Systems and methods for tracking subjects

• US 9,411,997 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Parachute Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parachute Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehranfar, Robert R., Chow, Darrell C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mirza
• Application Number:
  US14/923,089
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 340/8.1, 340/572.2, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 455/446, 455/557
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10118 the sensing being preceded by at least one preliminary step
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10425 the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10475 arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/04 Monitoring of the detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) network and methods for tracking subjects in a closed environment includes distributing RFID readers across the environment. Readers have unique reader identifiers and communicate with a computer system. These identifiers and reader locations are stored. The location of subjects bearing passive RFID tags is acquired by reading the unique subject identifiers off the tags and associating these RFID tags with the reader identifiers of the readers making the readings. A subject data store includes the location data of the subjects obtained by the RFID readers and electronic addresses of the subjects. An instruction set data store comprising sets, each set corresponding to one of a plurality of events, is also maintained. In accordance with the instruction set data store, in response to an event, different event messages are sent to different subjects based upon their location in the closed environment and/or their class label.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) network for tracking the location of subjects in a plurality of subjects in a closed environment, the network comprising a plurality of RFID readers distributed across the environment and a response computer system, wherein

each respective RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers includes a unique reader identifier and is in communication with the response computer system;

and

the response computer system comprises;

a memory;

one or more processors;

a sensor data store, stored in the memory or addressable by the response computer system, the sensor data store including, for each respective RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers, a location in the closed environment of the respective RFID reader and the unique reader identifier of the respective RFID reader;

instructions, stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the response computer system to;

receive indication data, the indication data encompassing a detection of a proximity of a respective subject in the plurality of subjects bearing a passive RFID tag to a respective RFID reader in the plurality of readers, including (i) a unique subject identifier read off a passive RFID tag in the possession of the respective subject by the respective RFID reader and (ii) the reader identifier of the respective RFID reader;

maintain a subject data store, the subject data store comprising a record for each respective subject in the plurality of subjects that includes (i) a location of the respective subject in closed environment or an indication that the respective subject is not in the closed environment, (ii) an electronic address associated with the respective subject, (iii) a unique subject identifier associated with the respective subject, and (iv) a class label in a plurality of class labels; and

maintain an event instruction set data store, each respective event instruction set in the event instruction set data store corresponding to an event in a plurality of events, wherein

a first event instruction set in the instruction event set data store corresponds to a first event and includes;

(i) a first message that is sent to a first subset of subjects in the plurality of subjects responsive to the first event, wherein the first subset of subjects are selected from the plurality of subjects on the basis that they are (a) localized to a first portion of the closed environment or (b) associated with a first class label in the plurality of class labels corresponding to the first message, and

(ii) a second message that is sent to a second subset of subjects in the plurality of subjects responsive to the first event, wherein the second subset of subjects are selected on the basis that they are (a) localized to a second portion of the closed environment different from the first portion of the closed environment, or (b) associated with a second class label in the plurality of class labels corresponding to the second message; and

the instructions further cause the response computer system to, in response to receiving an indication that the first event has occurred, execute a method comprising;

obtaining an identity of the first and second subset of subjects in accordance with the first event instruction set;

obtaining, for each respective subject in the first subset of subjects, the electronic address associated with the respective subject from the subject data store;

communicating the first message to the respective electronic address of each subject in the first subset of subjects;

obtaining, for each respective subject in the second subset of subjects, the electronic address associated with the respective subject from the subject data store; and

communicating the second message to the respective electronic address of each subject in the second subset of subjects, wherein

at least a subset of the subjects in the plurality of subjects are chattels, humans or animals.

2. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to maintain a visual position map based on the indication data, the visual position map comprising a respective position, on a schematic diagram of the closed environment, of each subject bearing a passive RFID tag detected by at least one RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers.

3. The RFID network of claim 2, wherein the first subset of subjects is selected on the basis that they are localized by the visual position map to the first portion of the closed environment and the second subset of subjects is selected on the basis that they are localized by the visual position map to the second portion of the closed environment and the obtaining the identity of the first and second subset of subjects is done from the visual position map.

