Multi-modal entity tracking and display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9400902-B2
Application number	US-201213669365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2012
Priority date	May 22, 2012
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A multi-modal entity tracking and display system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a tracking infrastructure comprising at least one data receiver is configured to detect a tracked entity comprising a first asset class using a first sensing technology and a second sensing technology. The at least one tracking data receiver is further configured to generate a tracking data report conveying a location of the tracked entity. A multi-modal entity tracker is configured to receive and store the tracking data report. The multi-modal entity tracker is further configured to receive and store a second tracking data report of a second tracked entity comprising a second asset class which is conveyed via the tracking infrastructure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-modal entity tracking and display system comprising:
at least one tracking data receiver located at a fixed location, the tracking data receiver configured to:
detect a first entity comprising a first entity class by interacting with at least one of a first sensing technology component and a second sensing technology component both disposed on the first entity, the first entity detected by using a first sensing technology to interact with the first sensing technology component and a second sensing technology to interact with the second sensing technology component, wherein the first sensing technology and the second sensing technology are different;
generate a first tracking data report conveying a location of the first entity;
detect a second entity comprising a second entity class; and
generate a second tracking data report conveying a location of the second entity; and

a multi-modal entity tracker configured to:
receive the first tracking data report and the second tracking data report;
determine that the first entity and the second entity are located within a predetermined range of the fixed location of the tracking data receiver at a same time based at least in part on the first tracking data report and the second tracking data report;
determine that the first entity is associated with the second entity;
generate a notification based on the determination that the first entity and the second entity are located within the predetermined range of the fixed location of the tracking data receiver at the same time and the determination that the first entity is associated with the second entity;
determine co-movement of the first entity and the second entity;
receive tracking data reports from a plurality of sensed entity classes utilizing a plurality of sensing methods; and
determine a direction of travel of the plurality of sensed entity classes.

2. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 1 wherein the first sensing technology comprises a passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and an RFID reader.

3. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 2 wherein the first sensing technology comprises a forward RFID infrastructure and the second sensing technology comprises a reverse RFID infrastructure.

4. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 1 wherein the first sensing technology is configured as a free-flow location sensing system and the second sensing technology comprises a secure access location sensing technology.

5. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 4 wherein the at least one tracking data receiver comprises a plurality of sensing mechanisms for the free-flow location sensing system and at least one sensing technology for the secure access location sensing technology.

6. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 1 wherein the multi-modal entity tracker is configured to determine a direction of travel of the first entity and the second entity.

7. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 6 wherein the multi-modal entity tracker is configured to receive information from the plurality of sensed entity classes and the plurality of sensing methods to determine the presence of a plurality of entity classes.

8. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 1 wherein the at least one tracking data receiver utilizes the first sensing technology for tracking entities indoors, and utilizes the second sensing technology comprising a GNSS system for tracking entities outdoors, and wherein the at least one tracking data receiver is further configured to transmit the first tracking data report and the second tracking data report to the multi-modal entity tracker.

9. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 8 wherein the multi-modal entity tracker is configured to determine either of a relative position or a direction of movement of the first entity class and the second entity class.

10. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 1 wherein the first entity comprises a person, and the second entity comprises an asset, and wherein the multi-modal entity tracker uses the first tracking data report and the second tracking data report to determine whether the person is using the asset.

11. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 1 wherein the first entity comprises a person, and the second entity comprises an asset, and wherein the multi-modal entity tracker uses the first tracking data report and the second tracking data report to determine a usage time of the asset by the person.

12. The multi-modal entity tracking and display system of claim 1 wherein the first entity comprises a person, and the second entity comprises an asset, and wherein the multi-modal entity tracker uses the first tracking data report and the second tracking data report to determine the usage of the asset and a work performance of the person.

13. A method for tracking a plurality of entities, the method comprising:
accessing a tracking infrastructure comprising at least one tracking data receiver located at a fixed location, the tracking data receiver configured to detect an entity having a first sensing technology component and a second sensing technology component disposed thereon, by using a first sensing technology to interact with the first sensing technology component and a second sensing technology to interact with the second sensing technology component, wherein the first sensing technology and the second sensing technology are different;
detecting a first entity using the tracking data receiver, the first entity comprising a first entity class;
generating a first tracking data report using the tracking data receiver, the first tracking data report conveying a location of the first entity;
detecting a second entity using the tracking data receiver, the second entity comprising a second entity class;
generating a second tracking data report using the tracking data receiver, the second tracking data report conveying a location of the second entity;
determining that the first entity and the second entity are located within a predetermined range of the fixed location of the tracking data receiver at a same time based at least in part on the first tracking data report and the second tracking data report;
determining that the first entity is associated with the second entity;
generating a notification based on the determination that the first entity and the second entity are located within the predetermined range of the fixed location of the tracking data receiver at the same time and the determination that the first entity is associated with the second entity;
determining co-movement of the first entity and the second entity; and
determining a direction of travel of a plurality of sensed entity classes from tracking data reports received from the plurality of sensed entity classes utilizing a plurality of sensing methods.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first sensing technology utilizes a passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and an RFID reader.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first sensing technology utilizes a forward RFID infrastructure and the second sensing technology utilizes a reverse RFID infrastructure.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein:
the first sensing technology is configured as a free-flow location sensing system; and
the second sensing technology is configured as a secure access location sensing technology.

17. The m

Assignees

• Trimble Navigation Ltd

Inventors

• Schoner Bernd
• Pappu Ravikanth
• Shah Satyan
• Fiegel Brian
• Biondo John

Classifications

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title

• G08B13/2485

  Simultaneous detection of multiple EAS tags · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G06K2017/0045

  Physics · mapped topic