SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING A HEADCOUNT

• US 20140266726A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Codex Corporation (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Codex Corporation (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dalley, Kenneth L. Jr., Wilmeth, Brett
• Granted Patent: US 9,396,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2451 Specific applications combined with EAS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

The disclosure relates to systems and methods for monitoring a headcount with RFID. Such a system can include a plurality or transponders, each transponder of the plurality of transponders associated with an offender. The system can include a plurality of radio frequency identification readers configured to transmit an interrogating signal to one or more transponders of the plurality of transponders and receive an identifying signal in response to the one or more transponders receiving the interrogating signal, the plurality of radio frequency identification readers associated with at least one programmable event, the at least one programmable event including a headcount. The system can include a server configured to receive data from the plurality of radio frequency identification readers through a network and determine if there is a discrepancy in the headcount.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality or transponders, each transponder of the plurality of transponders associated with an offender;

a plurality of radio frequency identification readers configured to transmit an interrogating signal to one or more transponders of the plurality of transponders and receive an identifying signal in response to the one or more transponders receiving the interrogating signal, the plurality of radio frequency identification readers associated with at least one programmable event, the at least one programmable event including a headcount; and

a server configured to receive data from the plurality of radio frequency identification readers through a network and determine if there is a discrepancy in the headcount.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to send an alert to an entity in response to the server determining that there is a discrepancy in the headcount.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert indicates that a transponder of the plurality of transponders was not detected and the alert includes a unique identifier of the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the server is further configured to, before sending the alert, determine if the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected has moved.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system further comprises a timer configured to determine and record an amount of time it takes to complete the headcount.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to receive, after the alert is sent, data indicating the location of the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system further comprises a user interface configured to display headcount data including a date and time of a scheduled headcount, a location corresponding to the headcount, and the number of transponders expected to be detected from the headcount.

8. A computer readable storage device with instructions stored thereon, the instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving data including a plurality of radio frequency identification reader unique identifiers, the data including a plurality of transponder unique identifiers detected by the plurality of radio frequency identification readers during a headcount, wherein each radio frequency unique identifier is associated with an individual radio frequency identification reader and each transponder unique identifier is associated with an individual transponder;

comparing the received plurality of transponder unique identifiers to an expected set of transponder unique identifiers to be received in the headcount; and

determining if there is a discrepancy between the expected set of transponder unique identifiers and the received plurality of transponder unique identifiers.

9. The computer readable storage device of claim 8, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising sending an alert to an entity in response to determining that there is a discrepancy in the headcount.

10. The computer readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the instructions for sending the alert include instructions, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to send an alert that indicates that a transponder of the expected set of transponders was not detected and a unique identifier of the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected.

11. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the storage device further comprises instructions, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising before sending the alert, determining if the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected has moved.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the instructions for receiving data includes instructions which cause the machine to receive data indicating an amount of time it took to complete the headcount.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, the instructions for receiving data include instructions that cause the machine to receive, after the alert is sent, data indicating a location of the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 13, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising displaying headcount data including a date and time of a headcount, a location corresponding to the headcount, and a number of transponders expected to be detected from the headcount.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a web service server, data including a plurality of radio frequency identification reader unique identifiers, the data including a plurality of transponder unique identifiers detected by the plurality of radio frequency identification readers during a headcount, wherein each radio frequency unique identifier is associated with an individual radio frequency identification reader and each transponder unique identifier is associated with an individual transponder;

comparing, using the web service server, the received plurality of transponder unique identifiers to an expected set of transponder unique identifiers to be received in the headcount; and

determining if there is a discrepancy between the expected set of transponder unique identifiers and the received plurality of transponder unique identifiers.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending an alert to an entity in response to determining that there is a discrepancy in the headcount.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein sending the alert includes sending an alert that indicates that a transponder of the expected set of transponders was not detected and a unique identifier of the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, before sending the alert, determining if the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected has moved.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving data includes receiving data indicating an amount of time it took to complete the headcount.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving data includes receiving, after the alert is sent, data indicating a location of the offender associated with the transponder that was not detected.