Object tracking method and system using tags
First Claim
1. A method of tracking an object, comprising:
- developing a state diagram corresponding to a desired workflow of an object to a subset of one or more destinations;
associating one or more tags with an object to enable tracking the position of the object;
obtaining position information of the object as it passes in the proximity of one or more tag readers located nearby the one or more destinations; and
determining if the position of the object is outside the desired workflow according to the state diagram.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system of tracking documents uses tags and a workflow. Initially, a workflow is developed for each document or type of documents using a state diagram. The workflow specifies a subset of one or more destinations that the document is allowed to travel and a sequence for this travel. A tag is associated with each document to enable tracking of the document as it passes the one or more readers in the various destinations. These tag readers in turn report back position information on the document to assist in locating the document. A comparison between the state diagram for the workflow and the position information gathered from the tag readers determines if the document is outside the desired workflow. An alert is generated when the document is outside the workflow and not being processed as intended.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of tracking an object, comprising:
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developing a state diagram corresponding to a desired workflow of an object to a subset of one or more destinations; associating one or more tags with an object to enable tracking the position of the object; obtaining position information of the object as it passes in the proximity of one or more tag readers located nearby the one or more destinations; and determining if the position of the object is outside the desired workflow according to the state diagram. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for tracking objects, comprising:
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an object associated with a tag capable of being detected by one or more tag readers; a processor capable of processing instructions; a memory capable of holding instructions when executed on the processor that obtain position information of the object as it passes in the proximity of one or more tag readers located nearby one or more destinations, determines if the position of the object is outside a desired workflow according to a state diagram and generates an alert indicating that the object may be outside the desired workflow according to the determination and the state diagram.
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19. An apparatus for tracking objects, comprising:
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means for developing a state diagram corresponding to a desired workflow of an object to a subset of one or more destinations; means for associating a tag with an object to enable tracking of the object; means for obtaining position information of the object as it passes in the proximity of one or more tag readers located nearby the one or more destinations; means for determining if the position of the object is outside the desired workflow according to the state diagram; and means for generating an alert indicating that the object may be outside the desired workflow according to the determination and the state diagram.
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20. A location detecting apparatus comprising:
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a first reader operating at a higher frequency and capable of detecting an object having a first tag responsive to the higher frequency in a larger coverage; a second reader operating at a lower frequency and capable of detecting an object having a second tag responsive to the lower frequency in a smaller coverage; and a logic circuit that determines a position of the object by comparing the coverage of the first reader with the coverage of the second reader. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification