IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
UP-0553575
(2006-10-27)
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등록번호 |
US-7589636
(2009-09-24)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Ayyagari, Arun
- Battles, Craig
- Coop, William Phillip
- Ung, Kevin Y.
- Smith, Brian J.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
9 인용 특허 :
5 |
초록
▼
Methods and systems for an automated safety device inspection system for a vehicle are provided. The system includes an RFID reader including a transmit portion and a receive portion wherein the reader is physically translatable along a predetermined path, a directional antenna communicatively coupl
Methods and systems for an automated safety device inspection system for a vehicle are provided. The system includes an RFID reader including a transmit portion and a receive portion wherein the reader is physically translatable along a predetermined path, a directional antenna communicatively coupled to the reader wherein the antenna is configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a direction substantially normal to the path, a relative position indicator configured to determine a relative position of the reader from a starting point, and a controller communicatively coupled to the reader. The controller includes a user interface, a processor communicatively coupled to the user interface, and a database communicatively coupled to the processor wherein the database includes location data of a plurality of safety devices in a plurality of different types of vehicles, the processor is configured to control the transmitted RF signals based on the location data.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. An automated inspection system, the system comprising: a reader comprising a transmit portion and a receive portion, said reader physically translatable along a predetermined path; a sensor mote coupled to an object to be inspected; a directional antenna communicatively coupl
What is claimed is: 1. An automated inspection system, the system comprising: a reader comprising a transmit portion and a receive portion, said reader physically translatable along a predetermined path; a sensor mote coupled to an object to be inspected; a directional antenna communicatively coupled to said reader, said antenna configured to transmit and receive signals from said sensor mote in a direction substantially normal to the path; a relative position indicator configured to determine a relative position of the reader from a starting point; and a controller communicatively coupled to said reader, said controller comprising: a user interface; a processor communicatively coupled to said user interface; and a database communicatively coupled to said processor, said database comprising location data of a plurality of sensor motes in a plurality of different types of vehicles, said processor configured to control the transmitted sensor signals based on the location data. 2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sensor motes comprise an RFID enabled tag. 3. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reader comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. 4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reader is configured to transmit and receive in the UHF band. 5. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reader is configured to generate radio frequency signals of approximately 915 MHz. 6. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reader comprises an RFID reader configured to generate radio frequency signals that interrogate an RFID enabled tag such that the tag responds to the interrogation with a tag identification signal. 7. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said directional antenna comprises a passive directional antenna. 8. A system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said passive directional antenna comprises at least one of a Yagi-Uda type antenna, a spiral, and a horn type antenna. 9. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said directional antenna comprises an active directional antenna. 10. A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said active directional antenna comprises a phased-array antenna. 11. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said directional antenna is configured to generate a narrow beamwidth selected to ensure that the tags are within the field of view of the antenna beam. 12. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said directional antenna is configured to generate a beamwidth of approximately ten degrees to approximately twenty-five degrees. 13. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said directional antenna is configured to generate a beamwidth of approximately seventeen degrees. 14. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to receive a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signal from said reader. 15. A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said processor is configured to determine an RFID-enabled tag location based on, the relative position of the reader, and the received RSSI signal from the reader. 16. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to receive a time difference of arrival (TDOA) signal from said reader. 17. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said processor is configured to determine a mote location based on, the relative position of the reader, and the TDOA signal from the reader. 18. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to position-stamp a plurality of received signals using corresponding relative position signals from said relative position indicator. 19. A system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said processor is configured to determine a mote location based on the position-stamps of the plurality of received RF signals. 20. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said relative position indicator comprises a rotary encoder. 21. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said database comprises a seating configuration for an aircraft. 22. A method for automated location of an object, said method comprising: traversing a reader in a first direction along a path adjacent the object; recording a relative position of the reader along the path, the relative position with respect to a starting position of the reader; transmitting an interrogation signal from the reader in a direction substantially normal to the first direction; transmitting a response signal from the object when the object receives the interrogation signal; and determining a presence of the object, an identification of the object and a location of the object based on the response signal. 23. A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising coupling a mote to the object. 24. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein traversing a reader in a first direction along a path adjacent the object comprises traversing the reader along an aisle between passenger seats of an aircraft cabin, said object including an RFID-enabled life vest associated with a seat. 25. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein transmitting an interrogation signal from the reader comprises transmitting the interrogation signal from a directional antenna oriented in the normal direction. 26. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein transmitting an interrogation signal from the reader comprises transmitting the response signal from the object when the object receives the interrogation signal 27. A method in accordance with claim 26 wherein transmitting a response signal from the object when the object receives the interrogation signal comprises transmitting an identification of the object to the reader in response to the interrogation signal. 28. A method in accordance with claim 26 further comprising: position-stamping the response signal from the object with position information of the reader with respect to a starting point of the reader, wherein the response signal includes an identification of the object; and storing the position stamped object identification information. 29. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein the reader includes a user interface including a display, said method further comprising: receiving an identification of a location of the reader; determining a layout configuration for the identified location; displaying the layout configuration for the identified location; positioning the reader at the starting position at the location; and initializing the reader display to display the reader position at the starting position on the displayed layout configuration. 30. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein transmitting an interrogation signal from the reader comprises intermittently transmitting the interrogation signal from the reader based on a predetermined time period. 31. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein transmitting an interrogation signal from the reader comprises intermittently transmitting the interrogation signal from the reader based on a predetermined reader position along the path. 32. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein determining a presence of the object, an identification of the object and a location of the object based on the response signal comprises determining the location of the object using a propagation loss of the transmitted response signal. 33. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein determining a presence of the object, an identification of the object and a location of the object based on the response signal comprises determining the location of the object using a difference of the time of arrival of a first and a second transmitted response signal. 34. A method in accordance with claim 22 wherein determining a presence of the object, an identification of the object and a location of the object based on the response signal comprises determining the location of the object using a position stamp of each object transmitting a response signal. 35. A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising displaying the determined objects on the layout configuration in a position indicting a determined location. 36. An automated safety device inspection system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader comprising a transmit portion and a receive portion, said reader physically translatable along a predetermined path, said RFID reader is configured to generate radio frequency signals that interrogate an RFID enabled tag such that the tag responds to the interrogation with a tag identification signal; a directional antenna communicatively coupled to said reader, said antenna configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals in a direction substantially normal to the path, said directional antenna further configured to generate a narrow beamwidth selected to ensure that the tags are within the field of view of the antenna beam; a relative position indicator configured to determine a relative position of the reader from a starting point; and a controller communicatively coupled to said reader, said controller comprising: a user interface; a processor communicatively coupled to said user interface, said processor is configured to determine an RFID-enabled tag location based on the relative position of the reader and a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) signal received from the reader, said processor is further configured to determine the RFID-enabled tag location based on the relative position of the reader, and a time difference of arrival (TDOA) signal from the reader, said processor is still further configured to determine the RFID-enabled tag location based on the position-stamps of the plurality of received RF signals; and a database communicatively coupled to said processor, said database comprising location data of a plurality of safety devices in a plurality of different types of vehicles, said processor configured to control the transmitted RF signals based on the location data. 37. A system in accordance with claim 36 wherein said directional antenna further configured to generate a beamwidth of approximately ten degrees to approximately twenty-five degrees. 38. A system in accordance with claim 37 wherein said directional antenna is configured to generate a beamwidth of approximately seventeen degrees.
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