Method, apparatus, and computer program product improving real time location systems with multiple location technologies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9715005-B2
Application number	US-201414298035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jun 6, 2013
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for improving, in some examples, real time location systems with multiple location technologies. In one embodiment, a method is provided including receiving blink data from a location tag associated with a first sensor; receiving proximity data generated based on communications between the first sensor and a second sensor, the proximity data including a sensor identifier; calculating location data associated with the location tag based on the blink data; and determining sensor position calculation data associated with the first sensor based on the proximity data.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
calculating, using a processor, location data for a location tag based on blink data received from the location tag;
determining sensor position calculation data based on position data or proximity data received from a sensor associated with the location tag;
determining an over-determined location based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and a location hierarchy, wherein the location hierarchy comprises a first priority for the location data, a second priority for the sensor position calculation data based on the position data, and a third priority for the sensor position calculation data based on the proximity data; and
causing the over-determined location to be displayed on a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the over-determined location based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and the location hierarchy comprises determining a highest one of the priorities for the location tag.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the over-determined location based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and the location hierarchy comprises using the location hierarchy to select one or more of the location data or the sensor position calculation data for the location tag.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing the over-determined location to be stored in a memory.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location hierarchy comprises a first set of priorities for a first monitored area and a second set of priorities for a second monitored area.

6. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
calculate location data for a location tag based on blink data received from the location tag;
determine sensor position calculation data based on position data or proximity data received from a sensor associated with the location tag;
determine an over-determined location based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and a location hierarchy, wherein the location hierarchy comprises a first priority for the location data, a second priority for the sensor position calculation data based on the position data, and a third priority for the sensor position calculation data based on the proximity data; and
cause the over-determined location to be displayed on a user interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the over-determined location is determined based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and the location hierarchy by determining a highest one of the priorities for the location tag.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the over-determined location is determined based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data and the location hierarchy by using the location hierarchy to select one or more of the location data or the sensor position calculation data for the location tag.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause the over-determined location to be stored in a memory.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program code portions stored thereon, the program code portions configured, upon execution to:
calculate location data for a location tag based on blink data received from the location tag;
determine sensor position calculation data based on position data or proximity data received from a sensor associated with the location tag;
determine an over-determined location based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and a location hierarchy, wherein the location hierarchy comprises a first priority for the location data, a second priority for the sensor position calculation data based on the position data, and a third priority for the sensor position calculation data based on the proximity data; and
cause the over-determined location to be displayed on a user interface.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the determining the over-determined location based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and the location hierarchy comprises determining a highest one of the priorities for the location tag.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the determining the over-determined location based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and the location hierarchy comprises using the location hierarchy to select one or more of the location data or the sensor position calculation data for the location tag.

13. A computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the program code portions are further configured, upon execution, to cause the over-determined location to be stored in a memory.

14. A method comprising:
calculating, using a processor, location data for a location tag based on blink data received from the location tag;
determining sensor position calculation data based on position data or proximity data received from a sensor associated with the location tag;
determining an over-determined location based on the location data, the sensor position calculation data, and a location hierarchy, wherein the location hierarchy comprises a first set of priorities for a first monitored area and a second set of priorities for a second monitored area; and
causing the over-determined location to be displayed on a user interface.

Assignees

• Zih Corp

Inventors

• Hughes John K
• O'Hagan James J

Classifications

• G01S19/48

  by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system · CPC title

• G01S5/0294

  Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering · CPC title

• G01S13/765

  with exchange of information between interrogator and responder · CPC title

• G01S5/0284 Primary

  Relative positioning · CPC title

• G01S13/878

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title