System and method of tracking vehicles within a parking lot using RFID tags
First Claim
1. A method of tracking vehicles within a parking lot using RFID tags, the method comprising:
- creating a record of a vehicle, wherein the record is stored on a computer and includes information associated with the vehicle;
creating a electronic map of the parking lot relative to a global positioning system (GPS) to store on the computer, the electronic map representing a plurality of slots with each slot representing a parking spot to park a respective vehicle in the parking lot;
assigning a RFID tag to the record associated with the vehicle using the computer;
detecting the RFID tag attached to the vehicle stored in a parking lot within a pre-determined range using a mobile first interrogator when the vehicle is stationary;
determining a new GPS location of the mobile first interrogator within the parking lot upon detecting the RFID tag by the first interrogator;
associating the new GPS location with a particular slot of the parking lot using the electronic map;
and assigning the particular slot to the vehicle in response to RFID tag is no longer detected by the first interrogator to indicate a current parking spot of the vehicle within the parking lot.
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Abstract
A system and method of tracking vehicles stored within a parking lot using RFID tags is disclosed. The method includes creating a record of a vehicle, where the record includes information associated with the vehicle. The method further includes assigning an RFID tag to the record associated with the vehicle, attaching the RFID tag to the vehicle, detecting the RFID tag using a first interrogator, and determining a new geographic location of the first interrogator contemporaneously with detecting the RFID tag. In addition, the method may include recording video of the vehicle, where the video includes a video record of each time when the vehicle is moved. The method includes assigning the new geographic location of the RFID tag when the RFID tag is no longer detected by the first interrogator and updating the record with the new geographic location of the RFID tag and the vehicle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of tracking vehicles within a parking lot using RFID tags, the method comprising:
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creating a record of a vehicle, wherein the record is stored on a computer and includes information associated with the vehicle; creating a electronic map of the parking lot relative to a global positioning system (GPS) to store on the computer, the electronic map representing a plurality of slots with each slot representing a parking spot to park a respective vehicle in the parking lot; assigning a RFID tag to the record associated with the vehicle using the computer; detecting the RFID tag attached to the vehicle stored in a parking lot within a pre-determined range using a mobile first interrogator when the vehicle is stationary; determining a new GPS location of the mobile first interrogator within the parking lot upon detecting the RFID tag by the first interrogator; associating the new GPS location with a particular slot of the parking lot using the electronic map; and assigning the particular slot to the vehicle in response to RFID tag is no longer detected by the first interrogator to indicate a current parking spot of the vehicle within the parking lot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system of tracking vehicles within a parking lot using RFID tags, the system comprising:
a RFID tag attached to a vehicle;
a database to store data associated with the RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag is associated with the vehicle stored in the parking lot;an electronic map of the parking lot relative to a global positioning system (GPS) being stored in the database, the electronic map representing a plurality of slots with each slot representing a parking spot to park a respective vehicle in the parking lot; a first interrogator secured to a first mobile platform to detect an identity of the RFID tag when the vehicle is stationary; a navigation system in communication with the first interrogator, wherein the navigation system takes at least one reading of a location of the first mobile platform within the parking lot when the RFID tag is detected and determines a current GPS location of the first mobile platform; a processor configured to associate the current GPS location with a particular slot of the parking lot using the electronic map; the processor further configured to assign the particular slot to the vehicle in response to the RFID tag is no longer detected by the first interrogator to indicate a current parking spot of the vehicle within the parking lot; and a signal transmitted to the database, wherein the signal includes the identity of the RFID tag and the current location of the vehicle within the parking lot. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system of tracking vehicles within a parking lot using RFID tags, the system comprising:
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a RFID tag attached to a vehicle; a database; an electronic map of the parking lot relative to a global positioning system (GPS) stored in the database, the electronic map representing a plurality of slots with each slot representing a parking spot to park a respective vehicle in the parking lot; a RFID interrogator secured to a first mobile platform to detect an identity of the RFID tag within a pre\-determined range from the interrogator; a GPS device to take at least one reading of a current GPS location of the first mobile platform when the RFID tag is detected within the parking lot; a processor configured to associate the current GPS location with a particular slot of the parking lot using the electronic map; the processor further configured to assign the particular slot to the vehicle in response to the RFID tag is no longer detected by the first interrogator to indicate a current parking spot of the vehicle within the parking; and a compass directional finder, wherein the compass directional finder being configured to display a relative position and distance of the vehicle from the first mobile platform within the parking lot when the vehicle is stationary.
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Specification