DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The system and method of the present invention is used to locate objects that are lost or misplaced, to locate and recover items that are stolen or otherwise misappropriated, and to track important or sensitive items, livestock, and people.

[0024] Referring initially to FIG. 1 , the object monitoring and tracking system 1 , of the present invention includes at least one monitor 2 capable of receiving a transmitted signal and at least one identification tag 3 capable of generating an identification signal. The identification tag is attached to the object 4 to be monitored or tracked. The identification tag 3 transmits the generated identification signal within a transmission volume 5 . The monitor 2 receives the identification signal that is emitted from the identification tag 3 while it is disposed within the transmission volume 5 . Various arrangements of monitors and identification tags are readily available and known to those of skill in the art and are suitable for use in the object monitoring and tracking system of the present invention.

[0025] In general, the monitor 2 includes the electronics and circuitry necessary to receive the identification signal. This circuitry includes a receiver for receiving the identification signal, a logical processor connected to and in communication with the receiver, and a power supply electrically coupled to all of the electronic components and circuitry of the monitor to provide power thereto. Suitable frequencies for the receiver include radio frequencies, and suitable logical processors can receive and interpret the identification signal to identify the object to which the identification tag is attached.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, the identification tag 3 generates the identification signal in response to receipt of a signal generated and transmitted by the monitor. In this embodiment, the monitor also includes a transmitter. Suitable transmitters include radio frequency transmitters. Preferably, the object monitoring and tracking system includes a plurality of monitors that are each capable of transmitting a radio frequency signal and of receiving the identification signal transmitted by the identification tag. Each monitor may also include a memory for storing the received identification signals.

[0027] The monitors 2 are preferably incorporated into other electronic devices. Suitable electronic devices include cellular phones, wire line phones, pagers, personal digital assistants, computers, alarms or other general monitoring systems, electronic watches, stereos, televisions, video cameras, smoke alarms, cameras, radar equipment, and photo-copiers. These electronic devices are selected and deployed as monitors to create both a plurality of stationary monitors and a plurality of mobile monitors. The stationary monitors are associated with a known fixed location such as a physical street address. The mobile monitors are associated with moving or non-stationary items such as a person, animal, automobile, airplane, boat, robot, satellite and combinations thereof.

[0028] As is shown in FIG. 2 , in order to expand and to maximize the area or volume covered by the object monitoring and tracking system of the present invention, the monitors are in communication with at least one network. Preferably, the monitors are in communication with a plurality of networks. Any network capable of permitting communication among the monitors is suitable for use with the present invention including wireline and wireless networks. In one embodiment, the network is a wireless type network. In another embodiment, the network is a peer-to-peer type network.

[0029] As illustrated, a plurality of stationary monitors 6 and a plurality of mobile monitors 7 are associated with a first wireless peer-to-peer network 8 and a second wireless peer-to-peer network 9 respectively. These wireless networks can be associated with one or more telephone networks such as an Advance Intelligent Network. In one embodiment, the first wireless network 8 is associated with a first telephone network 10 , and the second wireless peer-to-peer network 9 is associated with a second telephone network 11 . The first and second telephone networks can be in communication through a direct data link 12 . Preferably, the telephone networks are linked to one or more computer networks 13 , either local area networks or a wide area network such as the Internet, through separate network interface data lines 14 . All of the computer networks are in communication with each other, and any monitor can communicate directly with any other monitor across these networks. In addition, the computer network 13 includes a plurality of additional computers 15 , and may also include either stationary or mobile monitors 17 directly link thereto.

[0030] The object monitoring and tracking system also utilizes one or more databases 16 . Although these databases 16 can be in direct communication with the wireless networks or telephone networks, the databases 16 are preferably associated with the computer network 13 . The databases 16 are used to store information about the identification tags, the objects to which the identification tags are attached, and the owners of these objects. This information includes an association between a specific identification tag and the object to which that tag is attached and profile information about the registered owner of that object. Also included in this information is a physical description of the object, the purchase price of the object, the date of purchase of the object, the current value of the object, the date of manufacture of the object, and the expiration date of the object if applicable. Input of this information by the owner is facilitated through the computer network 13 . The information can be input using any computer 15 in communication with the network 13 . Alternatively, an owner can upload the necessary information using either any stationary monitor 6 or any mobile monitor 7 that is in communication with the computer network 15 .

[0031] The monitors may be passive devices that record the identification signals of any and all objects carrying identification tags that pass close enough so that the monitor falls within the transmission volume of that transmission tag. Alternatively, the monitors are actually active devices that proactively search for specific identification tags. The monitors may also include monitor identification tags that are similar to the object identification tags and that permit each monitor to track or to log the other stationary and mobile monitors over time in which it comes into contact.

[0032] The system and method of the present invention leverage existing peer-to-peer communication networks such as peer-to-peer wireless telephone networks to create a more expansive area for tracking objects. In order to leverage these network capacities, each monitor provides the information that it receives to the network for storage in the database. The other monitors can then query the database regarding specific information signals. In addition, a customer can log on to the computer network and report an object missing. The network will check the database for occurrences of the associated identification tags and monitors and will conduct a systematic search for that particular object by checking with the appropriate monitors. Monitors may also contact each other directly across the peer-to-peer network. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a first monitor 18 may contact a second monitor 19 to see if a particular object 4 has been tracked by the second monitor 19 . Therefore, a customer can use one monitor in the peer-to-peer network to track a particular object throughout the network using other monitors in the network directly.

[0033] The tracking information received by the monitors can be uploaded continuously to the database or can be uploaded only when a particular monitor accesses the network. In one embodiment, information about a tracked identification tag can be broadcast across the network to see if any monitors are receptive to or searching for that identification signal. If no other monitors are currently looking for that tag information, then the information is directed to the database to wait for a request for that particular identification tag. The present invention also makes use of interspersed peer-to-peer wireless communication networks to provide increased coverage for searching and tracking within an area.

[0034] The identification tags are preferably passive devices having no power supplies or internal smarts, instead receiving energy from the monitor through methods such as inductive coupling. In order to facilitate inductive coupling with the monitors, each identification tag includes electronic circuitry, such as an induction coil. Suitable electronic circuits for coupling to the monitors and for emission of an identification signal upon exposure to a radio frequency signal are known in the art. Upon inductive coupling, each identification tag generates and transmits its unique identification signal within the transmission volume. The transmission volume can extend from the identification tag for distances of from less than a foot up to approximately several hundred feet. For security purposes, the identification signal is preferably a unique alpha-numeric code.

[0035] The identification tags are arranged to be easily attachable to objects and include fasteners or adhesives to facilitate the attachment. Suitable adhesives include glues and hook and loop type fasteners. In one embodiment, the tracking tags are removable and reattachable. The identification tags can be fashioned in any desired shape and can even be constructed to be part of the object to which they are attached. Preferably the tracking tags are constructed to be inexpensive and are provided so that a person may purchase multiple identification tags for placement onto the objects to be tracked. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the identification tag is made out of a sheet of material having a first side 20 and a second side 21 opposite the first side 20 . The first side 20 contains the electronic circuitry capable of generating the identification signal and of transmitting that signal within the transmission volume. Preferably, the electronic circuitry is printed on the first side of the identification tag by a dot-matrix type printing process. In one embodiment the dot-matrix type printing process is an inkjet type process. The second side opposite the first side contains an adhesive for attachment to the object. The first side of the identification tag, in addition to containing the electronic circuitry, may be blank or may contain printing such as a UPC, product information, advertisements or combinations thereof. Alternatively the identification tab can include camouflaging or other markings so that the identification tag will blend with the background of the object to which it is attached.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 5 , in order to use the tracking system in the method of the present invention, an owner, or any other person having a need or desire to monitor or track an object, selects an object to be monitored or tracked 23 . Alternatively, the owner selects a plurality of objects to monitored or tracked. The owner than places an identification tag on each selected object 24 . In one embodiment, the identification tags come in pre-printed self-adhesive sheets. The identification tags are placed on the objects using the adhesive.

[0037] Since the unique identification signal transmitted by each tag is a random alpha-numeric code, correspondence is needed between the identification tag and the object to which it is attached. In addition, this correspondence information may be needed by more than one monitor. Therefore, the owner of the object, using either a monitor connected to the peer-to-peer network or a computer connected to the computer network, stores the correspondence information in the database using conventional methods of network and computer interfaces and data loading 25 . The owner can also store any other information about the object in the database.

[0038] In addition to storing information about the object the owner can store in the database policies regarding the rules used by the network and the monitors on the network in tracking and reporting the tracking information of each object 26 . These policies include the identification of categorization of a general category into which an object is placed, for example, package, jewelry, animal, or food, and the definition of when an object bearing the identification tag is lost such as when the tag is not within the range of a particular monitor or monitors. The policies also include instructions for routine tracking of the object such as making routine communications and data transfers from specific monitors or sweeping specified volumes covered by monitors. The owner can also store instructions for reporting that an object is lost, for example, by phone or e-mail, and instructions on what actions to take should an item become lost. One such policy could instruct monitors to automatically look for an object if it should be determined that the object is lost. An alternative policy would notify a customer when an object is lost and wait for instructions before searching.

