MACHINE VISION RFID EXCITER TRIGGERING SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An RFID system, comprising:
- an RFID exciter configured to communicate with a master controller, where the master controller is configured to control activation of the RFID exciter; and
a video camera connected to an application server, where the application server is configured to communicate with the master controller;
wherein the video camera is configured to provide a video sequence of a scene to the application server;
wherein the application server is configured to store information concerning a region of interest within the scene;
wherein the application server is configured to detect motion within the region of interest using the video sequence;
wherein the application server is configured to send a trigger message to the master controller in response to the detection of motion within the region of interest; and
wherein the master controller is configured to activate the RFID exciter in response to receipt of a trigger message from the application server.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are described for triggering interrogation of RFID tags by an RFID system in different interrogation spaces in response to detection of the presence and/or motion of an object using a machine vision system. One embodiment of the invention includes an RFID exciter configured to communicate with a master controller, where the master controller is configured to control activation of the RFID exciter and a video camera connected to an application server, where the application server is configured to communicate with the master controller. In addition, the video camera is configured to provide a video sequence of a scene to the application server, the application server is configured to store information concerning a region of interest within the scene, the application server is configured to detect motion within the region of interest using the video sequence, the application server is configured to send a trigger message to the master controller in response to the detection of motion within the region of interest, and the master controller is configured to activate the RFID exciter in response to receipt of a trigger message from the application server.
67 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An RFID system, comprising:
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an RFID exciter configured to communicate with a master controller, where the master controller is configured to control activation of the RFID exciter; and a video camera connected to an application server, where the application server is configured to communicate with the master controller; wherein the video camera is configured to provide a video sequence of a scene to the application server; wherein the application server is configured to store information concerning a region of interest within the scene; wherein the application server is configured to detect motion within the region of interest using the video sequence; wherein the application server is configured to send a trigger message to the master controller in response to the detection of motion within the region of interest; and wherein the master controller is configured to activate the RFID exciter in response to receipt of a trigger message from the application server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An RFID system, comprising:
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a plurality of RFID exciters configured to communicate with a master controller, where the master controller is configured to control activation of each of the plurality of RFID exciters; and a video camera connected to an application server, where the application server is configured to communicate with the master controller; wherein the video camera is configured to provide a video sequence of a scene to the application server; wherein the application server is configured to store information concerning a plurality of regions of interest within the scene; wherein the application server is configured to detect motion within any of the plurality of regions of interest using the video sequence; wherein the application server is configured to send a trigger message to the master controller in response to the detection of motion within one of the plurality the regions of interest; and wherein the master controller is configured to activate at least one of the plurality of RFID exciters in response to receipt of a trigger message from the application server. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An RFID receiver system, comprising:
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an RFID exciter configured to communicate with a master controller, where the master controller is configured to control activation of the RFID exciter; a video camera connected to an application server, where the application server is configured to communicate with the master controller; and a display configured to communicate with the application server; wherein the video camera is configured to provide a video sequence of a scene to the application server; wherein the master controller is configured to estimate the location of an RFID tag based upon at least the signals backscattered by the RFID tag in response to the activation of the RFID exciter; wherein the application server is configured to render an overlay including a visual indicator in the estimated location of the RFID tag; and wherein the application server is configured to combine the overlay and the video sequence of the scene for viewing via the display. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of activating an RFID exciter, comprising:
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defining a region of interest within a scene captured by a video camera; monitoring a video sequence captured by the video camera to detect motion within the region of interest; and triggering the activation of an RFID exciter associated with the region of interest in response to the detection of motion within the region of interest. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of displaying the location of an object bearing an RFID tag, comprising:
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estimating the location of the RFID tag using an RFID receiver system; capturing a video sequence of a scene including the object bearing the RFID tag using a video camera; generating an overlay including a visual indication of the location of the RFID tag using the estimated location of the RFID tag provided by the RFID receiver system; and displaying the combined overlay and video sequence.
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Specification