MONITORING DEVICE FOR A TRACKING SYSTEM
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided a monitoring device for a tracking system adapted for use in at least one vehicle. An exemplary monitoring device comprises a communication circuit adapted for communication with at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on an article to be transported by the vehicle and a position system (PS) circuit adapted for determining a location of the vehicle. The exemplary monitoring device also comprises a control circuit having a microprocessor and a memory, the control circuit being electrically connected to the communication circuit and the PS circuit, the microprocessor being adapted to acquire the RFID tag data and the location data in the memory, to operate the communication circuit to interrogate the RFID tag, to operate the PS circuit to determine a location of the vehicle, and to associate the RFID tag data with the location data of the vehicle. The exemplary monitoring device additionally comprises an alarm electrically connected to the microprocessor. The exemplary monitoring device is adapted to determine or approximate the distance of the RFID tag from the monitoring device based on the received RFID signal strength and/or time delay in receiving the RFID tag'"'"'s response to interrogation and to activate the alarm if a distance threshold of the RFID tag from the monitoring device is exceeded, whereas this distance threshold is lower than the maximum physical range of the RFID tag.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1-14. -14. (canceled)
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15. A monitoring device for a tracking system adapted for use in at least one vehicle, comprising:
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a communication circuit adapted for communication with at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on an article to be transported by the vehicle; a position system (PS) circuit adapted for determining a location of the vehicle; a control circuit having a microprocessor and a memory, the control circuit being electrically connected to the communication circuit and the PS circuit, the microprocessor being adapted to acquire the RFID tag data and the location data in the memory, to operate the communication circuit to interrogate the RFID tag, to operate the PS circuit to determine a location of the vehicle, and to associate the RFID tag data with the location data of the vehicle; an alarm electrically connected to the microprocessor; and whereas the monitoring device is adapted to determine or approximate the distance of the RFID tag from the monitoring device based on the received RFID signal strength and/or time delay in receiving the RFID tag'"'"'s response to interrogation and to activate the alarm if a distance threshold of the RFID tag from the monitoring device is exceeded, whereas this distance threshold is lower than the maximum physical range of the RFID tag.
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26. A tracking system adapted for use in at least one vehicle, comprising at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a monitoring device, the monitoring device comprising:
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a communication circuit adapted to communicate with the at least one RFID tag on an article to be transported by the vehicle; a position system (PS) circuit adapted to determine a location of the vehicle, a control circuit having a microprocessor and a memory, the control circuit being electrically connected to the communication circuit and the PS circuit; a computer readable program code stored in the memory and executing under control of the microprocessor, the program code having machine-readable instructions for acquiring the RFID tag data and the location data in the memory, machine-readable instructions for operating the communication circuit to interrogate the RFID tag, machine-readable instructions for operating the PS circuit to determine a location of the vehicle, and machine-readable instructions for associating the RFID tag data with the location data of the vehicle; an alarm electrically connected to the microprocessor; and whereas the monitoring device is adapted to determine or approximate the distance of the RFID tag from the monitoring device based on the received RFID signal strength and/or time delay in receiving the RFID tag'"'"'s response to interrogation and the alarm is activated if a distance threshold of the RFID tag from the monitoring device is exceeded, whereas this distance threshold is lower than the maximum physical range of the RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of operating a monitoring device for a tracking system adapted for use in at least one vehicle, the method comprising:
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communicating with at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on an article to be transported by the vehicle; determining a location of the vehicle; acquiring the RFID tag data and the location data; determining a location of the vehicle; associating the RFID tag data with the location data of the vehicle; determining or approximating the distance of the RFID tag from the monitoring device based on a received RFID signal strength and/or time delay in receiving the RFID tag'"'"'s response to interrogation; and activating an alarm if a distance threshold of the RFID tag from the monitoring device is exceeded, whereas this distance threshold is lower than the maximum physical range of the RFID tag.
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Specification