METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS ASSET TRACKING USING ASSET TAGS WITH MOTION SENSORS

• US 20100039280A1
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Holm, Henrik, Huseth, Steve D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,982,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/669
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

A system includes an asset tag associated with an asset, the asset tag having a motion sensor to detect a movement of the asset. The system also includes a plurality of readers, each reader receiving one or more signals from the asset tag and measuring a distance between the asset tag and the reader based on the signals. The system further includes a controller receiving a measured distance from each of the plurality of readers and determining a location of the asset based on the measured distances.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an asset tag associated with an asset, the asset tag having a motion sensor to detect a movement of the asset;

a plurality of readers, each reader receiving one or more signals from the asset tag and measuring a distance between the asset tag and the reader based on the signals; and

a controller receiving a measured distance from each of the plurality of readers and determining a location of the asset based on the measured distances.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset tag is attached to the asset.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset tag transmits the signals at a first rate when the asset is stationary.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the asset tag transmits the signals at a second rate when the asset is in motion.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first rate is different from the second rate.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate.

7. A method, comprising:

detecting a movement of an asset using an asset tag having a motion sensor; and

transmitting one or more signals at a second rate in response to detecting a movement of the asset.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

measuring a distance from the asset tag to each of a plurality of readers using the one or more signals; and

determining a location of the asset using the measured distances.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting the one or more signals at a first rate in an absence of a detected movement of the asset.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first rate is different from the second rate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a movement information in response to detecting a movement of the asset.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

signaling an alarm in response to detecting a movement of the asset.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a motion sensor detecting a movement of an asset; and

a controller transmitting one or more signals at a second rate in response to the motion sensor detecting a movement of the asset.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller transmits the one or more signals at a first rate in an absence of a detected movement of the asset.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first rate is different from the second rate.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second rate is faster than the first rate.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is attached to the asset.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more signals transmitted by the controller are used by a plurality of readers to measure a distance of the apparatus from each of the plurality of readers.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the measured distances of the apparatus from each of the plurality of readers are used to determine a location of the asset.