Method and system for tracking equipment employing RF-ID technology
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining a location of a transducer within one of a plurality of known areas, said transducer having at least one uniquely identifiable characteristic, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of first sensors distributed within said plurality of known areas;
a plurality of second sensors located between adjacent areas of the plurality of known areas; and
a processor in communication with a memory for;
requesting information for locating a first transducer,receiving the information from the plurality of first and second sensors, said information including said uniquely identifiable characteristic and a signal strength of the first transducer,associating said received information based on said transducer identification, anddetermining a known area of said first transducer location by correlating a relative magnitude of the signal strength received from the first transducer on each of said first and second sensors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and system for determining the location of at least one of a plurality of uniquely-identified transducers within one of a plurality of known areas (210-270). The method comprises the steps of receiving information from at least one sensor selected from a plurality of first (211, 212, 216) and second sensors (218, 228, 238), wherein the first sensors (211, 212, 216) are distributed within the plurality of known areas, and the second sensors are located between adjacent ones of the plurality of known areas (220, 240), the information including at least a transducer-unique identification, associating the received information based on the transducer identification, and determining the location based on the information received by at least one of the first sensors. In one aspect the information is a signal strength. In another aspect of the invention, the location may be determined based on information received by a plurality of the first sensors. In another aspect of the invention, the transition of the transducers from one area to an adjacent area may be determined and such transition stored in a database.
12 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining a location of a transducer within one of a plurality of known areas, said transducer having at least one uniquely identifiable characteristic, said apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of first sensors distributed within said plurality of known areas; a plurality of second sensors located between adjacent areas of the plurality of known areas; and a processor in communication with a memory for; requesting information for locating a first transducer, receiving the information from the plurality of first and second sensors, said information including said uniquely identifiable characteristic and a signal strength of the first transducer, associating said received information based on said transducer identification, and determining a known area of said first transducer location by correlating a relative magnitude of the signal strength received from the first transducer on each of said first and second sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for determining a location of at least one transducer having at least one uniquely identifiable characteristic, the at least one transducer is located within one of a plurality of known areas, the areas including first sensors distributed within said plurality of known areas and second sensors located between adjacent areas of said plurality of known areas, said method comprising acts of:
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requesting information for locating a first transducer, receiving the information from the plurality of first and second sensors, said information including said uniquely identifiable characteristic and signal strength of the first transducer; associating said received information based on said identification characteristic; and determining a known area of said first transducer location by correlating a relative magnitude of the signal strength received from the first transducer on each of said first and second sensors. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer-readable medium comprising a program of instructions for executing a method for determining a location of at least one transducer having at least one uniquely identifiable characteristic, wherein the at least one transducer is located within one of a plurality of known areas, the areas including first sensors distributed within said plurality of known areas and second sensors located between adjacent areas of said plurality of known areas, said method comprising acts of:
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requesting information for locating a first transducer, receiving the information from the plurality of first and second sensors, said information including said unique identification characteristic and signal strength of the first transducer; associating said received information based on said transducer identification; and determining a known area of the first transducer location by correlating a relative magnitude of the signal strength received from the first transducer on each of said first and second sensors. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification