Method and system for remote monitoring and tracking of inventory

A method for remotely monitoring and tracking a plurality of units of inventory, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of transponders each fixedly mounted onto a corresponding unit of inventory;
• providing at least one interrogator located remotely from said plurality of transponders;
• providing control data and instructions for controlling operation of said interrogator whereby said interrogator controls operation of each of said plurality of transponders;
• periodically transmitting an interrogation signal to each of said plurality of transponders from said at least one interrogator;
• and
• alternatingly operating each of said plurality of transponders between one of a fully active state and a minimal power conserving state, said step of alternatingly operating said transponders including the steps of
• alternatingly switching into and out of a signal receiving mode according to a predetermined cycle during said minimal power conserving state,
• monitoring for the presence of interrogation signals from said interrogator in said signal receiving mode during said minimal power conserving state,
• switching to said fully active state when said interrogation signal is present,
• receiving and processing said interrogation signal in said fully active state,
• transmitting data signals to said interrogator in response to said interrogation signal in said active state, said data signals including data on at least one of a status, content, and description of said unit of inventory to which said corresponding one of said plurality of transponders is attached, and
• reverting to said minimal power conserving state after transmitting said data signals.

A system for remote monitoring communication and control between a plurality of remotely tracked items, comprising:

• a plurality of transponder devices each fixedly mounted onto a corresponding item to be remotely tracked, each of said plurality of transponder devices having a first transceiver circuit;
• at least one interrogator device having a second transceiver circuit, said second transceiver circuit operatively communicating with each of said first transceiver circuits in said plurality of transponders;
• and
• a system controller device operatively connected to said at least one interrogator to generate parameter data for controlling said at least one interrogator, wherein
• said interrogator device includes means for controlling said second transceiver circuit to transmit an interrogation signal to each said transceiver circuit of said plurality of transponders based on said parameter data from said system controller device, and
• each of said plurality of transponders includes control means for alternatingly operating said transponder between one of a fully active state and a minimal power conserving state, said control means being operatively connected to said first transceiver circuit whereby said first transceiver circuit alternatingly switches, according to a predetermined cycle, into and out of a signal receiving mode during which said first transceiver circuit monitors for the presence of interrogation signals from said interrogator during said minimal power conserving state, and whereby said control means processes a received interrogation signal in response thereto in a fully active state, wherein
• said control means of each of said plurality of transponder devices includes a first digital data processing circuit device having means for generating a response signal to be transmitted to said at least one interrogator device via said first transceiver circuit in a transmitting mode during said fully active state in response to said received interrogation signal, said response signal including data on at least one of a status, content, and description of a remotely tracked item to which a corresponding one of said plurality of transponder devices is attached.