[0039] In one embodiment, the policies contain protocols for searching for a lost object including where to search first, which monitors to search, and which monitors not to search. Specifically, in one example, a monitor is contacted to see if it has come into contact with the corresponding identification tag and at what time it came into contact with that tag. That monitor also provides information about other monitors with which it has been in contact. This provides for expanding or extending the tracking objects to other monitors. A continuous or real time tracking of objects is thus facilitated by contacting a succession of monitors.

[0040] Policies can be stored that place limits on the monitors that can track an object. In one embodiment, the policies identify monitors or volumes within which an item will function or volumes and monitors within which an item will self destruct. In an embodiment for inventory and restocking, a policy can be provided to report when a particular object is out of stock or of a low amount so that restocking or purchasing of that item can take place. In another embodiment, an owner can register personal information such as allergies and the customer will be notified when that customer is close to an object to which the customer is allergic or when the customer purchases an object that contains ingredients to which the customer is allergic. Any one or multiple combinations of these policies can be provided in the database for each selected object.

[0041] Once the necessary information and desired policies have been stored in the database, the objects to which the identification tags are attached are monitored or tracked 27 in accordance with the stored policies. The monitors can track the objects passively by logging a list of all the identification signals received. Alternatively, the network in accordance with a stored policy or in response to a search request from an owner can systematically check monitors across the network for a particular object. In a peer-to-peer type network, a first monitor can contact a second monitor to check for a particular object. The identification signals received by each monitor, to further leverage the capacity of the network, are communicated to the network 28 .

[0042] In one embodiment, each monitor continuously passes the received identification signals through the network for storage in the network accessible databases. In addition to just the signals, information about where, when, and by which monitor the signal was tracked is also stored. In an alternative embodiment, each monitor uploads the information signals every time the monitor accesses or is accessed by the network, such as when a cellular phone places or receives a call. In one embodiment, each monitor broadcasts the identification signals to all the other monitors and computers in the network before storing the signals in the database.

[0043] Examples for applications of the system and method of the present invention include applying identification tags to personal property, in particular, personal property that is lost regularly including keys, glasses, pagers, watches, cameras and video cameras. Another application includes tracking packages by a shipping company. The low cost and ease of use of the present system also permit a customer to track mail by applying to envelopes and packages stamps that have the electronic circuitry printed on them. This provides a relatively inexpensive and easy way for a customer to track a letter sent, for example, through the United States Postal Service that was previously extremely difficult to impossible to track. Monitors would be provided in mailboxes and throughout the postal distribution system. This also would be particularly useful as an anti-terrorist mechanism providing greater tracking of mail for the purposes of identifying the source of a package containing bombs or other hazardous materials.

[0044] Another application for the system and method of the present invention includes maintaining and monitoring files in an office. Similarly, the method and system of the present invention can be used to maintain and monitor library books within a library and throughout the borrowing area. The method and system of the present invention can be used to monitor prison inmates within a prison population, on work-release or on home detention. The present invention provides for the tracking of wild animals, farm animals and zoo animals. With respect to the monitoring of animals, the method and system of the present invention could be combined with a tranquilizer dosing system so that if the animal is not within a prescribed area, the tranquilizers are dosed into the system of the animal and the animal can be subdued.

[0045] The method and system of the present invention could be used to tag items in a house for insurance purposes in the case of theft or fire, providing the benefit of lowering insurance rates and managing assets by permitting the owner of tagged property to easily check to see if current insurance rates will cover current value of all the goods in the house. The method and system of the present invention can be used to tag items to prevent theft out of a rental property or hotel and also to track any property that has been taken from those properties.

[0046] The method and system of the present invention can be used to provide for the activation or deactivation of an object. For example, a policy can be stored that provides that an object will only function when it is in proximity to a specific monitor. The method and system of the present invention can be used in an amusement park, a museum, a ballpark or stadium. In this application tags are sold to visitors as they enter the facility, and the visitor places the identification tags on important items such as cameras and video recorders. The identification tags can also be fashioned as armbands to be placed on all the family members, in particular the children. The visitors would provide the information and policies that are uploaded, specifically to a database attached to a local area network for the facility. Fixed monitors are provided throughout the facility. In addition, wireless devices that the parties carry with them can be incorporated in as mobile monitors. The facility can also have maps so that if a party stands close to the map, the location of all the other persons and property associated with that party will show up on the map to provide an easy and quick way of locating family members and property that may become dispersed throughout the facility during the course of a day. The method and system of the present invention can also be used to monitor and track family members at home, in particular school aged children, so that a parent can be notified when a child leaves the house, leaves the yard, leaves school, leaves a friends yard, enters a pool deck or arrives home from school.

[0047] While the present invention has been described and illustrated herein with respect to the preferred embodiments, it should be apparent that various modifications, adaptations, and variations may be made utilizing the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present invention and are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.