Manufactured article recovery system

• US 6,967,577 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Lopata, Iain D., Taylor, Stanton J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bugg, George A.
• Application Number:
  US10/639,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20050035860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/568.1, 340/572.1, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/825.49, 235/375, 235/385, 235/491, 235/531, 707/3
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system for recovering a manufactured article is disclosed. The system includes an electronic reader that reads a unique code associated with the manufactured article when that article is within range of the reader. The unique code may be based on a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag positioned with the manufactured article. The reader may be positioned with a facility associated with retrieval of misplaced or reposed consumer items, or within a community. A database may store records of unique codes and information related to owners of manufactured articles. The database may be downloaded to a local cache. The database also may be queried based on the unique code. The owner of the item may be determined based on a match of a unique code read by the reader to a record in the database. The database may be accessed through an open-network connection to a computerized network.

Claims

1. A method for identifying an owner of a misplaced manufactured article, comprising the steps of:

associating a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag with manufactured article, the RFID tag having a unique serial number;

storing a data record in a searchable database having a plurality of data records, the data record including the serial number of the RFID tag and personal identification information of an owner of the manufactured article;

receiving a request for a query, the query being based on a serial number of an RFID tag read by an RFID reader associated with a community service organization;

querying the database to match the serial number read by the RFID reader;

identifying the registered owner associated with the matched serial number; and

transmitting a result of the query to the registered owner at a location identified by personal identification information of the owner associated with the data record corresponding to the serial number of the query, the transmitted result identifying a location of the manufactured article based on a recorded location of the RFID reader that read the RFID tag associated with the manufactured article.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

positioning the RFID reader at a fixed location for the community service organization; and

reading the serial number stored by an RFID tag when the RFID tag is proximate the fixed location.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

activating an RFID tag associated with the manufactured article with the RFID reader associated with the community service organization; and

reading the serial number by the RFID reader in response to activating the RFID tag.

4. The method of claim 1 where the step of querying comprises:

matching the serial number read by the RFID reader to the data record in the database corresponding to the serial number; and

reading the personal identification information associated with the owner in the matched data record.

5. The method of claim 1 where the RFID reader comprises a component of a patrol vehicle for the community service organization.

6. The method of claim 1 where the step of storing comprises receiving from the owner information related to the serial number and personal identification information associated with the owner.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting to the owner information related to the community service organization.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a record in the database with information associated with a subsequent owner.

9. A method for recovering a manufactured article, comprising:

registering a unique serial number of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to an owner of the manufactured article on which the RFID tag is affixed;

receiving information from a community service organization, the information including a serial number read from the RFID tag affixed to the manufactured article, the serial number being read with a RFID reader associated with the community service organization;

identifying the owner of the manufactured article based on the serial number received from the community service organization; and

reporting a location of the manufactured article to the identified owner at a location registered with the RFID tag, the reported location of the manufactured article corresponding to a recorded location for the community service organization.

10. The method of claim 9 where the step of registering comprises:

issuing to the owner at least one RFID tag; and

creating a record in a searchable database for each RFID tag issued to the owner, each record including the serial number for the RFID tag and identification information for the owner.

11. The method of claim 10 where the step of identifying comprises:

searching the database with a query based on the information received from the community service organization;

locating a record in the database associated with the information; and

identifying the owner based on the record located.

12. The method of claim 11 where the RFID tag is presented to the owner by an RFID tag issuing authority and the step of registering is carried out by the RFID tag issuing authority.

13. The method of claim 12 where the database is stored on a computerized network.

14. The method of claim 13 where the computerized network comprises the Internet.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

affixing the RFID reader in a passageway for the community service organization;

reading the serial number of the RFID tag when the manufactured article passes the passageway;

in response to reading the serial number, generating a request to identify the owner of the manufactured article.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

positioning the RFID reader in a patrol vehicle for a law enforcement agency;

activating the RFID tag with the RFID reader as the patrol vehicle is operated in a community; and

reading the serial number of the RFID tag when the patrol vehicle is within range of the manufactured article.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

recording in a memory of a portable computer coupled with the RFID reader, a serial number for the RFID tag read by the RFID reader, the memory configured to a plurality of serial numbers; and

periodically querying the database with a query based on the plurality of serial numbers stored in the memory.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a request for a query of the database for the record associated with serial number of the RFID tag;

querying the database to match the serial number to a record in the database;

transmitting to the portable computer the result of the query; and

outputting in human readable form, the results of the query.

19. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

positioning the RFID reader with a traffic control signal; and

reading the serial number of the RFID tag when the manufactured article is proximate the traffic control signal.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving information identifying the manufactured article as an item to be located;

flagging the record in the searchable database corresponding to the serial number for the manufactured article, the searchable database having a plurality of records associated with a manufactured article to be located;

searching the plurality of records in the data associated with a manufactured article to be located with a query based on the information received from the community service organization;

identifying the owner of the manufactured article; and

transmitting to the owner information related to a location for the manufactured article, the information being transmitted to the owner at a location registered with the RFID tag, the location of the manufactured article corresponding to a recorded location for the community service organization.

21. The method of claim 20 where the RFID tag issuing authority comprises a security organization.

22. The method of claim 21 where the database is stored on a computerized network associated with the security organization, the computerized network being accessible via the Internet.

23. A system for recovering mislaid items, comprising:

a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags each having a data storage memory, and each RFID tag being configured to be disposed on an item of personal property, the memory being configured to store a unique identification code;

a remote computerized network of information configured to store an electronic database, the database recording a plurality of data records, each data record including one of the unique identification codes and information associated with an owner of the personal property;

a communication circuit configured to read the unique identification code stored by the memory when an RFID tag is within range of the communication circuit, and the communication circuit being disposed on community property;

a local computerized network coupled with the communication circuit to receive the unique identification number read by the communication circuit, and being configured to communicate with the remote computerized network, the local computerized network configured to determine whether the unique identification number read by the communication circuit corresponds to a mislaid item; and

a means for outputting the results of the determination of the local computerized network, the results including information being transmitted to the owner of the mislaid item at a location identified by the information associated with the owner stored in the data record corresponding to the mislaid item.

24. The system of claim 23 where the local computerized network is configured to initiate a search of the database based on the unique identification code read by the communication circuit.

25. The system of claim 24 where the means for outputting comprises an owner notification network coupled with the remote computerized network, the means for outputting being configured to receive a result of the query of the database when a record corresponding to the query is located and to transmit the result to the owner.

26. The system of claim 25 where the RFID tags are presented to the owner by an RFID tag issuing authority, the RFID tag issuing authority maintaining the records of the database.

27. The system of claim 25 where the communication circuit comprises an RFID interrogator configured to activate the RFID tag when the RFID tag is within range of the RFID interrogator, and for reading the unique identification number in response to activating the RFID tag.

28. The system of claim 27 where the remote computerized network comprises the owner notification network.

29. The system of claim 28 where the local computerized network communicates with the remote computerized network via the Internet.

30. The system of claim 28 where the RFID interrogator is positioned in a community patrol vehicle.

31. The system of claim 23 where the local computerized network is configured to download information related one or more unique identification numbers associated with mislaid items from the remote computerized network, the information being stored in a cache for the local computerized network.

32. The system of claim 31 where the local computerized network is configured to search the cache for the unique identification number read by the communication circuit.

33. The system of claim 32 where the local computerized network is configured to identify the owner based on a search of the cache.

34. The system of claim 32 where the RFID tags are presented to the owner by an RFID tag issuing authority, the RFID tag issuing authority maintaining the records of the database.

35. The system of claim 32 where the communication circuit comprises an RFID interrogator configured to activate the RFID tag when the RFID tag is within range of the RFID interrogator, and for reading the unique identification number in response to activating the RFID tag.

36. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions to cause a computer programmed thereby to perform a method for informing an owner of a location of a manufactured article, wherein the method of performing comprises:

storing in a database a plurality of records, each record having a unique identification code associated with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and information associated with the owner;

receiving from a third-party a request for a query based on a unique identification code read by the third party from an RFID tag affixed to the manufactured article and including data representative of a location of the third-party;

querying the database to match a record in the database associated with the unique identification code;

identifying the owner based on a the matched record; and

informing the owner of the location of the third-party at a location associated with the owner stored in the database with the unique identification code of the RFID tag.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 36 further comprising executable instructions for transmitting to the third-party information related to the identification information of the owner.

