Method and apparatus for tracking objects and people

• US 8,896,449 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• 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:
  US14/169,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20140167965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/571, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/573.1, 340/3.51, 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.4, 340/10.42, 235/385, 235/449, 705/22, 705/28, 713/182, 713/185
• 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. An RFID system comprising:

a processor configured to receive transponder data from a transponder associated with an object and generate detection information based on the received transponder data, the detection information comprising first sighting and last sighting of the transponder in a coverage area.

2. The system of claim 1, said processor further configured to use the last sighting of the first transponder to determine whether the first transponder is dwelling inside the first coverage area.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the last sighting indicates that the transponder is dwelling in the coverage area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the last sighting indicates that the transponder left the coverage area.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage device configured to store the detection information.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of transponders each associated with a respective object, a plurality of antennas each associated with a respective coverage area, and a plurality of readers each associated with a respective antenna and configured to receive transponder data via said respective antenna(s).

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the coverage areas of the plurality of antennas overlap.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of transponders in the coverage area, wherein the transponder is one of the plurality of transponders.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second antenna having a second coverage area.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second antenna is configured to transmit and receive RF signals to and from a second plurality of transponders in the second coverage area.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader is configured to perform a continuous series of read cycles during a first period of time, wherein the reader is further configured to read one or more transponders in the coverage area during a read cycle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the reader is further configured to perform a second continuous series of read cycles during a second period of time, wherein the reader is further configured to read one or more transponders in a second plurality of transponders in the coverage area during the second period of time.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sighting of the transponder in the coverage area includes a timestamp.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the last sighting of the transponder in the coverage area includes a timestamp.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the coverage area is within a facility and wherein the facility comprises a plurality of additional coverage areas.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the facility is a department store, a warehouse, or a hospital.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a person.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transponder is an active tag.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transponder is a passive tag.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said reader is further coupled to a first antenna having a first antenna coverage area and a second antenna having a second antenna coverage area different from the first antenna coverage area, the first and second antenna coverage areas being within the coverage area.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said reader is further coupled to a first antenna having a first antenna coverage area and a second antenna having a second antenna coverage that overlaps the first antenna coverage area, the first and second antenna coverage areas being within the coverage area.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor determines that said reader has read said transponder when said reader receives a first RF signal having an identifier for said transponder during a first read cycle and determines that said transponder has left said coverage area when said reader fails to receive an RF signal having said identifier for said transponder during a subsequent read cycle.

23. A method comprising:

receiving by a reader transponder data via a radio frequency signal from a transponder associated with an object; and

receiving by a processor coupled to the reader, the transponder data from said reader; and

generating by the processor detection information based on the received transponder data, the detection information comprising first sighting and last sighting of the transponder in a coverage area.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining by the processor whether the first transponder is dwelling inside the first coverage area based on the last sighting of the transponder.