Monitoring device for a tracking system
First Claim
1. A monitoring device for a tracking system adapted for use in at least one vehicle, comprising:
- a communication circuit adapted for communication with at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on an article to be transported by the vehicle;
a position system (PS) circuit adapted for determining a location of the vehicle;
a control circuit having a microprocessor and a memory, the control circuit being electrically connected to the communication circuit and the PS circuit, the microprocessor being adapted to acquire the RFID tag data and the location data in the memory, to operate the communication circuit to interrogate the RFID tag, to operate the PS circuit to determine a location of the vehicle, and to associate the RFID tag data with the location data of the vehicle;
an alarm electrically connected to the microprocessor; and
whereas the monitoring device is adapted to determine or approximate the distance of the RFID tag from the monitoring device based on a time delay in receiving the RFID tag'"'"'s response to interrogation and to activate the alarm if a distance threshold of the RFID tag from the monitoring device is exceeded, whereas this distance threshold is lower than the maximum physical range of the RFID tag, wherein the microprocessor is arranged to perform a threshold test before an alarm is set, wherein the threshold test determines if the RFID tag has failed to respond to a predetermined number of consecutive interrogations or has failed to respond to interrogation for a predetermined time interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A monitoring device for a tracking system is described. The device includes a: communication circuit for communication with radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on an article to-be transported by the vehicle, and a-position system (PS) circuit for determining vehicle location. The device includes a control circuit having a microprocessor and a memory, and electrically connected to the communication and PS circuits. The microprocessor acquires tag data and location in memory, and operates the communication circuit to: interrogate tag, operate the PS circuit to determine vehicle location, and associate tag data with vehicle location The device includes an alarm electrically connected to the microprocessor. The device determines, approximates, distance from the tag to device, based on received signal strength, or time delay in receiving the tag'"'"'s response, and activates the alarm if a distance threshold from tag to device is exceeded. This threshold is lower than the maximum range of the tag.
24 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A monitoring device for a tracking system adapted for use in at least one vehicle, comprising:
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a communication circuit adapted for communication with at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on an article to be transported by the vehicle; a position system (PS) circuit adapted for determining a location of the vehicle; a control circuit having a microprocessor and a memory, the control circuit being electrically connected to the communication circuit and the PS circuit, the microprocessor being adapted to acquire the RFID tag data and the location data in the memory, to operate the communication circuit to interrogate the RFID tag, to operate the PS circuit to determine a location of the vehicle, and to associate the RFID tag data with the location data of the vehicle; an alarm electrically connected to the microprocessor; and whereas the monitoring device is adapted to determine or approximate the distance of the RFID tag from the monitoring device based on a time delay in receiving the RFID tag'"'"'s response to interrogation and to activate the alarm if a distance threshold of the RFID tag from the monitoring device is exceeded, whereas this distance threshold is lower than the maximum physical range of the RFID tag, wherein the microprocessor is arranged to perform a threshold test before an alarm is set, wherein the threshold test determines if the RFID tag has failed to respond to a predetermined number of consecutive interrogations or has failed to respond to interrogation for a predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A tracking system adapted for use in at least one vehicle, comprising at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a monitoring device, the monitoring device comprising:
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a communication circuit adapted to communicate with the at least one RFID tag on an article to be transported by the vehicle; a position system (PS) circuit adapted to determine a location of the vehicle, a control circuit having a microprocessor and a memory, the control circuit being electrically connected to the communication circuit and the PS circuit; a computer readable program code stored in the memory and executing under control of the microprocessor, the program code having machine-readable instructions for acquiring the RFID tag data and the location data in the memory, machine-readable instructions for operating the communication circuit to interrogate the RFID tag, machine-readable instructions for operating the PS circuit to determine a location of the vehicle, and machine-readable instructions for associating the RFID tag data with the location data of the vehicle; an alarm electrically connected to the microprocessor; and whereas the monitoring device is adapted to determine or approximate the distance of the RFID tag from the monitoring device based on a time delay in receiving the RFID tag'"'"'s response to interrogation and the alarm is activated if a distance threshold of the RFID tag from the monitoring device is exceeded, whereas this distance threshold is lower than the maximum physical range of the RFID tag wherein the microprocessor is arranged to perform a threshold test before an alarm is set, wherein the threshold test determines if the RFID tag has failed to respond to a predetermined number of consecutive interrogations or has failed to respond to interrogation for a predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating a monitoring device for a tracking system adapted for use in at least one vehicle, the method comprising:
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communicating with at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on an article to be transported by the vehicle; determining a location of the vehicle; acquiring the RFID tag data and the location data; determining a location of the vehicle; associating the RFID tag data with the location data of the vehicle; determining or approximating the distance of the RFID tag from the monitoring device based on a time delay in receiving the RFID tag'"'"'s response to interrogation; and activating an alarm if a distance threshold of the RFID tag from the monitoring device is exceeded, whereas this distance threshold is lower than the maximum physical range of the RFID tag, wherein the microprocessor is arranged to perform a threshold test before an alarm is set, wherein the threshold test determines if the RFID tag has failed to respond to a predetermined number of consecutive interrogations or has failed to respond to interrogation for a predetermined time interval.
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Specification