US 2010/0164710 A1Published application

Object monitoring, locating, and tracking system and method employing rfid devices

AssigneePanasec Corporation

InventorsKevin Kwong-Tai Chung, Cynthia Ting-Wah Chu, Jing Jian Li

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Abstract

An RFID system and method utilizes an RFID device, wherein the RFID device senses a thing or condition interior to a closable container at or proximate the RFID device and transmits messages. The messages include information uniquely identifying the RFID device and information relating to the thing or condition sensed at or proximate the RFID device. Information in the received messages relating to the thing or condition sensed at or proximate the RFID device of messages are employed for determining 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. Messages received from the RFID device, as well as an indication of a condition, may be relayed to a remote location.

Claims47

Dependent claims

A system for monitoring a container having an exterior surface with a closable opening therein that when closed defines a closable substantially shielded interior space, said system comprising:

an RFID device comprising:
a sensor of a thing or condition interior to a closable container at or proximate said RFID device;
a memory having stored therein unique identifying information;
a modulator for modulating information relating to the thing or condition sensed by said sensor and coupled to said memory for modulating the unique identifying information stored in said memory;
and
a transmitter coupled to said modulator for transmitting messages, wherein each of the messages includes the modulated information;
an antenna coupled to the transmitter of said RFID device for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic signals;
and
a receiving device exterior to the container, said receiving device comprising a receiver for receiving messages transmitted by said RFID device;
wherein messages transmitted by the RFID device at least when the container is not closed are received by the receiving device exterior to the container;
and
wherein at least the unique identifying information of said RFID device and the information relating to the thing or condition sensed by said sensor 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.

10 more elements

A method for monitoring a container having at least one RFID device interior thereto, said method comprising:

providing an RFID device, wherein the RFID device senses a thing or condition interior to a closable container at or proximate the RFID device and transmits messages;
wherein the messages transmitted include information uniquely identifying the RFID device and information relating to the thing or condition sensed at or proximate the RFID device,
receiving messages transmitted by the RFID device by a receiving device exterior the closable container;
and
determining from the information uniquely identifying the RFID device and the information relating to the thing or condition sensed at or proximate the RFID device 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.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/650,054Filed 30 Dec 2009
Priority: 26 Aug 2004
Published: 1 Jul 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

G01S 5/0018
Transmission of position information to remote stations: transmission from mobile station to base station
G01S 5/0294
Using radio waves: trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
G06Q 10/08
Administration; Management: logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…

Family

Application60/605,287Us provisional application · filed 26 Aug 2004
Application60/607,404Us provisional application · filed 3 Sep 2004
Application60/628,866Us provisional application · filed 15 Nov 2004
Application60/657,948Us provisional application · filed 2 Mar 2005
Application60/660,033Us provisional application · filed 9 Mar 2005
Application60/663,837Us provisional application · filed 21 Mar 2005
Application60/672,002Us provisional application · filed 15 Apr 2005
Application11/198,439Continuation in part · filed 5 Aug 2005
Application11/198,711Continuation in part · filed 5 Aug 2005
Application11/198,747Continuation in part · filed 5 Aug 2005
Application60/802,881Us provisional application · filed 19 May 2006
Application11/749,976Division · filed 17 May 2007
Application12/650,054Division
Application11/749,976Continuation in part
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US 2010/0164710 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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