MOBILE RFID TAG TRACKING SYSTEM USING CELLULAR SYSTEMS
First Claim
1. A mobile host in a system for tracking a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag using a plurality of mobile hosts including the mobile host and a cellular network comprising:
- a) first communication circuitry adapted to communicate with the cellular network;
b) second communication circuitry adapted to communicate with the RFID tag to determine an ID of the RFID tag when the RFID tag is within a coverage area of the second communication circuitry;
c) a location system adapted to determine a location of the mobile host; and
d) a control system adapted to;
obtain the location of the mobile host from the location system when the RFID tag is within the coverage area of the second communication circuitry and store the location in associated memory as the location of the RFID tag.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided for tracking a RFID tag within or outside of a cellular network. Upon receiving a request to track the RFID tag, the cellular network instructs each mobile host within the cellular network to track the RFID tag. When the RFID tag enters a coverage area of one of the mobile hosts, the ID of the RFID tag is communicated to the mobile host. Then, the mobile host obtains its location. At this point, if the mobile host is outside of the cellular network, the mobile host communicates with other mobile hosts within its coverage area such that all of the mobile hosts within its coverage area have the location and time stamp for the RFID tag. When one of these mobile hosts enters the cellular network, the mobile host communicates the location and time stamp for the RFID tag to the cellular network.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A mobile host in a system for tracking a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag using a plurality of mobile hosts including the mobile host and a cellular network comprising:
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a) first communication circuitry adapted to communicate with the cellular network; b) second communication circuitry adapted to communicate with the RFID tag to determine an ID of the RFID tag when the RFID tag is within a coverage area of the second communication circuitry; c) a location system adapted to determine a location of the mobile host; and d) a control system adapted to;
obtain the location of the mobile host from the location system when the RFID tag is within the coverage area of the second communication circuitry and store the location in associated memory as the location of the RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of tracking a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag using a cellular network comprising:
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detecting the RFID tag within a coverage area of one of a first plurality of mobile hosts; determining a location of the RFID tag; storing the location of the RFID tag in the one of the first plurality of mobile hosts; providing the location of the RFID tag to a second plurality of mobile hosts via broadcast transceivers associated with the one of the first plurality of mobile hosts and the second plurality of mobile hosts; and providing the location of the RFID tag from the one of the first plurality of mobile hosts or one of the second plurality of mobile hosts to a processing node via the cellular network. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for tracking a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag using a cellular network comprising:
a processing node associated with the cellular network and comprising; a) a communication interface coupled to the cellular network; and b) a control system adapted to; i) receive a request to track the RFID tag from a requesting node; ii) provide the request to track the RFID tag to a first plurality of mobile hosts within the cellular network via the communication interface; and iii) receive a location of the RFID tag from a mobile host within the cellular network via the communication interface, wherein the mobile host may or may not be one of the first plurality of mobile hosts to which the request was provided. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
Specification