Object tracking using enhanced video surveillance through a distributed network

• US 9,811,697 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hanis, Thomas T., Hyre, Bruce H., Smith, Jessica G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dsouza, Adolf
• Application Number:
  US14/846,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Tracking a tagged object may include receiving, using a first processor, a first video of an object tagged with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and first metadata read from the RFID tag. The first metadata may be stored in association with the first video using the first processor. First updated metadata may be written to the RFID tag using the first processor. The first updated metadata may specify at least one of a time the first video is received or a location of the first processor.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a tagged object, comprising:

receiving, using a first processor, a first video of an object tagged with a radio frequency identification tag and first metadata read from the radio frequency identification tag;

storing, using the first processor and to a first storage device, the first metadata in association with the first video; and

writing, using the first processor, second metadata to the radio frequency identification tag that overwrites the first metadata responsive to the receiving;

receiving, by a second processor, a second video of the object tagged with the radio frequency identification tag and the second metadata read from the radio frequency identification tag;

storing, using the second processor and to a second storage device separate from the first storage device, the second metadata in association with the second video; and

writing, using the second processor, third metadata to the radio frequency identification tag that overwrites the second metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein writing comprises sending a radio frequency signal specifying the first updated metadata to the radio frequency identification tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video and the first metadata are received substantially concurrently.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein writing the second metadata overwrites a user data memory of the radio frequency identification tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metadata specifies a unique identifier and at least one of a time a prior processor received a video of the object or a location of the prior processor.

6. A system for tracking a tagged object, comprising:

a first processor programmed to initiate the following executable operations;

receiving a first video of an object tagged with a radio frequency identification tag and first metadata read from the radio frequency identification tag;

storing the first metadata in association with the first video; and

storing to a first storage device the first metadata in association with the first video; and

writing second metadata to the radio frequency identification tag that overwrites the first metadata responsive to the receiving; and

a second processor programmed to initiate the following executable operations;

receiving a second video of the object tagged with the radio frequency identification tag and the second metadata read from the radio frequency identification tag;

storing to a second storage device separate from the first storage device, the second metadata in association with the second video; and

writing third metadata to the radio frequency identification tag that overwrites the second metadata.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein writing comprises sending a radio frequency signal specifying the first updated metadata to the radio frequency identification tag.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first video and the first metadata are received substantially concurrently.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein writing the second metadata overwrites a user data memory of the radio frequency identification tag.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the first metadata specifies a unique identifier and at least one of a time a prior processor received a video of the object or a location of the prior processor.

11. A computer program product, comprising

a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon,

the program code executable by at least one processor to perform a method of tracking a tagged object comprising:

receiving, using a first processor, a first video of an object tagged with a radio frequency identification tag and first metadata read from the radio frequency identification tag;

storing, using the first processor and to a first storage device, the first metadata in association with the first video; and

writing, using the first processor, second metadata to the radio frequency identification tag that overwrites the first metadata responsive to the receiving;

receiving, by a second processor, a second video of the object tagged with the radio frequency identification tag and the second metadata read from the radio frequency identification tag;

storing, using the second processor and to a second storage device separate from the first storage device, the second metadata in association with the second video; and

writing, using the second processor, third metadata to the radio frequency identification tag that overwrites the second metadata.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein writing comprises sending a radio frequency signal specifying the first updated metadata to the radio frequency identification tag.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first video and the first metadata are received substantially concurrently.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein writing the second metadata overwrites a user data memory of the radio frequency identification tag.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first metadata specifies a unique identifier and at least one of a time a prior processor received a video of the object or a location of the prior processor.