Method and apparatus for identifying locating or monitoring equipment or other objects

• US 5,910,776 A
• Filed: 12/04/1996
• Issued: 06/08/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: ID Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON JR, WILLIAM HALL
• Application Number:
  US08/753,968
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.35, 340/825.52, 340/825.07, 340/825.54, 340/825.71, 340/825.72, 340/825.76, 340/686, 340/687, 340/537, 340/572, 340/310.01 , 340/310.06, 340/310.08, 342/44, 342/50, 395/208, 395/228, 395/222
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying, locating, and monitoring equipment or other objects is described wherein a radio frequency identification transponder (RFID) is housed on, around, or within a connector, such as an electrical plug used for powering electrical or electronic equipment. The transponder can then be automatically read by a RFID reader housed at a connector receptacle, such as within an electrical outlet, whenever the connector is attached same. The present invention allows an equipment tracking system to automatically identify, locate, and/or monitor equipment or other objects.

Claims

1. A method for identifying, locating, and/or monitoring an object having a connector which can be connected to a receptacle for at least one reason other than identifying locating and/or monitoring the object comprising the steps of:

a) attaching a transponder to the connector;

b) attaching a non-contact reader having a reading range to the receptacle;

c) reading information from the transponder with the reader when the transponder is in the reading range;

d) using the information read from the reader to identify, locate, and/or monitor the object.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transponder is a radio frequency transponder and the non-contact reader is a radio frequency reader.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said reading step includes the step of reading identification information of the object and said using step includes the step of transmitting the information through an information network to a computer tracking system and comparing the identification information to a database of objects stored at the computer tacking system to determine the identity of the object.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said locating step includes the step of compiling a database of the location of the reader and comparing the identification information to the reader to determine the location of the object.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein said reading step includes the step of reading monitoring information and said monitoring step includes the step of monitoring the monitoring information.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the monitoring information includes the time when the reading step starts being performed.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the monitoring information further includes the time when the reading step stops being performed.

8. An apparatus for identifying an object having a connector which can be connected to a receptacle for at least one reason other than identifying the object comprising:

a) a transponder attached to the connector; and

b) a non-contact reader having a read range attached to the receptacle so that when the connector is within the read range the reader can read object information from the transponder.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the transponder is a radio frequency transponder and the non-contact reader is a radio frequency reader.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the object is a piece of electrical equipment.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the connector is an electrical plug.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the receptacle is an electrical outlet.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising an object information database stored at a computer tracking station and an information network for distributing the object information to or from the object information database from or to the non-contact reader.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said object information database includes object identification information.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said object information database includes object location information.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said object information database includes object monitoring information.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said monitoring information includes information on the power consumption of said object.

18. An apparatus for identifying a piece of electrical equipment having a plug which can connect to an electrical outlet comprising:

a) a radio frequency transponder attached to the plug, said transponder having equipment identification information;

b) a radio frequency reader having a read range so that when said transponder is within said read range said reader can read said equipment identification information and wherein said transponder is within said read range when said plug is plugged into said electrical outlet;

c) an information network for distributing information from at least one radio frequency reader including said reader to a central location; and

d) an information database for storing information received at said central location, said database including equipment identification and said equipment location.