Object monitoring, locating, and tracking system and method employing RFID devices
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring a container having an exterior surface with a closable opening therein that when closed defines a closable substantially electromagnetically shielded interior space, said system comprising:
- an RFID device disposed in the interior space of the container, said RFID device comprising;
a memory having stored therein unique identifying information;
an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic signals;
a modulator coupled to said memory for modulating the unique identifying information stored in said memory; and
a transmitter coupled to said modulator and to said antenna for transmitting messages via said antenna, wherein each of the messages includes the modulated unique identifying information;
wherein when the closable opening of the container is closed said RFID device therein is substantially electromagnetically shielded and when the container is not closed said RFID device therein is not substantially electromagnetically shielded; and
a receiving device exterior to the container, said receiving device comprising a receiver for receiving messages transmitted by said RFID device interior the container;
wherein messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the container is closed are received by the receiving device exterior to the container with certain respective power levels and messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the container is not closed are received by the receiving device exterior to the container with different respective power levels; and
wherein the power levels of the messages received by said receiving device exterior the container are processed for providing an indication of whether the container is closed, is not closed, has been closed, or has been not closed, or any combination thereof,whereby an opening of and/or tampering with the container may be detected.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An RFID system and method utilizes the power level of messages received from an RFID device for monitoring and/or locating and/or tracking the RFID device, e.g., and typically an object associated with the RFID device. The power level of received messages may be indicated by power level information contained in the message, or by the strength of the received signal carrying the message, or by both. The RFID system and method may be employed to monitor a condition of an object, e.g., a closable container, as to whether it is and/or has been closed or not, including being tampered with. Messages received from the RFID device, as well as an indication of a condition, may be relayed to a remote location.
163 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring a container having an exterior surface with a closable opening therein that when closed defines a closable substantially electromagnetically shielded interior space, said system comprising:
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an RFID device disposed in the interior space of the container, said RFID device comprising; a memory having stored therein unique identifying information; an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic signals; a modulator coupled to said memory for modulating the unique identifying information stored in said memory; and a transmitter coupled to said modulator and to said antenna for transmitting messages via said antenna, wherein each of the messages includes the modulated unique identifying information; wherein when the closable opening of the container is closed said RFID device therein is substantially electromagnetically shielded and when the container is not closed said RFID device therein is not substantially electromagnetically shielded; and a receiving device exterior to the container, said receiving device comprising a receiver for receiving messages transmitted by said RFID device interior the container; wherein messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the container is closed are received by the receiving device exterior to the container with certain respective power levels and messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the container when the container is not closed are received by the receiving device exterior to the container with different respective power levels; and wherein the power levels of the messages received by said receiving device exterior the container are processed for providing an indication of whether the container is closed, is not closed, has been closed, or has been not closed, or any combination thereof, whereby an opening of and/or tampering with the container may be detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for monitoring a container having at least one RFID device interior thereto, said method comprising:
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providing an RFID device interior to a closable container, the RFID device periodically transmitting messages; wherein each of the messages includes information uniquely identifying the RFID device, and wherein messages that are transmitted when the closable container is closed are substantially attenuated by the closable container, and wherein messages that are transmitted when the closable container is not closed are not substantially attenuated by the closable container; receiving messages transmitted by the RFID device interior the closable container by a receiving device exterior the closable container; whereby messages that are transmitted when the closable container is closed are not received by the receiving device or are received with certain respective power levels and wherein messages that are transmitted when the closable container is not closed are received by the receiving device with different respective power levels; and determining from the power levels of messages received from the RFID device whether the closable container is closed, is not closed, has been closed, or has been not closed, or any combination thereof, whereby an opening of and/or tampering with the closable container may be detected. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for monitoring one or more objects each having an RFID device associated therewith, said method comprising:
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transmitting messages from the RFID device at different power levels or at a defined power level or at different defined power levels, wherein each of the messages includes information uniquely identifying the RFID device; relaying the messages transmitted by each RFID device and information representative of the power level thereof; and processing the relayed messages for determining the location of each RFID device, said processing comprising; processing the unique identifying information and the information representative of the power level of each relayed message for associating the relayed messages from each RFID device and the power level of the messages from each RFID device, and selecting the relayed messages from a particular RFID device that are at the power level that produces at least two corresponding messages relayed by at least two different relaying devices for determining the location of that particular RFID device and its associated object therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for monitoring or locating, or for monitoring and locating, an object having an RFID device associated therewith, said method comprising:
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transmitting messages at a given power level from the RFID device, wherein each of the messages includes information uniquely identifying the RFID device and information representing the power level at which the message is transmitted; receiving the messages transmitted by the RFID device; and determining a signal strength of received signals containing the received messages transmitted by the RFID device; determining the unique identifying information and the power level information included in each received message; and processing the determined signal strength, the determined power level information, or both, for determining the location of the RFID device or for monitoring the RFID device, or for both determining the location of the RFID device and for monitoring the RFID device, wherein said processing includes comparing relative values of the power level information and the determined signal strength to determine an attenuation, wherein the attenuation is representative of a distance between the RFID device and a receiver of the received messages, a condition of a container in which the RFID device is disposed, or both, whereby the location and/or condition of the object with which the RFID device is associated may be determined and/or monitored. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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Specification