RFID entity locating system

• US 20080042828A1
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insight Holding Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Insight Holding Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Christopher, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

The present invention provides an RFID system for locating an entity within a structure, the system comprising a portable RF transmitter/receiver transported by the entity within the structure, a base unit, and a plurality of passive RFID tags, wherein the RF transmitter/receiver records the location of an RF tag and broadcasts the location of the RF tag to the base unit.

Claims

1. An RFID system for locating an entity within a structure, the system comprising:

a portable RF transmitter/receiver transported by the entity within the structure;

a base unit; and

a plurality of passive RFID tags,

wherein the RF transmitter/receiver records a location of an RF tag and broadcasts the location of the RF tag to the base unit.

2. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tags are passive devices that do not require AC or DC power.

3. The RFID system of claim 2, wherein each RFID tag has an RF signal containing unique location information.

4. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tags are active devices.

5. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the base unit comprises a computer including a processor, a memory, an operating system, a database, a human-machine interface, and an RF receiver.

6. The RFID system of claim 5, wherein the RF receiver comprises a PC card or a PCMCI card with a USB interface.

7. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the portable RF transmitter/receiver unit is battery-operated.

8. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tags are disposed at predetermined intervals within a multiple story building.

9. The RFID system of claim 8, wherein additional RFID tags are provided at entrances and stairwells of the multiple story building.

10. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein when the RF transmitter/receiver is within a range of an RF tag, the RF transmitter/receiver records an RF signal containing unique location information of the RF tag within the structure.

11. The RFID system of claim 10, wherein the RF transmitter/receiver broadcasts the location of the RF tag to the base unit, which maintains a log of the location of the RF tag.

12. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a mine.

13. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a subway.

14. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein an RFID tag located at an entrance to the structure includes general information about the structure.

15. The RFID system of claim 14, wherein the general information comprises the building'"'"'s contact information, the number of floors, and a schematic of the structure.

16. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein the base unit maintains a base log comprising information including the identification of the entity, the name of the structure, the location of the structure, the current date, and a listing by time of the positions of the entity as it moves throughout the structure.

17. The RFID system of claim 1, wherein a distance between RFID tags is predetermined based upon a standard that balances accuracy against signal load.

18. An RFID system for locating an entity within a structure, the system comprising:

a portable RF transmitter/receiver transported by the entity within the structure;

a base unit; and

a plurality of passive RFID tags,

wherein the RF transmitter/receiver records a location of an RF tag and broadcasts the location of the RF tag to the base unit;

wherein the RFID tag is a passive device having an RF signal containing unique location information;

wherein the RF transmitter/receiver broadcasts the location of the RF tag to the base unit, which maintains a log of the location of the RF tag.

19. The RFID system of claim 18, wherein the base unit maintains a base log comprising information including the identification of the entity, the name of the structure, the location of the structure, the current date, and a listing by time of the positions of the entity as it moves throughout the structure.

20. An RFID system for locating an entity within a multiple story building, the system comprising:

a portable RF transmitter/receiver transported by the entity within the multiple story building;

a base unit; and

a plurality of passive RFID tags,

wherein the RF transmitter/receiver records a location of an RF tag and broadcasts the location of the RF tag to the base unit;

wherein the RFID tags are disposed at predetermined intervals within each story of the multiple story building;

wherein an RFID tag located at an entrance to the multiple story building includes general information about the multiple story building including the building'"'"'s contact information and the number of stories of the multiple story building.