reader to,

detect an attempt to activate said activation device,

poll, in response to said attempt to activate the activation device, said RFID tag,

receive a response signal from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is within a predetermined area, said response signal to include said identification code, and

permit the activation of said activation device in response to receiving said response signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said response signal is in the form of one of backscatter, energy from a discharged capacitor and a radio frequency response signal.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said RFID reader polls said RFID tag by emitting a radio frequency signal which triggers said response signal from said RFID tag.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said response signal is validated by said RFID reader by comparing the identification code in the response signal with a programmed value.

23. A method comprising:

programming a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to recognize an identification code of an RFID tag;

detecting an attempt to activate an activation device;

polling, in response to said attempt, said RFID tag;

receiving a response signal from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is within a predetermined area, said response signal to include said identification code; and

permitting the activation of said activation device in response to receiving said response signal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving said response signal comprises receiving said response signal from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is within the predetermined area, and wherein said response signal is in the form of one of backscatter, energy from a discharged capacitor and a radio frequency response signal.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said polling comprises polling, in response to said attempt, said RFID tag by emitting a radio frequency signal which triggers said response signal from said RFID tag.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising validating said response signal by comparing the identification code in the response signal with a programmed value in the RFID reader.