Method and apparatus for aggregating and communicating tracking information

• US 7,394,372 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: G2 Microsystems Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: G2 Microsystems Pty Limited
• Inventors: Smith, Geoffrey, Foyster, Gordon, Gloekler, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blount; Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US11/026,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20050258955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• 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: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• 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: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Tracking devices having computational and communication resources receive information from a plurality of local devices, such as passive RFID tags, and collect and process the received information to determine one or more of when, where, and in what format to forward the collected information. The tracking devices typically include hardware resources for temporal- and location-awareness. In operation, these tracking devices may receive and respond to queries from remotely located tracking entities. In some embodiments, records of the communications between the devices and the remotely located tracking entities are made, and charges for the communication services are billed to the tracking entities that receive the communication services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a tracking device that is also an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, data from each of a plurality of RFID tags, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

storing the received data at the tracking device;

aggregating received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with previously received data from the RFID tag and with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags, the aggregating being at the tracking device using rules within the tracking device;

packaging the aggregated, received data at the tracking device in an appropriate format for transmission; and

transmitting the aggregated received data from the tracking device to a remote tracking entity based on rules stored within the tracking device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining at the tracking device a format in which the received data is to be transmitted and wherein packaging comprises packaging the received data into data packets that conform to the determined format.

3. A method comprising:

receiving data from each of a plurality of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags at a tracking device that is also an RFID tag, based on rules stored within the tracking device, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

storing the received data at the tracking device;

determining at the tracking device a time of receipt for receiving the data based on rules within the tracking device;

aggregating received data at the tracking device from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags;

adding a timestamp representing the determined time to the received data;

packaging the aggregated, received data in an appropriate format for transmission; and

transmitting the aggregated data from the tracking device to a remote tracking entity.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining at the tracking device a network address to which the aggregated, packaged data is to be transmitted.

5. A method comprising:

receiving data from each of a plurality of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags at a tracking device that is also an RFID tag, based on rules stored within the tracking device, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

storing the received data at the tracking device;

determining at the tracking device, based on rules within the tracking device, a location of a respective one of the RFID tags;

aggregating at the tracking device, received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags;

adding the determined location to the received data;

packaging the aggregated, received data in an appropriate format for transmission; and

transmitting the aggregated data from the tracking device to a remote tracking entity.

6. A method comprising:

receiving data from each of a plurality of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags at a tracking device that is also an RFID tag, based on rules stored within the tracking device, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

storing the received data at the tracking device;

aggregating at the tracking device, received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags;

packaging the aggregated, received data in an appropriate format for transmission;

determining at the tracking device addresses to transmit received data from at least one of the plurality of RFID tags to more than one remote entity at the tracking device based on rules within the tracking device;

determining at the tracking device a format for each remote entity; and

transmitting the aggregated data from the tracking device to a remote tracking entity.

7. A method comprising:

receiving data from each of a plurality of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags at a tracking device that is also an RFID tag, based on rules stored within the tracking device, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

storing the received data at the tracking device;

aggregating at the tracking device received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags;

packaging the aggregated, received data in an appropriate format for transmission;

determining the time at which the aggregated, received data is to be transmitted at the tracking device based on rules stored within the tracking device; and

transmitting the data to be forwarded from the tracking device to a remote tracking entity.

8. A method comprising:

receiving data from each of a plurality of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags at a tracking device that is also an RFID tag, based on rules stored within the tracking device, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

storing the received data at the tracking device;

aggregating received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags at the tracking device based on rules stored within the tracking device;

packaging the aggregated, received data in an appropriate format for transmission;

determining whether to forward any of the data received from the plurality of RFID tags at the tracking device based on rules stored within the tracking device; and

transmitting the data to be forwarded from the tracking device to a remote tracking entity.

9. A method comprising:

receiving data from each of a plurality of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags at a tracking device that is also an RFID tag, based on rules stored within the tracking device, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

receiving additional data from at least a portion of the RFID tags at a later time at the tracking device;

detecting at the tracking device whether any previous RFID tags are not present based on rules within the tracking device;

storing the received data at the tracking device;

aggregating received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags;

packaging the aggregated, received data in an appropriate format for transmission at the tracking device based on rules within the tracking device; and

sending an alert message from the tracking device to one or more tracking entities, if any previous RFID tags are not present.

10. A method comprising:

receiving data from a first RFID tag at a second RFID tag, the first RFID tag being associated with a first mobile asset to track the first mobile asset and the second RFID tag being associated with a second mobile asset to track the second mobile asset, the second mobile asset moving with the first mobile asset;

receiving data at the second RFID tag from a plurality of RFID tags, each associated with a different mobile asset to track each respective mobile asset;

storing the data received from the first RFID tag at the second RFID tag;

aggregating at the second RFID tag, the received data from each of the plurality of RFID tags including combining received data from the first RFID tag with previously received data from the first RFID tag autonomously based on rules within the second RFID tag;

sending the stored data from the second RFID tag to a third RFID tag, the third RFID tag being associated with a third mobile asset to track the third mobile asset;

reporting changes in the compiled data from the second RFID tag to the third RFID tag based on rules stored within the second RFID tag; and

sending the data received from the second RFID tag from the third RFID tag to a network interface based on rules stored within the third RFID tag.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first tag and the second tag are both active, self-powered RFID tags.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the data received from the first RFID tag includes environmental data sensed by the first RFID tag.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first RFID tag is attached to an asset;

the asset is attached to a pallet, the second RFID tag is disposed on the pallet;

the pallet is disposed within a container; and

the third RFID tag is disposed on the container.

