Methods, computer program products, mobile terminals, and web pages for providing directional information associated with RFID enabled moveable objects

• US 7,248,167 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wassingbo, Tomas
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US11/070,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.33, 340/572.1, 340/10.52, 340/990, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.2, 340/5.92, 340/10.42, 235/491, 705/22, 705/28, 342/357.01, 342/357.07, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method of providing directional information associated with moveable objects can include periodically receiving identification (ID) information at a mobile terminal from a moveable object via a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal. Location information associated with the ID information can be updated to provide updated location information for the moveable object. Updating the location information can be ceased when the moveable object is out of RFID range of the mobile terminal to maintain the updated location information as the most recently known location information for the moveable object.

Claims

1. A method of providing directional information associated with moveable objects comprising:

periodically receiving identification (ID) information at a mobile terminal from a moveable object via a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal;

updating location information associated with the ID information to provide updated location information for the moveable object;

ceasing updating the location information when the moveable object is out of RFID range of the mobile terminal to maintain the updated location information as the most recently known location information for the moveable object;

activating an alarm responsive to ceasing updating the location information if a flag associated with the ID information of the moveable object is set; and

avoiding activating the alarm responsive to ceasing updating the location information if the flag associated with the ID information of the moveable object is clear.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

providing directional information based on the most recently known location information for the moveable object.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein providing directional information comprises providing a map including the directional information on a display of the mobile terminal.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein updating location information comprises:

determining new location information associated with the ID information using Global Position System (GPS) information for the mobile terminal based on the periodically received ID information; and

updating the location information with the GPS information to provide the updated location information for the moveable object.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein updating location information comprises:

determining new location information associated with the ID information using network location information for the mobile terminal based on the periodically received ID information; and

updating the location information with the GPS information to provide the updated location information for the moveable object.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein ceasing updating the location information when the moveable object is out of range of the mobile terminal comprises:

ceasing updating the location information responsive to unplanned placement of the moveable object.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein updating location information further comprises updating the location information including a time associated with receipt of most recently received location information received from the moveable object.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the moveable object comprises one of a plurality of moveable objects having respective unique ID information, the plurality of moveable objects configured to transmit the respective unique ID information to the mobile terminal via RFID signals.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising:

providing a plurality of most recently known location information for the plurality of moveable objects.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein providing a plurality of most recently known location information comprises providing the plurality of most recently known location information via a web page available via the Internet.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein another of the plurality of moveable objects comprises the mobile terminal.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the moveable object comprises a moveable object associated with someone other than a user of the mobile terminal, the method further comprising:

activating an alarm responsive to receiving ID information at the mobile terminal from the moveable object via the RFID signal.

13. A computer program product configured to operate according to the method of claim 1.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:

a mobile terminal transceiver circuit;

a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) interface circuit configured to periodically receive identification (ID) information from a moveable object via an RFID signal from moveable objects equipped with RFID tags;

a processor circuit, coupled to the mobile terminal transceiver circuit, configured to coordinate operation of the mobile terminal including the mobile terminal transceiver circuit and configured to update location information associated with the ID information to provide updated location information for the moveable objects and configured to cease updating the location information when the moveable objects are out of range of the RFID interface circuit to maintain the updated location information as the most recently known location information for the moveable objects; and

an alarm circuit, coupled to the processor circuit, configured to activate an alarm responsive to the processor ceasing updating the location information if a flag associated with the ID information of the moveable object is set and configured to avoid activating the alarm responsive to the processor circuit ceasing updating the location information if the flag associated with the ID information of the moveable object is clear.

15. A mobile terminal according to claim 14 further composing:

a display, coupled to the processor circuit, configured to provide directional information thereon based on the most recently known location information for the moveable object.

16. A mobile terminal according to claim 14 wherein updating location information comprises:

a location determination circuit, coupled to the processor circuit, configured to determining new location information associated with the ID information based on the periodically received ID information and configured to update the location information with to provide the updated location information for the moveable object; and

a location information table, coupled to the processor circuit, configured to store for the most recently known location information for the moveable objects.

17. A mobile terminal according to claim 16 wherein the location determination circuit comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) location circuit or a network location circuit.

18. A mobile terminal according to claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to cease updating the location information when the moveable object is out of range of the RFID circuit responsive to unplanned placement of the moveable objects.