System and Method for Monitoring a Location of a Mobile RFID Reader

• US 20100007495A1
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hanebeck, Hanns-Christian L.
• Application Number:
  US12/170,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007495A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0252 System arrangements wherein the child unit emits, i.e. the child unit incorporates the emitter
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS

Abstract

A system and a method for monitoring a location of a mobile RFID reader are provided. The system includes an active RFID tag disposed on the mobile RFID reader configured to transmit a first RF signal. The system further includes a first stationary RFID reader configured to receive the first RF signal. The first stationary RFID reader is further configured to send a first message having data associated with the first RF signal to a computer. The computer is configured to determine a first location of the mobile RFID reader at a first time based on the data associated with the first RF signal. The computer is further configured to store first location data indicating the first location of the mobile RFID reader in a memory device.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a location of a mobile RFID reader, comprising:

transmitting a first RF signal from an active RFID tag disposed on the mobile RFID reader;

receiving the first RF signal at a first stationary RFID reader;

sending a first message having data associated with the first RF signal, from the first stationary RFID reader to a computer;

determining a first location of the mobile RFID reader at a first time based on the data associated with the first RF signal, utilizing the computer; and

storing first location data indicating the first location of the mobile RFID reader in a memory device, utilizing the computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a second message having a status value associated with the mobile RFID reader or first data acquired by the mobile RFID reader from the mobile RFID reader to the computer; and

storing the status value or the first data in the memory device, utilizing the computer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second RF signal from the active RFID tag disposed on the mobile RFID reader;

receiving the second RF signal at the first stationary RFID reader;

sending a second message having data associated with the second RF signal, from the first stationary RFID reader to the computer;

determining a second location of the mobile RFID reader at a second time based on the data associated with the second RF signal, utilizing the computer; and

storing second location data indicating the second location of the mobile RFID reader in the memory device, utilizing the computer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that the first location and the second location is in a predetermined geographical region, utilizing the computer; and

displaying an alert message on a display device when a distance between the first location and the second location is less than a predetermined distance, utilizing the computer.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying a map of a geographical region on a display device, utilizing the computer; and

displaying a first location marker indicating the first location of the mobile RFID reader on the map and a second location marker indicating the second location of mobile RFID reader on the map, utilizing the computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first location is outside of a predetermined geographical region, utilizing the computer; and

displaying an alert message on a display device indicating the first location is outside of the predetermined geographical region, utilizing the computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a map of a geographical region on a display device, and displaying a location marker indicating the location of the mobile RFID reader on the map, utilizing the computer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the first RF signal at a second stationary RFID reader;

sending a second message having data associated with the first RF signal, from the second stationary RFID reader to the computer;

wherein determining the first location of the mobile RFID reader comprises calculating the first location based on the data from the first message and the data from the second message, utilizing the computer.

9. A system for monitoring a location of a mobile RFID reader, comprising:

an active RFID tag disposed on the mobile RFID reader configured to transmit a first RF signal;

a first stationary RFID reader configured to receive the first RF signal;

the first stationary RFID reader further configured to send a first message having data associated with the first RF signal to a computer;

the computer configured to determine a first location of the mobile RFID reader at a first time based on the data associated with the first RF signal; and

the computer further configured to store first location data indicating the first location of the mobile RFID reader in a memory device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein

the mobile RFID reader computer further configured to send a second message having a status value associated with the mobile RFID reader or first data acquired by the mobile RFID reader to the computer;

and

the computer further configured to store the status value or the first data in the memory device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein

the active RFID tag further configured to transmit a second RF signal;

the first stationary RFID reader further configured to receive the second RF signal;

the first stationary RFID reader further configured to send a second message having data associated with the second RF signal to the computer;

the computer further configured to determine a second location of the mobile RFID reader at a second time based on the data associated with the second RF signal; and

the computer further configured to store second location data indicating the second location of the mobile RFID reader in the memory device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein

the computer further configured to determine that the first location and the second location is in a predetermined geographical region;

and

the computer further configured to display an alert message on a display device when a distance between the first location and the second location is less than a predetermined distance.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein

the computer further configured to display a map of a geographical region on a display device;

and

the computer further configured to display a first location marker indicating the first location of the mobile RFID reader on the map and a second location marker indicating the second location of mobile RFID reader on the map.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein

the computer further configured to determine that the first location is outside of a predetermined geographical region;

and

the computer further configured to induce a display device to display an alert message thereon indicating the first location is outside of the predetermined geographical region.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer is further configured to induce a display device to display a map of a geographical region therein, and to display a location marker indicating the location of the mobile RFID reader on the map.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a second stationary RFID reader configured to receive the first RF signal;

the second stationary RFID reader further configured to send a second message having data associated with the first RF signal to the computer;

the computer further configured to calculate the first location based on the data from the first message and the data from the second message.