RFID active child tracker

• US 9,396,640 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Fishwick, Nicholas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US14/472,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20160063836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/02 using radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

In example embodiments, a system and method for tracking a child using RFID is provided. A first reader detects a signal from the trackable device. First positional data of the trackable device is determined from the signal. The first positional data indicates a first direction of the trackable device relative to the first reader. Second positional data is received from a second reader. The second positional data indicates a second direction of the trackable device relative to the second reader. A location of the trackable device is calculated using the first positional data and the second positional data. The location is presented on the first reader.

Claims

1. A machine-readable medium having no transitory signals and storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

transmitting an indication, to a central server, that a tracker application is launched on a first reader, the indication causing the central server to determine other readers in an area corresponding to a last known location of the first reader and to send a notification to the other readers that asks users of the other readers whether the users will cooperate;

detecting, at the first reader, a signal from a trackable device;

determining first positional data of the trackable device from the signal, the first positional data indicating a first direction of the trackable device relative to the first reader without indicating a distance;

receiving second positional data from a second reader, the second positional data indicating a second direction of the trackable device relative to the second reader without indicating a distance;

calculating a location of the trackable device using the first positional data and the second positional data; and

presenting the location on the first reader.

2. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending, by the first reader, a codeword to activate the trackable device, the code word including an identifier of the trackable device.

3. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining positional data of the second reader relative to the first reader.

4. The machine-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the determining the positional data of the second reader relative to the first reader comprises:

detecting a reader signal from the second reader;

determining a vector between the first reader and the second reader rising the reader signal; and

determining a relative distance between the first reader and the second reader.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprising sharing the first positional data for the first reader with the second reader.

6. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the indication causes the central server to:

access an account of a user of the first reader; and

identify the second reader linked to the first reader in the account.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the other readers includes the second reader.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the directional signal from the trackable device comprises scanning an area using a directional antenna of the first reader.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the signal from the trackable device is an RFID signal.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the presenting the location on the reader comprises:

accessing a map of an area that the reader is located;

displaying the map on the first reader; and

indicating the location of the trackable device on the map.

11. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a tracker application launch on a first reader, the indication including a request for cooperative assistance;

determining, using a hardware processor, at least one other reader near a last known location of the first reader;

sending a notification to the at least one other reader asking for the cooperative assistance;

receiving positional data from a cooperative reader, the cooperative reader being one of the at least one other reader that responded affirmatively to the notification, the positional data indicating a direction of a trackable device relative to the cooperative reader without indicating a distance; and

providing the positional data from the cooperative reader to the first reader, the first reader using the positional data from the cooperative reader and positional data from the first reader to calculate a location of the trackable device, the positional data from the first reader being based on a signal from the trackable device detected by the first reader and indicating a direction of the trackable device relative to the first reader without indicating a distance.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an affirmative response from the cooperative reader to the notification; and

providing identifier data to the cooperative reader, the identifier data including an identifier of the trackable device and an identifier of the first reader.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the trackable device is found; and

providing a message to the cooperative reader that the trackable device is found.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising preventing sharing of the positional data from others readers with the cooperative reader.

15. A system comprising:

a directional antenna to detect, at a first reader, a signal from a trackable device;

one or more hardware processors temporarily configured to;

transmit an indication, to a central server, that a tracker application is launched on the first reader, the indication causing the central server to determine other readers in an area corresponding to a last known location of the first reader and send a notification to the other readers that asks users of the other readers whether the users will cooperate;

determine first positional data of the trackable device from the signal, the first positional data indicating a first direction of the trackable device relative to the first reader without indicating a distance;

receive second positional data from a second reader, the second positional data indicating a second direction of the trackable device relative to the second reader without indicating a distance;

calculate a location of the trackable device using the first positional data and the second positional data; and

present the location on the first reader.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to send and receive communications directed to cooperating in a search for a child associated with a further reader that is not linked with the first reader.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a signal transmitter to send a codeword to activate the trackable device, the code word including an identifier of the trackable device.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a reader RFID tag to transmit a reader signal to a further reader, the reader signal used to determine a position of the first reader relative to the further reader.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the directional antenna is embodied with a peripheral device coupled to a mobile device.