SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING OBJECT ASSOCIATION BASED ON INTERACTION TIME USING A LOCATION TRACKING SYSTEM

• US 20090198734A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consortium P Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Radianse Incorporated (Airpointe Corp.)
• Inventors: Tessier, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/10 Elderly or infirm
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/74 Multi-channel systems specially adapted for direction-finding, i.e. having a single antenna system capable of giving simultaneous indications of the directions of different signals systems in which the directions of different signals are determined sequentially and displayed simultaneously G01S3/04, G01S3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0221 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• 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

A system is provided for associating an object with a locale or a second object based on interaction time. The system includes and object identifier linked with an object for providing data identifying the object and a location determining module for determining the location of the object. The location determining modules includes an object location module for determining the location of the object based at least in part on the data and an object association module for associating the object with a second object or locale. The object association module is configured to determine whether the object is in proximity to the second object or the locale for a time period greater than or equal to a threshold time and create an associating between the object and the second object or the locale.

Claims

1. A system for associating an object with a locale or a second object, comprising

an object identifier linked with an object for providing data identifying the object, and

a location determining module for determining a location of the object, the location determining module including

an object location module for determining the location of the object based at least in part on the data, and

an object association module for associating the object with a second object or locale, wherein the object association module is configured to determine based on the location of the object whether the object is in proximity to the second object or the locale for a time period greater than or equal to a threshold time, and if the time period that the object is in proximity to the second object or the locale is greater than or equal to the threshold time, the object association module is configured to create an association between the object and the second object or the locale.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object identifier comprises one or more of

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal including the data identifying the object,

a receiver configured to receive a signal requesting the data identifying the object;

and

a processor for controlling the transmitter and the receiver of the object identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data identifying the object comprises a unique identifier.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data identifying the object is provided in a bar code on the object identifier or is magnetically encoded on the object identifier.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the location determining module is part of an electronic device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the location determining module further comprises one or more of

a receiver for receiving a signal from the object identifier providing the data identifying the object, and

a transmitter for transmitting a request for data identifying the object.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a network, wherein the location determining module is coupled to the network, and

a network connected element including at least one signaling component capable of transmitting or receiving signals, wherein the network connected element is configured to receive the data identifying the object provided by the object identifier and transmit a signal containing the data to the location determining module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the object identifier is a passive RFID device, and the network connected element is a passive RFID reader.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the object identifier is a bar code, and the network connected element is a bar code reader.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the location determining module is directly coupled to the object identifier.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage device for storing object associations.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a topology storage device for storing topology data.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fixed location identifier separate and distinct from said object identifier and having a known location.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the fixed location identifier comprises at least one receiving component for receiving transmissions from said object identifier, and at least one transmitting component for transmitting a signal.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising

a network, wherein the location determining module is coupled to the network, and

a network connected element including at least one signaling component capable of transmitting or receiving signals, wherein the network connected element is configured to receive the data identifying the object provided by the object identifier and transmit a signal containing the data to the location determining module,

wherein said fixed location identifier transmits said signal to the network connected element, said network connected element incorporating the signal from the fixed location identifier into a signal sent to said location determining module,

wherein said location determining module uses the known location of said fixed location identifier in the calculation of a location of said object identifier.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein object identifier is located in a health care facility.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the locale comprises a room in the health care facility.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the time period for determining an association depends on the type of object that the object identifier is linked to.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the time period for determining an association depends on the location or locale of the object identifier.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the time period for determining an association depends on the second object or locale the object identifier is being associated with.

21. A method for associating an object with a locale or a second object, comprising:

providing, on an object identifier linked with an object, data identifying the object,

determining, at an object location module, a location of the object based at least in part on the data identifying the object, and

creating, at an object association module, an association between the object and a second object or locale based on the location of the object and whether the object is in proximity to the second object or the locale for a time period greater than or equal to a threshold time.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the object identifier comprises one or more of

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal including the data identifying the object,

a receiver configured to receive a signal requesting the data identifying the object;

and

a processor for controlling the transmitter and the receiver of the object identifier.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the data identifying the object comprises a unique identifier.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the data identifying the object is provided in a bar code on the object identifier or is magnetically encoded on the object identifier.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the object location module and the object association module are part of a location determining module.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the location determining module further comprises one or more of

a receiver for receiving a signal from the object identifier providing the data identifying the object, and

a transmitter for transmitting a request for data identifying the object.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the location determining module is coupled to a network and the method further comprises:

receiving, at a network connected element, the data provided by the object identifier;

transmitting, from the network connected element, a signal containing the data; and

receiving, at the location determining module, the signal from the network connected element.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the object identifier is a passive RFID device, and the network connected element is a passive RFID reader.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the object identifier is a bar code, and the network connected element is a bar code reader.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the location determining module is directly coupled to the object identifier.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

storing the object association at a storage device.

32. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, at a fixed location identifier, the data provided by the object identifier;

transmitting, from the fixed location identifier, a signal containing the data; and

receiving, at the object location module, the signal from the fixed location identifier.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein object identifier is located in a health care facility.

34. The method of claim 21, wherein the locale comprises a room in the health care facility.

35. The method of claim 21, wherein the time period for determining an association depends on the type of object that the object identifier is linked to.

36. The method of claim 21, wherein the time period for determining an association depends on the location or locale of the object identifier.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein the time period for determining an association depends on the second object or locale the object identifier is being associated with.