Method, apparatus, and computer program product for employing a spatial association model in a real time location system

1. A method for processing location information received from a radio frequency (RF) location tag, the method comprising:

determining a first location of a first RF location tag associated with an asset;

determining at least one second location of at least one second RF location tag associated with the asset;

comparing, using a processor, the first location with the at least one second location;

determining whether the first location is a valid location based on an application of a spatial association model associated with the asset to the comparison of the first location with the at least one second location, wherein the spatial association model includes a distance relationship between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag; and

identifying the first location as erroneous in response to determining that the first location is not a valid location based on the distance relationship.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a maximum distance between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spatial association model comprises a quantity of RF location tags associated with the asset.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a range of acceptable distances between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a physical distance between points on the asset associated with at least one RF location tag.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the asset is a human being, and wherein the distance relationship is determined based at least in part on biometric measurements of the human being.

7. An apparatus for processing location information received from a radio frequency (RF) location tag, the apparatus comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, configure the apparatus to:

determine a first location of a first RF location tag associated with an asset;

determine at least one second location of at least one second RF location tag associated with the asset;

compare the first location with the at least one second location;

determine whether the first location is a valid location based on an application of a spatial association model associated with the asset to the comparison of the first location with the at least one second location, wherein the spatial association model includes a distance relationship between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag; and

identify the first location as erroneous in response to determining that the first location is not a valid location based on the distance relationship.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a maximum distance between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the spatial association model comprises a quantity of RF location tags associated with the asset.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a range of acceptable distances between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a physical distance between points on the asset associated with at least one RF location tag.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the asset is a human being, and wherein the distance relationship is determined based at least in part on biometric measurements of the human being.

13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, configure an apparatus to:

determine a first location of a first RF location tag associated with an asset;

determine at least one second location of at least one second RF location tag associated with the asset;

compare the first location with the at least one second location;

determine whether the first location is a valid location based on an application of a spatial association model associated with the asset to the comparison of the first location with the at least one second location, wherein the spatial association model includes a distance relationship between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag; and

identify the first location as erroneous in response to determining that the first location is not a valid location based on the distance relationship.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a maximum distance between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the spatial association model comprises a number of RF location tags associated with the asset.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a range of acceptable distances between the first RF location tag and the at least one second RF location tag.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the distance relationship comprises a physical distance between points on the asset associated with at least one RF location tag.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the asset is a human being, and wherein the distance relationship is determined based at least in part on biometric measurements.