ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM FOR RACK-BASED ENCLOSURES

• US 20170300798A1
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RF Code Incorporated
• Inventors: Primm, Michael, Graczyk, Ronald, Joy, Ryan, Blackledge, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/637,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0728 the arrangement being an optical or sound-based communication interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1097 Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/501 Structural aspects

Abstract

A system includes a beacon device including a communication strip having a plurality of directed light emitters distributed along the communication strip. The beacon device can transmit a directed light signal via the directed light emitters. The system further includes a tag including a processor, a radio frequency transmitter coupled to the processor, a directed light receiver coupled to the processor, and a lens having first and second major surfaces and a side surface, the tag to receive the directed light signal via the side surface and to transmit a radio frequency tag message via the radio frequency transmitter. The system also includes a radio frequency reader to receive the radio frequency tag message.

Claims

1. An identification tag comprising:

a processor;

a transmitter coupled to the processor;

a directed light receiver coupled to the processor; and

a lens having first and second major surfaces and a side surface, the lens including an internal reflection surface to reflect a directed light signal received through the side surface to the directed light receiver.

2. The identification tag of claim 1, wherein the processor is to direct the transmitter to transmit a tag message based at least in part on the directed light signal.

3. The identification tag of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter.

4. The identification tag of claim 1, wherein the directed light signal is an infrared signal.

5. The identification tag of claim 1, wherein the lens has a disc shape.

6. The identification tag of claim 5, wherein the disc shape has a circular shape.

7. The identification tag of claim 5, wherein the disc shape has a polygonal shape.

8. The identification tag of claim 1, wherein the directed light receiver includes a variable gain filter.

9. The identification tag of claim 1, wherein the lens has a major surface attenuation of at least 30%.

10. The identification tag of claim 9, wherein the major surface attenuation is at least 50%.

11. The identification tag of claim 1, wherein the lens has a side surface transmission of at least 35%.

12. The identification tag of claim 11, wherein the side surface transmission is at least 50%.

13. The identification tag of claim 1, further comprising a flexible substrate, the lens coupled to the flexible substrate.

14. The identification tag of claim 13, further comprising an adhesive disposed on one surface of the flexible substrate.

15. An identification tag comprising:

a processor;

a transmitter coupled to the processor;

a directed light receiver coupled to the processor; and

a lens having first and second major surfaces and a side surface, the lens including a conical internal reflection surface to reflect a directed light signal received through the side surface to the directed light receiver, the conical internal reflective surface having a central axis aligned with the directed light receiver.

16. The identification tag of claim 15, wherein the processor is to direct the transmitter to transmit a tag message based at least in part on the directed light signal.

17. The identification tag of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter.

18. The identification tag of claim 15, wherein the directed light signal is an infrared signal.

19. The identification tag of claim 15, wherein the lens has a disc shape.

20. The identification tag of claim 15, wherein the directed light receiver includes a variable gain filter.