38. A method for identifying an owner of a misplaced manufactured article, comprising the steps of:

storing a data record in a searchable database having a plurality of data records, the data record including a unique serial number associated with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and personal identification information of an owner of the RFID tag;

flagging a data record for a unique serial number associated with a misplaced manufactured article;

downloading the flagged data record to a memory associated with an RFID reader;

identifying a misplaced item based on matching the unique serial number stored in the memory of the RFID reader with a unique serial number read from a corresponding RFID tag by the RFID reader; and

reporting a location of the misplaced item to the owner at a location stored in the data record, the reported location of the misplaced item corresponding to a recorded location for the RFID reader.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

identifying the owner of the misplaced item based on matching the unique serial number stored in the memory of the RFID reader with a unique serial number read from a corresponding RFID tag by the RFID reader.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

positioning the RFID reader at a fixed location for a community service organization; and

reading the unique serial number stored by an RFID tag when the RFID tag is proximate the fixed location.

41. The method of claim 38 further comprising:

activating an RFID tag associated with the manufactured article with the RFID reader associated with the community service organization;

reading the serial number read by the RFID reader in response to activating the RFID tag; and

identifying the owner based on locating the serial read by the RFID reader in the memory.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising:

querying the database based on the matched serial number read by the RFID reader; and

transmitting a result of the query, the result including the personal identification information of the owner associated with the data record corresponding to the serial number of the query.

43. The method of claim 42 where the step of querying comprises reading the personal identification information associated with the owner in the matched data record.

44. The method of claim 38 where the RFID reader comprises a component of a patrol vehicle for the community service organization.

45. The method of claim 38 where the step of storing comprises receiving from the owner information related to the serial number and personal identification information associated with the owner.

46. The method of claim 38 further comprising updating a date record with personal identification information of a subsequent own of the RFID tag.

47. A method for recovering a manufactured article, comprising:

downloading one or more data records from a searchable database, each data record including a unique identification code associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, each data record being flagged as being associated with a misplaced manufactured item;

storing the downloaded data records in a cache;

searching the cache based on a unique identification code read by an RFID reader; and

in response to searching the database, identifying the owner of the misplaced item, and reporting a location of the misplaced item to the identified owner at a location registered with the RFID tag, the reported location of the manufactured article corresponding to a recorded location for the RFID reader.

48. The method of claim 47 where the downloaded data records are each associated with a misplaced manufactured item.

49. The method of claim 48 further comprising, periodically updating the data records stored in the cache.

50. The method of claim 48 further comprising, updating the data records stored in the cache based on a reading of an RFID tag.

51. The method of claim 47 where the step of identifying comprises:

locating a record stored in the cache for the unique identification number read by the RFID reader; and

identifying an entity associated with the RFID tag based on the located record.

52. The method of claim 47 where the step of identifying comprises:

locating a record stored in the cache for the unique identification number read by the RFID reader; and

reading the information stored in a record of the database corresponding to the located record of the cache, the information identifying an entity associated with the RFID tag.

53. The method of claim 47 where the database is stored on a computerized network.

54. The method of claim 53 where the computerized network is provided via Internet content and the database is accessible via an Internet connection.

55. The method of claim 47 further comprising:

affixing the RFID reader in a passageway for a community service organization;

reading the identification code of the RFID tag when the manufactured article passes the passageway.

56. The method of claim 47 further comprising:

positioning the RFID reader in a patrol vehicle for a law enforcement agency;

activating the RFID tag with the RFID reader as the patrol vehicle is operated in a community; and

reading the unique identification code of the RFID tag when the patrol vehicle is within range of the manufactured article.

57. The method of claim 47 further comprising:

positioning the RFID reader with a traffic control signal; and

reading the serial number of the RFID tag when the manufactured article is proximate the traffic control signal.

58. The method of claim 47 further comprising the steps of:

receiving information identifying the manufactured article as an item to be located;

flagging the record in the searchable database corresponding to the unique identification code for the manufactured article, the searchable database having a plurality of records associated with a manufactured article to be located.