Real-time and offline location tracking using passive RFID technologies

• US 9,536,215 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rehman, Samuelson
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amsdell, Dana
• Application Number:
  US11/685,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,584 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A system for location tracking using passive tags includes a reader and a location tracker. The reader receives an identifier associated with a first passive tag. The location tracker receives the location of the passive tag, and maps the location of the first passive tag to the identifier associated with the first passive tag. The location tracker determines the location of an object based on the location of the first passive tag. The location tracker may receive the location of a second passive tag, and map the location of the second passive tag to an identifier associated with the second passive tag. The location tracker may update the location of the object using the location of the second passive tag in response to the reader receiving the identifier associated with the second passive tag.

Claims

1. A method for locating an object within a facility, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computer systems, for each fixed location passive tag of a plurality of fixed location passive tags, an identifier and a physical location within an area of a facility for the fixed location passive tag, wherein the fixed location passive tag comprises a tag that is not locally powered and is fixed in location with respect to the area of the facility;

receiving, by the one or more computer systems, first read information obtained from a mobile tag reading device using a first antenna field of the mobile tag reading device, the first antenna field having a first range and being emitted from a first location, and the first read information being read from the first location and including (1) an identifier stored in an object passive tag that is physically associated with the object and (2) a first identifier associated with a first fixed location passive tag from the plurality of fixed location passive tags;

determining, by one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a first region within the area of the facility based on the physical location of the first fixed location passive tag and the first range of the first antenna field, wherein the first region includes a physical location of the object within the area of the facility within a first margin of error;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, second read information obtained from the mobile tag reading device using a second antenna field of the mobile tag reading device, the second antenna field having a second range and being emitted from a second location different from the first location, and the second read information being read from the second location and including (1) the identifier stored in the object passive tag that is physically associated with the object and (2) a second identifier associated with a second fixed location passive tag from the plurality of fixed location passive tags;

determining, by the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a second region within the area of the facility based on the physical location of the second fixed location passive tag, the second range of the second antenna field, and the first region, wherein the second region identifies the physical location of the object within the area of the facility within a second margin of error, the second margin of error being smaller than the first margin of error;

communicating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, to the mobile tag reading device (1) the physical location of the object based on the second region and the second margin of error and (2) the second margin of error; and

adjusting at least one of a gain of the mobile tag reading device to define the second range or a radiation pattern of the mobile tag reading device to produce the second antenna field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first antenna field has a first gain defining the first range and the second antenna field has a second gain defining the second range, wherein the second gain is different from the first gain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first antenna field has a first gain defining the first range and the second antenna field has a second gain defining the second range, wherein the second gain is the same as the first gain.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a gain of the mobile tag reading device to define the second range.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first antenna field has a first radiation pattern and the second antenna field has a second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a radiation pattern of the first antenna field and a radiation pattern of the second antenna field are the same.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a radiation pattern of the mobile tag reading device to produce the second antenna field.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first read information is obtained from the mobile tag reading device at a first time and the second read information is obtained from the mobile tag reading device at a second time, the second time being later in time than the first time, the method further comprising:

storing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer system, information in a database hosted by the one or more computer systems, the stored information associating the first time with the first region, the first margin of error, and the object, and the stored information associating the second time with the second region, the second margin of error, and the object.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by the one or more computer systems, from a database hosted by the one or more computer systems, a stored physical location of the object;

determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a discrepancy between the physical location of the object based on the second region and the second margin of error and the stored physical location of the object; and

storing the physical location of the object based on the second region and the second margin of error in the database as an updated physical location of the object.

10. A system for locating objects within a facility, the system comprising:

a communications interface;

a processor; and

a memory configured to store a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to;

receive, for each fixed location passive tag of a plurality of fixed location passive tags, an identifier and a physical location within an area of a facility for the fixed location passive tag, wherein the fixed location passive tag comprises a tag that is not locally powered and is fixed in location with respect to the area of the facility;

receive first read information obtained from a mobile tag reading device using a first antenna field of the mobile tag reading device, the first antenna field having a first range and being emitted from a first location, and the first read information being read from the first location and including (1) an identifier stored in an object passive tag that is physically associated with the object and (2) a first identifier associated with a first fixed location passive tag from the plurality of fixed location passive tags;

determine a first region within the area of the facility based on the physical location of the first fixed location passive tag and the first range of the first antenna field, wherein the first region includes a physical location of the object within the area of the facility within a first margin of error;

