Methods, Systems, and Products for Tracking Objects

• US 20150015370A1
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Kreiner, Barrett
• Granted Patent: US 9,697,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Tags are used to recover lost objects. Each tag transmits identification information to passing communications devices, such as a cellular phone. The cellular phone then uploads the tag'"'"'s identification information, along with a location, to a central network database. The central network database thus stores a central repository identifying locations associated with tags discovered by passing communications devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a server, tag identifiers of tags reported by mobile devices;

storing, by the server, the tag identifiers in a network accessible database, the network accessible database storing an association between each one of the tag identifiers and a location of report;

receiving, by the server, a query specifying one of the tag identifiers;

retrieving, by the server, the location from the network accessible database that is associated with the one of the tag identifiers; and

sending, by the server, the location as a response to the query;

wherein the network accessible database stores a centralized repository for the location reported for the each one of the tags.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the each one of the tag identifiers with a time of the report.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising time stamping the location of the report.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the one of the tag identifiers with a profile.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a description of an object associated with the one of the tag identifiers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the network accessible database for a particular location; and

retrieving the tag identifiers associated with the particular location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the network accessible database for a description of an object; and

retrieving the location of report associated with the description of the object.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

storing different tag identifiers of different tags in a database, the database storing an association between each one of the different tag identifiers and a corresponding location reported by a mobile device;

receiving a query specifying one of the different tag identifiers;

retrieving the corresponding location from the database that is associated with the one of the different tag identifiers; and

sending the corresponding location as a response to the query;

wherein the database stores a centralized repository for locations of the tags.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise associating the each one of the different tag identifiers with a time reported by the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise time stamping the corresponding location reported by the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise associating the one of the different tag identifiers with a profile.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise associating a description of an object associated with the one of the different tag identifiers.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

querying the database for a particular location; and

retrieving a corresponding one of the different tag identifiers associated with the particular location.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

querying the database for a description of an object; and

retrieving the corresponding location associated with the description of the object.

15. A memory storing executable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

storing different tag identifiers of different tags in a database, the database storing an association between each one of the different tag identifiers and a corresponding location reported by a mobile device;

receiving a query specifying one of the different tag identifiers;

retrieving the corresponding location from the database that is associated with the one of the different tag identifiers; and

sending the corresponding location as a response to the query;

wherein the database stores a centralized repository for locations of the tags.

16. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise associating the each one of the different tag identifiers with a time reported by the mobile device.

17. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise associating the one of the different tag identifiers with a profile.

18. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise associating a description of an object associated with the one of the different tag identifiers.

19. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

querying the database for a particular location; and

retrieving a corresponding one of the different tag identifiers associated with the particular location.

20. The memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

querying the database for a description of an object; and

retrieving the corresponding location associated with the description of the object.