Method and system for item tracking with tags

• US 20070115125A1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pradhan, Salil, Serra, Bill, Caban, Alipio, Lyon, Geoff, Badillo, Jorge
• Granted Patent: US 8,269,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention describe a method of tracking an item, comprising. The items is associated with a tag and capable of responding to a query from a tag reader and tag combination. The tag reader and tag combination capable of identifying the item associated with the tag using a tag reader. In operation, a tag reader makes a request to at least one tag reader and tag combination for the identity of an item associated with a tag. The tag reader and tag combination identifies the item associated with the tag and provides the identity of the item and tag to the tag reader.

Claims

1. A method of tracking an item, comprising:

receiving a request on at least one tag reader and tag combination for the identity of an item associated with a tag;

identifying the item associated with the tag using the at least one tag reader and tag combination; and

providing the identity of the item and tag through the at least one reader and tag combination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the item is selected from a set of items including:

drugs, medical devices, computer equipment, luxury items, and sports equipment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one tag reader and tag combination receives the request and further receives energy for both the tag reader and tag from a reader in a hierarchy of readers and tags.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the request further includes:

passing the request for the identity of the item associated with the tag to one or more tag reader and tag combinations; and

querying each of the one or more tag reader and tag combinations for the identities of items associated with tags.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the request further includes:

cascading the request for the item associated with tag to one or more tag reader and tag combinations;

passing the request from each tag reader and tag combination to one or more tag reader and tag combinations; and

querying the one or more tag reader and tag combinations for the identities of items associated with a tag.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the tag in the tag reader and tag combination is selected from a set of tag types including:

a passive tag and an active tag.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identity of the item is stored in the tag.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the tag is configured to operate as a near field tag.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the tag portion of the tag reader and tag combination is configured to operate as a near field tag.

10. A tracking apparatus comprising:

a tag associated with an item and capable of responding to a query from a tag reader and tag combination; and

a tag reader and tag combination capable of identifying the item associated with the tag.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a tag reader capable of querying the tag from the tag reader and tag combination for the identity of the item associated with the tag.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a computer inventory system capable of receiving from the tag reader and tag combination the identity of the item associated with the tag and holding the identity for later reference.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the tag reader and tag combination receives a request and receives energy for both the tag reader and tag from a reader in a hierarchy of readers and tags and transmits a predetermined amount of the energy to the tag.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the item is selected from a set of items including:

drugs, medical devices, computer equipment, luxury items, and sports equipment.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the tag in the tag reader and tag combination is selected from a set of tag types including:

a passive tag and an active tag.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the tag is capable of operating as a near field device.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the tag portion of the tag reader and tag combination is capable of operating as a near field device.

16. A tracking apparatus for pills comprising:

a bubble pack capable of holding a set of pills and having at least one antenna near a holding area for each pill in the set of pills; and

a tag reader and tag combination integrated into the bubble pack, wherein the tag reader portion of the tag reader and tag combination is operatively coupled to the at least one antenna near the holding area for each pill to facilitate identification of a tag associated with one or more pills in the set of pills.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

a set of pills in the holding area wherein at least one pill is associated with a tag capable of responding to a query from the tag reader and tag combination.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the at least one antenna near the holding area is operatively coupled to the tag reader portion of the tag reader and tag combination.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein two or more antenna near the holding area for each pill is coupled in series and to the tag reader portion of the tag reader and tag combination.

22. A computer program product for tracking items, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive a request on at least one tag reader and tag combination for the identity of an item associated with a tag;

identify the item associated with the tag using the at least one tag reader and tag combination; and

provide the identity of the item and tag through the at least one tag reader and tag combination.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the item is selected from a set of items including:

drugs, medical devices, computer equipment, luxury items, and sports equipment.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the instructions that request further includes instructions that:

pass the request for the identity of the item associated with the tag to one or more tag reader and tag combinations; and

query each of the one or more tag reader and tag combinations for the identities of items associated with tags.

25. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the instructions that request further include instructions that:

cascade the request for the item associated with the tag to one or more tag reader and tag combinations;

pass the request from each tag reader and tag combination to one or more tag reader and tag combinations; and

query the one or more tag reader and tag combinations for the identities of items associated with a tag.

26. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the tag in the tag reader and tag combination is selected from a set of tag types including:

a passive tag and an active tag.

27. An apparatus for tracking items, comprising:

means for receiving a request on at least one tag reader and tag combination for the identity of an item associated with a tag;

means for identifying the item associated with the tag using the at least one tag reader and tag combination; and

means for providing the identity of the item and tag through the at least one tag reader and tag combination.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the at least one tag reader and tag combination means for receiving the request and further includes a means for receiving energy for both the tag reader and tag from a reader in a hierarchy of readers and tags.

29. A method of tracking an item, comprising:

transmitting a request for one or more items through a sequence of one or more active tag and active tag reader combinations;

receiving the request and energy from at least one of the one or more active tag and tag reader combinations on a first passive tag reader and tag combination that energizes both the tag portion and reader portion of the first passive tag reader and tag combination;

passing the request and remaining energy from the first passive tag reader and tag combination to a daisy-chain sequence of one or more subsequent passive tag reader and tag reader combinations powered by the remaining energy and each also capable of continuing to pass the request and subsequently remaining energy to other passive tag reader and tag reader combinations.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

identifying an item associated with a tag using a passive tag reader and tag combination; and

providing the identity of the item and tag through the passive tag reader and tag combination.