Method and apparatus for tracking objects and people

• US 8,842,013 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automated Tracking Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Automated Tracking Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Sawyer, Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US14/169,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20140167966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/568.1, 340/571, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/10.1, 340/10.4, 340/10.42, 235/384, 235/385, 702/150, 702/187, 75/22, 75/28
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child

Abstract

An object locating, identifying, tracking, and surveillance system, denoted the Assets Locating, Tracking, and Surveillance System (ALTSS), is provided for managing physical objects and evidence in environments such as police departments, law offices, and the Courts. ALTSS employs radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, computer programming and database applications, networking technologies, and hardware elements. ALTSS may locate and track physical evidence, merchandise, information carriers like files, folders or individual pieces of paper, and people, under certain conditions, in near-real time. It may be configured as part of a local area network, a wide area network, or the Internet. ALTSS may employ exemplary components such as RFID transponders, scanners, strategically located antennas and computers to facilitate tracking of objects and people as needed. Any number of users having access privileges and connected to the network may access ALTSS directly or remotely via the Internet to locate and track evidence or objects.

Claims

1. A system for locating, identifying and/or tracking a transponder having a transponder ID, the system comprising:

a storage device configured to store a known transponder ID and detection information associated with the stored known transponder ID, wherein the detection information indicates whether the stored known transponder ID has been previously detected by the system and whether the stored known transponder ID has not been previously detected by the system; and

a processor configured to compare the known transponder ID stored in said storage device with a detected transponder ID, and determine based on the comparison whether the detected transponder ID is a detected known transponder ID and whether the detected transponder ID is not a detected known transponder ID.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detected transponder ID is identified as a previously detected transponder ID if the detection information associated with the stored known transponder ID indicates that the detected transponder ID has been previously detected.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein if said processor determines that the detected transponder ID has not been previously detected based on the detection information associated with the stored known transponder IDs, said processor further determines whether the detected transponder ID is a detected known transponder ID based on a comparison of the stored known transponder IDs with the detected transponder ID.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein if said processor determines that the detected transponder ID has not been previously detected and is associated with a stored known transponder ID, then said processor updates the detection information of the stored known transponder ID to indicate that the detected transponder ID has been previously detected.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the previously undetected transponder ID comprises a transponder ID which is new to the system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor determines that the detected transponder ID is a detected known transponder ID if the detected transponder ID matches one of the stored known transponder IDs.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the stored known transponder IDs are stored at a first field in the storage device, and the detection information is stored at a second field in the storage device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a transponder associated with the detected transponder ID is returning to the facility.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor determines whether the detected transponder ID is associated with a stored known transponder ID, wherein if said processor determines that the detected transponder ID is not associated with a stored known transponder ID then said processor identifies the detected transponder ID as unknown.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection information comprises a flag.

11. A system comprising:

a storage device configured to store a previously detected transponder ID and information associated with the stored transponder ID, the information indicating whether the stored transponder ID has been previously detected by the system and whether the stored known transponder ID has not been previously detected by the system; and

a processor configured to detect a transponder ID, compare the previously detected transponder ID from said storage device with the detected transponder ID, determine based on the comparison whether the transponder ID has been previously detected by the system, identify the detected transponder ID as a previously undetected transponder ID if the detected transponder ID has not been previously detected based on the comparison, and identify the detected transponder ID as a previously detected transponder ID if the detected transponder ID has been previously detected based on the comparison.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the previously detected transponder IDs comprise transponder IDs that have been previously detected by said reader.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor determines that the detected transponder ID is a detected known transponder ID if the detected transponder ID matches one of the stored known transponder IDs.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a transponder associated with the detected transponder ID is returning to the facility.

15. A system comprising:

a storage device configured to store a known transponder ID and detection information associated with the known transponder ID, wherein the detection information indicates whether the known transponder ID has been previously detected by the system; and

a processor configured to detect a transponder ID, determine whether the detected transponder ID has been previously detected by the system based on the detection information stored in said storage device for the detected transponder ID, and identifying the detected transponder ID as new to the system if the detected transponder ID has not been previously detected based on a comparison of the known transponder ID with the detected transponder ID.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a transponder associated with the detected transponder ID is returning to the facility.

17. A system for locating, identifying and/or tracking a transponder having a transponder ID, the system comprising:

a storage device configured to store a known transponder ID and detection information associated with the stored known transponder ID, wherein the detection information indicates whether the stored known transponder ID has been previously detected by the system; and

a processor configured to compare the known transponder ID stored in said storage device with a detected transponder ID, and determine based on the comparison whether the detected transponder ID is a detected known transponder ID and whether the detected transponder ID is not a detected known transponder ID.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the detected transponder ID is identified as a previously detected transponder ID if the detection information associated with the stored known transponder ID indicates that the detected transponder ID has been previously detected.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein if said processor determines that the detected transponder ID has not been previously detected based on the detection information associated with the stored known transponder IDs, said processor further determines whether the detected transponder ID is a detected known transponder ID based on a comparison of the stored known transponder IDs with the detected transponder ID.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein if said processor determines that the detected transponder ID has not been previously detected and is associated with a stored known transponder ID, then said processor updates the detection information of the stored known transponder ID to indicate that the detected transponder ID has been previously detected.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the previously undetected transponder ID comprises a transponder ID which is new to the system.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said processor determines that the detected transponder ID is a detected known transponder ID if the detected transponder ID matches one of the stored known transponder IDs.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the stored known transponder IDs are stored at a first field in the storage device, and the detection information is stored at a second field in the storage device.

24. A system comprising:

a storage device configured to store a previously detected transponder ID and information associated with the stored transponder ID, the information indicating whether the stored transponder ID has been previously detected by the system; and

a processor configured to detect a transponder ID, compare the previously detected transponder ID from said storage device with the detected transponder ID, determine based on the comparison whether the transponder ID has been previously detected by the system, identify the detected transponder ID as a previously undetected transponder ID if the detected transponder ID has not been previously detected based on the comparison, and identify the detected transponder ID as a previously detected transponder ID if the detected transponder ID has been previously detected based on the comparison.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the previously detected transponder IDs comprise transponder IDs that have been previously detected by said reader.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said processor determines that the detected transponder ID is a detected known transponder ID if the detected transponder ID matches one of the stored known transponder IDs.