Systems and methods for location of objects
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A visual locating system, comprising:
- a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and an embedded RF receiver, said RF receiver being embedded in said camera assembly and configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device;
a computer processor in communication with each of said plurality of camera assemblies;
wherein each of said plurality of camera assemblies comprises a differential antenna apparatus, said differential antenna apparatus being configured to receive and provide one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver of said respective camera assembly;
wherein said differential antenna apparatus of each of said plurality of camera assemblies is directionally aligned with an optical block of said respective camera assembly;
wherein said visual location system further comprises signal processing circuitry configured to receive said one or more RF signals from said differential antenna apparatus, and to provide at least one of a signal strength signal or a differential output signal based upon said one or more RF signals;
wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to identify and select one or more of said signal strength signals that are indicative of a RF signal strength value that exceeds a minimum RF signal strength value; and
wherein each of said camera assemblies comprises a PTZ camera assembly, and wherein said computer processor is configured to provide a command signal to a selected one or more of said PTZ camera assemblies, said command signal causing said selected one or more of said PTZ camera assemblies to each scan in pan and tilt directions while receiving said RF signal from said differential antenna apparatus; and
wherein each of said one or more camera assemblies is configured to provide a visual image signal corresponding to one or more null line of sight (LOS) positions of said optical block of said respective camera assembly to said computer processor.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods that may be employed to visually locate and/or track objects equipped with active RFID tags. The disclosed systems and methods may employ an articulated camera/s, such as closed circuit television (“CCTV”) or other suitable type of articulated camera/s, that is equipped with an antenna array.
-
Citations
93 Claims
-
1. A visual locating system, comprising:
-
a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and an embedded RF receiver, said RF receiver being embedded in said camera assembly and configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device; a computer processor in communication with each of said plurality of camera assemblies; wherein each of said plurality of camera assemblies comprises a differential antenna apparatus, said differential antenna apparatus being configured to receive and provide one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver of said respective camera assembly; wherein said differential antenna apparatus of each of said plurality of camera assemblies is directionally aligned with an optical block of said respective camera assembly; wherein said visual location system further comprises signal processing circuitry configured to receive said one or more RF signals from said differential antenna apparatus, and to provide at least one of a signal strength signal or a differential output signal based upon said one or more RF signals; wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to identify and select one or more of said signal strength signals that are indicative of a RF signal strength value that exceeds a minimum RF signal strength value; and wherein each of said camera assemblies comprises a PTZ camera assembly, and wherein said computer processor is configured to provide a command signal to a selected one or more of said PTZ camera assemblies, said command signal causing said selected one or more of said PTZ camera assemblies to each scan in pan and tilt directions while receiving said RF signal from said differential antenna apparatus; and
wherein each of said one or more camera assemblies is configured to provide a visual image signal corresponding to one or more null line of sight (LOS) positions of said optical block of said respective camera assembly to said computer processor.
-
-
2. A visual locating system, comprising:
-
a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and an embedded RF receiver, said RF receiver being embedded in said camera assembly and configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device; a computer processor in communication with each of said plurality of camera assemblies; wherein each of said plurality of camera assemblies comprises a differential antenna apparatus, said differential antenna apparatus being configured to receive and provide one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver of said respective camera assembly; wherein said differential antenna apparatus of each of said plurality of camera assemblies is directionally aligned with an optical block of said respective camera assembly; wherein said visual location system further comprises signal processing circuitry configured to receive said one or more RF signals from said differential antenna apparatus, and to provide at least one of a signal strength signal or a differential output signal based upon said one or more RF signals; wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to identify and select one or more of said signal strength signals that are indicative of a RF signal strength value that exceeds a minimum RF signal strength value; and wherein each of said camera assemblies comprises a PTZ camera assembly;
wherein each of said camera assemblies comprises signal processing circuitry associated with said respective camera assembly;
wherein said each of said respective camera assemblies is configured to scan in pan and tilt directions while receiving said RF signal from a differential antenna apparatus of said respective PTZ camera assembly;
wherein said signal processing circuitry associated with each of said camera assemblies is configured to provide one or more differential output signals while a respective camera assembly associated with said signal processing circuitry is scanning in pan and tilt directions; and
wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to identify one or more null line of sight (LOS) positions of said optical block of said camera assembly associated with said signal processing circuitry based on said one or more differential output signals. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
- associating a RFID device with an object;
providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and an embedded RF receiver, said RF receiver being embedded in said camera assembly and configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; wherein said camera assembly unit further comprises a differential antenna apparatus, and wherein said method further comprises using said differential antenna apparatus to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver; and wherein said method further comprises using said optical block to visually scan a field of view of said optical block corresponding to a location of said RF transmission broadcast by said RFID device; and
selecting one or more visual images from said scan, said one or more visual images being directionally selected based on directional reception characteristics of said RF transmission broadcast received by said differential antenna apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- associating a RFID device with an object;
