Method and system for monitoring one or more objects by electronic device

• US 7,994,918 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsan, Chih-Lung, Lai, Jia-Jiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/271,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/539.16, 340/539.32, 340/505, 340/568.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.6, 342/42, 342/44, 342/51
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring one or more objects by an electronic device are provided. The method includes defining a distance threshold between the electronic device and an object having a RFID tag, calculating a distance between the electronic device and the object, and generating alerts upon detecting that the distance is greater than the distance threshold.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for monitoring one or more objects by an electronic device, the system comprising:

a define module for defining a distance threshold between the electronic device and the one or more objects comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the RFID tag comprising associated information of the corresponding one or more objects;

a signal module for radio frequency (RF) communications with the one or more objects by transmitting RF signals to the RFID tag of the one or more objects and by receiving corresponding RF signals from the RFID tag of the one or more objects, the signal module further comprising a timer; and

an alarm module for calculating a distance between the electronic device and the one or more objects based on a round trip time of the corresponding RF signals calculated by the timer of the signal module, and for generating monitoring alerts upon detection that the distance is greater than the distance threshold.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the define module is configured for defining the associated information of the RFID tag, the associated information comprising a unique identification and alert type and is stored in a database of the monitoring system.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronic device comprises an audio module comprising a speaker electrically coupled to the alarm module, the alarm module further configured for generating and transmitting an audio alert to the audio module according to the alert type to display the audio alert by the speaker.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronic device comprises a display panel electrically coupled to the alarm module, the alarm module further configured for generating and transmitting a graphical alert to the display panel according to the alert type to display the graphical alert on the display panel.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the signal module comprises an antenna for conducting the RF communications between the monitoring system and the one or more objects.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the signal module further comprises a RFID reader configured for identifying the RFID tag by accessing the database upon receipt of the RF signals from the one or more objects.

7. A computer-implemented method for monitoring one or more objects by an electronic device, the method comprising:

defining a distance threshold between the electronic device and one or more objects comprising a RFID tag;

transmitting RF interrogation signals to the RFID tag of the one or more objects;

receiving the RF signals indicative of associated information of the RFID tag;

calculating a distance between the electronic device and the one or more objects basing on a round trip time of the RF signals by a timer of the electronic device; and

generating monitoring alerts upon detecting that the distance is greater than the distance threshold.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the associated information of the RFID tag comprises a unique identification and an alert type of the one or more objects and are stored in a database.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein after the generating step, the method further comprises:

transmitting an audio alert to an audio module of the electronic device to display the audio alert upon determining that the alerts type is the audio alert; and

transmitting a graphic alert to a display panel of the electronic device to display the graphic alert upon determining that the alerts type is the graphic alert.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the receiving step further comprises:

identifying the RFID tag by accessing the database upon receipt of the RF signals from the one or more objects.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the RF signals are transmitted and received by an antenna.

12. A computer-readable medium for monitoring one or more objects, the computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

define a distance threshold between the electronic device and one or more objects comprising a RFID tag;

transmit RF interrogation signals to the RFID tag of the one or more objects;

receive the RF signals indicative of associated information of the RFID tag;

calculate a distance between the electronic device and the one or more objects basing on round trip time of the RF signals by a timer of the electronic device; and

generate monitoring alerts upon detecting that the distance is greater than the distance threshold.

13. The computer-readable medium in claim 12, wherein the associated information of the RFID tag comprises a unique identification and an alert type of the one or more objects and are stored in a database.

14. The computer-readable medium in claim 13, wherein the generating monitoring alerts further comprises:

transmit an audio alert to an audio module of the electronic device to display the audio alert upon determining that the alerts type is the audio alert; and

transmit a graphic alert to a display panel of the electronic device to display the graphic alert upon determining that the alerts type is the graphic alert.

15. The computer-readable medium in claim 13, wherein the receiving the RF signals further comprises:

identifying the RFID tag by accessing the database upon receipt of the RF signals from the one or more objects.

16. The computer-readable medium in claim 12, wherein the RF signals are transmitted and received by an antenna.

17. The computer-readable medium in claim 12, wherein the round trip time of the RF signals between the electronic device and the one or more objects is calculated by a timer.