Systems and methods for location of objects
AssigneeCoVi Technologies, Inc.
InventorRichard G. Washington
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods that may be employed to visually locate and/or track objects equipped with active RFID tags. The disclosed systems and methods may employ an articulated camera/s, such as closed circuit television (“CCTV”) or other suitable type of articulated camera/s, that is equipped with an antenna array.
Claims89
A camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device.
A camera assembly comprising an optical block and at least one of an embedded RF receiver or an embedded RF antenna;
- wherein said embedded RF antenna is configured to receive a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device;
- and wherein said embedded RF receiver is configured to receive from a RF antenna a RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device.
A visual locating system, comprising:
- a plurality of camera assemblies, each of said camera assemblies comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from a RF antenna one or more RF signals comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device;
- and
- a computer processor in communication with each of said plurality of camera assemblies.
A method of locating objects in a passenger terminal, comprising:
- associating a first RFID device with a passenger;
- and
- locating said passenger within said passenger terminal using a RF transmission broadcast by said first RFID device.
A method of visually locating objects, comprising:
- associating a RFID device with an object;
- providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device;
- receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna;
- and
- visually locating said object using said optical block of said camera assembly based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna.
A method of aligning an optical block of a camera assembly with an RFID device, comprising:
- providing a camera assembly unit comprising an optical block and a RF receiver, said RF receiver being configured to receive from an antenna an RF signal comprising a RFID broadcast transmitted by said RFID device;
- receiving a RFID broadcast transmitted by a RFID device, said RFID broadcast being received by said RF receiver from said antenna;
- and
- aligning said optical block of said camera assembly with said RFID device based on said RFID broadcast received by said RF receiver from said antenna.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.