Mobile tag reader portal

• US 9,697,395 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Mally, Sujith N., McInnis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US14/329,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for identifying parts with electromagnetic identification (EMID) tags are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a method involves receiving, with a first antenna(s) on a mobile EMID reader portal, a first signal(s) from an EMID tag(s). The method further involves transmitting, with a second antenna(s) on the mobile EMID reader portal, a second signal(s) to an access point(s). Also, the method involves transmitting, with the access point(s), a third signal(s) to an EMID processing system and a location processing system. In addition, the method involves determining, with the location processing system, the location of the mobile EMID reader portal. Additionally, the method involves transmitting, by the location processing system, the location of the mobile EMID reader portal to the EMID processing system. Further, the method involves associating, by the EMID processing system, the EMID tag(s) with the location of the mobile EMID reader portal.

Claims

1. A method for identifying parts with electromagnetic identification (EMID) tags, the method comprising:

receiving, with at least one first antenna on a mobile EMID reader portal, at least one first signal from at least one of the EMID tags, wherein the at least one first signal comprises identification (ID) information;

transmitting, with at least one second antenna on the mobile EMID reader portal, at least one second signal comprising the ID information to at least one access point;

transmitting, with the at least one access point, at least one third signal comprising the ID information to an EMID processing system and to a location processing system,

wherein the at least one third signal further comprises signal information relating to the at least one second signal;

determining, with the location processing system, a location of the mobile EMID reader portal by using the signal information relating to the at least one second signal;

transmitting, by the location processing system, the location of the mobile EMID reader portal to the EMID processing system;

associating, by the EMID processing system, the at least one of the EMID tags with the location of the mobile EMID reader portal; and

matching, by the EMID processing system, at least one of a name or a hostname in the mobile EMID reader portal with at least one of a location name or a zone name in which the mobile EMID reader portal is operating within for metadata purposes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location processing system determines the location of the mobile EMID reader portal by performing at least one of triangulation with the signal information or trilateration with the signal information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location processing system determines the location of the mobile EMID reader portal by performing ranging with the signal information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location processing system determines the location of the mobile EMID reader portal by using a EMID tag in a known location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location processing system determines the location of the mobile EMID reader portal by using a preset location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the EMID processing system, a zone the mobile EMID reader portal is located in by using the location of the mobile EMID reader portal; and

associating, by the EMID processing system, the at least one of the EMID tags with the zone of the mobile EMID reader portal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the EMID tags is one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an ultra high frequency identification (UHFID) tag, a lightwave identification tag, an ultra-wideband (UWB) identification tag, an IEEE 802.15 tag, an IEEE 802.11 tag, or a Wi-Fi identification (Wi-Fi ID) tag.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the EMID tags is one of an active tag, a passive tag, or a battery-assisted passive tag.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one access point is one of a Wi-Fi access point, a satellite, or a cellular base station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one access point transmits the at least one third signal to the EMID processing system via a network and to the location processing system via the network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing, onto a database, the location of the mobile EMID reader portal for the at least one of the EMID tags.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the database comprises metadata for the at least one of the EMID tags.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of a part number, a serial number, a MAC address, a production date, an installation date, or test data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first signal, the at least one second signal, and the at least one third signal further comprise at least one identifier, and wherein the method further comprises storing, onto a database, the at least one identifier for the at least one of the EMID tags.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second signal is transmitted on one of a dedicated Wi-Fi frequency channel, a cellular channel, or a satellite channel.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first signal, the at least one second signal, and the at least one third signal further comprise an operational health status of the mobile EMID reader portal, and

wherein the method further comprises monitoring, by the EMID processing system, a health of the mobile EMID reader portal by using the operational health status.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the EMID tags are located within an area of interest, wherein the area of interest comprises a plurality of zones, and wherein each of the zones comprises at least one of the at least one access point.

17. A system for identifying parts with electromagnetic identification (EMID) tags, the system comprising:

a mobile EMID reader portal;

at least one first antenna on the mobile EMID reader portal to receive at least one first signal from at least one of the EMID tags, wherein the at least one first signal comprises identification (ID) information;

at least one second antenna on the mobile EMID reader portal to transmit at least one second signal comprising the ID information to at least one access point;

the at least one access point to transmit at least one third signal comprising the ID information to an EMID processing system and to a location processing system,

wherein the at least one third signal further comprises signal information relating to the at least one second signal;

the location processing system to determine a location of the mobile EMID reader portal by using the signal information relating to the at least one second signal, and to transmit the location of the mobile EMID reader portal to the EMID processing system;

the EMID processing system to associate the at least one of the EMID tags with the location of the mobile EMID reader portal; and

matching, by the EMID processing system, at least one of a name or a hostname in the mobile EMID reader portal with at least one of a location name or a zone name in which the mobile EMID reader portal is operating within for metadata purposes.

18. An apparatus for identifying parts with electromagnetic identification (EMID) tags, the apparatus comprising:

a mobile EMID reader portal comprising at least one first antenna to receive at least one first signal comprising identification (ID) information from at least one of the EMID tags, and at least one second antenna to transmit at least one second signal comprising the ID information to at least one access point,

wherein the at least one access point transmits at least one third signal comprising the ID information to an EMID processing system and to a location processing system, wherein the at least one third signal further comprises signal information relating to the at least one second signal, wherein the location processing system determines a location of the mobile EMID reader portal by using the signal information relating to the at least one second signal and transmits the location of the mobile EMID reader portal to the EMID processing system, and wherein the EMID processing system associates the at least one of the EMID tags with the location of the mobile EMID reader portal; and

,

matching, by the EMID processing system, at least one of a name or a hostname in the mobile EMID reader portal with at least one of a location name or a zone name in which the mobile EMID reader portal is operating within for metadata purposes.