Methods and systems for automated safety device inspection using radio frequency identification

A method for automated location of an object, said method comprising:

• traversing a reader in a first direction along a path adjacent the object;
• recording a relative position of the reader along the path, the relative position with respect to a starting position of the reader;
• transmitting an interrogation signal from the reader in a direction substantially normal to the first direction;
• transmitting a response signal from the object when the object receives the interrogation signal;
• and
• determining a presence of the object, an identification of the object and a location of the object based on the response signal.

An automated safety device inspection system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader comprising a transmit portion and a receive portion, said reader physically translatable along a predetermined path, said RFID reader is configured to generate radio frequency signals that interrogate an RFID enabled tag such that the tag responds to the interrogation with a tag identification signal;
• a directional antenna communicatively coupled to said reader, said antenna configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a direction substantially normal to the path, said directional antenna further configured to generate a narrow beamwidth selected to ensure that the tags are within the field of view of the antenna beam;
• a relative position indicator configured to determine a relative position of the reader from a starting point;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to said reader, said controller comprising:
• a user interface;
• a processor communicatively coupled to said user interface, said processor is configured to determine an RFID-enabled tag location based on the relative position of the reader and a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signal received from the reader, said processor is further configured to determine the RFID-enabled tag location based on the relative position of the reader, and a time difference of arrival (TDOA) signal from the reader, said processor is still further configured to determine the RFID-enabled tag location based on the position-stamps of the plurality of received RF signals;
• and
• a database communicatively coupled to said processor, said database comprising location data of a plurality of safety devices in a plurality of different types of vehicles, said processor configured to control the transmitted RF signals based on the location data.