Self-locating devices via highly directional RFID tags in controlled location
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system comprising:
- a plurality of stationary, location signaling devices capable of transmitting a unique identification (ID) in response to a received interrogation signal, said location signaling devices placed at predefined locations within a physical area;
a mobile interrogation device that periodically generates an interrogation signal that is broadcasted within the physical area;
a computer with a wireless transmitter by which the computer communicates with the mobile interrogation device via wireless transmission, wherein said computer is further connected to the location signaling devices;
wherein each location signaling device is wired to the computer and at least one of the location signaling devices receives the interrogation signal and transmits, in response, an associated unique ID to the computer;
wherein the computer determines the location of the mobile interrogating device from the location of the location signaling device whose unique ID is received at the computer and the computer transmits, via wireless transmission, information associated with the location to the mobile interrogation device; and
wherein the associated information is received by the interrogation device from the computer.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A monitored area is provided multiple RFID tags placed at defined coordinates/locations throughout the extended area. These RFID tags respond to receipt of a RF signal by transmitting/broadcasting their unique identifier (ID) within the specific area in which the tag is located. A device, whose location within the monitored area is desired, is equipped with an RFID interrogating device, such as an RF transceiver, which periodically broadcasts RF interrogation signals. The multiple RFID tags are positioned at specific areas within the environment to allow the RF interrogating device to (1) receive the RFID signal and (2) utilized the received data to independently determine the device'"'"'s location.
115 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A system comprising:
-
a plurality of stationary, location signaling devices capable of transmitting a unique identification (ID) in response to a received interrogation signal, said location signaling devices placed at predefined locations within a physical area; a mobile interrogation device that periodically generates an interrogation signal that is broadcasted within the physical area; a computer with a wireless transmitter by which the computer communicates with the mobile interrogation device via wireless transmission, wherein said computer is further connected to the location signaling devices; wherein each location signaling device is wired to the computer and at least one of the location signaling devices receives the interrogation signal and transmits, in response, an associated unique ID to the computer; wherein the computer determines the location of the mobile interrogating device from the location of the location signaling device whose unique ID is received at the computer and the computer transmits, via wireless transmission, information associated with the location to the mobile interrogation device; and wherein the associated information is received by the interrogation device from the computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14)
-
-
11. A device comprising:
-
a radio frequency (RF) interrogation component having an RF transmitter and receiver; logic for periodically issuing from the RF transmitter an RF interrogation signal into a surrounding area to trigger transmission of a unique RFID of a closest, stationary RFID generating component to a computer to which the device is wireless connected; a wireless receiver by which the device communicates with the computer; means for receiving information associated with the current location of the device from the computer, which received the unique RFID from the RFID generating component, wherein the computer is programmed to transmit the information to the device on receipt of the unique RFID, which receipt triggers a determination of the current location of the device and inclusion of the current location within the information transmiffed to the device; an RFID receiver and associated logic for receiving the unique RFID from the closest stationary RFID generating component within the surrounding area; a memory component with a table pairing a plurality of unique RFIDs for RFID generating components with a specific location of the RFID generating component; and processing logic for determining a current location of the self-locating device utilizing one of;
(a) the unique RFID received from the RFID generating component, wherein the processing logic includes logic for retrieving the table and finding the current location of the stationary RFID generating device corresponding to the unique ID received; and
(b) the information received by the device from the computer. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
-
13. A method comprising:
-
connecting a plurality of RFID tags placed at pre-selected locations within a physical area to a computer, wherein said connecting comprises placing said RFID tags at locations identified by a waveguide designed to enable a single, corresponding unique ID to be transmitted when an interrogation signal is detected by the RFID tag within a pre-defined sub-area of the physical area; providing an RF interrogation device that periodically broadcasts the interrogation signal into the physical area to trigger a return of a unique ID of a closest RFID tag; wherein an RFID tag in vicinity of the interrogation signal transmits, in response to the interrogation signal, the corresponding unique ID to the computer via wired transmission, and the corresponding unique ID to the interrogating device via RF broadcast; determining the current location of the interrogating device utilizing the received unique ID, wherein said determining is completed via at least one of;
(a) the computer, which is wirelessly connected to the interrogating device, and which forwards information related to the current location to the interrogating device via wireless transmission; and
(b) the interrogating device, wherein the determining includes;retrieving a look-up table pairing unique IDs against specific locations; and matching the received ID to its specific location, wherein the specific location is selected as the current location of the interrogating device; and when there are promotions associated with items in the current location, outputting the promotions at the interrogating device, wherein a specific output may be provided from among one or more of;
the current location within the physical area;
a list of items in the current location, promotions associated with specific ones of the list of items in the current location, availability of pre-selected items within the current location, and directional information related to a location of other pre-selected items.
-
Specification