EP1239634A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hybrid Bluetooth/RFID based real time location tracking
Assignee: Symbol Technologies LLC
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Filing: 2001-10-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2021-10-16
Abstract
Abstract Devices having either wireless data communication capability or RFID tags can be located using dual function fixed devices which are distributed throughout a facility. The devices will identify those units with which they are communicating using a wireless radio data communications protocol and also identify items within the local area using RFID tags on the units. <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Raj Bridgehall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 11:05
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S13/00; G01S13/74; G01S13/76; G01S13/765; G01S11/00; G01S11/02; G01S5/00; G01S5/0009; G01S5/02; G01S5/12; G08; G08B; G08B13/00; G08B13/22; G08B13/24; G08B13/2402; G08B13/2451; G08B13/2462; H; H04; H04W; H04W64/00; H04W84/00; H04W84/18; H04W84/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
A method for locating items, comprising: providing a plurality of distributed fixed devices; operating each said fixed device as a master units using first
wireless data communications protocol, each said master unit controlling slave units
within at least one area corresponding to the location of each said fixed device, said
operating including identifying said slave units thereby to locate items corresponding to
said slave units within said area; and operating each said fixed device as an RFID reader to identify
items having RFID tags within said area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as specified in claim 1, further comprising providing
items with slave units using said wireless data protocol and RFID tags.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as specified in claim 1, wherein said fixed device is
operated as a master unit and as an RFID reader during alternating time periods.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as specified in claim 1, wherein said plurality of fixed
devices are distributed at intervals corresponding to twice the range of said devices
operating as RFID readers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
108 words
A method as specified in claim 1, wherein said operation to
identify and locate items having RFID tags comprises transmitting RFID reader signals,
receiving RFID response signals and determining the range of an RFID device from said
fixed device using said response signals, and/ or wherein preferably said range is determined
from the phase of said response signals, and/ or wherein preferably said phase is determined
at a plurality of frequencies, and/ or wherein preferably operating said device as
an RFID reader includes transmitting and receiving RFID signals on a directional antenna
beam to thereby determine the direction of an RFID device with respect to a fixed device.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
122 words
A system for locating items comprising a plurality of fixed devices
distributed over an area and subdividing said area into a plurality of cells, each fixed
device corresponding to one or more of said cells, said fixed devices each comprising a
transmitter, a receiver and a signal processor, each said fixed devices being arranged to
operate as master units using a first wireless data communications protocol to
communicate with slave units in said one or more cells corresponding to said fixed device
to thereby locate items having said slave devices in said one or more cells, and said fixed
devices being arranged to operate as RFID tag readers to identify and locate RFID tags on
items in said one or more cells.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as specified in claim 6, wherein said fixed devices are
arranged to communicate location data relating to said items having slave units and said
items having RFID tags to a host processor.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
82 words
A device comprising: at least one transmitter; at least one receiver; and a processor coupled to provide signals for transmission by said
transmitter and coupled to process signals received by said receiver; said processor
including a first program for sending and receiving digital data signals using a first
wireless data communication protocol and thereby identifying remote units within range
for communication therewith and a second program for sending and receiving RFID
reading signals to thereby identify RFID tags within range for identification.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
120 words
A device as specified in claim 8, wherein said second program
further provides for determining range from said device to said RFID tags, and/ or wherein preferably said device includes two
transmitters and two receivers for respectively transmitting and receiving wireless data
communications signals and RFID signals, and/ or wherein preferably said two transmitters
and two receivers are coupled to said processor by a common baseband signal processor, and/ or wherein preferably said processor is
arranged to cause said device to operate using said first and second program during
alternating time intervals, and/ or wherein preferably said processor is further
programmed to provide data identifying said remote units within range and data
identifying said RFID tags to a host processor.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
28 words
A method for locating items, comprising: providing a plurality of distributed fixed devices; operating each said fixed device as a master units using first wireless data
communications protocol.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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