Other

Sensormatic Electronics Corporation

Touraj Ghaffari

Richard Loyd Copeland

Gary Mark Shafer

Larry K Canipe

Kevin D Romer

Mark J Grimes

Philip J Parker

James R Gruszynski

A system and method for tracking articles and monitoring them on a real time basis comprising the use of a tag and one or more reader disposed within a locale being monitored and structured to communicate received data transmission to or from a host controller, for additional administrative processing in terms of determining the existence, location, state and/or movement of various articles with which the plurality of tags are directly associated. Depending on their category the tags may be activated by either entering an electric field of a predetermined first frequency or by receiving an activation signal from the reader assembly also transmitted at the first predetermined frequency. Communication between the tags and the reader occurs at a second frequency being different from the first frequency.

Real time total asset visibility system

A system and method for tracking articles and controlling inventory thereof on a real time basis comprising the use of a tag assembly including a plurality of tags including both active tags and passive tags distinguishable from one another by the provision of a self contained power source in the active tags. One or more readers are disposed within a locale being monitored and are structured to communicate received data transmission from a host controller, for additional administrative processing in terms of determining the existence, location and/or movement of various articles with which the plurality of tags are directly associated. Depending on their category the tags may be activated by either entering an electric field of a predetermined first frequency or by receiving an activation signal from the reader assembly also transmitted at the first predetermined frequency. Communication between the tags and the reader occurs at a second frequency being different from the first frequency.

A system and method for tracking articles and controlling inventory thereof on a real time basis comprising the use of a tag assembly including a plurality of tags including both active tags and passive tags distinguishable from one another by the provision of a self contained power source in the active tags. One or more readers are disposed within a locale being monitored and are structured to communicate received data transmission from a host controller, for additional administrative processing in terms of determining the existence, location and/or movement of various articles with which the plurality of tags are directly associated. Depending on the category of tags, they may be activated by either entering an electric field of a predetermined first frequency or by receiving an activation signal from the reader assembly also transmitted at the first predetermined frequency. Communication between the tags and the reader occurs at a second frequency being different from the first frequency.

A self-checkout/self-check-in and electronic article surveillance (EAS) system is provided. EAS tags and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are connected to articles for use with the invention. A preferred embodiment for self-checkout includes a housing having a cavity for receiving articles for self-checkout. The cavity is disposed within a deactivation zone. The RFID tags are read, and after verification of an authorized transaction, a deactivation antenna is energized to deactivate the EAS tags, and a stored inventory database is updated. Information about the transaction can be displayed. A preferred embodiment for self-check-in includes an elongated housing into which articles are deposited for return. Once deposited, the articles pass through the housing and out the other end. As the articles are deposited, the RFID tags on the articles are read, the inventory database is updated, and an activation antenna is energized to form an activation zone through which the articles pass as they fall through the housing, thus activating the attached EAS tags. The magnetic fields used for activation and deactivation are magnetic media safe for use with articles containing magnetic recording media.

Self-checkout/self-check-in RFID and electronics article surveillance system

Operation of a plurality of electronic devices is synchronized. The plurality of devices include a master unit and a plurality of other units, and the master unit transmits a synchronizing signal to at least one of the other units at predetermined intervals. Each of at least two of the other units detects whether a synchronizing signal is received at the respective unit within a predetermined period of time. If not, the respective unit changes from a slave mode of operation to a master mode of operation. Contention between the two or more potential back-up master units is resolved based on priority in a daisy-chain arrangement or by providing different time-out watch-dog periods for the potential back-up devices.

Synchronized network of electronic devices including back-up master units

A data processing system automatically maintains records of respective locations of a plurality of objects in real time. Each of the objects has secured thereto a respective object marker which transmits an identification signal that is unique to the respective object. Sensor devices are installed at respective doorways of a building. Each sensor device receives the identification signal transmitted from the object marker as the respective object is moved through the doorway. The sensor device detects from the identification signal a direction in which the object is being moved through the doorway and generates a detection signal indicative of the detected direction of movement and also indicative of the identification signal for the object. The data processing system receives the detection signals from the sensor devices and maintains a data record with respect to each of the objects indicating the present location in the building of each of the objects.

Zone-Based asset tracking and control system

A directional antenna configuration for use in an article tracking system includes two shorted loops, one on each side of a portal and in each case circumscribing the portal. The antenna configuration also includes a respective pair of passage antennas provided on each side of the portal. The passage antennas are all arranged in planes parallel to the path of travel through the doorway. The respective loops confine the effective detection areas of each pair of passage antennas to the respective side of the portal. The antenna configuration permits reliable detection of direction of movement through the portal.

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Boca Raton, FL, United States of America

Touraj Ghaffari