Tracking method and system, as for an exhibition
First Claim
1. A method for conducting an exhibition wherein a visitor having a smart tag visits a plurality of stations comprising:
- associating a smart tag reader with each one of a plurality of stations for providing and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in a smart tag format, storing exhibitor information in an electronic memory associated with a station, issuing a visitor smart tag containing visitor information, the visitor smart tag including an electronic memory for providing and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in the smart tag format, whereby information-bearing electrical signals can be communicated between the station smart tag reader and the visitor smart tag when the visitor smart tag is proximate the station, communicating information-bearing electrical signals between the visitor smart tag and the smart tag reader of a particular station when the visitor smart tag is proximate that particular station, wherein visitor information from the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag is stored in an electronic memory associated with the particular station and/or exhibitor information from the electronic memory of the particular station is stored in the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag; and
processing visitor information and exhibitor information from the electronic memory of at least one of the visitor smart tag and the plurality of stations for providing a record thereof.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are useful for conducting an exhibition at which visitors visit a plurality of booths or stations. A smart tag issued each visitor includes at least an electronic memory from which information from the memory may be provided and/or information may be received and stored in the memory. Stored information may include visitor information, exhibitor information, visit information, product/service information and data items. Smart tag control units and antenna arrays at the stations communicate with the smart tags and communicate directly or indirectly with one or more processors that process the information.
142 Citations
75 Claims
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1. A method for conducting an exhibition wherein a visitor having a smart tag visits a plurality of stations comprising:
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associating a smart tag reader with each one of a plurality of stations for providing and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in a smart tag format, storing exhibitor information in an electronic memory associated with a station, issuing a visitor smart tag containing visitor information, the visitor smart tag including an electronic memory for providing and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in the smart tag format, whereby information-bearing electrical signals can be communicated between the station smart tag reader and the visitor smart tag when the visitor smart tag is proximate the station, communicating information-bearing electrical signals between the visitor smart tag and the smart tag reader of a particular station when the visitor smart tag is proximate that particular station, wherein visitor information from the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag is stored in an electronic memory associated with the particular station and/or exhibitor information from the electronic memory of the particular station is stored in the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag; and
processing visitor information and exhibitor information from the electronic memory of at least one of the visitor smart tag and the plurality of stations for providing a record thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
(a) a central processor and at least one local processor, and (b) ones of local processors.
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6. The method of claim 1 wherein information contained in the information-bearing electrical signals is representative of one or more of the identity of a smart tag, the identity of a visitor, the identity of the station, the identity of an exhibitor, products and/or services of an exhibitor, a data item requested at a station, a date, and time.
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7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying at a particular station visitor information from a particular visitor smart tag communicated to the smart tag reader of the particular station when that particular visitor smart tag is proximate that particular station.
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8. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the information to be stored in and the information produced from the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag in a form including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.
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9. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing includes processing information in a form including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.
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10. The method of claim 1 wherein said issuing a visitor smart tag comprises issuing a visitor smart tag including an electronic memory and an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in the smart tag format;
- and wherein said communicating information-bearing electrical signals comprises;
operatively coupling an antenna or an antenna array to a respective one of the smart tag readers for transmitting and/or receiving the information-bearing electrical signals to and/or from a visitor smart tag proximate the respective station associated therewith.
- and wherein said communicating information-bearing electrical signals comprises;
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11. The method of claim 10 wherein said operatively coupling includes disposing a plurality of loops of the antenna or antenna array for providing a detection region including a predetermined area of a particular one of the plurality of stations.
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12. The method of claim 11 wherein said operatively coupling includes disposing the plurality of loops of the antenna or antenna array on flexible substrates providing a flexible curtain at an access way.
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13. The method of claim 11 further comprising one of:
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spatially separating the plurality of loops of the antenna or antenna array such that less than about 50% of the effective electromagnetic field region of the respective loops overlap within the detection region, and temporally separating the plurality of loops of the antenna or antenna array by activating ones of the plurality of loops sequentially in time.
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14. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing includes centrally processing in communication with locally processing in communication with the smart tag readers.
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15. The method of claim 10 wherein said processing includes providing a human-perceivable indication responsive to the presence of a smart tag within a detection region of the antenna or antenna array.
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16. The method of claim 15 wherein said providing a human-perceivable indication includes one of providing a light, an audible indication, an alpha-numeric display, a display on a computer monitor, and a print out.
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17. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a report including processed visitor information and/or processed exhibitor information.
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18. The method of claim 17 wherein said providing a report includes providing a document, a paper, an electronic file, a floppy disk, an optical disk, an electronic medium a CD-ROM disk, and/or a report via the Internet.
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19. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving visitor registration information, and storing at least part of the visitor registration information on the visitor smart tag as visitor information.
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20. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing exhibitor information in an electronic memory at a station.
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21. The method of claim 1 further comprising collecting the visitor smart tag.
