Methods, systems, and products for tracking objects

• US 10,740,579 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A., Kreiner, Barrett
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US15/480,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20170213059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 340 81
• 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, by a server, a locational request requesting a location associated with a tag;

determining, by the server, that the location associated with the tag is unknown;

identifying, by the server, a policy specifying a cellular device that searches for the tag;

sending, by the server, a search instruction to the cellular device, the search instruction instructing the cellular device to search for the tag;

receiving, by the server, a response from the cellular device instructed to search for the tag; and

determining, by the server, the location associated with the tag based on the response received from the cellular device instructed to search for the tag.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a locational response to the locational request, the locational response specifying the location associated with the tag.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the location associated with the tag.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the location associated with the tag in a database.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding an entry to a database, the entry associating the location with the tag.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a time associated with the location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a description associated with the tag.

8. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

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

receiving a locational request requesting a location associated with a tag;

determining that the location associated with the tag is unknown;

identifying a policy specifying a cellular device that searches for the tag;

sending a search instruction to the cellular device, the search instruction instructing the cellular device to search for the tag;

receiving a response from the cellular device instructed to search for the tag; and

determining the location associated with the tag based on the response received from the cellular device locating the tag.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending a locational response to the locational request, the locational response specifying the location associated with the tag.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing the location associated with the tag.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing the location associated with the tag in a database.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise adding an entry to a database, the entry associating the location with the tag.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing a time associated with the location.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise determining a description associated with the tag.

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

receiving a locational request requesting a location associated with a tag;

determining that the location associated with the tag is unknown;

identifying a cellular device that searches for the tag;

sending a search instruction to the cellular device, the search instruction instructing the cellular device to search for the tag;

receiving a response from the cellular device instructed to search for the tag; and

determining the location associated with the tag based on the response received from the cellular device locating the tag.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending a locational response to the locational request, the locational response specifying the location associated with the tag.

17. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise storing the location associated with the tag.

18. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise storing the location associated with the tag in a database.

19. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise adding an entry to a database, the entry associating the location with the tag.

20. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise storing a time associated with the location.