Real-Time and Offline Location Tracking Using Passive RFID Technologies

• US 20080224867A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rehman, Samuelson
• Granted Patent: US 9,536,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A system for location tracking using passive tags includes a reader and a location tracker. The reader receives an identifier associated with a first passive tag. The location tracker receives the location of the passive tag, and maps the location of the first passive tag to the identifier associated with the first passive tag. The location tracker determines the location of an object based on the location of the first passive tag. The location tracker may receive the location of a second passive tag, and map the location of the second passive tag to an identifier associated with the second passive tag. The location tracker may update the location of the object using the location of the second passive tag in response to the reader receiving the identifier associated with the second passive tag.

Claims

1. A method for location tracking using passive tags, the method comprising:

receiving information specifying location of a first passive tag;

mapping the location of the first passive tag to an identifier associated with the first passive tag;

receiving the identifier associated with the first passive tag using a first antenna field of a reader; and

determining location of an object based on the location of the first passive tag.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the object comprises the reader used to receive the identifier associated with the first passive tag.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an identifier associated with a second passive tag using the first antenna field of the reader; and

wherein determining the location of the object based on the location of the first passive tag comprises;

generating information specifying location of the second passive tag based on the location of the first passive tag; and

mapping the location of the second passive tag to the identifier associated with the second passive tag to determine the location of the second passive tag.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving information specifying location of a second passive tag;

mapping the location of the second passive tag to an identifier associated with the second passive tag;

receiving the identifier associated with the second passive tag using a second antenna field of the reader; and

updating the location of the object based on the location of the second passive tag.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving information specifying location of a second passive tag;

mapping the location of the second passive tag to an identifier associated with the second passive tag;

receiving the identifier associated with the second passive tag at a different time from when the identifier associated with the first passive tag was received; and

tracking the location of the object based on the location of the first passive tag and the location of the second passive tag.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the location of the object based on receiving the identifier associated with the first passive tag comprises determining the location of the object in real-time.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, from the first passive tag, the information specifying the location of the first passive tag.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a discrepancy in the location of the object.

9. A system for location tracking using passive tags, the system comprising:

a reader configured to receive an identifier associated with a first passive tag using a first antenna field of the reader; and

a location tracker configured to receive information specifying location of the first passive tag, to map the location of the first passive tag to the identifier associated with the first passive tag, and to determine location of an object based on the location of the first passive tag.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the object comprises the reader used to receive the identifier associated with the first passive tag.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the reader is further configured to receive an identifier associated with a second passive tag using the first antenna field of the reader;

and

wherein the location tracker is configured to generate information specifying location of the second passive tag based on the location of the first passive tag, and map the location of the second passive tag to the identifier associated with the second passive tag to determine the location of the second passive tag.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the reader is further configured to receive an identifier associated with a second passive tag using a second antenna field of the reader;

and

wherein the location tracker is further configured to receive information specifying location of the second passive tag, to map the location of the second passive tag to the identifier associated with the second passive tag, and to update the location of the object based on the location of the second passive tag.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the reader is further configured to receive an identifier associated with a second passive tag at a different time from when the identifier associated with the first passive tag was received;

and

wherein the location tracker is further configured to receive information specifying location of the second passive tag, to map the location of the second passive tag to the identifier associated with the second passive tag, and to track the location of the object based on the location of the first passive tag and the location of the second passive tag.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the location tracker is configured to determine the location of the object in real-time based on receiving the identifier associated with the first passive tag.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the location tracker is configured to receive the information specifying the location of the first passive tag via the reader from the first passive tag.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the location tracker is configured to determine a discrepancy in the location of the object.

17. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium configured to store instructions operational when executed by a processor of a computer system for location tracking using passive tags, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving information specifying location of a first passive tag;

code for mapping the location of the passive tag to an identifier associated with the first passive tag;

code for receiving the identifier associated with the first passive tag using a first antenna field of a reader; and

code for determining location of an object based on the location of the first passive tag.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the object comprises the reader used to receive the identifier associated with the first passive tag.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

code for receiving an identifier associated with a second passive tag using the first antenna field of the reader; and

wherein the code for determining the location of the object based on the location of the first passive tag comprises;

code for generating information specifying location of the second passive tag based on the location of the first passive tag; and

code for mapping the location of the second passive tag to the identifier associated with the second passive tag to determine the location of the second passive tag.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

code for receiving information specifying location of a second passive tag;

code for mapping the location of the second passive tag to an identifier associated with the second passive tag;

code for receiving the identifier associated with the second passive tag using a second antenna field of the reader; and

code for updating the location of the object based on the location of the second passive tag.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

code for receiving information specifying location of a second passive tag;

code for mapping the location of the second passive tag to an identifier associated with the second passive tag;

code for receiving the identifier associated with the second passive tag at a different time from when the identifier associated with the first passive tag was received; and

code for tracking the location of the object based on the location of the first passive tag and the location of the second passive tag.

22. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the code for determining the location of the object based on receiving the identifier associated with the first passive tag comprises code for determining the location of the object in real-time.

23. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

code for receiving, from the first passive tag, the information specifying the location of the first passive tag.

24. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

code for determining a discrepancy in the location of the object.