-
23. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
-
associating a RFID device with an object; providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and an embedded RF receiver, said RF receiver being embedded in said camera assembly and configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; wherein said camera assembly unit further comprises a differential antenna apparatus, and wherein said method further comprises using said differential antenna apparatus to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver; and wherein said differential antenna apparatus is directionally aligned with said optical block of said camera assembly unit, and wherein said method further comprises visually aligning said optical block with said object by moving said optical block based on said RF signal received by said differential antenna apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
-
-
26. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
-
associating a RFID device with an object; providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and an embedded RF receiver, said RF receiver being embedded in said camera assembly and configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and providing a network of multiple camera assemblies, said network of multiple camera assembly units comprising a part of a visual locating system;
each of said multiple camera assembly units comprising an optical block, an embedded RF receiver and an embedded differential antenna apparatus;
said embedded RF receiver being configured to receive from said differential antenna apparatus an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; and
wherein said method further comprises receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID being received by an embedded RF receiver of one or more of said camera assemblies; and
visually locating said object by selecting at least one of said camera assemblies having a field of view corresponding to a location of said RF transmission broadcast by said RFID device and using an optical block of said selected at least one camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said embedded RF receiver of said selected at least one camera assembly. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A visual locating system, comprising:
-
a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device; and a computer processor in communication with each of said plurality of camera assemblies; wherein each of said plurality of camera assemblies comprises a differential antenna apparatus, said differential antenna apparatus being configured to receive and provide one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver of said respective camera assembly; wherein said differential antenna apparatus of each of said plurality of camera assemblies is directionally aligned with an optical block of said respective camera assembly; wherein said visual locating system further comprises signal processing circuitry configured to receive said one or more RF signals from said differential antenna apparatus, and to provide at least one of a signal strength signal or a differential output signal based upon said one or more RF signals; wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to identify and select one or more of said signal strength signals that are indicative of a RF signal strength value that exceeds a minimum BY signal strength value; and wherein each of said camera assemblies comprises a PTZ camera assembly, and wherein said computer processor is configured to provide a command signal to a selected one or more of said PTZ camera assemblies, said command signal causing said selected one or more of said PTZ camera assemblies to each scan in pan and tilt directions while receiving said RF signal from said differential antenna apparatus; and
wherein each of said one or more camera assemblies is configured to provide a visual image signal corresponding to one or more null line of sight (LOS) positions of said optical block of said respective camera assembly to said computer processor.
-
-
31. A visual locating system, comprising:
-
a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device; and a computer processor in communication with each of said plurality of camera assemblies; wherein each of said plurality of camera assemblies comprises a differential antenna apparatus, said differential antenna apparatus being configured to receive and provide one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver of said respective camera assembly; wherein said differential antenna apparatus of each of said plurality of camera assemblies is directionally aligned with an optical block of said respective camera assembly; wherein said visual locating system further comprises signal processing circuitry configured to receive said one or more RF signals from said differential antenna apparatus, and to provide at least one of a signal strength signal or a differential output signal based upon said one or more RF signals; wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to identify and select one or more of said signal strength signals that are indicative of a RF signal strength value that exceeds a minimum RF signal strength value; and wherein each of said camera assemblies comprises a PTZ camera assembly;
wherein each of said camera assemblies comprises signal processing circuitry associated with said respective camera assembly;
wherein said each of said respective camera assemblies is configured to scan in pan and tilt directions while receiving said RF signal from a differential antenna apparatus of said respective PTZ camera assembly;
wherein said signal processing circuitry associated with each of said camera assemblies is configured to provide one or more differential output signals while a respective camera assembly associated with said signal processing circuitry is scanning in pan and tilt directions; and
wherein said signal processing circuitry is configured to identify one or more null line of sight (LOS) positions of said optical block of said camera assembly associated with said signal processing circuitry based on said one or more differential output signals. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
-
associating a RFID device with an object; providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; wherein said camera assembly unit further comprises a differential antenna apparatus, and wherein said method further comprises using said differential antenna apparatus to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver; wherein said method further comprises using said optical block to visually scan a field of view of said optical block corresponding to a location of said RF transmission broadcast by said RFID device; and
selecting one or more visual images from said scan, said one or more visual images being directionally selected based on directional reception characteristics of said RF transmission broadcast received by said differential antenna apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
-
-
50. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
-
associating a RFID device with an object; providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; wherein said camera assembly unit further comprises a differential antenna apparatus, and wherein said method further comprises using said differential antenna apparatus to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver; and wherein said differential antenna apparatus is directionally aligned with said optical block of said camera assembly unit, and wherein said method further comprises visually aligning said optical block with said object by moving said optical block based on said RF signal received by said differential antenna apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
