US 2019/0197853 A1 · SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TAG MANAGEMENT AND THEFT DETECTION

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing a tag. The methods comprise: placing the tag in a first operational mode in which an internal component (“IC”) necessary to facilitate communication between the tag and a tag reader (“TR”) are intentionally disabled; storing in the tag's data store a schedule specifying a scheduled time during which the tag is permitted to communicate with TR; selectively enabling IC at the scheduled time to permit the tag to communicate with TR; performing monitoring operations at the tag to determine when a predetermined condition has been detected; and causing the tag to autonomously perform an alerting function when the predetermined condition has been detected. The alerting function comprises (a) enabling a receiver of the tag to communicate with TR at an unscheduled time, and/or (b) activating an alert by enabling a hardware alerting component provided on the tag.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method for managing a tag, comprising:

placing the tag in a first operational mode in which at least one internal component necessary to facilitate communication between the tag and a tag reader is disabled;
storing in a data store of the tag a schedule specifying at least one scheduled time during which the tag is permitted to communicate with a tag reader;
selectively enabling the at least one internal component of the tag at the at least one scheduled time to permit the tag to communicate with the tag reader;
performing monitoring operations at the tag to determine when at least one predetermined condition has been detected;
and
causing the tag to autonomously perform at least one alerting function when the at least one predetermined condition has been detected;
wherein the alerting function comprises at least one of:
(a) enabling a receiver of the tag to communicate with the tag reader at an unscheduled time;
and (b) activating at least one alert by enabling a hardware alerting component provided on the tag.

6 more elements

A system, comprising:

a processor;
and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to implement a method for managing a tag, wherein the programming instructions comprise instructions to:
place the tag in a first operational mode in which at least one internal component necessary to facilitate communication between the tag and a tag reader is disabled;
store in a data store of the tag a schedule specifying at least one scheduled time during which the tag is permitted to communicate with a tag reader;
selectively enable the at least one internal component of the tag at the at least one scheduled times to permit the tag to communicate with the tag reader;
perform monitoring operations at the tag to determine when at least one predetermined condition has been detected;
and
cause the tag to autonomously perform at least one alerting function when the at least one predetermined condition has been detected;
wherein the alerting function comprises at least one of:
(a) enabling a receiver of the tag to communicate with the tag reader at an unscheduled time;
and (b) activating at least one alert by enabling a hardware alerting component provided on the tag.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for tag management and theft detection

Life of this patent

System and method for tag management and theft detection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30