Methods and apparatus for tracking and displaying objects
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring objects contained in a selected space, each object having a transceiver thereon, each transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, each transceiver having a unique address, said method comprising:
- (a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers sequentially at selected intervals,(b) determining from said transceivers the locations of their associated objects,(c) entering said locations of said objects in a computer memory,(d) reading the contents of said memory and displaying the locations of said objects.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a system for planning, visualizing, tracking and analyzing physical objects such as merchandise in a retail space, a transponder is attached to each object and the transponders are interrogated periodically by a transmitter. Receivers receive the transponder signals and direct the received signals to a location processor which determines the location of each object. The locations of the objects can be displayed in various formats on a two or three dimensional map of the space. When objects are moved, they are interrogated more frequently so that traffic patterns in the space can be displayed.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring objects contained in a selected space, each object having a transceiver thereon, each transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, each transceiver having a unique address, said method comprising:
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(a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers sequentially at selected intervals, (b) determining from said transceivers the locations of their associated objects, (c) entering said locations of said objects in a computer memory, (d) reading the contents of said memory and displaying the locations of said objects. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 32)
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2. A method of monitoring objects in a selected space, each object having a transceiver thereon, each transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transponder, said method comprising:
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(a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers at selected intervals, (b) receiving responses from said object at at least two pairs of receivers, (c) determining the difference in arrival times of said response at each receiver of a pair of receivers by initiating the counting of a counter at a time synchronized with the arrival of said response at one receiver of each said pair and by stopping said counter at a time correlated with the arrival of said response at the other receiver of each said pair, (d) and determining from the differences in arrival times of said response at said respective receivers the location of said object.
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3. A method of monitoring a set of objects in a selected space, each object having a transceiver thereon and each object having at least one attribute, each transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, said method comprising:
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(a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers at selected intervals, (b) determining from said transceivers the locations of their associated objects, (c) entering said locations of said objects in a computer memory, (d) associating in a computer memory, for each object, at least one said attribute of such object, (e) reading the contents of said memory or memories and displaying the locations of at least selected objects from said set of objects, and at least one attribute of each displayed object. - View Dependent Claims (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of monitoring displayed objects for sale in a retail space, each object having a transceiver thereon, each transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, said method comprising:
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(a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers at selected intervals, (b) determining from said transceivers the locations of their associated objects, (c) entering said locations of said objects in a computer memory, (d) reading the contents of said memory and displaying said locations of said objects on a map of said retail space. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of locating objects included in a set of objects which are located in a defined space, each object having a transceiver thereon and each object having at least one attribute, each transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, said method comprising:
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(a) associating in a computer memory, for each object, at least one attribute of such object and the identity of the transceiver on such object, (b) reading from said computer memory the identities of the transceivers associated with selected objects which have selected attributes, (c) operating said transmitter to interrogate the transceivers of said selected objects, (d) determining from the transceivers of said selected objects the locations of said selected objects, (e) and displaying the locations of said selected objects. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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- 33. A method of producing a map of a space, said space having a plurality of defining locations which define the shape of said space, said method comprising moving a transmitter about said space and through said defining locations, transmitting from said transmitter at each of said defining locations, determining the location of said transmitter at each of said transmissions and thereby determining the locations of said defining locations, entering said defining locations in a computer memory, and producing therefrom a map of said space.
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35. A method of updating a map of a space where the boundaries of said space have changed from a first set of boundaries to a second set of boundaries, said first set of boundaries having a first set of defining locations, and said second set of boundaries having a second set of defining locations, said first set of defining locations being stored in a computer memory, said method comprising moving a transmitter in said space through at least said second set of defining locations, transmitting from said transmitter at each defining location of said second set of defining locations, determining the location of said transmitter at each of said transmissions and thereby determining the locations of the defining locations of said second set of defining locations, entering said second set of defining locations in a computer memory, producing a map of said space showing said second set of defining locations superimposed on said first set of defining locations, and deleting from said map at least some of said first set of defining locations which differ from said second set of defining locations.
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36. A method of producing a map of a space, said space being defined at least in part by a plurality of fixtures for holding objects, said method comprising placing at least one transceiver on each fixture, said transceivers being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the fixture associated with such transceiver, said method comprising:
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(a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers, (b) determining from said transceivers the locations of their associated fixtures, (c) entering said locations of said fixtures in a computer memory, (d) associating in said computer memory, for each fixture, an attribute of such fixture, (e) reading the contents of said memory and displaying a map containing fixtures having a selected a common attribute. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for collecting traffic data for objects in a space, each object having a transceiver thereon and each object having at least one attribute, said transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, said method comprising:
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(a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers at selected intervals, (b) determining from said transceivers the locations of their associated objects, (c) entering said locations of said objects in a computer memory, (d) determining whether an object has moved from one location to another between successive interrogations, (e) and displaying an indication of locations which have experienced movement of said objects. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of monitoring objects in, a first space and determining when said objects are removed into a second space, each object having a transceiver thereon, each transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, said method comprising:
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(a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers at selected intervals, (b) determining from said transceivers the locations of their selected objects, (c) entering said locations of said objects in a computer memory, (d) determining from said locations of said objects whether an object has entered said second space, (e) and if an object enters said second space, producing an alarm signal.
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45. In the method of monitoring displayed objects for sale in a retail space, each object having a transceiver thereon, each transceiver being capable of responding to an interrogation signal sent by a transmitter by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, the improvement comprising associating a value to a location in said space as compared with the value of other locations in said space, said method comprising:
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(a) operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers at selected intervals, (b) determining from said transceivers the locations of their associated objects, (c) entering said locations of said objects in a computer memory, (d) determining the frequency of movement of said objects from their respective locations, (e) and assigning values to at least some of locations based on the frequency of said movements of said objects. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. Apparatus for monitoring displayed objects in a selected space, said apparatus comprising a transceiver on each object to be monitored, a transmitter for transmitting interrogation signals, each transceiver including means for responding to a said interrogation signal by sending a response containing an identification of the object associated with such transceiver, said apparatus including location determining means for determining from the response of a transceiver the location of its associated object, said location determining means comprising at least two pairs of receivers, a counter associated with each pair of receivers, means for initiating counting of a counter at a first time correlated with the arrival of a response at one receiver of a pair, and for stopping counting of said counter at a second time correlated with the arrival of said response at the other receiver of said pair, the difference between said first and second times being representative of the delay in said response arriving at said second receiver as compared with said first receiver, and means for determining from said delays the location of each object.
- 51. Apparatus for monitoring objects in a selected space, said apparatus comprising a transceiver on each object to be monitored, a transmitter for sending interrogation signals, each transceiver including means for responding to said interrogation signals by sending a response containing an identification of such object, means for operating said transmitter to interrogate said transceivers at selected intervals, means for determining from the responses of said transceivers the locations of their associated objects, and means for determining whether a said object has moved from one location to another between successive interrogations, and means responsive to said last mentioned means for then interrogating the transceiver of such object at more frequent intervals.
Specification