Method of and computer program product for monitoring person's movements

• US 7,123,126 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Imasaki, Naoki, Tanaka, Toshiaki, Nishikawa, Takeichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US10/395,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system

Abstract

A monitoring method includes acquiring tag identification information unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information about a tag reader that detects the radio frequency identification tag. Next, attribute information about the person is acquired based on the tag identification information, and area information about a detection area of the tag reader is acquired based on the reader identification information. Finally, it is determined whether the person carrying the radio frequency identification tag having the attribute information acquired is allowed to enter into the detection area based on the area information.

Claims

1. A monitoring method comprising:

acquiring tag identification information that is unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information that is unique to a tag reader capable of detecting the radio frequency identification tag in a predetermined area;

recording positional history that indicates position of the radio frequency identification tag at a certain time based on timing at which the tag identification information and the reader identification information are acquired;

acquiring a set of the tag identification information and the reader identification information corresponding to a predetermined time based on the positional history, wherein the acquiring of the tag identification information and the reader identification information is performed at the acquiring based on the set of the tag identification information and the reader identification information;

acquiring attribute information that is information about the person carrying the radio frequency identification tag based on the tag identification information acquired;

acquiring area information that is information about the predetermined area based on the reader identification information; and

determining whether the person carrying the radio frequency identification tag is allowed to enter the predetermined area based on the attribute information and the area information.

2. The monitoring method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting the presence of the person in the predetermined area by a human sensor,

wherein the determining is performed based on an output of the human sensor.

3. The monitoring method according to claim 1, further comprising outputting a warning when it is determined that the person carrying the radio frequency identification tag is not allowed to enter the predetermined area.

4. The monitoring method according to claim 3, wherein the outputting includes displaying the warning.

5. The monitoring method according to claim 3, wherein the outputting includes transmitting the warning to the radio frequency identification tag via the tag reader.

6. The monitoring method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling a lock mechanism corresponding to a door so as to shut the door based on information about a position of the door and the area information, when it is determined that the person carrying the radio frequency identification tag is not allowed to enter the predetermined area.

7. The monitoring method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a camera that monitors the predetermined area, based on information about a position of the camera and the area information, when it is determined that the person carrying the radio frequency identification tag is not allowed to enter the predetermined area; and

recording a video with the camera.

8. A monitoring method comprising:

acquiring tag identification information that is unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information that is unique to a tag reader capable of detecting the radio frequency identification tag in a predetermined area;

recording positional history that indicates a position of the radio frequency identification tag at a certain time based on timing at which the tag identification information and the reader identification information are acquired;

recording a video of the predetermined area and time at which the video is recorded;

calculating the number of tag identification information detected by a predetermined tag reader based on the positional history;

calculating the number of persons in the predetermined area based on the video; and

determining whether the number of the tag identification information is equal to the number of persons.

9. The monitoring method according to claim 8, further comprising outputting a warning when it is determined that the number of the tag identification information is not equal to the number of persons.

10. The monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein the outputting includes displaying the warning.

11. A monitoring method comprising:

acquiring tag identification information that is unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information that is unique to a tag reader capable of detecting the radio frequency identification tag in a predetermined area;

recording positional history that indicates position of the radio frequency identification tag at a certain time based on timing at which the tag identification information and the reader identification information are acquired;

detecting with a human detector whether a person is present in a predetermined area corresponding to a predetermined tag reader;

acquiring the tag identification information detected by the predetermined tag reader based on the positional history; and

determining whether the detection by the human detector and the tag identification information satisfy a predetermined relationship or not.

12. The monitoring method according to claim 11, further comprising outputting a warning when it is determined that the detection by the human detector and the tag identification information do not satisfy the predetermined relationship.

13. The monitoring method according to claim 12, wherein the outputting includes displaying the warning.

14. A monitoring method comprising:

acquiring tag identification information that is unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information that is unique to a tag reader capable of detecting the radio frequency identification tag in a predetermined detection area;

recording positional history that indicates a position of the radio frequency identification tag at a certain time based on timing at which the tag identification information and the reader identification information are acquired;

preparing a pattern of the positional history for each of the tag identification information based on the positional history; and

identifying and recording abnormality pattern about at least an existence time of the radio frequency identification in the predetermined detection area or a number of the predetermined detection area where the radio frequency identification exists;

determining that a suspicious person exists in the predetermined detection area when at least a portion of the prepared pattern matches with any one of the already recorded abnormality patterns.

15. The monitoring method according to claim 14, further comprising outputting a warning when it is determined that at least a portion of the pattern prepared matches with any one of already recorded patterns.

16. The monitoring method according to claim 15, wherein the outputting includes displaying the warning.

17. A computer program product including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform:

acquiring tag identification information that is unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information that is unique to a tag reader capable of detecting the radio frequency identification tag in a predetermined area;

recording positional history that indicates position of the radio frequency identification tag at a certain time based on timing at which the tag identification information and the reader identification information are acquired,

acquiring a set of the tag identification information and the reader identification information corresponding to a predetermined time based on the positional history,

wherein the acquiring of the tag identification information and the reader identification information is performed at the acquiring based on the set of the tag identification information and the reader identification information;

acquiring attribute information that is information about the person carrying the radio frequency identification tag based on the tag identification information acquired;

acquiring area information that is information about the predetennined area based on the reader identification information; and

determining whether the person carrying the radio frequency identification tag is allowed to enter the predetermined area based on the attribute information and the area information.

18. A computer program product including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform:

acquiring tag identification information that is unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information that is unique to a tag reader capable of detecting the radio frequency identification tag in a predetermined area;

recording positional history that indicates a position of the radio frequency identification tag at a certain time based on timing at which the tag identification information and the reader identification information are acquired;

recording a video of the predetermined area and time at which the video is recorded;

calculating the number of tag identification information detected by a predetermined tag reader based on the positional history;

calculating the number of persons in the predetermined area based on the video; and

determining whether the number of the tag identification information is equal to the number of persons.

19. A computer program product including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform:

acquiring tag identification information that is unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information that is unique to a tag reader capable of detecting the radio frequency identification tag in a predetermined area;

recording positional history that indicates position the radio frequency identification tag at a certain time of based on timing at which the tag identification information and the reader identification information are acquired;

detecting with a human detector whether a person is present in a predetermined area corresponding to a predetermined tag reader;

acquiring the tag identification information detected by the predetermined tag reader based on the positional history; and

determining whether the detection by the human detector and the tag identification information satisfy a predetermined relationship or not.

20. A computer program product including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform:

acquiring tag identification information that is unique to a radio frequency identification tag carried by a person, and reader identification information that is unique to a tag reader capable of detecting the radio frequency identification tag in a predetermined detection area;

recording positional history that indicates a position of the radio frequency identification tag at a certain time based on timing at which the tag identification information and the reader identification information are acquired;

preparing a pattern of the positional history for each of the tag identification information based on the positional history; and

identifying and recording abnormality pattern about at least an existence time of the radio frequency identification in the predetermined detection area or a number of the predetermined detection area where the radio frequency identification exists;

determining that a suspicious person exists in the predetermined detection area when at least a portion of the prepared pattern matches with any one of the already recorded abnormality patterns.