Granted Patent B2

US 9,638,787 · App. 14/262,638 · Granted May 2, 2017

Inventors: Christopher L. Chua (San Jose, CA); Ashish V. Pattekar (Cupertino, CA)

Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated

G01S5/14G06K7/10009G06K19/06037G06K19/0723G06K19/08G08G1/123G08G1/145G08G1/146

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. A computer-implemented system for tracking physical objects, comprising:

pairs of associated identifiers and trackers;

a dispenser to provide one of the identifier-tracker pairs to a user, wherein the user places the tracker with a physical object and to receive from the user the identifier of the provided identifier-tracker pair;

an identification module to identify the tracker that corresponds to the received identifier from the identifier-tracker pair provided to the user;

a tracker location determination module to determine a location of the tracker, comprising:

a monitor module to monitor readers within a defined area;

a plurality of readings comprising the tracker obtained from the readers; and

a location calculation module to calculate a location of the tracker based on the readings from a plurality of the readers; and

an object location determination module to designate the location of the tracker as a location of the physical object on which the tracker is placed.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein at least three of the readers obtain readings for the tracker.

3. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an interface module to interface a parking console within the area;

a receipt module to receive the identifier via the parking console; and

a distribution module to provide the location of the tracker.

4. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an image receipt module to receive an image of the identifier via a mobile computing device; and

a location distribution module to provide the location of the tracker via the mobile computing device.

5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the readers are positioned within at least one of a parking facility, mall, school, hospital, laboratory, and library.

6. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier-tracker pair is provided as at least one of a single ticket and two separate tickets.

7. A system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the identifier-tracker pairs are one of reusable and disposable.

8. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a ticket dispenser to distribute the identifier-tracker pair to the user.

9. A computer-implemented method for tracking physical objects, comprising:

storing pairs of associated identifiers and trackers;

providing one of the identifier-tracker pairs to a user, wherein the user places the tracker with a physical object;

receiving the identifier of the provided identifier-tracker pair from the user;

identifying the tracker that corresponds to the received identifier from the identifier-tracker pair provided to the user;

determining a location of the tracker, comprising:

monitoring readers within a defined area;

obtaining a plurality of readings from the readers comprising the tracker; and

calculating a location of the tracker based on the readings from a plurality of the readers; and

designating the location of the tracker as a location of the physical object on which the tracker is placed.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein at least three of the readers obtain readings for the tracker.

11. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

maintaining a parking console within the area;

scanning the identifier via the parking console; and

providing the location of the tracker.

12. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving an image of the identifier via a mobile computing device; and

providing the location of the tracker via the mobile computing device.

13. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the readers are positioned within at least one of a parking facility, mall, school, hospital, laboratory, and library.

14. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the identifier-tracker pair is provided as at least one of a single ticket and two separate tickets.

15. A method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the identifier-tracker pairs are one of reusable and disposable.

16. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

distributing the identifier-tracker pair to the user.

17. A computer-implemented method for tracking vehicles, comprising:

storing pairs of associated QR codes and RFID tags;

providing one of the pairs of QR codes and RFID tags to a user, wherein the user places the RFID tag with a vehicle parked in a parking facility;

receiving the QR code from the provided pair;

identifying the RFID tag that corresponds to the received QR code from the QR-RFID tag pair provided to the user;

determining a location of the RFID tag, comprising:

monitoring RFID readers within the parking facility;

obtaining a plurality of readings from those RFID readers that identify the RFID tag; and

calculating a location of the RFID tag based on the readings; and

designating the location of the RFID tag as a location of the vehicle on which the RFID tag is placed in the parking facility.

18. A method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

providing a ticket dispenser at an entry of the parking facility; and

dispensing the pairs of QR codes and RFID tags via the ticket dispenser.

19. A method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

maintaining the RFID readers distributed throughout the parking facility.

20. A method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

calculating the location of the RFID tag, comprising:

modulating radio frequency power emitted by an antenna on the RFID reader; and

progressively identifying the RFID tags that come into range to pinpoint the location of those tags.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (1)