4. The RFID network of claim 2, wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to display the visual position map, with a respective icon at the position on the schematic diagram of the closed environment of each subject bearing a passive RFID tag detected by at least one RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers.

5. The RFID network of claim 4, wherein the first event transpires and the instructions further cause the response computer system to display on the schematic diagram (i) a position of each RFID reader in at least a subset of the plurality of RFID readers and (ii) a position of the first event.

6. The RFID network of claim 4, wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to, responsive to receiving a signal from an RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers that a subject has moved from a first position to a second position in the closed environment, update the visual position map by changing a position of the icon corresponding to the subject to reflect the second position.

7. The RFID network of claim 2, wherein the first event transpires, and wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to, responsive to the first event:

transmit instructions for formatting, for display, the visual position map, with a respective icon at the position on the schematic diagram of the closed environment of each subject bearing a passive RFID tag detected by at least one of the plurality of RFID readers and a location of each RFID reader in the plurality of readers, on a remote computing device associated with a responder to the event.

8. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to transmit one of a respective GPS position or respective RFID reader location of each responder in a plurality of responders to the first subset or the second subset of subjects.

9. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to:

receive selection instructions, the selection instructions specifying (i) a subset of the closed environment and (ii) a third message for all subjects in the subset of the closed environment;

identify a collection of subjects in the plurality of subjects that are present in the subset of the closed environment by querying the visual position map for all subjects in the subset of the closed environment;

obtain, for each respective subject in the collection of subjects, the electronic address associated with the respective subject from the subject data store; and

communicate the third message to the electronic address of each subject in the collection of subjects.

10. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein

the first subset of subjects is selected on the basis that they are associated with the first class label and the second subset of subjects is selected on the basis that they are associated with the second class label;

and

the obtaining the identity of the first and second subset of subjects is done from the prior assignment of class labels to respective subjects in the plurality of subjects wherein the first class label is associated with event responders and the second class label is associated with event rescuees.

11. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein

the electronic address associated with the corresponding subject is assigned to a mobile phone that includes a UHF RFID reader,

one or more applications running in the memory of the mobile phone make use of the UHF RFID reader to simulate the passive RFID tag borne by the respective subject, and the mobile phone additionally stores the unique subject identifier of the respective subject.

12. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the first event is exceeding zone capacity in a first zone in the closed environment and the first message is a warning regarding the zone capacity in the first zone.

13. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the first event is associated with a first location in the closed environment and includes a first communication;

and

the instructions further cause the response computer system to, in response to receiving an indication that the first event has occurred, communicate the first communication to the system administrator.

14. The RFID network of claim 13, wherein the first event is exceeding zone capacity in a first zone in the closed environment and the first communication is a warning regarding exceeding zone capacity in the first zone.

15. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the closed environment comprises a plurality of internal zones, and each respective RFID reader in a second subset of the plurality of RFID readers is positioned at an entry of an internal zone in the plurality of internal zones.

16. The RFID network of claim 15, wherein a first internal zone in the plurality of internal zones is monitored by a zone attendant and the instructions further cause the response computer system to:

determine an identity of each subject in the first internal zone; and

communicate the identity of each subject in the first internal zone to a device associated with the zone attendant.

17. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein

the instructions to maintain the subject data store further comprise maintaining an authorized interrogator white list for a first subject in the plurality of subjects, the authorized interrogator white list including, for each respective authorized interrogator, an identity of the respective authorized interrogator and a remote device associated with the respective authorized interrogator;

and

the instructions further cause the response computer system to;

receive, across a data network, a remote interrogation request from an interrogator that is outside the plurality of subjects, wherein the interrogation request includes an identity of the interrogator and an identity of the first subject;

responsive to the interrogation request determining, using the subject data store, whether the interrogator is in the authorized interrogator white list for the first subject; and

when the interrogator is in the authorized interrogator white list for the first subject,

obtaining a location in the closed environment of the first subject; and

communicating the location in the closed environment of the first subject to the remote device associated with the interrogator that is in the authorized interrogator white list; and

when the interrogator is not in the authorized interrogator white list for the first subject,

not communicating the location in the closed environment of the first subject to the remote device associated with the interrogator.

18. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the closed environment is a warehouse, a manufacturing facility, a refinery, a school, a business campus, a cruise ship, a subject transportation hub, a government facility, a military installation, a conference center, a medical campus facility, a correctional facility, hotel, or a mine.

19. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the closed environment includes one or more buildings and one or more predefined open areas.

20. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the passive RFID tag is in a badge carried by or held by the subject.

21. The RFID network of claim 2, wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to:

display the visual position map, with a respective icon at the position on the schematic diagram of the closed environment of each subject bearing a passive RFID tag detected by at least one of the plurality of RFID readers, the visual position map further displaying on the schematic diagram at least a subset of the RFID readers in the plurality of the RFID readers, and further displaying a location of the first event on the schematic diagram when the first event transpires;

receive selection instructions, the selection instructions specifying (i) a subset of the closed environment and (ii) a third message for all subjects in the subset of the closed environment, wherein the subset of the closed environment is identified by a user by selecting a corresponding portion of the displayed visual position map;

identify a collection of subjects in the plurality of subjects that are present in the subset of the closed environment;

obtain, for each respective subject in the collection of subjects, the electronic address associated with the respective subject from the subject data store; and

communicate the third message to the electronic address of each subject in the collection of subjects.

22. The RFID network of claim 2, wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to:

display the visual position map, with a respective icon at the position on the schematic diagram of the closed environment of each subject bearing a passive RFID tag detected by at least one of the plurality of RFID readers, the visual position map further displaying on the schematic diagram at least a subset of the RFID readers in the plurality of the RFID readers, and further displaying a location of a first event in the plurality of events on the schematic diagram when the first event transpires;

receive selection instructions, the selection instructions specifying (i) a subset of the closed environment and (ii) a third message for all subjects in the subset of the closed environment, wherein the subset of the closed environment is identified by a user by selecting a corresponding portion of the displayed visual position map;

identify a responder or caretaker associated with the subset of the closed environment; and

communicate the third message to the responder or caretaker.

23. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein a first RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers further comprises a second sensor, other than an RFID sensor and wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to:

responsive to receiving an indication of an event in a portion of the closed environment associated with the first RFID, remotely using the second sensor to verify an occurrence of the event.

24. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein a first RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers further comprises a second sensor, other than an RFID sensor, and wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to use the second sensor to independently obtain a measurement, wherein the second sensor is a camera, a temperature sensor, a noise-level detector, a gas monitor, or a proximity sensor.

25. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the electronic address is a mobile phone number, social media account, or e-mail address associated with the respective subject.

26. The RFID network of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the response computer system to execute an RFID reader status module method comprising:

receiving, on a recurring basis, a respective status signal from each respective RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers, wherein the respective status signal indicates a status of the respective RFID reader, and

analyzing each respective status signal for the status of the corresponding RFID reader.

27. The RFID network of claim 26, wherein the RFID reader status module method further comprises:

transmitting a status query signal to a respective RFID reader prior to obtaining a corresponding status signal, the corresponding status signal being responsive to the status query signal,

maintaining an RFID reader data store for the plurality of RFID readers, the RFID reader data store comprising an RFID reader health status, on a temporal basis, for each RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers,

maintaining an RFID reader corrective action data store comprising a respective RFID reader corrective action for each RFID reader health criterion in a plurality of RFID reader health criteria, and

the analyzing each respective status signal for the status of the corresponding RFID reader further comprises sending a corrective action signal comprising a respective RFID reader corrective action to an RFID reader in the plurality of RFID readers when the RFID reader fails to satisfy an RFID health criterion in the plurality of RFID reader health criteria, wherein the respective RFID reader corrective action is obtained from the RFID reader corrective action data store.