receive second read information obtained from the mobile tag reading device using a second antenna field of the mobile tag reading device, the second antenna field having a second range and being emitted from a second location different from the first location, and the second read information being read from the second location and including (1) the identifier stored in the object passive tag that is physically associated with the object and (2) a second identifier associated with a second fixed location passive tag from the plurality of fixed location passive tags;

determine a second region within the area of the facility based on the physical location of the second fixed location passive tag, the second range of the second antenna field, and the first region, wherein the second region identifies the physical location of the object within the area of the facility within a second margin of error, the second margin of error being smaller than the first margin of error;

communicate to the mobile tag reading device (1) the physical location of the object based on the second region and the second margin of error and (2) the second margin of error; and

adjust at least one of a gain of the mobile tag reading device to define the second range or a radiation pattern of the mobile tag reading device to produce the second antenna field.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first antenna field has a first gain defining the first range and the second antenna field has a second gain defining the second range, wherein the second gain is different from the first gain.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first antenna field has a first gain defining the first range and the second antenna field has a second gain defining the second range, wherein the second gain is the same as the first gain.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first antenna field has a first radiation pattern and the second antenna field has a second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein a radiation pattern of the first antenna field and a radiation pattern of the second antenna field are the same.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first read information is obtained from the mobile tag reading device at a first time and the second read information is obtained from the mobile tag reading device at a second time, the second time being later in time than the first time, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

store information in a database, the stored information associating the first time with the first region, the first margin of error, and the object, and the stored information associating the second time with the second region, the second margin of error, and the object.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

retrieve from a database a stored physical location of the object;

determine a discrepancy between the physical location of the object based on the second region and the second margin of error and the stored physical location of the object; and

store the physical location of the object based on the second region and the second margin of error in the database as an updated physical location of the object.

17. A computer-readable memory storage device storing a set of instructions operational when executed by a processor of a computer system for locating objects within a facility, the computer-readable memory storage device comprising:

code for receiving, for each fixed location passive tag of a plurality of fixed location passive tags, an identifier and a physical location within an area of a facility for the fixed location passive tag, wherein the fixed location passive tag comprises a tag that is not locally powered and is fixed in location with respect to the area of the facility;

code for receiving first read information obtained from a mobile tag reading device using a first antenna field of the mobile tag reading device, the first antenna field having a first range and being emitted from a first location, and the first read information being read from the first location and including (1) an identifier stored in an object passive tag that is physically associated with the object and (2) a first identifier associated with a first fixed location passive tag from the plurality of fixed location passive tags;

code for determining a first region within the area of the facility based on the physical location of the first fixed location passive tag and the first range of the first antenna field, wherein the first region includes a physical location of the object within the area of the facility within a first margin of error;

code for receiving second read information obtained from the mobile tag reading device using a second antenna field of the mobile tag reading device, the second antenna field having a second range and being emitted from a second location different from the first location, and the second read information being read from the second location and including (1) the identifier stored in the object passive tag that is physically associated with the object and (2) a second identifier associated with a second fixed location passive tag from the plurality of fixed location passive tags;

code for determining a second region within the area of the facility based on the physical location of the second fixed location passive tag, the second range of the second antenna field, and the first region, wherein the second region identifies the physical location of the object within the area of the facility within a second margin of error, the second margin of error being smaller than the first margin of error;

code for communicating to the mobile tag reading device (1) the physical location of the object based on the second region and the second margin of error and (2) the second margin of error; and

code for adjusting at least one of a gain of the mobile tag reading device to define the second range or a radiation pattern of the mobile tag reading device to produce the second antenna field.

18. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 17, wherein the first antenna field has a first gain defining the first range and the second antenna field has a second gain defining the second range, wherein the second gain is different from the first gain.

19. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 17, wherein the first antenna field has a first radiation pattern and the second antenna field has a second radiation pattern different from the first radiation pattern.

20. The computer-readable memory storage device of claim 17, wherein the first read information is obtained from the mobile tag reading device at a first time and the second read information is obtained from the mobile tag reading device at a second time, the second time being later in time than the first time, the computer-readable memory storage device comprising further comprising:

code for storing information in a database, the stored information associating the first time with the first region, the first margin of error, and the object, and the stored information associating the second time with the second region, the second margin of error, and the object.