RFID system for locating people, objects and things

• US 7,327,251 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bradford G. Corbett Jr
• Original Assignee: Bradford G. Corbett Jr
• Inventors: Corbett, Bradford G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/138,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/5.2, 340/5.8, 340/539.15, 340/825.36, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/5.81, 340/539.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 455/404.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• 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 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A monitoring and location system for mobile objects is shown which includes a control center to monitor the movement of mobile objects to and from a prescribed local area and a prescribed wide area. Each mobile object is provided with a separate RFID tag which has a unique electronic indicia stored thereon for transmission by a radio frequency signal upon request from an RFID interrogation unit. The local areas includes egress zones and ingress zones, each zone having its own RFID interrogation unit for monitoring the ingress and egress, respectively, of its own group of RFID tags. When an RFID tag has egressed or ingressed one of the zones, the RFID transmits its unique electronic indicia to the RFID interrogation unit of one of the zones, and when the RFID interrogation unit has received the indicia, the RFID interrogation unit transmits a signal including such indicia to the control center. The control center transmits information concerning the location of the mobile object to an end user by means of a dedicated personal electronic device carried or worn by the end user.

Claims

1. A monitoring and location system for mobile objects, the system comprising:

a control center to monitor the movement of mobile objects to and from a prescribed local area and a prescribed wide area;

a separate RFID tag for each mobile object of a group being monitored;

wherein the mobile object is a person to be tracked and wherein said RFID tag is carried upon the person to be tracked and is affixed to a selected one of a garment, hat or shoes of the person, each RFID tag having a unique electronic indicia stored thereon for transmission by a radio frequency signal upon request from an RFID interrogation unit;

wherein the prescribed local areas comprise a plurality of zones which include egress zones and ingress zones, each zone having its own RFID interrogation unit for monitoring the ingress and egress, respectively, of its own group of RFID tags;

wherein, when an RFID tag has egressed or ingressed one of the zones, said RFID transmits its unique electronic indicia to the RFID interrogation unit of one of the zones, and when the RFID interrogation unit has received the indicia, the RFID interrogation unit transmits a signal including such indicia to the control center;

wherein the control center further comprises;

means for receiving transmissions from a plurality of RFID tags;

means for selectivity displaying the location of the RFID tags; and

an alarm for indicating receipt of the indication that the tag, and hence an associated mobile object, has left the defined area; and

wherein the control center sends an alert to a system user when an RFID tag being tracked leaves a selected one of the local or wide areas by means of a personal electronic device carried by the system user, the personal electronic device being selected form the group consisting of a cell phone, a PDA, a pager and a wrist watch.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID is sewn within a lining of an article of clothing worn by the person to be tracked.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting and said means for receiving comprise a host computer with at least one microprocessor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said local area is an area selected from the group consisting of schools, sports arenas, museums, amusement parks, casinos, hotels, zoos, ski resorts, shopping malls, homes and residences, and neighborhood associations.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said means for communicating information about the location of individuals of the group at the control station comprises the preparation of a map of the environment and display of the map at a video terminal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said displayed map includes different icons or pictures each representing an individual of the group wherein the icons or pictures are located at the position on the map corresponding to the position where the individual is in the environment.

7. The system of claim 6, further including connection of the host computer to a security force which is notified when an alarm is broadcast by the control center.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is encapsulated in an encapsulating material which renders is impervious to normal environmental influences.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the RFID is encapsulated in a liquid resin which is subsequently cured.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the RFID is encapsulated in an epoxy resin.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the RFID contains sensitive electrical components and wherein the sensitive electrical components are physically isolated from the environment by enclosing the components in a top and bottom layer of heat resistant polymeric materials.