SHORT RANGE IP BASED PERSONAL AREA NETWORK FOR PERSONAL POSSESSIONS MANAGEMENT

• US 20080106399A1
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telcordia Legacy Inc.
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson), Toshiba America Research Inc (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yaqub, Raziq, Zhang, Tao
• Granted Patent: US 8,981,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0238 adding new units to the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

In some embodiments, a personal possession management system using a short range Internet Protocol (IP) based Personal Area Network (PAN) comprises a master device MD to be worn or held by a user, and an IP based RFID electronic tag ET to be attached to or contained within a personal possession desired to be managed. The electronic tag ET has communicability with the master device. The master device MD is configured to allot an IP address to the electronic tag ET in a registration mode using IEEE 802.11 protocols and sends probes to the electronic tag ET. The electronic tag ET is configured to receive messages from the master device MD and respond accordingly. The master device MD alerts a user when the communicability between the master device MD and the electronic tag Er is disrupted in a monitoring mode.

Claims

1. A personal possession management system using a short range Internet Protocol (IP) based Personal Area Network (PAN), comprising:

a master device to be supported or held by a user; and

an IP based RFID electronic tag to be attached to or contained within a personal possession desired to be managed, the electronic tag having communicability with the master device,

wherein the master device is configured to allot an IP address to the electronic tag in a registration mode using IP protocols and sends probes to the electronic tag,

wherein the electronic tag is configured to receive messages from the master device and respond accordingly, and

wherein the master device alerts a user when the communicability between the master device and the electronic tag is disrupted in a monitoring mode.

2. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said IP protocols include IEEE 802.11 protocols.

3. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the master device comprises a vibrator for warning the user when the communicability is disrupted in the monitoring mode.

4. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the master device comprises a beeper for warning the user when the communicability is disrupted in the monitoring mode.

5. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the master device has a screen for displaying a name of the electronic tag so that the name of the electronic tag displayed on the screen and coupled with the warning helps the user to take necessary actions.

6. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the master device is an active, battery operated portable device capable of being carried or worn by a user.

7. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1,

wherein the master device comprises a short range network interface for carrying out communication with the activated electronic tag, an active register for keeping a record of active electronic tags, a legacy register for keeping a record of deactivated electronic tags, a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server for dynamically providing an IP address and configuration information to the electronic tags, an alarm to warn a user, and a user interface for facilitating user operation of the master device, and

wherein the electronic tag comprises a short range NLOS radio network interface for carrying out communication with the master device and a register for storing information.

8. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1,

wherein the master device further comprises a Blue tooth module configured to communicated with a supplemental device.

9. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the short range network interface comprises a receiver, a transmitter, an antenna, to carry out basic communication with the electronic tag in the registration mode and the monitoring mode.

10. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is an active, low powered battery operated device.

11. The personal possession management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a low rate short range NLOS radio network interface for carrying out communication with the master device and a register for storing information including an IP address allocated by the master device and credentials associated to the IP address.

12. A method of managing a personal possession using a short range Internet Protocol (IP) based Personal Area Network (PAN), the method comprising:

preparing a master device to be supported or held by a user and one or a plurality of IP based RFID electronic tags each configured to be attached to or contained within a personal possession to be managed, each of the electronic tags having communicability with the master device;

attaching each electronic tags to a personal possession to be managed;

activating both the master device and the electronic tags;

operating the master device in a registration mode to perform registration procedures with the activated electronic tags present in a radio jurisdiction of the master device in a registration mode, the registration procedures including acquiring credential of each electronic tag and allotting an IP address to each electronic tag; and

monitoring said personal possessions via said master device.

13. The method of claim 12, further including having the master device perform a monitoring mode to perform surveillance duties governed by an Active Scanning Algorithm.

14. A possession management system using a short range Internet Protocol (IP) based Personal Area Network (PAN), comprising:

a master device supported proximate a user; and

a plurality of electronic tags supported proximate a plurality of respective possessions to be managed;

said system allotting a unique IP address to each of said electronic tag;

said master device communicating with said electronic tags by sending IP based messages to the electronic tags, and wherein the electronic tags are configured to receive said messages from the master device and transmit responses thereto using IP based protocols; and

said system being configured to alert a user based on communication between the master device and an electronic tag.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said system is configured to alert a user based on interruption in communication between the master device and an electronic tag.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said master device is configured to perform registration procedures with said electronic tags present in a radio jurisdiction of the master device in a registration mode, the registration procedures including acquiring credential of each electronic tag and allotting an IP address to each electronic tag using IEEE 802.11 protocols.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said master device is configured to perform a hunt operation for an electronic tag.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said master device is configured to perform a wait operation for an electronic tag.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said master device is configured to perform a watch operation for an electronic tag.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein said master device is configured to transmit information to a secondary device for display.