Wireless Tracking System And Method Utilizing Near-Field Communication Devices

• US 20110201270A1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clinical Patents, LLC (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Awarepoint Corporation
• Inventors: Perkins, Matthew R., Truscott, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US13/029,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201270A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present invention provides a solution to determining a near-field communication interaction in a wireless tracking mesh network. The present invention utilizes near-field communication devices in conjunction with tracking tags to transmit signals for reception by sensors stationed throughout a facility which form a mesh network and forward the signals to an information engine for analysis.

Claims

1. A system utilizing near-field communications, the system comprising:

a mesh network comprising a plurality of sensors located in a facility;

a plurality of near-field communication devices, each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmitting a beacon signal using a short range communication format receivable by another near-field communication device when the near-field communication devices are within a predetermined distance of each other, and each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmitting interaction data using a medium range communication format to at least one of the plurality of sensors; and

an information engine in communication with the mesh network, the information engine processing the interaction data.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transfers interaction information to another of the plurality of near-field communication devices using the medium range communication format.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the medium range communication format comprises ZIGBEE, Bluetooth, Low-Power BlueTooth, WiFi or Low-Power WiFi, Ultra Wide Band (“

UWB”

), Ultrasound or Infrared communication system, and the short range communication format comprises magnetic induction, 9 kHz, <

125 kHz, 125 kHz RFID, 13.56 MHz, 433 MHz, 433 MHz RFID, or 900 MHz RFID.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined distance is less than ten centimeters.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the interaction data comprises a previous location of the first bearer, a previous location of the second bearer and a number of other objects located near the interaction.

6. A method utilizing near-field communications, the method comprising:

sensing for a near-field communication interaction;

verifying a near-field communication interaction;

recording data concerning the near-field communication interaction at least one of an interacting near-field communication device; and

transmitting the data concerning the near-field communication interaction over a mesh network.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the mesh network comprises a plurality of sensors.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein near-field communication is transmitted using a short range communication format comprises magnetic induction, 9 kHz, <

125 kHz, 125 kHz RFID, 13.56 MHz, 433 MHz, 433 MHz RFID, or 900 MHz RFID.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein the near-field communication data is transmitted using a medium range communication format comprises ZIGBEE, Bluetooth, Low-Power BlueTooth, WiFi or Low-Power WiFi, Ultra Wide Band (“

UWB”

), Ultrasound or Infrared communication system.

10. A system for determining a business relationship between individuals within a facility, the system comprising:

a plurality of near-field communication devices, each of the plurality of near-field communication devices associated with an individual person;

a plurality of tags, each of the plurality of tags representing a first object;

a mesh network comprising a plurality of sensors located within the facility; and

an information engine in communication with the mesh network, the information engine analyzing a near-field communication interaction based on at least one of a plurality of factors comprising a position location of the interaction, a duration of the interaction, a previous location of the first person prior to the interaction, and information for a mobile object within a predetermined distance of the location of the interaction.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the information engine analyzes the near-field communication interaction to determine a billing charge for services of the first person.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein the facility is a hospital and the information engine analyzes the near-field communication interaction to determine medical services provided to a patient.

13. The system according to claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmits a beacon signal using a short range communication format receivable by another near-field communication device when the near-field communication devices are within a predetermined distance of each other, and each of the plurality of near-field communication devices transmits interaction data using a medium range communication format to at least one of the plurality of sensors.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the medium range communication format comprises ZIGBEE, Bluetooth, Low-Power BlueTooth, WiFi or Low-Power WiFi, Ultra Wide Band (“

UWB”

), Ultrasound or Infrared communication system, and the short range communication format comprises magnetic induction, 9 kHz, <

125 kHz, 125 kHz RFID, 13.56 MHz, 433 MHz, 433 MHz RFID, or 900 MHz RFID.