Proximity management system and method using radio-frequency identification tags
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for managing items comprising:
- a master controller; and
a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, wherein each tag is associated with one of a plurality of managed items,wherein the master controller determines the proximity of the managed items within communication range based on signal levels of response signals generated by the RFID tags in response to interrogation signals and provides a notification when certain ones of the items are within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range, andwherein the master controller has access to a storage location which includes a database, the database comprising unique identification codes of the RFID tags, a description of the associated items, and a proximity threshold associated with each item.
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Abstract
A master controller for managing items tagged with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags includes a transceiver to transmit interrogation signals to the RFID tags and to receive response signals from the RFID tags. The master controller may also include a processor to determine the proximity of tagged items based on signal levels of the response signals, and to notify a user when certain ones of the tagged items are in a predetermined relation to a proximity threshold.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A system for managing items comprising:
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a master controller; and a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, wherein each tag is associated with one of a plurality of managed items, wherein the master controller determines the proximity of the managed items within communication range based on signal levels of response signals generated by the RFID tags in response to interrogation signals and provides a notification when certain ones of the items are within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range, and wherein the master controller has access to a storage location which includes a database, the database comprising unique identification codes of the RFID tags, a description of the associated items, and a proximity threshold associated with each item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for managing items comprising:
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a master controller; and a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, wherein each tag is associated with one of a plurality of managed items, wherein the master controller determines the proximity of the managed items within communication range based on signal levels of response signals generated by the RFID tags in response to interrogation signals and provides a notification when certain ones of the items are within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range, wherein each tagged item has an associated proximity threshold, and, wherein the master controller includes a processor and transceiver to maintain a list of items within communication range by regularly transmitting an interrogation signal and to further maintain a list of the items that are within the associated proximity threshold, the proximity threshold for each tagged item being less than the communication range.
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16. A system for managing items comprising:
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a master controller; and a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, wherein each tag is associated with one of a plurality of managed items, wherein the master controller determines the proximity of the managed items within communication range based on signal levels of response signals generated by the RFID tags in response to interrogation signals and provides a notification when certain ones of the items are within a proximity threshold to the master controller, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range, wherein the master controller further comprises a transceiver, wherein the items are personal, movable items, wherein each RFID tag has a unique identification code associated therewith, wherein the RFID tags generate a response signal in response to an interrogation signal transmitted by the transceiver, the response signal to include the unique identification code associated with the RFID tag, and wherein the master controller comprises a processor to perform a collision avoidance algorithm to distinguish between response signals received substantially simultaneously from more than one of the RFID tags being interrogated. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A master controller for managing a plurality of managed items tagged with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, the master controller comprising:
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a transceiver to transmit interrogation signals to RFID tags and to receive response signals from the RFID tags within communication range; and a processor to determine the proximity of the managed items based on signal levels of the response signals, and to provide a notification when certain ones of the managed items are within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range, wherein the master controller has access to a storage location which includes a database, the database comprising unique identification codes of the RFID tags, a description of the associated items, and a proximity threshold associated with each item. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A master controller for managing a plurality of managed items tagged with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, the master controller comprising:
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a transceiver to transmit interrogation signals to RFID tags and to receive response signals from the RFID tags within communication range; and a processor to determine the proximity of the managed items based on signal levels of the response signals, and to provide a notification when certain ones of the managed items are within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range, wherein the master controller includes a memory to maintain a list of items within communication range of the master controller by the transceiver regularly transmitting an interrogation signal, the memory to further maintain a list of the items that are within a proximity threshold associated with the item, wherein the processor displays a received signal strength indicator based on return signals of a selected one of the managed items, and wherein the proximity threshold for each item is less than the communication range.
