Enhanced area separation in wireless location systems and method

A method for tracking and locating wireless tags by a wireless location system in limited and well defined areas that provides for differentiation between the well defined areas comprising:

• installing location receivers in a proximity of the well defined areas to locate wireless tags;
• installing short range transmitters installed in a proximity of entrance/exit points, said entrance/exit points connecting between said well defined areas, said short range transmitters transmit area identifying information related to a specific defined area where each short range transmitter is located;
• receiving the identifying information by the wireless tags in coverage range of any of the short range transmitters;
• programming each wireless tag in a coverage range of one of the short range transmitters with the identifying information of the short range transmitter of which the wireless tag is in coverage range, wherein each wireless tag is reprogrammed with new identifying information when in coverage range of a different one of the short range transmitters;
• and
• transmitting the identifying information which is transmitted in a tag message by each wireless tag, said transmission including the identifying information last received and programmed into each wireless tag;
• receiving the transmitted identifying information by the wireless location system;
• and
• locating the wireless tags by using location receivers installed in a proximity of the well defined area, the location receivers determining which defined area each wireless tag is located by the identifying information transmitted by each wireless tag and the location in the defined area.

A wireless location system for tracking and locating a wireless tag in a limited and well defined area that provides for differentiation between the well defined areas comprising:

• a plurality of short range transmitters, at least one short range transmitter positioned in the proximity of entry and exit points of each well defined area for transmitting identifying area information;
• a plurality of wireless tags, wherein each wireless tag is programmed when in a coverage range of one of the short range transmitters with the identifying information of the short range transmitter of which the wireless tag is in coverage range, each wireless tag is reprogrammed with new identifying information when in coverage range of a different one of the short range transmitters, each wireless tag transmits the identifying information in a tag message, the transmission will include the last identifying information received and accepted by the wireless tag;
• and
• a plurality of location receivers installed in a proximity of the well defined area for locating the wireless tags, the location receivers determining which defined area each wireless tag is located by the identifying information transmitted by each wireless tag and the location in the defined area.

A method for tracking and locating wireless tags in limited and well defined areas that provides for differentiation between the well defined areas comprising:

• installing WLAN access points in a proximity of the well defined areas to locate wireless tags;
• installing short range transmitters in a proximity of entrance/exit points, said entrance/exit points connecting between said well defined areas, said short range transmitters transmit area identifying information;
• receiving the identifying information by the wireless tags in coverage range of one of the short range transmitters;
• programming each wireless tag in a coverage range of one of the short range transmitters with the identifying information of the short range transmitter of which the wireless tag is in coverage range, wherein each wireless tag is reprogrammed with new identifying information when in coverage range of a different one of the short range transmitters;
• and
• transmitting the identifying information which is transmitted in a tag message, said transmission including a last identifying information received and accepted by each of the wireless tags.