Method and apparatus for interacting with a tag in a cold storage area
Methods and apparatus for interacting with a tag in a radio target area. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and systems for monitoring temperature and other environmental conditions in a storage area and displaying environmental conditions as digital content in a user interactive interface based upon energy levels received from a radio target area and content from a sensor generating digital content.
1. A method for interacting with a tag in a storage area, the method comprising the steps of:
a) generating positional coordinates for a Smart Device based upon wireless communication between the Smart Device and a reference point transceiver;
b) establishing a radio target area for an energy receiving sensor, said radio target area comprising a portion of the storage area;
c) receiving energy into the energy receiving sensor from the radio target area;
d) generating a digital representation of the energy received into the energy receiving sensor at an instance in time;
e) generating positional coordinates for a tag collocated with an item in the radio target area at the instance in time;
f) associating digital content with the tag;
g) determining that the Smart Device has access rights to the digital content;
h) generating a user interactive interface comprising a digital representation of the energy received into the energy receiving sensor at the instance in time and a dynamic portion representative of the tag;
i) receiving a user input into the dynamic portion of the user interactive interface; and
j) based upon the user input received into the dynamic portion of the user interactive interface, displaying the digital content in the user interactive interface.
2. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the step of receiving into the smart device a digital quantification of a temperature within the radio target area at the instance in time, said digital quantification generated with a sensor; and displaying the digital quantification of the temperature in the user interactive interface.
3. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising the steps of: receiving multiple disparate energy wavelengths into the energy receiving sensor at the instance in time, the disparate energy wavelengths received from different geospatial locations; and indicating the disparate energy wavelengths in the user interactive interface.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the tag comprises a virtual tag associated with a location identified via positional coordinates.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the tag comprises a physical tag comprising a transceiver capable of wireless communication and the method additionally comprises the steps of: transceiving a wireless communication between the tag and multiple reference point transceivers; and generating positional coordinates for the tag based upon the wireless communication between the tag and the multiple reference transceivers.
6. The method of claim 5 additionally comprising the steps of: transceiving a wireless communication between the tag and the multiple reference point transceivers using an Ultra Wideband modality; and generating positional coordinates for the tag based upon the wireless communication between the tag and the multiple reference transceivers.
7. The method of claim 6 additionally comprising the step of identifying a wireless communication area comprising the radio target area of the energy receiving sensor, the wireless communication area based upon a communication distance of the Ultra Wideband modality in an area encompassing the energy receiving sensor.
8. The method of claim 2 wherein the tag comprises a transceiver capable of wireless communication between the tag and at least one reference point transceiver using a Bluetooth modality; and the method additionally comprises the step of generating positional coordinates for the tag based upon the wireless communication between the tag and the at least one reference transceiver.
9. The method of claim 8 additionally comprising the step of identifying a wireless communication area comprising the radio target area of the energy receiving sensor, the wireless communication area based upon a communication distance of a Bluetooth modality in an area encompassing the energy receiving sensor.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the positional coordinates comprise Cartesian Coordinates.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the positional coordinates comprise at least one of: an angle of arrival and an angle of departure.
12. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the steps of:
a) repeating the step of receiving into the smart device a digital quantification of a temperature within the radio target area at multiple disparate instances in time;
b) with a controller, monitoring the temperature within the radio target area for an increase or a decrease in thermal energy outside a predetermined temperature range; and
c) if a temperature within the radio target area is monitored outside the predetermined temperature range, with a controller initiate one or both of: an influx of air to a predetermined position in the storage area or initiate an extraction of air from a predetermined position in the storage area.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the influx of air to a predetermined position comprises air at a lower temperature than the predetermined temperature range.
14. The method of claim 2 wherein the storage area comprises a cold storage area.
15. The method of claim 2 wherein the radio target area comprises the position of the tag, the position of the sensor and an area providing electromagnetic energy to the energy receiving sensor.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the radio target area further comprises a frustum of a generally conical shape with the energy receiving sensor located at a relatively narrow end of the frustum.
17. The method of claim 16 additionally comprising the steps of changing a direction of the Smart Device; and redefining the radio target area based upon the change in direction of the Smart Device.
18. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the step of quantifying an amount of infrared energy as a digital value using a microbolometer.
19. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the step of quantifying a thermal state via operation of an electronic temperature sensing device comprising at least one of: a thermocouple, a thermistor, and a resistance based sensor.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the energy received into the energy receiving sensor comprises one or more of: an infrared wavelength; and a wavelength between 400 nanometers and 700 nanometers.