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29. A master controller for managing a plurality of managed items tagged with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, the master controller comprising:
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a transceiver to transmit interrogation signals to RFID tags and to receive response signals from the RFID tags within communication range; and a processor to determine the proximity of the managed items based on signal levels of the response signals, and to provide a notification when certain ones of the managed items are within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold for each of the managed items being less than the communication range, wherein the items are personal, movable items, wherein each RFID tag has a unique identification code associated therewith, wherein the RFID tags generate a response signal in response to an interrogation signal transmitted by the transceiver, the response signal to include the unique identification code associated with the RFID tag, and wherein the processor performs a collision avoidance algorithm to help distinguish between response signals received substantially simultaneously from more than one of the RFID tags being interrogated.
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30. A master controller for managing a plurality of managed items tagged with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, the master controller comprising:
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a transceiver to transmit interrogation signals to RFID tags and to receive response signals from the RFID tags within communication range; and a processor to determine the proximity of the managed items based on signal levels of the response signals, and to provide a notification when certain ones of the managed items are within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range, wherein the master controller is part of a wireless communication device including one of a cellular or wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a handheld portable communication device.
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31. A method comprising:
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interrogating a plurality of RFID-tagged items within communication range; providing a notification when one or more of the tagged items is in a predetermined relation to a proximity threshold associated with each tagged item, the proximity threshold for each tagged item being less than the communication range; and accessing a database which includes a unique identification codes of the radio frequency identification tags, a description of the associated items, and a proximity threshold associated with each tagged item. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A method comprising:
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interrogating a plurality of RFID-tagged items within communication range; providing a notification when one or more of the tagged items is in a predetermined relation to a proximity threshold; and performing a collision avoidance algorithm to distinguish between response signals received substantially simultaneously from more than one of the tagged items, wherein providing comprises accessing a database which includes unique identification codes of the radio frequency identification tags, a description of the associated items, and a proximity threshold associated with each tagged item. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A method comprising:
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interrogating a plurality of tagged items within communication range; and providing a notification when one or more of the tagged items is in a predetermined relation to a proximity threshold associated with each tagged item, the proximity threshold for each tagged item being less than the communication range; determining when one or more of the tagged items associated with an activity profile is outside a proximity threshold associated with the profile; and providing the notification when one or more of the tagged items of the profile is outside the proximity threshold associated with the profile.
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38. A method comprising:
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interrogating a plurality of tagged items within communication range; and providing a notification when one or more of the tagged items is in a predetermined relation to a proximity threshold associated with each tagged item, the proximity threshold for each tagged item being less than the communication range, wherein prior to the interrogating and notifying, the method further comprises; affixing radio frequency identification tags to the items; generating a database to include unique identification codes of the radio frequency identification tags, a description of the associated items, and a proximity threshold associated with each item, wherein the database is generated using a graphical user interface (GUI) and stored in a master controller. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
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instructing a transceiver to interrogate a plurality of RFID-tagged items and receive response signals from RFID-tagged items within communication range; providing a notification when one or more of the tagged items is outside a proximity threshold associated with the tagged items, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range; and accessing a database which includes unique identification codes of the radio frequency identification tags, a description of the associated items, and a proximity threshold associated with each tagged item.
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42. A computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
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instructing a transceiver to interrogate a plurality of tagged items; providing a notification when one or more of the tagged items is outside a proximity threshold; and performing a collision avoidance algorithm to distinguish between response signals received substantially simultaneously from more than one of the tagged items. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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45. A method of locating an item comprising:
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transmitting an interrogation signal; receiving a response signal in response to the interrogation signal from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to determine when an item tagged with the RFID tag is within communication range; providing a notification when the item is within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range; and accessing a database which includes a unique identification code of the radio frequency identification tag, a description of the associated item, and a proximity threshold associated with the tagged item.
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46. A method of locating an item comprising:
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transmitting an interrogation signal; receiving a response signal in response to the interrogation signal from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to determine when an item tagged with the RFID tag is within communication range; and providing a notification when the item is within a proximity threshold, the proximity threshold being less than the communication range, wherein a plurality of items are affixed with the RFID tags, each tag having a unique code associated therewith, wherein a master controller transmits the interrogation signal and receives response signals from at least some of the RFID tags, and wherein the method further comprises performing a collision avoidance algorithm to distinguish between response signals received substantially simultaneously from by more than one of the RFID tags. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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Specification