Mobile device enabled radar tags

• US 7,952,512 B1
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Everson, John M., Whitney, Jason K., Delker, Jason R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor; John B
• Application Number:
  US12/251,201
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 342 42- 44, 342/46, 342 50- 52, 342 56- 58, 342125-126, 342/133, 342/139, 342146-147, 342450-451, 342454-458, 342/463
• US Class Current: 342/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder

Abstract

A method is provided for mobile device enabled radar tags. A signal is transmitted to a radar tag. The radar tag detects the signal. The radar tag provides information. The information is received from the radar tag. A location of the radar tag is determined based on the information. The radar tag is identified based on the information. The identification of the radar tag, the location of the radar tag, and a time associated with determining the location of the radar tag are recorded as data in a database. The radar tag is evaluated based on accessing a plurality of recordings of the data in the database.

Claims

1. A method for radar tags, comprising:

transmitting a signal to a radar tag that creates a synthetic radar echo in response to receiving the signal, wherein the synthetic radar echo comprises information provided by the radar tag;

receiving the synthetic radar echo from the radar tag;

determining by a server computer a location of the radar tag based on the synthetic radar echo;

identifying by a server computer the radar tag based on the synthetic radar echo;

recording by a server computer the identification of the radar tag, the location of the radar tag, and a time associated with determining the location of the radar tag as data in a database; and

evaluating by a server computer the radar tag based on accessing a plurality of recordings of the data in the database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radar tag is associated with a mobile device that is at least one of a group of mobile devices consisting of equipment, a mobile phone, a wireless handset, a portable computer, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a mobile telecommunication device, a mobile handset, a personal digital assistant, a handheld gaming device, a handheld wireless mobile device, a pager, a digital camera, a digital music player, and a digital calculator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the radar tag based on accessing the plurality of recordings of the data in the database comprises determining time spent by a worker associated with the radar tag at a plurality of work-related locations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the radar tag based on accessing the plurality of recordings of the data in the database comprises determining an inventory of a plurality of mobile devices associated with a plurality of radar tags.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a security camera in response to determining a change of location associated with the radar tag.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the data to a security camera in response to determining a change of location associated with the radar tag.

7. A system for radar tags, comprising:

a radar tag;

a mobile device comprising the radar tag;

a server;

a user interface;

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal to the radar tag based on information associated with the mobile device, wherein the radar tag detects the signal and responds with a synthetic radar echo that includes radar tag information; and

a receiver configured to receive the synthetic radar echo from the radar tag and to convey the synthetic radar echo to the server, wherein the server receives the synthetic radar echo, determines a location of the radar tag based on the synthetic radar echo, and provides data to the user interface to identify the radar tag and to specify the location of the radar tag.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the signal to the radar tag based on a location associated with at least one of a group consisting of an emergency communication, a base transceiver station associated with a recent communication by the mobile device, and a cell tower sector associated with a recent communication by the mobile device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the signal to the radar tag based on a location of the emergency communication which specifies an identity associated with the radar tag.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein one or more of the transmitter is configured to transmit the signal as an encrypted data signal and the radar tag responds with the synthetic radar echo as an encrypted synthetic radar echo.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the radar tag is configured to receive energy to respond with the synthetic radar echo from at least one of the transmitted signal and the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is one of a group of mobile devices consisting of equipment, a mobile phone, a wireless handset, a portable computer, a tablet computer, an in-car computer, a mobile telecommunication device, a mobile handset, a personal digital assistant, a handheld gaming device, a handheld wireless mobile device, a pager, a digital camera, a digital music player, and a digital calculator.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are combined in a transceiver.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is further configured to address the signal to a specified radar tag.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver is configured to receive synthetic radar echoes from a plurality of unspecified radar tags.

16. A method for radar tags, comprising:

transmitting a signal to a plurality of radar tags that each creates a synthetic radar echo in response to receiving the signal;

receiving a plurality of synthetic radar echoes from the plurality of radar tags;

determining by a server computer a plurality of locations associated with the plurality of radar tags based on the plurality of synthetic radar echoes;

recording by a server computer the plurality of locations associated with the plurality of radar tags and a plurality of times associated with determining the plurality of locations associated with the plurality of radar tags as data in a database;

evaluating each of the plurality of radar tags based on accessing a plurality of recordings of the data in the database; and

providing the evaluation of each of the plurality of radar tags to at least one service subscriber.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the evaluation comprises a traffic alert that indicates a traffic condition.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the evaluation comprises an estimated speed of a vehicle associated with one of the radar tags and the at least one service subscriber is a traffic enforcement agency.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of synthetic radar echoes includes information provided by a corresponding one of the plurality of radar tags.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of synthetic echoes each includes information from a corresponding one of the plurality of radar tags.