Interrogator and interrogation system employing the same

• US 20120133512A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lone Star SCM Systems, LP (f/k/a Medical I.P. Holdings, LP) (Incucomm Holdings Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Jimmy D. Laferney, John P. Volpi, William C. Montgomery
• Inventors: Volpi, John P., Laferney, Jimmy D., Montgomery, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,552,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• 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 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an interrogator, method of discerning metal and radio frequency identification (RFID) objects, and an interrogation system employing the same. In one embodiment, the interrogator includes a metal sensing subsystem configured to provide a first signal having a signature representing a presence of a metal object, and a RFID sensing subsystem configured to provide a second signal having a signature representing a presence of a RFID object. The interrogator also includes a control and processing subsystem configured to discern a presence of at least one of the metal and RFID objects from one of the first and second signals.

Claims

1. An interrogation system, comprising:

at least one position marker located external to and proximate a person;

a sensing subsystem configured to provide a signal having a signature representing a presence of an object located within or proximate said person;

a control and processing subsystem configured to discern a presence of said object from said signal; and

a position sensor configured to provide a location of said object with respect to said person in accordance with said at least one position marker.

2. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensing subsystem is a radio frequency identification (RFID) sensing subsystem configured to provide a signal having a signature representing a presence of an RFID object located within or proximate said person, said control and processing subsystem configured to discern a presence of said RFID object from said signal and said position sensor configured to provide a location of said RFID object with respect to said person in accordance with said at least one position marker.

3. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensing subsystem is a metal sensing subsystem configured to provide a signal having a signature representing a presence of a metal object located within or proximate said person, said control and processing subsystem configured to discern a presence of said metal object from said signal and said position sensor configured to provide a location of said metal object with respect to said person in accordance with said at least one position marker.

4. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one antenna configured to cooperate with said sensing subsystem to provide said signal having said signature representing said presence of said object located within or proximate said person.

5. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one antenna located near said position sensor and configured to cooperate with said sensing subsystem to provide said signal having said signature representing said presence of said object located within or proximate said person.

6. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an antenna configured to cooperate with said sensing subsystem to provide said signal having said signature representing said presence of said object located within or proximate said person, wherein at least one of said sensing subsystem, said control and processing subsystem, said position sensor and said antenna is located in a portable interrogator.

7. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said control and processing subsystem is configured to employ multiscan, coherent signal processing.

8. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said control and processing subsystem includes an adaptive integrating filter and is configured to coordinate a processing of said signal in conjunction with one of an observable and data to discern a presence of said object.

9. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said control and processing subsystem is located in a computer system in communication with said sensing subsystem.

10. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said position sensor is an inertial position sensor.

11. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a bracelet attached to and including information about said person.

12. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one calibration marker located about said person configured to calibrate a type and sensitivity of interrogation associated with said interrogation system.

13. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensing subsystem is located in an operating room of a medical facility on one of:

a back table,

a Mayo stand, and

a ring stand.

14. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said person is located in an operating room of a medical facility and said at least one position marker is located on at least one of:

said person,

a back table,

a Mayo stand,

a ring stand, and

a kick bucket.

15. The interrogation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising another sensing subsystem configured to provide a signal having a signature representing a presence of an object located within or proximate said person.

16. A method of operating an interrogation system, comprising:

locating at least one position marker external to and proximate a person;

providing a signal having a signature representing a presence of an object located within or proximate said person;

discerning a presence of said object from said signal; and

providing a location of said object with respect to said person in accordance with said at least one position marker.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

providing a signal having a signature representing a presence of one of an RFID and a metal object located within or proximate said person;

discerning a presence of one of said RFID and metal object from said signal; and

providing a location of one of said RFID and metal object with respect to said person in accordance with said at least one position marker.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said discerning employs multiscan, coherent signal processing.

19. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said position sensor is an inertial position sensor.

20. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising locating at least one calibration marker about said person configured to calibrate a type and sensitivity of interrogation associated with said interrogation system.