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

• US 20130278389A1
• 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 9,514,340 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 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• 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;

at least one sensing entity;

a computer in signal communication with the plurality of RFID tag readers and at least one sensing entity 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 semantic attribute the RFID tag by;

mapping one of the oriented links to a source endpoint at a first physical location and a destination endpoint at a second physical location;

determining that the RFID tag is present at the source endpoint at a first time value and that the RFID tag is present at the destination endpoint at a second time value;

determining that the RFID tag has traversed the oriented link from the source endpoint to arrive at the destination endpoint, including a path of travel and a direction assigned to the oriented link;

determining that a parameter from at least one sensing entity sampled between the first time value and the second time value is within a predetermined measurement interval; and

associating the semantic attribute to the RFID tag based on the determination that the RFID tag has traversed the oriented link and the determined parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing entity is attached to one of the RFID tags.

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

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

5. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for localizing at least two RFID tags, 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 group dependent semantic attribute to at least one of the RFID tags by;

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

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

defining a semantic group by associating a group dependent semantic attribute to at least one of the RFID tags based on a semantic attribute associated with the oriented link.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the system associates the group semantic attribute to the first RFID tag when the difference between the second time value and first time value is within a predefined interval.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the system defines a new group semantic attribute based on the at least two RFID tags and further wherein the step of associating the group semantic attribute comprises associating the new group semantic attribute.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the semantic attribute is associated with access control rules.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the semantic attribute is further determined based on an external input or external semantic.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein the semantic attribute is associated with time management rules.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein the system develops a semantic chain based on the group dependent semantic attribute.

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

13. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for localizing at least two RFID tags, the system comprising:

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

at least one sensor, the sensor being configured to detect a parameter other than a location or presence of the RFID tags;

a computer in signal communication with the plurality of RFID tag readers and at least one sensing entity 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 group semantic attribute with at least one of the RFID tags by;

determining that the first RFID tag is present at a first endpoint at a first time value and that the second RFID tag is present at the first endpoint at a second time value;

receiving a measurement from a sensor associated with the first endpoint between the first time and the second time value; and

forming a semantic group by associating the group semantic attribute to at least one of the RFID tags as a function of the sensor measurement and the determined presence of the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the system defines a new group semantic attribute based on at least one of the RFID tags and assigns the new group semantic attribute to the semantic group.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor is attached to one of the RFID tags.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the software module invalidates the semantic attribute after the passage of a time interval.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the system communicates with the semantic group by providing to the RFID readers a tag mask or filter based on the semantic group.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the group semantic attribute is associated with an access control rule.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the group semantic attribute is associated with time a management rule.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the time management rule is based on a semantic interval.