Apparatus and method for locating, tracking, controlling and recognizing tagged objects using RFID technology

• US 8,717,165 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jamie Robinette, Tassilo Gernandt
• Original Assignee: Jamie Robinette, Tassilo Gernandt
• Inventors: Gernandt, Tassilo, Robinette, Jamie
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US13/064,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/568.1, 340/539.15, 3405721-5729, 340/10.1, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0705 the battery being connected to a power saving arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/071 the source being a field other than an interrogation field, e.g. WLAN, cellular phone network
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0711 the source being mechanical or acoustical
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0219 Circuit arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0255 System arrangements wherein the parent unit emits, i.e. the parent unit incorporates the emitter
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a miniaturized apparatus to locate, track, recognize and control objects using miniature RF circuits that are programmed as an active tag or as one of several embodiments of a controller, including one small enough to be incorporated into a personal object, like a ring. In its simplest embodiment, a portable or wearable controller communicates wirelessly with a tag secured to a surface, analogously to a car remote—push button, receive a signal from tag or back at the controller, to locate tagged object. In more complex forms, the tag can be integrated into objects or connected to a network. One controller can manage a plurality of tags. The basic platform of tag and controller can be built up to create a sophisticated area control with environmental sensors, inventory functions, tracking individuals and allowing or denying access, operating objects like doors and lights, and creating supporting ambient security with checks and balances between tags and controllers on people and their possessions, such as baggage at an airport. Arrays of tag or controllers extend the wireless range to accommodate large structures and areas. This novel system is self-contained, with a low power protocol to give long battery life time and does not require internet or GPS to perform its functions.

Claims

1. A RFID system, comprising:

a controller including a transceiver circuit; and

at least one RFID tag including a miniature circuit having a transceiver and a microcontroller, wherein

the at least one RFID tag is configurable to operate in at least one of a tracking mode and a non-tracking mode,

when the at least one RFID tag is configured to operate in the tracking mode, the microcontroller of the RFID tag is configured to conserve power usage by intermittently activating the miniature circuit to listen for a tracking signal from the controller and powering down the miniature circuit, such that the miniature circuit, when activated, transmits a response signal to the controller upon receiving and recognizing the tracking signal transmitted from the transceiver of the controller, and

when the at least one RFID tag is configured to operate in the non-tracking mode, the transceiver of the RFID tag is configured to activate the microcontroller for a period in response to detecting a predetermined incoming signal sequence, and the microcontroller, when activated, operates to take a predetermined action based on a coded inquiry signal transmitted from the transceiver of the controller in response to the RFID tag receiving and confirming the coded inquiry signal, wherein when the RFID tag is in the tracking mode, the controller is configured to periodically transmit tracking data to the RFID tag at predetermined time intervals,

the RFID tag is configured to receive the tracking data according to the periodic transmission by the controller at the predetermined time intervals,

the RFID tag is further configured to generate expected data based on the received tracking data which the RFID tag will search for in the next tracking data received at a next periodic transmission by the controller, and

the RFID tag is further configured to generate an answer signal to the controller in response to not receiving the expected data in the tracking data.

2. The RFID system according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one area tag configured to intermediate communication between the controller and the at least one RFID tag, wherein the at least one area tag is fixedly located and includes a miniature circuit device that includes a transceiver and a microcontroller configured to intermittently awaken and power down the miniature circuit so as to conserve power usage, and

wherein the at least one area tag is further configured to transmit a coded inquiry signal detectable and recognizable by the at least one RFID tag such that the microcontroller of the at least one RFID tag takes action in response to a recognized inquiry signal from the at least one area tag.

3. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a control signal detectable by the at least one RFID tag such that the at least one RFID tag operates in accordance with commands in the control signal.

4. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID tag is at least one of mounted in and integrated into a device to be attached to a subject to be tracked.

5. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is at least one of mounted in and integrated into a device to be at least one of worn by and carried by the user.

6. The RFID system according to claim 5, wherein the device includes at least one of a cellular telephone, a pager, a key chain, a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, a watch, a bag, a purse, a luggage tag, a name tag and a belt.

7. The RFID system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of RFID tags.

8. The RFID system according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one area tag configured to intermediate communication between the controller and the at least one RFID tag, wherein the at least one area tag is fixedly located and includes a miniature circuit device that includes a transceiver and a microcontroller configured to intermittently awaken and power down the miniature circuit so as to conserve power usage.

9. The RFID system according to claim 8, wherein the area tag further includes an environmental sensor to monitor environmental conditions local to the area tag.

10. The RFID system according to claim 9, wherein the area tag is further configured to output a signal in response to predetermined environmental conditions local to the area tag.

11. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the reply signal generated by the at least one RFID tag in response to the controller inquiry includes at least one of a visible, audible, tactile and electromagnetically detectable response.

12. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance between the controller and a RFID tag being queried based on a time delay in RF signals transmitted and received between the controller and the RFID tag being queried.

13. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag further includes an attachment sensor to monitor whether the RFID tag is securely attached to an object to be monitored, and the microcontroller is configured to output a signal in response to the attachment sensor determining that the RFID has at least one of attached to the object to be monitored and detached from the object to be monitored.

14. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag further includes an environmental sensor to monitor environmental conditions local to the RFID tag.

15. The RFID system according to claim 14, wherein the RFID tag is further configured to output a signal in response to predetermined environmental conditions local to the RFID tag.

16. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is further configured such that, while the RFID tag is in an awakened state, the at least one RFID tag at least one of remains silent and generates and outputs a reply signal in response to the recognized inquiry signal from the controller.

17. The RFID system according to claim 16, wherein the RFID tag is further configured to receive a predeterminedly recognizable inquiry signal during the awakened state such that, while the RFID tag is in the awakened state and if the RFID tag does not receive the predeterminedly recognizable inquiry signal during the awakened state, the RFID at least one of logs, counts, stores data, and signals to the controller or user upon reaching or exceeding a predefined limit.

18. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein the tracking data includes at least one of a session key, an ID and an initial value used by the RFID tag to generate the expected data.

19. A method for operating a RFID system, wherein the system includes a controller;

and at least one RFID tag including a miniature circuit having a transceiver and a microcontroller, the method comprising the steps of;

configuring the at least one RFID tag to operate in at least one of a tracking mode and a non-tracking mode;

transmitting via the controller a coded inquiry signal to the at least one RFID tag;

when the at least one RFID tag operates in the tracking mode, intermittently activating the miniature circuit to listen for a tracking signal from the controller and powering down the miniature circuit, and transmitting from the miniature circuit a response signal to the controller upon receiving and recognizing the tracking signal transmitted from the transceiver of the controller; and

when the at least one RFID tag operates in the non-tracking mode, activating the microcontroller for a period in response to detecting a predetermined incoming signal sequence, and operating the microcontroller to take a predetermined action based on a coded inquiry signal transmitted from the transceiver of the controller in response to the RFID tag receiving and confirming the coded inquiry signal, wherein in the tracking mode,

in the step of transmitting via the controller a coded inquiry signal, transmitting via the controller tracking data in the coded inquiry signal to the RFID tag at predetermined time intervals; and

in the step of operating the microcontroller to take a predetermined action based on the coded inquiry signal, receiving in the RFID tag the tracking data according to the periodic transmission by the controller at the predetermined time intervals,

generating in the RFID tag expected data based on the received tracking data which the RFID tag will search for in the next tracking data received at a next periodic transmission by the controller, and

generating by the RFID tag an answer signal to the controller in response to not receiving the expected data in the tracking data.

20. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, wherein said step of the at least one RFID tag taking action in response to the recognized inquiry signal from the controller includes the at least one RFID tag at least one of remaining silent and signaling in response to the recognized inquiry signal from the controller.

21. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 20, wherein said step of the at least one RFID tag taking action in response to the recognized inquiry signal from the controller further includes the RFID tag being configured to receive a predeterminedly recognizable inquiry signal during the awakened state, and

while the RFID tag is in the awakened state and if the RFID tag does not receive the predeterminedly recognizable inquiry signal during the awakened state, the RFID tag signals so as to notify at least one of the controller and the user.

22. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, further comprising the step of:

providing the at least one RFID tag so as to be at least one of mounted in and integrated into an object to be monitored.

23. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting a coded inquiry signal to the at least one RFID tag further includes transmitting a control signal detectable by the at least one RFID tag such that the at least one RFID tag operates in accordance with commands in the control signal.

24. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, wherein said step of the at least one RFID tag intermittently activating further includes providing the at least one RFID tag with an attachment sensor to monitor whether the RFID tag is attached to the object to be monitored, and the RFID tag signalling the user in response to the attachment sensor determining that the RFID tag has at least one of securely attached to and detached from the object to be monitored.

25. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, further comprises:

providing at least one fixedly located area tag; and

the area tag intermediating communication between the controller and the at least one RFID tag or a further controller.

26. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, wherein the step of the at least one RFID tag generating the reply signal in response to the controller inquiry includes the at least one RFID tag generating at least one of a visible, audible, tactile and electromagnetically detectable response.

27. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, further comprising the step of:

the controller determining a distance between the controller and the at least one RFID tag being queried based on a time delay in RF signals transmitted and received between the controller and the RFID tag being queried.

28. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, wherein the step of the at least one RFID tag intermittently activating further includes providing the at least one RFID tag with an environmental sensor to monitor environmental conditions local to the RFID tag.

29. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 28, wherein the RFID tag outputs a signal in response to predetermined environmental conditions local to the RFID tag.

30. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, wherein the step of providing the at least one fixedly located area tag further includes providing an environmental sensor to monitor environmental conditions local to the area tag.

31. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 30, wherein the area tag outputs a signal in response to predetermined environmental conditions local to the area tag.

32. The method for operating a RFID system according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

initializing the at least one RFID tag by activating the at least one RFID tag in a teach-in mode that identifies the at least one RFID tag to the controller; and

storing the identification of the at least one RFID tag with the controller.