Locating an object based on charging/response time

• US 9,551,780 B1
• Filed: 01/02/2016
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fan, Si Bin, Gu, Yu, Liu, Su, Xu, Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US14/986,657
• Time in Patent Office: 388 Days
• Field of Search: 340/8.1, 340/10.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10118 the sensing being preceded by at least one preliminary step
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

An approach is provided in which an RFID reader receives a response signal from an RFID tag affixed to an object. The RFID reader determines a tag charging time of the RFID tag based upon a first point in time that the RFID reader sent a request signal to the RFID tag and a second point in time that the response signal was received by the RFID reader. In turn, the RFID reader identifies a location of the object based on the tag charging time and generates a notification that includes the location of the object.

Claims

1. A method implemented by an information handling system that includes a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

receiving, at an RFID reader installed in a vehicle, a response signal from an RFID tag affixed to an object;

determining a tag charging time of the RFID tag based upon a first point in time that the RFID reader sent a request signal to the RFID tag and a second point in time that the response signal was received by the RFID reader;

identifying a location of the object within the vehicle based upon the tag charging time;

generating a notification that includes the location of the object; and

calibrating the RFID reader in response to detecting an adjustable seat, which has an affixed pre-located RFID tag, moved from a first location to a second location, the calibrating further comprising;

transmitting a calibration request signal from the RFID reader at a third point in time;

receiving a calibration response signal from the pre-located RFID tag at a fourth point in time, the pre-located RFID tag at a pre-located distance;

determining a calibration response time based upon the third point in time and the fourth point in time;

determining a calibration distance based on the calibration response time;

comparing the calibration distance with the pre-located distance; and

adjusting an environmental parameter based upon the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a distance from the RFID reader to the RFID tag based upon a response time corresponding to the first point in time and the second point in time; and

using the determined distance in the identifying of the location, wherein the identified location is within 0.1 meters of an actual location of the object that resides inside the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing the calibrating in response to detecting a malicious RFID reader within the vehicle, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a power level of the RFID reader.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein a different RFID reader is installed in the vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining, by the different RFID reader, a different distance from the different RFID reader to the RFID tag based on a different response time computed by the different RFID reader;

sending the different response time from the different information handling system to the RFID reader; and

determining, by the RFID reader, a 3-dimensional space location of the object using the different distance and the distance determined by the RFID reader.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an object type of the object based upon object information extracted from the response signal; and

sending the notification to a driver of the vehicle based upon the object type and the location of the object.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an object type of the object based upon object information extracted from the response signal; and

sending the notification to one or more authorities based upon the object type and the location of the object.

7. An information handling system installed in a vehicle, the information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors; and

a set of computer program instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

receiving a response signal from an RFID tag affixed to an object;

determining a tag charging time of the RFID tag based upon a first point in time that the information handling system sent a request signal to the RFID tag and a second point in time that the response signal was received by the information handling system;

identifying a location of the object within the vehicle based upon the tag charging time;

generating a notification that includes the location of the object; and

calibrating the RFID reader in response to detecting an adjustable seat, which has an affixed pre-located RFID tag, moved from a first location to a second location, the calibrating further comprising;

transmitting a calibration request signal from the RFID reader at a third point in time;

receiving a calibration response signal from the pre-located RFID tag at a fourth point in time, the pre-located RFID tag at a pre-located distance;

determining a calibration response time based upon the third point in time and the fourth point in time;

determining a calibration distance based on the calibration response time;

comparing the calibration distance with the pre-located distance; and

adjusting an environmental parameter based upon the comparison.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

determining a distance from the information handling system to the RFID tag based upon a response time corresponding to the first point in time and the second point in time; and

using the determined distance in the identifying of the location, wherein the identified location is within 0.1 meters of an actual location of the object that resides inside the vehicle.

9. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

performing the calibrating in response to detecting a malicious information handling system within the vehicle, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a power level of the information handling system.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein a different information handling system is installed in the vehicle, wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

determining, by the different information handling system, a different distance from the different information handling system to the RFID tag based on a different response time computed by the different information handling system;

sending the different response time from the different information handling system to the RFID reader; and

determining, by the RFID reader, a 3-dimensional space location of the object using the different distance and the distance determined by the information handling system.

11. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

determining an object type of the object based upon object information extracted from the response signal;

sending the notification to a driver of the vehicle based upon the object type and the location of the object; and

sending the notification to one or more authorities based upon the object type and the location of the object.

12. A computer program product stored in a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer program code that, when executed by an information handling system installed in a vehicle, causes the information handling system to perform actions comprising:

receiving a response signal from an RFID tag affixed to an object;

determining a tag charging time of the RFID tag based upon a first point in time that the information handling system sent a request signal to the RFID tag and a second point in time that the response signal was received by the information handling system;

identifying a location of the object within the vehicle based upon the tag charging time;

generating a notification that includes the location of the object; and

calibrating the RFID reader in response to detecting an adjustable seat, which has an affixed pre-located RFID tag, moved from a first location to a second location, the calibrating further comprising;

transmitting a calibration request signal from the RFID reader at a third point in time;

receiving a calibration response signal from the pre-located RFID tag at a fourth point in time, the pre-located RFID tag at a pre-located distance;

determining a calibration response time based upon the third point in time and the fourth point in time;

determining a calibration distance based on the calibration response time;

comparing the calibration distance with the pre-located distance; and

adjusting an environmental parameter based upon the comparison.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the information handling system performs additional actions comprising:

determining a distance from the information handling system to the RFID tag based upon a response time corresponding to the first point in time and the second point in time; and

using the determined distance in the identifying of the location, wherein the identified location is within 0.1 meters of an actual location of the object that resides inside the vehicle.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein a different information handling system is installed in the vehicle, and wherein the information handling system performs additional actions comprising:

determining, by the different information handling system, a different distance from the different information handling system to the RFID tag based on a different response time computed by the different information handling system;

sending the different response time from the different information handling system to the RFID reader; and

determining, by the RFID reader, a 3-dimensional space location of the object using the different distance and the distance determined by the information handling system.