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22. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a visual and/or aural greeting message responsive to the processed visitor information.
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23. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing further includes:
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granting and/or denying access responsive to the processed visitor information, and/or checking out a visitor responsive to the processed visitor information and/or the processed exhibitor information.
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24. A system wherein a visitor having a smart tag visits a plurality of stations comprising:
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a smart tag reader associated with each one of a plurality of stations for providing and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in a smart tag format, means for storing exhibitor information in an electronic memory associated with a station, means for issuing a visitor smart tag containing visitor information, the visitor smart tag including an electronic memory for providing and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in the smart tag format, whereby information-bearing electrical signals can be communicated between the station smart tag reader and the visitor smart tag when the visitor smart tag is proximate the station, means for communicating information-bearing electrical signals between the visitor smart tag and the smart tag reader of a particular station when the visitor smart tag is proximate that particular station, wherein visitor information from the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag is stored in an electronic memory associated with the particular station and/or exhibitor information from the electronic memory of the particular station is stored in the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag; and
means for processing visitor information and exhibitor information from the electronic memory of at least one of the visitor smart tag and the plurality of stations for providing a record thereof. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
(a) a central processor and at least one local processor, and (b) ones of local processors.
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29. The system of claim 24 wherein information contained in the information-bearing electrical signals is representative of one or more of the identity of a smart tag, the identity of a visitor, the identity of the station, the identity of an exhibitor, products and/or services of an exhibitor, a data item requested at a station, a date, and time.
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30. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for displaying at a particular station visitor information from a particular visitor smart tag communicated to the smart tag reader of the particular station when that particular visitor smart tag is proximate that particular station.
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31. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for providing the information to be stored in and the information produced from the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag in a form including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.
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32. The system of claim 24 wherein said means for processing processes information in a form including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.
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33. The system of claim 24 further wherein the visitor smart tag includes an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing electrical signals in a smart tag format, and wherein said means for communicating comprises:
an antenna or antenna array operatively coupled to a respective one of the smart tag readers for transmitting and/or receiving the information-bearing electrical signals to and/or from a visitor smart tag proximate the respective station associated therewith.
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34. The system of claim 33 wherein said antenna or antenna array includes a plurality of loops disposed for providing a detection region including a predetermined area of a particular one of the plurality of stations.
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35. The system of claim 34 wherein said plurality of loops of said antenna or antenna array are disposed on flexible substrates providing a flexible curtain at an access way.
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36. The system of claim 34 wherein the plurality of loops of said antenna or antenna array are one of:
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spatially separated such that less than about 50% of the effective electromagnetic field region of the respective loops overlaps within the detection region, and temporally separated by activating ones of the plurality of loops of said antenna or antenna array sequentially in time.
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37. The system of claim 24 wherein said means for processing includes a central processor in communication with one or more local processors in communication with the smart tag readers.
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38. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for processing provides a human-perceivable indication responsive to the presence of a smart tag within the detection region of said antenna or antenna array.
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39. The system of claim 38 wherein said providing a human-perceivable indication includes one of providing a light, an audible indication, an alphanumeric display, a display on a computer monitor, and a print out.
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40. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for providing a report including processed visitor information and/or processed exhibitor information.
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41. The system of claim 40 wherein said report includes a document, a paper, an electronic file, a floppy disk, an optical disk, an electronic medium, a CD-ROM disk, and/or a report via the Internet.
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42. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for receiving visitor registration information, wherein at least part of the visitor registration information is stored in the visitor smart tag as visitor information.
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43. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for storing exhibitor information in an electronic memory at a station.
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44. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for collecting the visitor smart tag.
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45. The system of claim 24 wherein said means for processing provides a visual and/or aural greeting message responsive to the visitor information.
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46. The system of claim 24 wherein said means for processing is responsive to the visitor information for granting and/or denying access.
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47. The system of claim 24 wherein said means for processing is responsive to the visitor information and/or the exhibitor information for checking out a visitor.
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62. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for providing a report including visitor information and/or exhibitor information via the Internet.
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63. The system of claim 39 further comprising means for collecting the visitor smart tag.
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64. The system of claim 39 wherein said means for processing provides a visual and/or aural greeting message responsive to the visitor information.
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65. The system of claim 39 wherein said means for processing is responsive to the visitor information for granting and/or denying access.
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66. The system of claim 39 wherein said means for processing is responsive to the visitor information and/or the exhibitor information for checking out a visitor.
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48. A system wherein a visitor having a smart tag visits a plurality of stations comprising:
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a plurality of stations each including an electronic memory having exhibitor information stored therein for providing and/or receiving information-bearing signals proximate thereto;
a plurality of smart tag readers associated with respective ones of the plurality of stations for providing and/or receiving the information-bearing signals in a smart tag format;
a visitor smart tag including an electronic memory containing visitor information for providing and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the smart tag format, wherein information-bearing signals are communicated between the smart tag reader of a particular station and the visitor smart tag when the visitor smart tag is proximate the particular station;
wherein visitor information from the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag is stored in the electronic memory associated with the particular station and/or exhibitor information from the electronic memory of the particular station is stored in the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag, a processor for processing visitor information and exhibitor information from the electronic memory of at least one of the visitor smart tag and the plurality of stations for storing a record thereof in a relational data base; and
means coupled to said processor for providing a tangible record including visitor information and exhibitor information. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
(a) a central processor in communication with at least one local processor; and
(b) a plurality of local processors in communication with each other.
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51. The system of claim 48 wherein information contained in the information-bearing signals is representative of one or more of the identity of the visitor smart tag, the identity of a visitor, the identity of a station, the identity of an exhibitor, products and/or services of an exhibitor, a data item requested at a station, a date, and time.
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52. The system of claim 48 further comprising means for displaying at a particular station visitor information from the visitor smart tag communicated to the smart tag reader of the particular station when the visitor smart tag is proximate that particular station.
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53. The system of claim 48 wherein information stored in the electronic memory of the visitor smart tag includes a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.
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54. The system of claim 48 wherein said processor processes information including a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.
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55. The system of claim 48 wherein information stored in records of the relational database includes a permanent number, application specific data and a relational check number representative of the permanent number and/or the application specific number.
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56. The system of claim 48 wherein the visitor smart tag includes an antenna coupled to the electronic memory for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals in the smart tag format,
wherein the plurality of stations each includes an antenna or antenna array operatively associated with the smart tag reader for transmitting and/or receiving information-bearing signals proximate thereto, and wherein the information-bearing signals are communicated between the antenna or antenna array of the smart tag reader of a particular station and the antenna of the visitor smart tag when the visitor smart tag is proximate the particular station. -
57. The system of claim 56 wherein said antenna or antenna array includes a plurality of loops disposed for providing a detection region including a predetermined area of a particular one of the plurality of stations, wherein the plurality of loops are spatially separated such that less than about 50% of the effective electromagnetic field region of the respective loops overlaps within the detection region.
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58. The system of claim 48 further comprising a display at ones of the plurality of stations providing a human perceivable indication including visitor information at a particular station in response to the information-bearing signals communicated between the smart tag reader of the particular station and the visitor smart tag when the visitor smart tag is proximate the particular station.
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59. The system of claim 58 wherein said human perceivable indication includes one of a light, an audible indication, an alpha-numeric display, a display on a computer monitor, and a print out.
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60. The system of claim 48 wherein said tangible record includes a document, a paper, an electronic file, a floppy disk, an optical disk, an electronic medium, and/or a CD-ROM disk.
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61. The system of claim 48 further comprising means for receiving at least one of visitor information and exhibitor information via a communication network, wherein the visitor information is stored in the relational database of said processor and wherein the exhibitor information is stored in the electronic memory of a one of said plurality of stations.
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67. A system for reading and/or writing to a smart tag comprising:
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a smart tag reader for providing and/or receiving information-bearing signals in a smart tag format;
an antenna operatively coupled to said smart tag reader for transmitting and/or receiving the information-bearing signals in a smart tag format;
a touch screen for displaying and for entering information, and a processor for processing information, wherein said processor is operatively coupled to said smart tag reader for processing information represented in the information-bearing signals received from a smart tag via the antenna and for causing the smart tag reader to transmit information-bearing signals to the smart tag via the antenna, and wherein said processor is operatively coupled to said touch screen for displaying information represented in the information-bearing signals received from a smart tag via the antenna and for receiving information entered on the touch screen. - View Dependent Claims (68)
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69. A method for conducting an exhibition wherein a visitor having a smart tag visits a plurality of stations each including a smart tag reader, the method comprising:
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registering a visitor including storing visitor information in a visitor database;
issuing a visitor smart tag containing visitor information, the visitor smart tag providing at least the visitor information in a smart tag format;
registering exhibitors including storing exhibitor information;
storing exhibitor information of a registered exhibitor in a memory of one of a number of respective stations, wherein each respective station has a smart tag reader associated therewith for receiving information in the smart tag format;
whereby information can be communicated between the visitor smart tag and the station when the visitor smart tag is proximate the station, providing the respective stations including stored exhibitor information of respective registered exhibitors;
communicating information between the visitor smart tag and a particular station when the visitor smart tag is proximate that particular station, wherein visitor information from the visitor smart tag is stored in a memory associated with the particular station;
collecting visitor information and exhibitor information from ones of the respective stations after one or more visitor smart tags have communicated with a respective station;
processing the visitor information and exhibitor information collected from ones of the respective stations in relation to visitor information stored in the database; and
providing a report including processed exhibitor information representative of stations visited by a registered visitor smart tag and/or providing a report including processed visitor information representative of registered visitor smart tags visiting a respective station. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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Specification