Method of managing objects using an electromagnetic guided surface waves over a terrestrial medium

• US 9,916,485 B1
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Wave LLC
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Lilly, James D., Corum, Kenneth L., Corum, James F., Pinzone, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Daniell L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Willard
• Application Number:
  US14/849,230
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• 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: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of managing objects in a site includes producing a guided surface wave with a guided surface waveguide probe, the guided surface wave having sufficient energy density to power object identification tags in an entirety of a site; receiving reply signals from the object identification tags, each object identification tag associated with an object; and identifying geolocation of one or more the objects according to received reply signals from the object identification tags that are associated with the one or more of the objects.

Claims

1. A method of managing objects in a site defined by a geographic area, comprising:

producing an electromagnetic guided surface wave along a terrestrial medium with a guided surface waveguide probe, the electromagnetic guided surface wave having sufficient energy density to power object identification tags in an entirety of the site;

receiving reply signals from the object identification tags, each object identification tag associated with a respective one of the objects; and

identifying a geolocation of one or more of the objects according to received reply signals from the object identification tags that are associated with the one or more of the objects; and

wherein the guided surface waveguide probe comprises a charge terminal elevated over the terrestrial medium and produces the electromagnetic guided surface wave by generating at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

(i,B)) of the terrestrial medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a distance between at least one receiver that receives a return signal from one of the object identification tags is greater than 30 meters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein geolocation for at least one object is determined by triangulation using a corresponding return signal that is received at two receivers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a location of at least one receiver that receives a return signal from one of the object identification tags serves as a proxy for the geolocation of the associated one of the objects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more tags are polled to emit a return signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the poll is addressed to the one or more tags and is contained in the electromagnetic guided surface wave.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, prior to receiving the reply signals from one or more tags from which the geolocation of the one or more objects are identified, placing the objects in a holding location in the site that physically accommodates the objects and that is not a pre-planned receiving place for the objects.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises storing the holding location with a computer system, recalling the holding location of the placed objects with the computer system, and retrieving the objects from the holding location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises determining a tag address for a tag associated with an object of interest, polling the tag associated with the object of interest to invoke the tag to emit a reply signal from which the receiving and geolocation identifying are carried out.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if an object is located in an unauthorized area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determination is made by detecting movement past a predetermined point or crossing a boundary between an authorized area and the unauthorized area.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the determination is made by failing to receive a return signal from the associated tag within a predetermined amount of time since the receipt of a last iteration of the return signal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein a further determination is made as whether a legitimate reason exists for the object to be located in the unauthorized area.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising initiating a security action if no legitimate reason exists for the object to be located in the unauthorized area.

15. A method of managing objects in a site defined by a geographic area, comprising:

producing an electromagnetic guided surface wave along a terrestrial medium with a guided surface waveguide probe, the electromagnetic guided surface wave having sufficient energy density to power object identification tags in an entirety of the site;

receiving reply signals from the object identification tags, each object identification tag associated with a respective one of the objects; and

inventorying the objects according to the received return signals; and

wherein the guided surface waveguide probe comprises a charge terminal elevated over the terrestrial medium and produces the electromagnetic guided surface wave by generating at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

(i,B)) of the terrestrial medium.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying geolocation of one or more the objects according to received reply signals from the object identification tags that are associated with the one or more of the objects.

17. A method of authenticating a good, comprising:

producing an electromagnetic guided surface wave along a terrestrial medium with a guided surface waveguide probe, the electromagnetic guided surface wave having sufficient energy density to power an object identification tag associated with an object, the object being the good to be authenticated;

receiving a reply signal from the object identification tag, the reply signal containing a tag identifier; and

determining if the good is authentic by matching the tag identifier with a valid identifier stored in a database; and

wherein the guided surface waveguide probe comprises a charge terminal elevated over the terrestrial medium and produces the electromagnetic guided surface wave by generating at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

(i,B)) of the terrestrial medium.