Systems and methods for location of objects

• US 20070097211A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UTC Fire & Security Americas Corporation, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Covi Technologies, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Washington, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

Systems and methods that may be employed to visually locate and/or track objects equipped with active RFID tags. The disclosed systems and methods may employ an articulated camera/s, such as closed circuit television (“CCTV”) or other suitable type of articulated camera/s, that is equipped with an antenna array.

Claims

1. A camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device.

2. The camera assembly unit of claim 1, further comprising an RF transceiver, said RF transceiver comprising said RF receiver;

and wherein said RF transceiver is configured to provide a RF signal comprising RFID device activation data to an antenna.

3. The camera assembly unit of claim 1, wherein said camera assembly unit further comprises a differential antenna apparatus, said differential antenna apparatus being configured to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF transceiver.

4. The camera assembly unit of claim 3, wherein said camera assembly unit comprises a PTZ camera assembly unit.

5. The camera assembly unit of claim 3, wherein said differential antenna apparatus is directionally aligned with said optical block of said camera assembly unit.

6. The camera assembly unit of claim 5, wherein said differential antenna apparatus comprises a differential antenna array.

7. The camera assembly unit of claim 6, wherein said differential antenna array comprises a first pair of antenna elements and a second pair of antenna elements;

wherein said first pair of antenna elements comprise first and second antenna elements symmetrically positioned on respective first and second opposite sides of said optical block of said camera assembly unit; and

wherein said second pair of antenna elements comprise third and fourth antenna elements symmetrically positioned on respective third and fourth opposite sides of said optical block of said camera assembly unit.

8. The camera assembly of claim 7, wherein said camera assembly unit comprises a PTZ camera assembly unit;

wherein said first and second antenna elements are symmetrically positioned in vertical relationship with each other on said respective first and second opposite sides of said optical block of said camera assembly unit; and

wherein said third and fourth antenna elements are symmetrically positioned in horizontal relationship with each other on said respective third and fourth opposite sides of said optical block of said camera assembly unit.

9. The camera assembly unit of claim 8, wherein said differential antenna array is positioned adjacent a image gathering lens of said optical block.

10. The camera assembly unit of claim 6, further comprising signal processing circuitry coupled to said differential antenna array, said signal processing circuitry configured to receive one or more RF signals from said differential antenna array, and to provide at least one of a signal strength signal or a differential output signal based upon said one or more RF signals.

11. The camera assembly unit of claim 8, further comprising signal processing circuitry coupled to said differential antenna array, said signal processing circuitry configured to receive first and second RF signals from said respective first and second antenna elements and to receive third and fourth RF signals from said respective third and fourth antenna elements;

to provide at least one of a first signal strength signal or a first differential output signal based upon a combination of said first and second RF signals; and

to provide at least one of a second signal strength signal or a second differential output signal based upon a combination of said second and third RF signals.

12. The camera assembly unit of claim 10, wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to be coupled to a network of multiple camera assemblies, said network of multiple camera assemblies comprising a part of a visual locating system

13. The camera assembly unit of claim 10, wherein said signal processing circuitry further comprises a digital signal processor configured to determine at least one null point value of said differential output signal with respect to position of said optical block.

14. A camera assembly comprising an optical block and at least one of an embedded RF receiver or an embedded RF antenna;

wherein said embedded RF antenna is configured to receive a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device; and

wherein said embedded RF receiver is configured to receive from a RF antenna a RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device.

15. The camera assembly of claim 14, wherein said camera assembly comprises an embedded RF receiver and an embedded RF antenna;

wherein said embedded RF antenna is configured to receive a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device and to provide said RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said embedded RF receiver.

16. The camera assembly of claim 14, wherein said camera assembly comprises an embedded differential antenna apparatus.

17. The camera assembly of claim 14, wherein said camera assembly comprises an embedded differential antenna array.

18. The camera assembly of claim 15, wherein said camera assembly comprises an embedded differential antenna apparatus.

19. The camera assembly of claim 14, wherein said camera assembly comprises an embedded differential antenna array.

20. The camera assembly of claim 16, wherein said camera assembly comprises a PTZ camera assembly.

21. The camera assembly of claim 16, wherein said differential antenna array is directionally aligned with said optical block of said camera assembly.

22. The camera assembly of claim 15, wherein said embedded RF receiver comprises embedded signal conditioning circuitry.

23. The camera assembly of claim 15, wherein said camera assembly comprises an embedded RF transceiver.

24. A method of aligning an optical block of a camera assembly with an RFID device, comprising:

providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device;

receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and

aligning said optical block of said camera assembly with said RFID device based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said camera assembly unit further comprises a differential antenna apparatus, and wherein said method further comprises using said differential antenna apparatus to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said camera assembly unit comprises a PTZ camera assembly unit.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said differential antenna apparatus comprises a differential antenna array integrated with said camera assembly;

and wherein said differential antenna array is directionally aligned with said optical block of said camera assembly unit.