Alarm system and method

• US 8,319,629 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fan, Chao-Tsung
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/606,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20110037587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 3405722-5729, 340/540, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.51, 340/10.52, 340/10.5, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

An alarm system includes a number of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, an RFID reader, a warning unit, and a control module. The RFID reader receives radio-frequency signals from some of the number of the RFID tags via an antenna when the some of the number of the RFID tags are in a determined area around the RFID reader. The control module activates the warning unit when a radio-frequency signal from at least one of the number of RFID tags is not received by the RFID reader.

Claims

1. An alarm system comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;

an RFID reader to receive radio-frequency signals from the plurality of RFID tags via an antenna, when the plurality of RFID tags are in a determined area surrounding the RFID reader;

a warning unit; and

a control module to activate the warning unit when the radio-frequency signal from at least one of the plurality of RFID tags is not received by the RFID reader, wherein each RFID tag is encoded and the control module comprises a microprocessor and a storage unit;

wherein the storage unit stores all the codes of the plurality of RFID tags, the microprocessor reads radio-frequency signals from the RFID reader and compares the codes of the radio-frequency signals read by the microprocessor with the codes stored in the storage unit.

2. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein the warning unit comprises an alarm.

3. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor comprises a control terminal, according to which, when at a high level, the microprocessor stores the codes of the plurality of RFID tags in the storage unit, and when at a low level, the microprocessor compares codes from the radio-frequency signals read by microprocessor with the codes stored in the storage unit.

4. The alarm system of claim 3, wherein the control module further comprises a control, according to which, when activated, the control terminal of the microprocessor is at a high level, and, when released, the control terminal of the microprocessor is at a low level.

5. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor further comprises a crystal oscillating circuit and a control terminal, the crystal oscillating circuit providing a cycle in which the microprocessor reads radio-frequency signals from the RFID reader, and the control terminal adjusts the cycle of the crystal oscillating circuit.

6. The alarm system of claim 5, wherein the control module further comprises a control, connected to the control terminal and adjusting the cycle of the crystal oscillating circuit.

7. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein each RFID tag represents an individual, the identification of the individual is stored in the storage unit and linked with the tag'"'"'s code.

8. The alarm system of claim 7, wherein the warning unit further comprises a display providing identification of the individual represented by the tag, the radio-frequency of which has not been received by the RFID reader.

9. An alarm method comprising:

storing codes corresponding to a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in a storage unit;

an RFID reader receiving radio-frequency signals from those of the plurality of RFID tags within a determined area;

a microprocessor reading the radio-frequency signals from the RFID reader;

the RFID reader determining whether radio-frequency signals from all of the plurality of RFID tags have been received, wherein determination of whether the radio-frequency signals from all of the plurality of RFID tags are received by the RFID reader comprises;

comparing the codes of the radio-frequency signals read by the microprocessor with the codes stored in the storage unit;

when the codes of the radio-frequency signals read by the microprocessor are the same as the codes stored in the storage unit, the microprocessor determines that the radio-frequency signals from all of the plurality of RFID tags have been received by the RFID reader; and

when the codes of the radio-frequency signals read by the microprocessor are not the same as the codes stored in the storage unit, the microprocessor determines that not all the radio-frequency signals from the plurality of RFID tags have been received by the RFID reader; and

the RFID reader activating a warning unit when a radio-frequency signal from at least one of the plurality of RFID tags is not received.

10. The alarm method of claim 9, wherein each RFID tag represents an individual, the identification of the individual is stored in the storage unit and linked with each tag'"'"'s code, and the warning unit comprises a display, and wherein activation of the warning unit comprises:

displaying the identification of each individual corresponding to an RFID tag the radio-frequency signal of which has not been received by the RFID reader.