Security-enhanced radio frequency object locator system, method and program storage device
First Claim
1. A system for locating objects within a defined area, said system comprising:
- radio frequency identification tags on said objects in said defined area such that a specific object has a radio frequency identification tag;
a memory storing a database of said objects, said database associating said objects with corresponding users having permission to locate said objects;
a handheld user interface device within said defined area;
an additional radio frequency identification tag on said handheld user interface device;
a computer,said handheld user interface device receiving, from a specific user, a request to locate said specific object within said defined area and wirelessly communicating said request to said computer, andsaid computer accessing said database in response to said request and verifying that said specific user has permission to locate said specific object; and
,at least three radio frequency identification readers within said defined area,said computer, upon verification that said specific user has said permission to locate said specific object, causing one of said radio frequency identification readers to transmit a radio frequency activation signal,said radio frequency identification tag on said specific object automatically transmitting a radio frequency response signal in response to said radio frequency activation signal,said additional radio frequency identification tag on said handheld user interface device automatically transmitting an additional radio frequency response signal in response to said radio frequency activation signal,each of said radio frequency identification readers receiving said radio frequency response signal and said additional radio frequency response signal, andsaid computer triangulating a position of said specific object based on differences in said radio frequency response signal as received by each of said radio frequency identification readers, triangulating a position of said handheld user interface device and, thereby a position of said specific user, based on differences in said additional radio frequency response signal as received by each of said radio frequency identification readers and further communicating, to said specific user through said handheld user interface device, said position of said specific object relative to said position of said specific user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are an object locator system, a method and a program storage device. In the embodiments, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are on objects within a defined area and each RFID tag can be activated by an RF activation signal. When a request (e.g., a verbal or keyed-in request) to locate a specific object is received from a specific user, the required permission to locate the object is verified and, optionally, the identity of the specific user is authenticated. Once the required permission is verified and the identity of the specific user is authenticated, one of three RFID readers transmits an RF activation signal. RF response signals received back at the three RFID readers from the specific object'"'"'s RFID tag are used to triangulate the position of the specific object. Once determined, the position is communicated (e.g., by map display, verbal message, or text message) to the specific user.
34 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for locating objects within a defined area, said system comprising:
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radio frequency identification tags on said objects in said defined area such that a specific object has a radio frequency identification tag; a memory storing a database of said objects, said database associating said objects with corresponding users having permission to locate said objects; a handheld user interface device within said defined area; an additional radio frequency identification tag on said handheld user interface device; a computer, said handheld user interface device receiving, from a specific user, a request to locate said specific object within said defined area and wirelessly communicating said request to said computer, and said computer accessing said database in response to said request and verifying that said specific user has permission to locate said specific object; and
,at least three radio frequency identification readers within said defined area, said computer, upon verification that said specific user has said permission to locate said specific object, causing one of said radio frequency identification readers to transmit a radio frequency activation signal, said radio frequency identification tag on said specific object automatically transmitting a radio frequency response signal in response to said radio frequency activation signal, said additional radio frequency identification tag on said handheld user interface device automatically transmitting an additional radio frequency response signal in response to said radio frequency activation signal, each of said radio frequency identification readers receiving said radio frequency response signal and said additional radio frequency response signal, and said computer triangulating a position of said specific object based on differences in said radio frequency response signal as received by each of said radio frequency identification readers, triangulating a position of said handheld user interface device and, thereby a position of said specific user, based on differences in said additional radio frequency response signal as received by each of said radio frequency identification readers and further communicating, to said specific user through said handheld user interface device, said position of said specific object relative to said position of said specific user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer-implemented method for locating objects within a defined area, said method comprising:
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storing, in memory, a database of said objects, said database associating said objects with corresponding users having permission to locate said objects and said objects each having radio frequency identification tags such that a specific object has a radio frequency identification tag; receiving, by a computer a from a handheld user interface device within said defined area and in wireless communication with said computer, a request from a specific user to locate said specific object, said handheld user interface device having an additional radio frequency identification tag; accessing, by said computer in response to said request, said database and verifying that said specific user has permission to locate said specific object; after said verifying, causing, by said computer, one of at least three radio frequency identification readers within said defined area to transmit a radio frequency activation signal, said radio frequency identification tag on said specific object automatically transmitting a radio frequency response signal in response to said radio frequency activation signal, said additional radio frequency identification tag on said handheld user interface device automatically transmitting an additional radio frequency response signal in response to said radio frequency activation signal, and said radio frequency identification readers receiving said radio frequency response signal and said additional radio frequency response signal; triangulating, by said computer, a position of said specific object based on differences in said radio frequency response signal as received by each of said radio frequency identification readers; triangulating, by said computer, a position of said handheld user interface device and, thereby a position of said specific user based on differences in said additional radio frequency response signal as received by each of said radio frequency identification readers; and communicating, by said computer to said specific through said handheld user interface device, said position of said specific object relative to said position of said specific user. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a computer and tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said computer to perform a method for locating objects within a defined area, said method comprising:
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storing, in memory, a database of said objects, said database associating said objects with corresponding users having permission to locate said objects and said objects each having radio frequency identification tags such that a specific object has a radio frequency identification tag; receiving, through wireless communication with a handheld user interface device within said defined area, a request from a specific user to locate said specific object, said handheld user interface device having an additional radio frequency identification tag; accessing said database and verifying that said specific user has permission to locate said specific object; after said verifying, causing one of at least three radio frequency identification readers within said defined area to transmit a radio frequency activation signal, said radio frequency identification tag on said specific object automatically transmitting a radio frequency response signal in response to said radio frequency activation signal, said additional radio frequency identification tag on said handheld user interface device automatically transmitting an additional radio frequency response signal in response to said radio frequency activation signal, and said radio frequency identification readers receiving said radio frequency response signal; triangulating a position of said specific object based on differences in said radio frequency response signal as received at each of said radio frequency identification readers; triangulating a position of said handheld user interface device and, thereby a position of said specific user based on differences in said additional radio frequency response signal as received by each of said radio frequency identification readers; and communicating, to said specific user through said handheld user interface device, said position of said specific object relative to said position of said specific user. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification