System and Method for Real Time Asset Location and Tracking
First Claim
1. A method of estimating a current position of a transponder associated with an asset within a location, comprising:
- providing a plurality of wireless interface devices within said location;
identifying a particular one or more of said wireless interface devices that have at least received a wireless signal from said transponder; and
determining an estimate of said current position based on the identified particular one or more of said wireless interface devices.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for estimating the current position of an asset within a location that includes a transponder associated with the asset, a plurality of wireless interface devices provided within the location, and a central computer system in electronic communication with the wireless interface devices. The central computer system is adapted to: (i) identify a particular one or more of the wireless interface devices that have received a wireless signal from the transponder, and (ii) determine an estimate of the current position based on the identified particular one or more of the wireless interface devices.
57 Citations
43 Claims
-
1. A method of estimating a current position of a transponder associated with an asset within a location, comprising:
-
providing a plurality of wireless interface devices within said location; identifying a particular one or more of said wireless interface devices that have at least received a wireless signal from said transponder; and determining an estimate of said current position based on the identified particular one or more of said wireless interface devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A system for estimating a current position of an asset within a location, comprising:
-
a transponder associated with said asset; a plurality of wireless interface devices provided within said location; and a central computer system in electronic communication with said wireless interface devices, said central computer system being adapted to;
(i) identify a particular one or more of said wireless interface devices that have at least received a wireless signal from said transponder, and (ii) determine an estimate of said current position based on the identified particular one or more of said wireless interface devices. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A method of estimating a current position of a transponder associated with an asset within a location, comprising:
-
providing a plurality of wireless interface devices within said location, each of said wireless interface devices having a selectively adjustable wireless receiving sensitivity; setting the wireless receiving sensitivity of each of said wireless interface devices to a starting level; determining a number of said wireless interface devices that have received a current wireless signal from said transponder; reducing the wireless receiving sensitivity of each of said wireless interface devices and re-determining the number of said wireless interface devices that have received a then current wireless signal from said transponder one or more times until the number as re-determined is the same as the number just prior to being re-determined; when the number as re-determined is the same as the number just prior to being re-determined, identifying the particular one or more of said wireless interface devices that have received the then current wireless signal from said transponder; and determining an estimate of said current position based on the identified particular one or more of said wireless interface devices.
-
-
36. A method of estimating a current position of a transponder associated with an asset within a location, comprising:
-
providing a plurality of wireless interface devices within said location, each of said wireless interface devices having a selectively adjustable wireless receiving sensitivity; setting the wireless receiving sensitivity of each of said wireless interface devices to a starting level; determining a min-term for said transponder, said min-term representing a plurality of Boolean variable values, each of said Boolean variable values being associated with a respective one of said wireless interface devices and indicating whether the one of said wireless interface devices has received a current wireless signal from said transponder; reducing the wireless receiving sensitivity of each of said wireless interface devices and re-determining the min-term for the transponder based on a then current signal from said transponder one or more times until a number of the Boolean variable values in the min-term having a first value does not change; and when the number of the Boolean variable values in the min-term having a first value does not change, determining an estimate of said current position based on (i) the then current min-term or (ii) the min-term determined immediately prior to the min-term determined just before the then current min-term.
-
-
37. A method of estimating a current position of a transponder associated with an asset within a location, comprising:
-
providing a plurality of wireless interface devices within said location, each of said wireless interface devices having a selectively adjustable wireless receiving sensitivity; setting the wireless receiving sensitivity of each of said wireless interface devices to a starting level; determining a number of said wireless interface devices that have received a first wireless signal from said transponder; if the number of said wireless interface devices that have received the first wireless signal from said transponder is less than or equal to a predetermined amount, identifying the particular one or more of said wireless interface devices that have received the first wireless signal from said transponder and determining an estimate of said current position based on the identified particular one or more of said wireless interface devices that have received the first wireless signal from said transponder; and if the number of said wireless interface devices that have received the first wireless signal from said transponder is not less than or equal to the predetermined amount, reducing the wireless receiving sensitivity of each of said wireless interface devices and determining a number of said wireless interface devices that have received a then current wireless signal from said transponder one or more times until the number of said wireless interface devices that have received the then current wireless signal from said transponder is less than or equal to the predetermined amount and thereafter identifying the particular one or more of said wireless interface devices that have received the then current wireless signal from said transponder and determining an estimate of said current position based on the identified particular one or more of said wireless interface devices that have received the then current wireless signal from said transponder.
-
-
38. A method of estimating a current position of a transponder associated with an asset within a location, comprising:
-
providing a plurality of wireless interface devices within said location, each of said wireless interface devices having a selectively adjustable wireless receiving sensitivity; setting the wireless receiving sensitivity of each of said wireless interface devices to a starting level; determining a first min-term for said transponder, said first min-term representing a plurality of Boolean variable values, each of said Boolean variable values being associated with a respective one of said wireless interface devices and indicating whether the one of said wireless interface devices has received a first wireless signal from said transponder; determining a number of said wireless interface devices that have received the first wireless signal from said transponder based on the first min-term; if the number of said wireless interface devices that have received the first wireless signal from said transponder is less than or equal to a predetermined amount, determining an estimate of said current position based on the first min-term; if the number of said wireless interface devices that have received the first wireless signal from said transponder is not less than or equal to the predetermined amount, reducing the wireless receiving sensitivity of each of said wireless interface devices and determining a then current min-term for the transponder based on a then current signal from said transponder one or more times until it is determined that the number of said wireless interface devices that have received the then current signal from said transponder is less than or equal to a predetermined amount, and thereafter determining an estimate of said current position based on (i) the then current min-term or (ii) the min-term determined immediately prior to the min-term determined just before the then current min-term.
-
-
39. An interface device for communicating with both an RF emitting device and a computer system located remotely from said interface device, comprising:
-
a processing unit; a wireless communications apparatus operatively coupled to said processing unit, said wireless communications apparatus enabling wireless communications with said RF emitting device and said computer system; a power interface structured to be coupled to AC power lines for providing primary AC power to said interface device from said AC power lines; and an energy storage device for providing back-up power to said interface device when said primary AC power from said AC power lines is not available; wherein said processing unit is programmed to cause said interface device to communicate with said computer system wirelessly using said wireless communications apparatus when said interface device is receiving said primary AC power from said AC power lines, and wherein said processing unit is programmed to cause said interface device to communicate with said computer system over said AC power lines when said primary AC power from said AC power lines is not available. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A communication system, comprising:
-
an RF emitting device; a computer system; and an interface device located remotely from said computer system, wherein said interface device is operatively coupled to AC power lines for providing primary AC power to said interface device from said AC power lines, wherein said wherein interface device includes an energy storage device for providing back-up power to said interface device when said primary AC power from said AC power lines is not available, wherein said interface device is structured to communicate wirelessly with said RF emitting device, and wherein said interface device is structured to communicate with said computer system wirelessly using when said interface device is receiving said primary AC power from said AC power lines and communicate with said computer system over said AC power lines when said primary AC power from said AC power lines is not available.
-
Specification