Methods and systems for verifying the position and status of hierarchically arranged objects
First Claim
1. A tracking system for tracking a plurality of items, comprising:
- a plurality of wireless tags, each of the plurality of wireless tags being configured to couple to one of the plurality of items, to store a unique tag identifier and to provide tag information including the stored unique tag identifier when queried;
a plurality of repeaters, each having a unique repeater identifier and each being associated with selected ones of the plurality of wireless tags, each repeater being configured to issue a query to its associated wireless tags, to receive, to store and, when queried, to provide the tag information provided by the queried wireless tags and repeater information that includes its unique repeater identifier;
at least one high-level device, each having a unique high-level identifier and being configured to issue a high-level query to selected ones of the plurality of repeaters, to receive, to store and, when queried, to provide the received tag and repeater information and high-level information that includes its unique high-level identifier;
a top-level device, the top-level device being configured to issue a top-level query to the at least one high-level device and, in response to the top-level query, receive and store the provided high-level information, the provided repeater information and the provided tag information, anda conductive mesh coupled to one of the wireless tags, to one of the repeaters or to one of the high-level devices, wherein wireless tag, repeater or high-level device coupled to the conductive mesh is configured to report on a state of the conductive mesh.
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Abstract
A tracking system for tracking a plurality of items or boxes of items defines a plurality of levels that may be physically and logically organized in a hierarchy. Each level of the hierarchy only communicates with the next hierarchically lower level (if it exists) and/or a next hierarchically higher level (if it exists). The lowest hierarchical level includes a wireless tag coupled to each of the plurality of items. Each of the wireless tags may be configured to provide a unique identifier when queried. Remaining hierarchical levels may each include one or more uniquely identified computing devices that are configured to query the wireless tags or computing devices of the next hierarchically lower level, to store information including the unique identifier and any other information provided by the queried next hierarchically lower level and to provide the stored information to the computing device(s) of the next hierarchically higher level (if it exists). A sealed box or document may form a part of the hierarchy and may include a conductive mesh coupled to a wireless tag, repeater or computing device that is configured to report on the state of the conductive mesh.
133 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A tracking system for tracking a plurality of items, comprising:
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a plurality of wireless tags, each of the plurality of wireless tags being configured to couple to one of the plurality of items, to store a unique tag identifier and to provide tag information including the stored unique tag identifier when queried; a plurality of repeaters, each having a unique repeater identifier and each being associated with selected ones of the plurality of wireless tags, each repeater being configured to issue a query to its associated wireless tags, to receive, to store and, when queried, to provide the tag information provided by the queried wireless tags and repeater information that includes its unique repeater identifier; at least one high-level device, each having a unique high-level identifier and being configured to issue a high-level query to selected ones of the plurality of repeaters, to receive, to store and, when queried, to provide the received tag and repeater information and high-level information that includes its unique high-level identifier; a top-level device, the top-level device being configured to issue a top-level query to the at least one high-level device and, in response to the top-level query, receive and store the provided high-level information, the provided repeater information and the provided tag information, and a conductive mesh coupled to one of the wireless tags, to one of the repeaters or to one of the high-level devices, wherein wireless tag, repeater or high-level device coupled to the conductive mesh is configured to report on a state of the conductive mesh. - 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)
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24. A computer-implemented method of updating tracking information for a plurality of items that are logically organized within a hierarchy, comprising the steps of:
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issuing a top-level query from a top-level device to at least one of a plurality of high-level devices, the plurality of high-level devices being hierarchically lower than the top-level device; responsive to the top-level query, issuing a high-level query from each of the queried high-level devices to at least one of a plurality of repeaters, the plurality of repeaters being hierarchically lower than the plurality of high-level devices; responsive to the issued high-level queries, issuing a repeater query from each of the at least one of the plurality of repeaters to at least one of a plurality of wireless tags, each of the plurality of wireless tags storing tag information that includes a unique tag identifier and being attached to one of the plurality of items, the plurality of wireless tags being hierarchically lower than the plurality of repeaters, and responsive to the issued repeater queries, propagating the unique tag identifier of each queried wireless tag back up through the hierarchy to update the tracking information. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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- 34. A tracking system for tracking a plurality of items, the system comprising a plurality of levels logically organized in a hierarchy where each level of the hierarchy only communicates with at least one of an existing next hierarchically lower level and an existing next hierarchically higher level, a lowest hierarchical level comprising a separate wireless tag coupled to each of the plurality of items, the wireless tag being configured to provide a unique identifier when queried and remaining hierarchical levels each comprising at least one uniquely identified computing device configured to query the wireless tags or computing devices of the existing next hierarchically lower level, to store information including the unique identifier and any other information provided by the queried next hierarchically lower level and to provide the stored information to the at least one computing device of the existing next hierarchically higher level.
Specification