TRACKING RFID OBJECTS WITH INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION LINK

• US 20150256969A1
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: SOOMRO, Amjad, ALSAFADI, Yasser
• Granted Patent: US 9,801,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A wireless system includes a plurality of objects. The wireless system includes a controller and a radio frequency identification (RFID) read-write device. Each of the objects includes an RFID device and a transceiver. An object and methods of tracking objects are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for managing objects in a network, comprising:

a controller in communication with at least one transmitting device (TD) distributed about the network, each of the transmitting device (TD) transmitting information regarding the transmitting device (TD) device;

an object including;

a radio frequency identification (RFID)device receiving the information transmitted by the transmitting device (TD) device;

a storage device storing the transmitting device (TD) information received;

a transmitter communicating with the controller, wherein the transmitter transmits transmitting device (TD) information collected in the storage device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device (TD) devices are independent of the controller.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the controller receiving the transmitting device (TD) information from the object and determining a path of the object through the network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device (TD) information comprises at least one of:

a location of the transmitting device (TD), an identification of the transmitting device (TD) and a time.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the object time-stamping the received transmitting device (TD) information.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the controller transmitting a polling command to the object; and

the object transmitting the collected transmitting device (TD) information in response to the polling command.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising:

the object initiates transmission of the collected transmitting device (TD) information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the object initiates transmission in response to at least one of:

a time between last transmissions of the collected transmitting device (TD) information to the controller, an amount of transmitting device (TD) information received by the object, a number of transmitting device (TD) information transmissions received by the object, a number of transmitting device (TD) devices from which information is received by the object, a determination of a deterioration of a quality of service, an amount of memory used by the object to collect the transmitting device (TD) information, and reception of information from at least one pre-determined transmitting device (TD).

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitting device (TD) information is transmitted when the object is within a range of the transmitting device (TD).

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is selected from a group consisting of:

cards, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile radio terminals, cellular phones with data terminals, portable computer, two way messaging devices, patient monitoring devices, mobile radio terminals and merchandise tags.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the polling is performed at known periods of time.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a tracking application, the tracking application being one of;

remote and local to the controller, said tracking application determining at least one location of said object based on the transmitting device (TD) information collected in the storage device.

12. The system of claim 12, wherein said known periods is one of:

one or more of a beacon periods and;

one or more of service periods.

14. A system comprising:

a plurality of transmitting devices arrange within an area, each of the transmitting devices having a limited range of transmission;

an object comprising;

a RFID device receiving signals from one of said transmitting devices when said object is within transmission range of said transmitting device; and

a processor storing information associated with the signals received signal by the RFID device; and

a controller;

receiving the stored information from the object; and

determining a condition of the object based on the received information.

15. An object comprising:

an RFID device receiving information signals from at least one of a plurality of transmitting devices; and

a processor and memory, the processor;

receiving the received information signals;

storing the received information signals in the memory;

determining an existence of at least one event for transmitting the stored information; and

generating an indication for transmitting the stored information upon the determination of the existence of at least one event; and

a transmitting device;

receiving the indication for transmitting; and

transmitting the stored information signals.

16. The object of claim 15, wherein the at least one event is at least one of:

an elapsed time since a last transmission, an amount of information collected, an amount of said memory used in storing said information signals, and receipt of an interrogation signal.

17. The object of claim 15, wherein said information signals include at least one of:

an identity of a source of the information signals and a location of a source of the information signals.

18. The object of claim 15, wherein the object is one of:

a cards, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDAs), a mobile radio terminal, a cellular phone with data terminals, a portable computers, a two-way messaging device, a patient monitoring device, a mobile radio terminal and a merchandise tag.

19. The object of claim 15 comprising:

the processor time-stamping the received information signals.

20. The object of claim 15;

comprising;

a receiver;

receiving an interrogation signal.

21. The object of claim 15, wherein

the object initiates transmission of the collected transmitting device (TD) information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the object initiates transmission in response to at least one of:

a time between last transmissions of the collected transmitting device (TD) information to the controller, an amount of transmitting device (TD) information received by the object, a number of transmitting device (TD) information transmissions received by the object, a number of transmitting device (TD) devices from which information is received by the object, a determination of a deterioration of a quality of service, an amount of memory used by the object to collect the transmitting device (TD) information, and reception of information from at least one pre-determined transmitting device (TD).