14. A method comprising:

receiving data from a first RFID tag at a second RFID tag, the first RFID tag being associated with a first mobile asset to track the first mobile asset and the second RFID tag being associated with a second mobile asset to track the second mobile asset, the second mobile asset moving with the first mobile asset;

storing the data received from the first RFID tag at the second RFID tag;

determining an address at the second RFID tag based on rules within the second RFID tag to which the received data is to be transmitted;

determining at the tracking device a format at the second RFID tag in which the received data is to be transmitted to the determined address;

aggregating received data from the first RFID tag with data received from another RFID tag at the second RFID tag based on rules within the second RFID tag;

packaging the aggregated, received data in the determined format for transmission to the determined address;

sending the stored data from the second RFID tag to a third RFID tag based on rules stored within the second RFID tag, the third RFID tag being associated with a third mobile asset to track the third mobile asset; and

sending the data received from the second RFID tag from the third RFID tag to a network interface based on rules stored within the third RFID tag.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving data at the second RFID tag from a plurality of RFID tags, each associated with a different mobile asset to track each respective mobile asset;

aggregating the received data from each of the plurality of RFID tags; and

reporting changes in the compiled data to the third RFID tag.

16. A tacking device comprising:

a position determination system to determine the position of the tracking device;

an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) communication module to communicate with an RFID tag, and to receive data from the RFID tag, the received data including an identification code for the RFID tag;

a processing module coupled to the RFID communication module operating autonomously based on rules stored within the tracking device, to store the received data, to aggregate received data from the RFID tag with previously received data from the RFID tag, and to package the aggregated, received data in a format for transmission; and

a wireless communication module coupled to the processing module, to send the determined position of the tracking device, and to send a package of aggregated, received data from the tracking device to a remote tracking entity.

17. A tracking device comprising:

a position determination system to determine the position of the tracking device;

an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) communication module to communicate with a plurality of RFID tags, and to receive data from each of the plurality of RFID tags, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

a processing module coupled to the RFID communication operating autonomously based on rules stored within the tracking device, to determine a time of receipt for receiving the data, to store the received data, to aggregate received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags, adding a timestamp representing the determined time to the received data, and to package the aggregated, received data in a format for transmission; and

a wireless communication module coupled to the processing module, to send the determined position of the tracking device, and to send a package of aggregated, received data from the tracking device to a remote entity.

18. The tracking device of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication module comprises a cellular telephone module.

19. The tracking device of claim 17, further comprising an RFID energizing circuit coupled to the processing module through the RFID communications module.

20. The tracking device of claim 17, wherein the processor module is operable to aggregate data from multiple passive RFID tags, and to determine one or more destination addresses for the aggregated data.

21. A tracking device comprising:

a position determination system to determine the position of the tracking device;

an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) communication module to communicate with an RFID tag, and to receive data from the RFID tag, the received data including an identification code for the RFID tag;

a processing module coupled to the RFID communication module operating autonomously based on rules stored within the tracking device, to determine a location of the RFID tag, to store the received data, to aggregate received data from the RFID tag with the determined location of the RFID tag, and to package the aggregated, received data in a format for transmission; and

a wireless communication module coupled to the processing module to send the determined position of the tracking device, and to send a package of aggregated, received data from the tracking device to a remote entity.

22. A tracking device comprising:

a position determination system to determine the position of the tracking device;

an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) communication module to communicate with a plurality of RFID tags, and to receive data from each of the plurality of RFID tags, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

a processing module coupled to the RFID communication module operating autonomously based on rules stored within the tracking device, to store the received data, to aggregate received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags, to determine addresses to transmit the received data from at least one of the plurality of RFID tags to more than one remote entity, to determine a format for each remote entity, and to package the aggregated, received data in the determined formats for transmission; and

a wireless communication module coupled to the processing module, to send a package of aggregated, received data to the more than one remote entities.

23. A tracking device comprising:

a position determination system to determine the position of the tracking device;

an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) communication module to communicate with a plurality of RFID tags, and to receive data from each of the plurality of RFID tags, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

a processing module coupled to the RFID communication module operating autonomously based on rules stored within the tracking device, to store the received data, to aggregate received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags, to package the aggregated, received data in the determined format for transmission, and to determine the time at which the aggregated, received data is to be transmitted; and

a wireless communication module coupled to the processing module, to send the determined position of the tracking device, and to send a package of aggregated, received data from the tracking device to a remote entity.

24. A tracking device comprising:

a position determination system to determine the position of the tracking device;

an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) communication module to communicate with a plurality of RFID tags, and to receive data from each of the plurality of RFID tags, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag;

a processing module coupled to the RFID communication module operating autonomously based on rules stored within the tracking device, to store the received data, to aggregate received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags, to package the aggregated, received data in the determined format for transmission, and to determine whether to forward any of the data received from the plurality of RFID tags; and

a wireless communication module coupled to the processing module, to send the determined position of the tracking device, and to send a package of aggregated, received data from the tracking device to a remote entity.

25. A tracking device comprising:

a position determination system to determine the position of the tracking device;

an RFID(Radio Frequency Identification) communication module, to communicate with a plurality of RFID tags, to receive data from each of the plurality of RFID tags, the received data including an identification code for each RFID tag, and to receive additional data from at least a portion of the RFID tags at a later time;

a processing module coupled to the RFID communication module operating autonomously based on rules stored within the tracking device, to store the received data, to aggregate received data from one of the plurality of RFID tags with received data from another one of the plurality of RFID tags, to package the aggregated, received data in the determined format for transmission, and to detect whether any previous RFID tags are not present; and

a wireless communication module coupled to the processing module, to send the determined position of the tracking device, to send a package of aggregated, received data, and to send an alert message to one or more tracking entities, if any previous RFID tags are not present.