Methods, systems, and products for tracking objects

• US 9,697,398 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett, Koch, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US14/334,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20150015370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101, 340 102, 340 103, 340 1031, 340 1032, 340 1033, 340 1034, 340 104, 340 1041, 340 1042, 340 105, 340 1051, 340 1052
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Tags are used to recover lost objects. Each tag transmits identification information to passing communications devices, such as a cellular phone. The cellular phone then uploads the tag'"'"'s identification information, along with a location, to a central network database. The central network database thus stores a central repository identifying locations associated with tags discovered by passing communications devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a server, tag identifiers reported by cellular mobile devices, each one of the tag identifiers associated with a different tag;

storing, by the server, the tag identifiers in a network accessible electronic database, the network accessible electronic database storing electronic database associations between the tag identifiers and global positioning system information describing locations reported by the cellular mobile devices;

receiving, by the server, a search request specifying a tag identifier of the tag identifiers;

querying, by the server, the network accessible electronic database for the tag identifier specified in the search request;

determining, by the server, that the network accessible electronic database lacks an entry that electronically associates the tag identifier specified in the search request to the global positioning system information;

retrieving, by the server, a search policy in response to the network accessible electronic database lacking the entry that electronically associates the tag identifier to the global positioning system information, the search policy defining cellular identifiers for use when searching for the tag identifier;

sending, by the server, search instructions to the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy, the search instructions instructing corresponding ones of the cellular mobile devices associated with the cellular identifiers to broadcast an interrogation signal specifying the tag identifier specified in the search request;

receiving, by the server, a response to the search instructions, the response sent from a cellular identifier of the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy, the response confirming reception of a signal sent from a tag associated with the tag identifier, and the response reporting the global positioning system information reported as a location associated with the cellular identifier;

adding, by the server, the entry to the network accessible electronic database, the entry electronically associating the global positioning system information reported by the response to the cellular identifier and to the tag identifier; and

sending, by the server, the global positioning system information as a search response to the search request specifying the tag identifier;

wherein the network accessible electronic database stores a centralized repository for the locations reported by the cellular mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the tag identifier with a time associated with the response.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising time stamping the global positioning system information reported by the response.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the tag identifier with a profile.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the tag identifier to a description of an object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the global positioning system information associated with any of the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the network accessible electronic database for a description of an object; and

retrieving the global positioning system information having one of the electronic database associations with the description of the object.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing code, the code when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving tag identifiers reported by cellular mobile devices, each one of the tag identifiers associated with a different tag;

storing the tag identifiers in a network accessible electronic database, the network accessible electronic database storing electronic database associations between the tag identifiers and global positioning system information describing locations reported by the cellular mobile devices;

receiving a search request specifying a tag identifier of the tag identifiers;

querying the network accessible electronic database for the tag identifier specified in the search request;

determining that the network accessible electronic database lacks an entry that electronically associates the tag identifier specified in the search request to the global positioning system information;

retrieving a search policy in response to the network accessible electronic database lacking the entry that electronically associates the tag identifier to the global positioning system information, the search policy defining cellular identifiers for use when searching for the tag identifier;

sending search instructions to the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy, the search instructions instructing corresponding ones of the cellular mobile devices associated with the cellular identifiers to broadcast an interrogation signal specifying the tag identifier specified in the search request;

receiving a response to the search instructions, the response sent from a cellular identifier of the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy, the response confirming reception of a signal sent from a tag associated with the tag identifier, and the response reporting the global positioning system information reported as a location associated with the cellular identifier;

adding the entry to the network accessible electronic database, the entry electronically associating the global positioning system information reported by the response to the cellular identifier and to the tag identifier; and

sending the global positioning system information as a search response to the search request specifying the tag identifier;

wherein the network accessible electronic database stores a centralized repository for the locations reported by the cellular mobile devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise associating the tag identifier with a time associated with the response.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise time stamping the global positioning system information reported by the response.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise associating the tag identifier with a profile.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise associating the tag identifier to a description of an object.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the global positioning system information associated with any of the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

querying the network accessible electronic database for a description of an object; and

retrieving the global positioning system information having one of the electronic database associations with the description of the object.

15. A memory device storing executable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving tag identifiers reported by cellular mobile devices, each one of the tag identifiers associated with a different tag;

storing the tag identifiers in a network accessible electronic database, the network accessible electronic database storing electronic database associations between the tag identifiers and global positioning system information describing locations reported by the cellular mobile devices;

receiving a search request specifying a tag identifier of the tag identifiers;

querying the network accessible electronic database for the tag identifier specified in the search request;

determining that the network accessible electronic database lacks an entry that electronically associates the tag identifier specified in the search request to the global positioning system information;

retrieving a search policy in response to the network accessible electronic database lacking the entry that electronically associates the tag identifier to the global positioning system information, the search policy defining cellular identifiers for use when searching for the tag identifier;

sending search instructions to the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy, the search instructions instructing corresponding ones of the cellular mobile devices associated with the cellular identifiers to broadcast an interrogation signal specifying the tag identifier specified in the search request;

receiving a response to the search instructions, the response sent from a cellular identifier of the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy, the response confirming reception of a signal sent from a tag associated with the tag identifier, and the response reporting the global positioning system information reported as a location associated with the cellular identifier;

adding the entry to the network accessible electronic database, the entry electronically associating the global positioning system information reported by the response to the cellular identifier and to the tag identifier; and

sending the global positioning system information as a search response to the search request specifying the tag identifier;

wherein the network accessible electronic database stores a centralized repository for the locations reported by the cellular mobile devices.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise associating the tag identifier with a time associated with the response.

17. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise time stamping the global positioning system information reported by the response.

18. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise associating the tag identifier with a profile.

19. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise associating the tag identifier to a description of an object.

20. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the global positioning system information associated with any of the cellular identifiers defined by the search policy.