Wherenet Corporation

Other

Zebra Enterprise Solutions Corp.

Photonics Corporation

Walter S Johnson

John N Piccone

Richard C Allen

Bernard E Stewart

Huong M Hang

Stanley L Fickes

James L Konsevich

Gary M Cisneros

Thomas M Bacon

Gary N Hughes

Santiago Romero

Richard W Benner

Brett A Wingo

Mark A Wrubel

A system tracks vehicles within a terminal and includes at least one tag interrogator mounted on a vehicle to be identified and tracked within the terminal. The tag interrogator is operative for emitting a signal containing data identifying the vehicle to which the tag interrogator is mounted. At least one tag transmitter is fixed at a known location within the terminal where vehicles are to be identified and receptive to a tag interrogator on the vehicle when the vehicle passes within proximity to the fixed tag transmitter for transmitting a wireless RF signal having data identifying the tag transmitter and identifying the tag interrogator as an identifier for the vehicle to which the tag interrogator is mounted. At least one access point is positioned at the terminal for receiving the RF signal from the tag transmitter for subsequent processing to verify vehicle identity at the known location.

Real-time location system using tag interrogator and embedded or fixed tag transmitters

A tag mounting device can temporarily mount a tag transmitter on a shipping container or trailer for tracking location of the shipping container or trailer. The tag mounting device includes a mounting frame having a support leg with opposing ends. A clamp mechanism is carried by the support leg for clamping the support leg onto a rim of a container or trailer such that the support leg extends against a surface of the container or trailer. A tag support member extends outward from the support leg. A tag transmitter is carried by the tag support member and operative for transmitting wireless signals to at least one receiver for subsequent processing to determine the location of the tag transmitter and a container or trailer on which the tag mounting device is mounted.

Tag mounting device used for locating shipping containers and truck trailers

Wastewater treatment control method and apparatus

An elapsed time clock is incorporated into a part call tag for requesting replenishment of components used by workstations of a manufacturing facility. One or more transmission readers spatially distributed around the manufacturing facility detect a part call signal transmitted from the part call tag. A reader output processing subsystem processes part call signals detected by at least one of the tag transmission readers to recover information contained in the part call signal. A management processor associates the recovered information with a respective workstation, and what component is to be replenished. The elapsed time clock is reset when the part call tag is operated to transmit a part call signal, and thereby serves as a call tag 'stop watch'&mdash;informing workstation personnel of the length of time that has elapsed since the last part call transmission from that tag.

Elapsed time clock for part call tag-based replenishment system

A call tag-based material replenishment system employs a tagged object radio location infrastructure of the type described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,287. For each different part used by a lineside workstation an associated 'call' tag is placed at or near that workstation. To initiate replenishment of a part, a 'call' push-button on a call tag is operated. In response to the operation of the call button, an RF signal burst containing tag identity and status data is transmitted from the call tag. This information is recovered by a spatially distributed reader and processor subsystem for application to an asset management database. The database associates the call tag's identification data with a particular part, to enable a resource management operator to specify what component is to be accessed from storage and delivered to the requesting call tag's workstation.

Wireless call tag based material replenishment system

A diffuse infrared communication link provides for communication directly between nodes each having a transceiver. A repeater may be present to facilitate communication. Each node is automatically reconfigurable between operation with or without a repeater. When a repeater is present each node automatically ignores any transmission by another node.

Infrared communication repeater architecture

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Walter S Johnson