INTERROGATOR AND INTERROGATION SYSTEM EMPLOYING THE SAME

• US 20140028444A1
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• 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), Veroscan, Inc. (Tenet Healthcare Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lone Star SCM Systems, LP (f/k/a Medical I.P. Holdings, LP) (Incucomm Holdings Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Volpi, John P., Laferney, Jimmy D., Montgomery, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,646,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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 interrogator, comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a signal from an object; and

a control and processing subsystem configured to discern a presence of said object from said signal as said antenna moves with respect to said object.

2. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 further comprising a position sensor configured to cooperate with said control and processing subsystem to provide a location of said object in accordance with at least one position marker.

3. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 further comprising a sensing subsystem configured to provide said signal having a signature representing said object from said antenna to said control and processing subsystem.

4. The interrogator as recited in claim 3 wherein said sensing subsystem includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) sensing subsystem configured to provide a signal having a signature representing an RFID object to said control and processing subsystem to discern a presence of said RFID object therefrom.

5. The interrogator as recited in claim 3 wherein said sensing subsystem includes a metal sensing subsystem configured to provide a signal having a signature representing a metal object to said control and processing subsystem to discern a presence of said metal object therefrom.

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

7. The interrogator 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 said presence of said object.

8. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 wherein said object is proximate a person having a bracelet including information about said person.

9. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 wherein said object is proximate a person and at least one calibration marker is located about said person configured to calibrate a type and sensitivity of interrogation associated with said interrogator.

10. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 further comprising a user interface.

11. The interrogator as recited in claim 10 wherein said user interface comprises a touchpad, display and alarms.

12. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 further comprising a communications subsystem configured to exchange data with an external server.

13. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 further comprising a power source.

14. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 further comprising a transmit antenna configured to transmit an interrogation signal to said object.

15. The interrogator as recited in claim 1 further comprising another antenna tuned to a different frequency than said antenna.

16. A method of operating an interrogator, comprising:

receiving a signal from an object at an antenna; and

discerning a presence of said object with a control and processing subsystem from said signal as said antenna moves with respect to said object.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising providing a location of said object with a position sensor cooperating with said control and processing subsystem and in accordance with at least one position marker.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising coordinating a processing of said signal in conjunction with one of an observable and data to discern said presence of said object.

19. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said object is proximate a person and further comprising calibrating a type and sensitivity of interrogation associated with said interrogator with at least one calibration marker located about said person.

20. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising exchanging data with an external server.