Sensing with active electronic tags

• US 5,892,441 A
• Filed: 06/26/1996
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PAR Government Systems Corporation (Par Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PAR Government Systems Corporation (Par Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Woolley, Louis A., Weimar, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/670,621
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539, 340/531, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.49, 340/825.36, 340/572, 342/357, 342/450, 342/457, 235/384
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/78 discriminating between different kinds of targets, e.g. IFF-radar, i.e. identification of friend or foe G01S13/75, G01S13/79 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4091 during normal radar operation
• 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 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers
• 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: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2488 Timing issues, e.g. synchronising measures to avoid signal collision, with multiple emitters or a single emitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range

Abstract

An object in a storage area or moving vehicle is monitored by attaching an electronic tag to the object. An electronic device detects the presence of the object by communicating with the tag while the object is in storage or is being moved by the vehicle. The tags may also determine the location of an attached object and may reroute the object if it deviates from a given shipping schedule. A group of objects is monitored by two electronic tags, each attached to an object in the group. Each tag has circuitry for communicating information relating to an object in the group to a second tag. Each tag also includes a memory connected to the circuitry that is capable of storing the information, and a controller connected to the memory and the circuitry. A sensor is used to detect the condition of an object and communicate the condition to a tag.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and affecting actions on behalf of a group of objects, comprising:

a first electronic tag attached to a first mobile object in the group, comprising;

circuitry for communicating with another tag, the circuitry communicating at least information pertaining to an object in the group, and

a memory connected to the circuitry and capable of storing the information,

a second electronic tag attached to a second mobile object in the group, the second mobile object being mobile relative to the first mobile object in the group, the second mobile object being configured to allow the first mobile object to remain substantially stationary relative to a reference point while the second mobile object is in motion relative to the reference point, the second electronic tag being a peer of the first electronic tag, the second electronic tag comprising

circuitry for directly communicating the information with the first electronic tag, the circuitry being configured to sustain direct communication with the first electronic tag while the second mobile object is in motion relative to the first mobile object,

a memory connected to the circuitry in the second electronic tag and capable of storing the information, and

a sensor detecting the condition of an object and communicating the condition to the circuitry in the first electronic tag.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the information includes the condition.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first electronic tag further comprises a controller connected to the memory and the circuitry, the memory in the first electronic tag comprising

a stored threshold related to the condition, and

a program configuring the controller in the first electronic tag to perform a function when the controller reads the memory, the function causing the controller to compare the condition to the threshold and to employ the circuitry to report a deviation from the threshold to the second electronic tag.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the information includes a present time, the first electronic tag further comprising a controller connected to the memory and the circuitry, the memory in the first electronic tag comprising

a stored set of thresholds, each threshold being associated with a given time, and

a program configuring the controller in the first electronic tag to perform a function when the controller reads the memory, the function causing the controller to compare the condition to a threshold associated with the present time.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the information includes a location of the first electronic tag, the first electronic tag further comprising a controller connected to the memory and the circuitry, the memory in the first electronic tag comprising

a stored set of thresholds, each threshold being associated with a given location, and

a program configuring the controller in the first electronic tag to perform a function when the controller reads the memory, the function causing the controller to compare the condition to a threshold associated with the location of the first electronic tag.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an analog sensor.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the object comprises a vehicle, and the sensor comprises a fuel level sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a digital sensor.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the object comprises a vehicle, the sensor being coupled to a door of the vehicle to determine whether the door is open or closed.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the object comprises a vehicle, the sensor being coupled to a brake of the vehicle to determine whether the brake is released.

12. An electronic tag, comprising

a mechanism for attaching the electronic tag to a first mobile asset,

circuitry for directly communicating with a second tag attached to a second mobile asset, the second tag being a peer of the electronic tag, the circuitry communicating at least information pertaining to said first mobile asset, the first mobile asset being mobile relative to the second mobile asset, the first mobile asset being configured to allow the second mobile asset to remain substantially stationary relative to a reference point while the first mobile asset is in motion relative to the reference point, the circuitry being configured to sustain direct communication with the second tag while the first mobile asset is in motion relative to the second mobile asset,

a memory connected to the circuitry and storing the information,

a controller connected to the memory and the circuitry, and

a sensor connected to the controller, the sensor detecting a condition of at least one of the following:

the asset and the environment of the asset.