System and method for wireless asset tracking
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for locating a physical object, comprising:
- detecting if localized location information corresponding to the physical object has been received, the localized location information corresponding to a location determined from a signal received from a short-range transmitter;
if the localized location information has been received, then storing the localized location information;
if no localized location information has been received for a predetermined amount of time, thensending a location request;
receiving secondary location information corresponding to the physical object, the secondary location information corresponding to a location determined from global positioning satellites; and
storing the secondary location information.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method employing a combination of long-range and short-range asset location systems, preferable a GPS-based system combined with an RFID-based system. The short-range system regularly activates itself, or is remotely polled, to determine if the asset is within range of the short-range transceivers, and the long-range system is activated to determine the location of the asset when it is outside the range of the short-range transceivers. In at least some embodiments, the asset is an automobile equipped with both RFID and GPS-based transceivers.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method for locating a physical object, comprising:
-
detecting if localized location information corresponding to the physical object has been received, the localized location information corresponding to a location determined from a signal received from a short-range transmitter; if the localized location information has been received, then storing the localized location information; if no localized location information has been received for a predetermined amount of time, then sending a location request; receiving secondary location information corresponding to the physical object, the secondary location information corresponding to a location determined from global positioning satellites; and storing the secondary location information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, comprising:
-
instructions for detecting if localized location information corresponding to the physical object has been received, the localized location information corresponding to a location determined from a signal received from a short-range transmitter; instructions for, if the localized location information has been received, then storing the localized location information; instructions for, if no localized location information has been received for a predetermined amount of time, then sending a location request; receiving secondary location information corresponding to the physical object, the secondary location information corresponding to a location determined from global positioning satellites; and storing the secondary location information. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. An asset location system, comprising:
-
means for detecting if localized location information corresponding to the physical object has been received, the localized location information corresponding to a location determined from a signal received from a short-range transmitter; means for, if the localized location information has been received, then storing the localized location information; means for, if no localized location information has been received for a predetermined amount of time, then sending a location request; receiving secondary location information corresponding to the physical object, the secondary location information corresponding to a location determined from global positioning satellites; and storing the secondary location information. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification