Object tracking system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An object tracking system comprising:
- a. an RFID reader having at least one antenna positioned along an interior entranceway of an object storage facility;
b. an entry/exit sensor capable of sensing entrance and departure of an individual through the entranceway;
c. a door sensor configured to detect a closing of a door to the object storage facility;
d. a processor communicating with RFID reader and the entry/exit sensor, the processor running software to perform the steps of;
i) executing an entrance reading and an exit reading for RFID tags upon an individual entering and exiting, respectively, through the entranceway;
ii) initiating an audit session including a timed sequence of at least two audit readings upon detection of the door closing after the individual has exited the storage facility;
iii) interrupting the audit session if the system detects the door opening during the audit session;
iv) returning an indicator that a target RFID tag is present in the storage facility if;
1) the target RFID tag is detected upon the entrance reading and not detected on the exit reading;
or2) the target RFID tag is detected on the exit reading and the target RFID tag is detected on at least one audit reading.
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Abstract
An object tracking system including an RFID reader having at least one antenna positioned along an entranceway of an object storage facility. A processor communicates with RFID reader and runs software to perform the steps of: (i) monitoring the phase angle of a target RFID tag; and (iii) returning an indicator of whether the target RFID tag is or is not moving based at least in part on whether the phase angle has changed.
33 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An object tracking system comprising:
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a. an RFID reader having at least one antenna positioned along an interior entranceway of an object storage facility; b. an entry/exit sensor capable of sensing entrance and departure of an individual through the entranceway; c. a door sensor configured to detect a closing of a door to the object storage facility; d. a processor communicating with RFID reader and the entry/exit sensor, the processor running software to perform the steps of; i) executing an entrance reading and an exit reading for RFID tags upon an individual entering and exiting, respectively, through the entranceway; ii) initiating an audit session including a timed sequence of at least two audit readings upon detection of the door closing after the individual has exited the storage facility; iii) interrupting the audit session if the system detects the door opening during the audit session; iv) returning an indicator that a target RFID tag is present in the storage facility if; 1) the target RFID tag is detected upon the entrance reading and not detected on the exit reading;
or2) the target RFID tag is detected on the exit reading and the target RFID tag is detected on at least one audit reading. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21)
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19. An object tracking system comprising:
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a. an RFID reader having at least one antenna positioned along an interior entranceway of an object storage facility; b. an entry/exit sensor capable of sensing entrance and departure of an individual through the entranceway; c. a processor communicating with RFID reader and the entry/exit sensor, the system running software to perform the steps of; i) executing an entrance reading and an exit reading for RFID tags upon an individual entering and exiting, respectively, through the entranceway; ii) executing an audit reading for RFID tags at least once after the individual has exited the entranceway; iii) returning an indicator that a target RFID tag is present in the storage facility if; 1) the target RFID tag is detected upon the entrance reading and not detected on the exit reading;
or2) if the target RFID tag is detected on the exit reading and the target RFID tag is detected on the audit reading; d. wherein the system determines whether a phase angle of a signal from the target RFID tag changes over multiple detections of the target RFID tag; and e. wherein if (i) there is a change in phase angle in the exit reading, and (ii) no change of phase angle is detected in at least two audit readings, then an indicator is returned that the target RFID tag is present in the storage facility.
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20. An object tracking system comprising:
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a. an RFID reader having at least one antenna positioned along an interior entranceway of an object storage facility; b. an entry/exit sensor capable of sensing entrance and departure of an individual through the entranceway; c. a processor communicating with RFID reader and the entry/exit sensor, the system running software to perform the steps of; i) executing an entrance reading and an exit reading for RFID tags upon an individual entering and exiting, respectively, through the entranceway; ii) executing an audit reading for RFID tags at least once after the individual has exited the entranceway; iii) returning an indicator that a target RFID tag is present in the storage facility if; 1) the target RFID tag is detected upon the entrance reading and not detected on the exit reading;
or2) if the target RFID tag is detected on the exit reading and the target RFID tag is detected on the audit reading; d. wherein the system determines whether a phase angle of a signal from the target RFID tag changes over multiple detections of the target RFID tag; and e. wherein if (i) there is a change in phase angle in the exit reading, and (ii) the target RFID is detected in one or less of at least two audit readings, then an indicator is returned that the target RFID tag is not present in the storage facility.
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22. An object tracking system comprising:
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a. an RFID reader having at least one antenna positioned along an interior entranceway of an object storage facility, the RFID reader employing a frequency hopping technique which transmits interrogation signals at different frequencies; b. an entry/exit sensor capable of sensing entrance and departure of an individual through the entranceway; c. a processor communicating with RFID reader; d. the system running software to perform the steps of; i) executing an entrance reading and an exit reading for RFID tags upon an individual entering and exiting, respectively, through the entranceway; ii) normalizing detected phase angles to compensate for perceived phase shifts resulting from a change in interrogation signal frequency; iii) determining whether the normalized phase angle of a signal from the target RFID tag changes over multiple detections of the target RFID tag; and iv) returning an indicator that a target RFID tag is present or absent from the storage facility based at least in part on whether the normalized phase angle changes.
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Specification