SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING MISSING ITEMS

• US 20080024303A1
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Elledge, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 7,755,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• 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 7/10059 transponder driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03
• 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 21/0275 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

A method and system for identifying a lost or stolen device is disclosed herein. The system includes: a transmitter, coupled to said device, for transmitting identification information; a receiver for receiving the identification information transmitted by the transmitter, when the transmitter is within a defined distance from the receiver; and a computer, coupled to the receiver for receiving the information from the receiver, and having a database for storing data associated with lost or stolen devices; wherein the computer compares the information with the data, and generates an alarm if the information indicates that the device is lost or stolen. The method includes: receiving information transmitted by a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, coupled to an item, when the item comes within a defined range of a receiver which receives the information; storing data associated with lost or stolen goods in a database coupled to the receiver; comparing the information to the data and determining if the information matches the data associated with the lost or stolen goods; and generating an alarm, if the information matches the data.

Claims

1. A system for identifying missing items, comprising:

a database storing identifier information for a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that is associated with a device, the database also having data that identifies the device as missing;

an interrogator for transmitting commands to RFID tags and for receiving replies from RFID tags within a defined area, the interrogator operable to extract identifier information from the received RFID replies; and

a processor coupled to the interrogator and to the database, the processor operable to compare the identifier information from an RFID reply with identifier information stored in the database, the processor further operable to identify when the RFID reply is associated with a missing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrogator is configured to transmit signals to power the RFID tags.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag further comprises a battery.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined area comprises all locations within a specified distance of the interrogator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined area comprises an airport checkpoint.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined area comprises an area associated with a metal detector device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined area comprises an area associated with a baggage screening device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is a computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data that identifies the device as missing is data that identifies the device as lost or stolen.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier information is a serial number of the device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the RFID tag is embedded in the device when the device is manufactured.

12. A method of locating missing items, comprising:

storing, in a secure database, information associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the information correlating the RFID tag with a device and including data that identifies the device as missing, the information further including an identifier for the RFID tag;

transmitting commands to RFID tags that pass through a defined area, the commands requiring any RFID tags within the defined area that authenticate the commands to transmit a reply that includes identification information;

receiving a reply from an RFID tag within the defined area;

extracting identification information from a received RFID reply;

determining if the identification information in the received RFID reply corresponds to the RFID tag identifier that is stored in the database; and

issuing an alert when the received identification information corresponds to the stored identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the commands are sent as spread spectrum radio signals and the RFID tags authenticate the commands by successfully despreading spread spectrum radio signals.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising adding an entry to the secure database when a second device is identified as lost or stolen.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising deleting an entry from the secure database when the device is located.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the defined area is a baggage screening area.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the identification information is a serial number of the device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag that uses radio frequency energy from the commands to provide power for sending replies.

19. A method for locating missing items, comprising:

transmitting commands from a plurality of readers via direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) radio frequency messages to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, wherein each of the plurality of readers is associated with a predetermined location;

receiving reply messages communicated from the RFID tags, wherein each of the reply messages includes an identifier;

extracting the identifier from each of the reply messages;

comparing the identifier with entries stored in a secure database, wherein the entries comprise identification information for RFID tags associated with devices that have been identified as lost or stolen; and

alerting an operator when the identifier of one of the reply messages corresponds to identification information in one of the entries stored in a secure database.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the alerting further comprises identifying the reader that received a reply message comprising an identifier corresponding to identification information in one of the secured database entries.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the alerting further comprises identifying the predetermined location from which a reader received a reply message comprising an identifier corresponding to identification information in one of the secured database entries.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the reply messages are communicated from the RFID tags via reflected energy using modulated backscatter.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the reply messages are communicated from RFID tags that have authenticated a command transmitted by one of the readers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the RFID tags authenticate messages transmitted by one of the readers by successfully despreading the DSSS radio frequency messages.