SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OBJECT LOCALIZATION AND PATH IDENTIFICATION BASED ON RFID SENSING

• US 20130278388A1
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucomm Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lucomm Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cristache, Lucian
• Granted Patent: US 10,262,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A networked radio frequency identification system includes a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag readers, a computer in signal communication with the RFID tag readers over a network, and a software module for storage on and operable by the computer that localizes RFID tags based on information received from the RFID tag readers using a network model having endpoints and oriented links. In an additional example, at least one of the RFID tag readers includes an adjustable configuration setting selected from RF signal strength, antenna gain, antenna polarization, and antenna orientation. In a further aspect, the system localizes RFID tags based on hierarchical threshold limit calculations. In an additional aspect, the system controls a locking device associated with an access point based on localization of an authorized RFID tag at the access point and reception of additional authorizing information from an input device.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for localizing an RFID tag, the system comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag readers;

a computer in signal communication with the plurality of RFID tag readers over a network;

a memory associated with the computer, the memory storing a network model having a plurality of endpoints and oriented links between the endpoints, wherein the endpoints are associated with physical locations in space, each of the endpoints having associated with it one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tag readers;

the computer being configured to operate a software module that localizes the RFID tag based on data received from the RFID tag readers;

the software module further being configured to associate a composite semantic attribute to the RFID tag by;

assigning a first semantic attribute to a first oriented link;

assigning a second semantic attribute to a second oriented link;

defining the composite semantic attribute based on a combination of the first semantic attribute and the second semantic attribute;

determining that the RFID tag passed the first oriented link at a first time value;

determining that the RFID tag passed a second oriented link at a second time value; and

associating the composite semantic attribute to the RFID tag.

2. The system of claim 1 where the software module is further configured to assign and record an activity duration for an RFID tag based on a semantic attribute determined for the RFID tag.

3. The system of claim 1, where the software module invalidates at least one of the first and the second semantic attribute after the passage of a time interval and further the software module does not assign the composite semantic attribute if at least one of the first and the second semantic attributes are invalid.

4. The system of claim 1, where the software module invalidates the composite semantic attribute after the passage of a time interval.

5. The system of claim 1 where the system communicates with the tag by providing to the RFID readers a tag mask or filter based on a semantic attribute associated with the tag.

6. The system of claim 1 where the composite semantic attribute is associated with an access control rule.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the access control rule is based on a semantic interval.

8. The system of claim 1 where the semantic attribute is associated with a time management rule.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the time management rule is based on a semantic interval.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the composite semantic attribute is further determined based on at least one of an external input or an external semantic.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the external input is based on an input from a user.