Mobile locator system and method with wander management
AssigneeRF Technologies, Inc.
InventorsEric Heinze, Gregg Haensgen, Nathan Gerner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A locator/wander management system includes a handheld unit for providing an interrogation signal. The handheld unit can be a handheld computer or PDA including an RF module. The interrogation signal is received by an RF tag. The RF tag can include a power source and a memory. The memory can store an indication of the date of installation of the battery. The RF tag can provide the indication to the handheld unit in response to the interrogation signal. The RF tag can also provide signals for a wander management system.
Claims20
A locator/wander management system, comprising:
- a handheld unit for receiving a beacon signal;
- a tag unit for periodically providing the beacon signal, wherein the handheld unit determines a presence of the tag unit in response to the beacon signal;
- and
- at least one wander monitor associated with a location, wherein the tag unit periodically provides a wander monitor signal, and the wander monitor receives the wander monitor signal and secures an egress or ingress associated with the location in response to the wander monitor signal.
A method of locating an article or person, the method comprising:
- providing an interrogation signal with a handheld computer equipped with an RF interface;
- providing a first signal in response to the interrogation signal with a tag unit associated with the article or person;
- displaying on the handheld computer an indication of the presence or absence of the article or person in response to the first signal;
- and
- securing an egress or ingress in response to a second signal from the tag unit.
A wander management/locator system, comprising:
- a mobile transceiver for providing an interrogation signal and receiving periodic beacon signals;
- a plurality of tag units, each tag unit responds to the interrogation signal, each tag unit including a memory storing an identification, a UHF circuit, and a VLF circuit, the UHF circuit receiving the interrogation signal and providing the identification to the handheld unit in response to the interrogation signal using the UHF circuit, the UHF circuit also providing the periodic beacon signals;
- and
- at least one stationary receiver associated with an exit, wherein the tag unit periodically provides a VLF signal via the VLF circuit, and the stationary receiver receives the VLF signal and secures the exit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.