-
-
76. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
-
associating a RFID device with an object; providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; wherein said camera assembly unit further comprises a differential antenna apparatus, and wherein said method further comprises using said differential antenna apparatus to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver; wherein said method further comprises providing a network of multiple camera assemblies, said network of multiple camera assembly units comprising a part of a visual locating system;
each of said multiple camera assembly units comprising an optical block, an embedded RF receiver and an embedded differential antenna apparatus;
said embedded RF receiver being configured to receive from said differential antenna apparatus an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; and
wherein said method further comprises receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID being received by an embedded RF receiver of one or more of said camera assemblies; and
visually locating said object by selecting at least one of said camera assemblies having a field of view corresponding to a location of said RF transmission broadcast by said RFID device and using an optical block of said selected at least one camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said embedded RF receiver of said selected at least one camera assembly. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79)
-
-
80. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
-
associating a RFID device with an object; providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and automatically visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; wherein said camera assembly unit comprises a PTZ camera assembly unit and further comprises a differential antenna apparatus, and wherein said method further comprises; using said differential antenna apparatus to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver, using said optical block to visually scan a field of view of said optical block corresponding to a location of said RF transmission broadcast by said RFID device, and directionally selecting one or more visual images based on directional reception characteristics of said RF transmission broadcast received by said differential antenna apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82)
-
-
83. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
-
associating a RFID device with an object; providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and automatically visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and wherein said method further comprises providing a network of multiple camera assemblies, said network of multiple camera assembly units comprising a part of a visual locating system;
each of said multiple camera assembly units comprising an optical block, an embedded RF receiver and an embedded differential antenna apparatus;
said embedded RF receiver being configured to receive from said differential antenna apparatus an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; and
wherein said method further comprises receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID being received by an embedded RF receiver of one or more of said camera assemblies; and
automatically visually locating said object by selecting at least one of said camera assemblies having a field of view corresponding to a location of said RF transmission broadcast by said RFID device and using an optical block of said selected at least one camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said embedded RF receiver of said selected at least one camera assembly. - View Dependent Claims (84)
-
-
85. A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
-
associating a RFID device with an object; providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and automatically visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; wherein said camera assembly unit comprises a differential antenna apparatus that is directionally aligned with said optical block of said camera assembly unit, and wherein said method further comprises visually aligning said optical block with said object to visually track said object by moving said optical block based on said RF signal received by said differential antenna apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (86)
-
-
87. A visual location system, comprising:
-
a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and a RF receiver; wherein said RF receiver is configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device; wherein said visual location system is configured to automatically visually locate said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and wherein each of said camera assembly units comprises a PTZ camera assembly unit and further comprises a differential antenna apparatus configured to receive and provide said RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device to said RF receiver;
wherein said visual location system is configured to use said optical block to visually scan a field of view of said optical block corresponding to a location of said RF transmission broadcast by said RFID device; and
wherein said visual location system is further configured to directionally select one or more visual images based on directional reception characteristics of said RF transmission broadcast received by said differential antenna apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89)
-
-
90. A visual location system, comprising:
-
a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and a RF receiver; wherein said RF receiver is configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device; wherein said visual location system is configured to automatically visually locate said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and wherein said plurality of camera assemblies comprises a network of multiple camera assemblies, each of said multiple camera assembly units comprising an optical block, an embedded RF receiver and an embedded differential antenna apparatus, said embedded RF receiver being configured to receive from said differential antenna apparatus an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device; and
wherein said system is configured to automatically visual locate said object by selecting at least one of said camera assemblies having a field of view corresponding to a location of said RF transmission broadcast by said RFID device and using an optical block of said selected at least one camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said embedded RF receiver of said selected at least one camera assembly. - View Dependent Claims (91)
-
-
92. A visual location system, comprising:
-
a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and a RF receiver; wherein said RF receiver is configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device; wherein said visual location system is configured to automatically visually locate said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna; and wherein each of said camera assembly units comprises a differential antenna apparatus that is directionally aligned with said optical block of said camera assembly unit, and wherein said visual location system is further configured to visually align said optical block with said object to visually track said object by moving said optical block based on said RF signal received by said differential antenna apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (93)
-
Specification