Mobile locator system and method

• US 7,274,294 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RF Technologies, Inc. (Microwave Techniques LLC)
• Original Assignee: RF Technologies, Inc. (Microwave Techniques LLC)
• Inventors: Haensgen, Gregg J., Heinze, Eric T., Hofmeister, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/043,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20060176177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 3405681-5729, 702 60- 63, 320/114, 320/115, 320127-136, 324426-437
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols

Abstract

A locator system includes a handheld unit for providing an interrogation signal. The handheld unit can be a handheld computer or PDA including an RF module. The interrogation signal is received by an RF tag. The RF tag can include a power source and a memory. The memory can store an indication of the date of installation of the battery. The tag unit can provide the indication to the handheld unit in response to the interrogation signal.

Claims

1. A locator system, comprising:

a hand held unit for providing an interrogation signal; and

a tag unit for responding to the interrogation signal, the tag unit including a power source, wherein the tag unit includes a memory, the memory storing an indication of time related to the installation or manufacture of the power source, wherein the tag unit transmits the indication to the hand held unit, wherein the hand held unit determines an amount of remaining power source life associated with the tag unit using the indication, and wherein the hand held unit displays the amount of remaining power source life.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hand held unit is a PDA including a plug-in RF module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication is an approximate time of manufacture of the tag unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication is transmitted each time in response to the interrogation signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication is stored on the hand held unit, and the hand held unit provides a notification when the power source is expected to expire based upon the indication.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the notification is provided in response to a difference between the indication and current time.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central computer in communication with the hand held unit wherein the indication is provided from the hand held unit to the central computer, and the central computer provides a notification when the power source is expected to expire based upon the indication.

8. A method of locating an article, the method comprising;

providing an interrogation signal with a hand held computer equipped with an RF interface;

providing a response to the interrogation signal with a tag unit associated with the article, wherein the response includes information related to a time of manufacture or installation of a power source in the tag unit;

displaying on the hand held computer an indication of the presence of the article in response to the providing a response step,

determining an amount of remaining power source life associated with the tag unit; and

displaying on the hand held computer an indication of the amount of remaining power source life associated with the tag unit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the RF interface is a transceiver card module.

10. A locator system, comprising:

a hand held unit for providing an interrogation signal, the interrogation signal including a particular department identifier, the hand held unit capable of polling an area; and

a plurality of tag units, each tag unit for responding to the interrogation signal, each tag unit including a memory storing an identification of the tag unit and a department identifier, wherein the hand held unit polls the tag units in the area having a particular department identifier, the particular department identifier being selectable on the hand held unit, wherein only the tag units having the particular department identifier respond, and wherein the tag unit only responds once to each interrogation signal, wherein the tag unit responds with power source data associated with a power source for the tag unit, wherein the hand held unit displays an amount of vower source life determined using the power source data, the power source data being related to an installation or manufacture of the power source.

11. The locator system of claim 10, wherein the hand held unit displays an indication of the identification for each tag unit having the particular department identifier.

12. The locator system of claim 10, wherein the hand held unit downloads an indication of the identification for each tag unit having the particular department identifier to a central database.

13. A locator system, comprising:

a hand held unit for providing an interrogation signal, the hand held unit capable of polling an area, the hand held unit also including a database configured to store ids associated with an area;

a plurality of tag units, each tag unit for responding to the interrogation signal, each tag unit including a memory storing an identification of the tag; and

an area tag associated with the area, the area tag providing an id associated with the area in response to the interrogation signal, wherein the hand held unit determines the area of the tag unit using the id provided by the area tag and the database, wherein the tag unit responds with power source data associated with a power source for the tag unit, wherein the hand held unit displays an amount of power source life determined using the power source data, the power source data being related to an installation or manufacture of the power source.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the area tag is powered by a non-battery source.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein each tag unit includes a memory having a department identifier, wherein the hand held unit polls the tag units in the area having a particular department identifier, the particular department identifier being selectable on the hand held unit, wherein the area tag and only the tag units having the particular department identifier respond and the band held computer associates the responding tag units with the area.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the area is selectable from a pull down menu on the hand held unit.

17. A locator system, comprising:

a hand held unit for providing an interrogation signal; and

a tag unit for responding to the interrogation signal with a tag signal, the tag signal including data corresponding to a manufacture time or installation time of a power source for the tag unit the hand held unit displaying an indicator of signal strength for the tag signal, wherein the hand held unit determines an amount of remaining power source life associated with the tag unit using the data, and wherein the hand held unit displays the amount of remaining power source life.

18. The locator system of claim 17, wherein the hand held unit includes a directional antenna, the hand held unit being pointed to a direction, the user capable of using the indicator to determine location of the tag unit.

19. The locator system of claim 17, wherein the hand held unit is comprised of a hand held computer and an RF interface card.

20. The locator system of claim 17, wherein the indicator of signal strength is a bar graph.

21. In a locator system for use with a hand held unit for providing an interrogation signal, the hand held unit including a graphical user interface including a selection for a power level of the interrogation signal, and a tag unit for responding to the interrogation signal, the tag unit comprising:

a transmit circuit for providing power source data to the handheld unit, the power source data indicating a time of manufacture or installation of a power source for the tag unit.