Mobile devices including RFID tag readers
A wireless access point in an object location system is provided that includes a tag filtering agent 128 operable to (a) receive tag information from a mobile communication device 104 , (b) compare the received tag information with a set of a plurality of tag information to determine whether to report the received tag information to a central registry 116 ; and (c) when appropriate report the received tag information and physical location information to the central registry 116 . The tag information corresponds to tag information contained by a tag 120 on an object and was obtained by a tag reader 256 on the mobile communication device. The physical location information corresponds to a physical location of the mobile communication device 104 at a selected point in time.
1. A method for locating an object, comprising:
(a) in a mobile communication device comprising a tag reader, the tag reader wirelessly accessing tag information from a tag on an object, the object being separate from and in spatial proximity to the communication device, and
(b) the mobile communication device reporting the accessed tag information to a wireless access point during a routine communication over a control channel between the cellular phone and the wireless access point, wherein the routine communication is at least one of a system id code signal, a registration request, a call setup signal, and a hand off signal, and wherein a law enforcement agency is notified when the tag information indicates a potential law violation involving the object.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone and the wireless access point is a base station and further comprising:
(c) the wireless access point receiving the tag information;
(d) the wireless access point comparing the tag information with a listing of tag information corresponding to a plurality of tags to determine whether to report the received tag information to a central registry; and
(e) when the received tag information is to be reported, transmitting to the central registry the tag information, physical location information, and a time stamp associated with the reporting mobile communication device.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
(f) the central registry receiving the tag and physical location information;
(g) the central registry comparing the tag information with a listing of tag information corresponding to a plurality of tags to determine whether to report the received tag information to a dispatcher; and
(h) when the received tag information is to be reported, transmitting to a dispatcher the tag and physical location information and associated time stamp.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the reporting step, the mobile communication device further provides to the wireless access point a physical location of the communication device and wherein the physical location is determined by a Global Positioning System module in communication with the mobile communication device.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein, in the transmitting step (e), the wireless access point further provides to the central registry a physical location of the communication device and wherein the physical location is determined by the wireless access point in communication with the mobile communication device.
6. A computer readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions operable to perform the steps of claim 1 .
7. A wireless access point in an object location system, comprising:
a tag filtering agent operable to receive tag information through a routine communication from a mobile communication device, wherein the tag information corresponds to tag information contained by a tag on an object, separate from and in spatial proximity to the communication device, and was obtained by a tag reader on the mobile communication device, wherein the physical location information corresponds to a physical location of the mobile communication device at a selected point in time, and wherein the routine communication is at least one of a system id code signal, a registration request, a call setup signal, a hand off signal, another type of signal exchanged over a call control channel and/or a bearer channel during a voice call, and another type of signal exchanged over a call control channel when the cellular phone is in an idle state.
8. The wireless access point of claim 7 , wherein the physical location information is received from a Global Positioning System module on the mobile communication device and approximates a physical location of the mobile communication device when the tag information was obtained by the tag reader.
9. The wireless access point of claim 7 , wherein the physical location information is determined by the wireless access point and approximates a physical location of the mobile communication device when the tag information was obtained by the tag reader.
10. The wireless access point of claim 7 , wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone and the wireless access point is a base station, and wherein the tag filtering agent reports a time stamp to the central registry, the time stamp being associated with the reporting mobile communication device and approximating a time when the tag information was obtained by the tag reader.
11. The wireless access point of claim 7 , wherein the central registry comprises a tag responding agent operable to (a) receive the tag and physical location information; (b) compare the tag information with a listing of tag information corresponding to a plurality of tags to determine whether to report the received tag information to a dispatcher; and (c) when the received tag information is to be reported, transmit to the dispatcher the tag and physical location information.
12. The wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the tag information is included in a routine communication between the cellular phone and base station.
13. The wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the tag information is transmitted on one or both of the control and bearer channels between the mobile communication device and wireless access point.
14. The wireless access point of claim 7 , wherein the mobile communication device is a laptop and the wireless access point is a web service.
15. A system for locating an object, comprising:
a base station operable to communicate with a plurality of tag reporting agents operable to report respective accessed tag information to the base station, wherein the accessed tag information is received by a plurality of tag readers from tags located on a plurality of objects, wherein the tag readers and tag reporting agents are located in a plurality of mobile communication devices, wherein each tag reader is operable to read a plurality of tags, wherein the tag information is included in routine control signals between the communication devices and the base station, and wherein the routine communication is at least one of a system ID code signal, a registration request, a call setup, and a handoff signal.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone and wherein the base station comprises a tag filter for (a) comparing the tag information with a listing of tag information corresponding to a plurality of tags to determine whether to report the received tag information to a central registry; and (b) when the received tag information is to be reported, transmitting to a central registry the tag information, physical location information, and a time stamp associated with the reporting mobile communication device.
17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a central registry comprising a tag responding agent operable to (a) receive the tag and physical location information; (b) compare the tag information with a listing of tag information corresponding to a plurality of tags to determine whether to report the received tag information to a dispatcher; and (c) when the received tag information is to be reported, transmit to a dispatcher the tag and physical location information and associated time stamp.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein, in the reporting function, the tag reporting agent further provides to the base station a physical location of the communication device and wherein the physical location is determined by a Global Positioning System module in communication with the tag reporting agent.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the tag information is transmitted on one or both of the control and bearer channels between the plurality of mobile communication devices and base station.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein, in the transmitting operation, the base station further provides to the central registry a physical location of the communication device and wherein the physical location is determined by the base station in communication with the mobile communication device.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein each communication device is a cellular phone, wherein each cellular phone comprises a tag reader and tag reporting agent, wherein the plurality of cellular phones are associated with a plurality of different cellular phone users and wherein, in exchange for each user consenting to the tag reporting agent in the user's communication device providing respective tag information to a base station, the user receives a discount on cellular phone rates and/or a purchase price of the user's cellular phone.
22. The system of claim 17 , wherein the dispatcher is associated with a law enforcement authority.
23. A method for locating an object, comprising:
(a) wirelessly accessing tag information from a plurality of tags on one or more objects with a mobile communication device comprising a tag reader, the one or more objects being separate from and in spatial proximity to the communication device, and
(b) reporting the accessed tag information to a wireless access point as part of a routine communication over a control channel between the mobile communication device and the wireless access point, and wherein the routine communication is at least one of a system id code signal, a registration request, a call setup signal, and a hand off signal.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
(c) receiving the tag and physical location information as a part of the routine communication; (d) comparing the tag information with a listing of tag information corresponding to a plurality of tags to determine whether to report the received tag information to a dispatcher; and (e) when the received tag information is to be reported, transmitting to the dispatcher the tag and physical location information.
25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
(c) comparing the tag information with a listing of tag information corresponding to a plurality of tags to determine whether to report the received tag information to a central registry; and (d) when the received tag information is to be reported, transmitting to a central registry the tag information, physical location information, and a time stamp associated with the reporting mobile communication device.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone.
27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the mobile communication device is a laptop and the wireless access point is a web service.