Method and apparatus for tracking objects and people

• US 7,834,766 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automated Tracking Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Automated Tracking Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Sawyer, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US12/418,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/573.1, 340/5.92, 340/10.1, 340 104- 1042, 235/385, 705/22, 705/28, 700/215, 700/225
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• 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: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child

Abstract

An object locating, identifying, tracking, and surveillance system, denoted the Assets Locating, Tracking, and Surveillance System (ALTSS), is provided for managing physical objects and evidence in environments such as police departments, law offices, and the Courts. ALTSS employs radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, computer programming and database applications, networking technologies, and hardware elements. ALTSS may locate and track physical evidence, merchandise, information carriers like files, folders or individual pieces of paper, and people, under certain conditions, in near-real time. It may be configured as part of a local area network, a wide area network, or the Internet. ALTSS may employ exemplary components such as RFID transponders, scanners, strategically located antennas and computers to facilitate tracking of objects and people as needed. Any number of users having access privileges and connected to the network may access ALTSS directly or remotely via the Internet to locate and track evidence or objects.

Claims

1. A system for locating, identifying and/or tracking of an object, the system comprising:

a first transponder associated with the object;

a reader that is configured to receive first transponder data via a radio frequency (RF) signal from the first transponder;

an antenna in communication with the reader and having a first coverage area;

a processor coupled to the reader, wherein the processor is configured to receive the first transponder data from the reader and to generate detection information based on the received first transponder data, the detection information comprising first sighting and last sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area; and

a storage device that is configured to store the detection information.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of transponders, readers and antennas.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a server logically connectable to the reader.

4. The system according to claim 1, the antenna being affixed to at least one of:

an entrance of a facility;

an exit of the facility;

a wall of the facility;

a ceiling of the facility; and

furniture within the facility.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first plurality of transponders in the first coverage area, wherein the first transponder is one of the first plurality of transponders.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the storage device is further configured to store a first table including transponders in the first plurality of transponders detected by the reader during a first monitoring period.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a second plurality of transponders in the first coverage area.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the storage device is further configured to store a second table including transponders in the second plurality of transponders detected by the reader during the first monitoring period.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the first table with the second table to determine if the first transponder has exited the first coverage area during the first monitoring period.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first table includes the last sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the first table with the second table to determine if a second transponder has entered the first coverage area during the first monitoring period.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second table includes a first sighting of the second transponder in the first coverage area.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the first table with the second table to determine if the first transponder is dwelling in the first coverage area.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first table includes the first sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area and the second table includes the last sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the storage device is further configured to store a second table including transponders in the second plurality of transponders detected by the reader during a second monitoring period.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the first table with the second table to determine if the first transponder has exited the first coverage area during the second monitoring period.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first table includes the last sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the first table with the second table to determine if a second transponder has entered the first coverage area during the second monitoring period.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second table includes a first sighting of the second transponder in the first coverage area.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the first table with the second table to determine if the first transponder is dwelling in the first coverage area.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first table includes the first sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area and the second table includes the last sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area.

22. The system of claim 6, wherein the first table includes the first sighting and last sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area.

23. The system of claim 5, wherein each transponder of the first plurality of transponders is configured to be affixed to a different object.

24. The system of claim 5, wherein the reader is configured to perform a continuous series of read cycles during a first period of time, wherein the reader is further configured to read one or more transponders in the first plurality of transponders in the first coverage area during a read cycle.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the reader is further configured to perform a second continuous series of read cycles during a second period of time, wherein the reader is further configured to read one or more transponders in a second plurality of transponders in the first coverage area during the second period of time.

26. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first plurality of transponders in the first coverage area, wherein the first plurality of transponders includes the first transponder.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a second antenna having a second coverage area.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the second antenna is configured to transmit and receive RF signals to and from a second plurality of transponders in the second coverage area.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein a detection area of the reader includes the first coverage area and the second coverage area.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the storage device is further configured to store a first table including transponders in the detection area of the reader detected by the reader during a first monitoring period.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to compare transponders in the first table with the first transponder.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the detection information indicates that the first transponder entered the detection area of the reader if the first transponder is not included in the first table.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the detection information indicates that the first transponder has been previously detected in the detection area of the reader if the first transponder is included in the first table.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage device is further configured to store a first table including transponders in a first plurality of transponders detected by the reader during a prior monitoring period.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to compare transponders in the first table with the first transponder.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the detection information indicates that the first transponder has entered the first coverage area if the first transponder is not included in the first table.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the detection information indicates that the first transponder has been previously detected if the first transponder is included in the first table.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is integrated with the reader.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader is configured to process the first transponder data to locate, identify, and track the object.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is external to the reader.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is wirelessly coupled to the reader.

42. The system of claim 1, wherein the last sighting indicates that the first transponder left the first coverage area.

43. The system of claim 1, wherein the last sighting indicates that the first transponder is dwelling in the first coverage area.

44. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area includes a timestamp.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the last sighting of the first transponder in the first coverage area includes a timestamp.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transponder is configured to be affixed to the object.

47. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is coupled to a data communications network.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the data communications network is the Internet.

49. The system of claim 1, wherein a user terminal is coupled to the processor.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the user terminal includes an application configured to determine status and location information of the object.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the user terminal accesses an application configured to determine status and location information of the object.

52. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coverage area is within a facility and wherein the facility comprises a plurality of additional coverage areas.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the facility is a department store, a warehouse, or a hospital.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein the antenna is situated at an entrance of the facility.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the antenna is situated at an exit of the facility.

56. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader is connected to a plurality of antennas, each having a different antenna coverage area.

57. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection information includes a null value.

58. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a person.

59. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to update the detection information for the first transponder each time the reader receives data from the first transponder.

60. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sighting and last sighting are each represented by a single bit.

61. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transponder is an active tag.

62. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transponder is a passive tag.

63. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection information further includes a single bit that indicates whether the first transponder is dwelling in the first coverage area.

64. A method of locating, identifying and/or tracking an object by a system, the method comprising:

associating a passive or active transponder with the object;

providing a reader configured to receive data from the transponder via a radio frequency signal;

providing an antenna in communication with the reader and having an associated coverage area;

providing a processor coupled to the reader, the processor configured to generate detection information based on the received data, the detection information comprising first sighting and last sighting of the transponder in the coverage area; and

providing a storage device that is configured to store the detection information.

65. The method according to claim 64, further comprising:

providing a plurality of transponders, readers and antennas.

66. The method according to claim 64, wherein providing a processor further comprises:

providing a processor as at least one server logically connectable to the reader.

67. The method according to claim 64, affixing the antenna to at least one of:

an entrance of a facility;

an exit of the facility;

a wall of the facility;

a ceiling of the facility; and

furniture within the facility.