Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-02
2001-05-15
Lee, Benjamin C. (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S572300, C340S572400, C340S571000, C340S568100, C340S870030, C340S539230, C235S384000, C705S028000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06232877
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a monitoring system. It also relates to a method of monitoring movement from a selected zone. Further, it relates to a method of monitoring the use of at least one vehicle and to a primary electronic tag.
Identification tags such as electronic tags, e.g. transponder tags, are commonly available in the market place. Such tags are often carried by employees to control access to and from a building. Such employees may however be of devious intent and, upon departing, selected objects, e.g. valuable goods such as laptop computers or the like, may be stolen. It is an object, inter alia, of this invention to offer a solution to this problem.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a monitoring system which includes
a primary electronic tag including primary identification data and associated with a primary bearer of the tag;
a secondary electronic tag including secondary identification data and associated with a secondary bearer of the tag, the secondary identification data being associated with the primary identification data;
reading apparatus for remotely reading the primary identification data from the primary identification tag and remotely reading the secondary identification data from secondary identification tag; and
comparator means operable to compare the secondary identification data and the primary identification data and generate an output signal dependent upon an outcome of the comparison.
Typically the system includes a plurality of secondary electronic tags associated with the primary electronic tag, each secondary electronic tag including secondary identification data which identifies the secondary bearer to which it is attached and which is identified by the primary identification data.
In certain embodiments of the invention, the primary electronic tag is carried in use by a person and the secondary electronic tag includes secondary attachment means configured fixedly to attach it to the secondary bearer in the form an item of value e.g. a laptop computer or the like.
The primary identification data may include an inventory of valuable items which the bearer is authorised to remove from a particular zone, each item including a secondary electronic tag which is identified by the primary identification data.
The system may include alarm apparatus responsive to the output signal for generating an alarm signal when the bearer of the primary electronic tag is not authorised to remove the valuable item from the zone. The system may include a security control arrangement, e.g. a turn-style or the like, responsive to the control signal and operable selectively to inhibit departure of the person from the zone if the valuable item is not included in the inventory. The access control arrangement is typically operable to allow access when selected identification data included in the primary and secondary identification data match.
The primary electronic tag may be a conventional electronic tag, e.g. a transponder tag, an active electronic tag including a transmitter only, or the like.
The primary identification data of the primary electronic tag may include identification data which identifies the authorised person, e.g. the person's name or the like. Accordingly, the electronic tag may have storage means for storing the primary identification data on the tag.
The secondary electronic tag may also be a conventional electronic tag. The secondary electronic tag typically includes storage means to store the secondary identification data and, optionally, the primary identification data.
Typically, the system comprises a plurality of secondary electronic tags, each tag including secondary identification data which identifies an object to which it is uniquely associated. Accordingly, for example, any one of a variety of goods may be associated with the authorised person. The system may include alarm means for generating an alarm signal when the person is not authorised to remove the object.
Typically, the primary electronic tag includes a plurality of secondary identification data, each item of secondary identification data being uniquely associated with a secondary electronic tag uniquely associated with a particular object to which the tag is associated, typically, securely attached thereto. Thus, the primary identification data may define a so-called “asset list” or “object list” which the bearer of the primary electronic tag may, for example, be authorised to remove from the selected zone, typically business premises, via an access control point.
In certain embodiments of the invention, the primary electronic tag includes primary attachment means configured releasably to attach it to the primary bearer which is in the form of a person and the secondary electronic tag includes secondary attachment means configured releasably to attach it to the secondary bearer which is also in the in the form a person.
The secondary identification data may identify a child under the supervision of the bearer of the primary electronic tag and the comparator may generate an output signal in the form of an alarm signal when the primary and secondary electronic tags are not within a predetermined zone covered by the reading apparatus.
The system may include a plurality of reading apparatus each covering a different predetermined zone forming part of a public area e.g. a theme park such as Disney World™ or the like. The comparator may operable to process the primary identification data and verify that all secondary electronic tags identified by the primary identification data are located within the predetermined zone covered by associated reading apparatus failing which an output signal in the form of an alarm signal is generated.
In other embodiments of the invention, the primary electronic tag is issued in use to a person authorised to use at least one selected vehicle and the secondary electronic tag is uniquely associated with and attached in use to the selected vehicle, the output signal indicating if the person is authorised to use the vehicle. Accordingly, the system may include disabling means responsive to the output signal and connected in use to an electrical system of the vehicle and operable selectively to disable the vehicle. The disabling means may be a conventional vehicle disabling arrangement for disabling the vehicle when the secondary and primary identification do not match.
Typically, the secondary electronic tag is located in a fuel tank of the vehicle.
The primary and secondary electronic tags may be active tags including an RF transmitter for intermittently transmitting the identification data.
The primary and secondary electronic tags may be programmed with the primary and secondary identification data in a wireless fashion.
The secondary and/or primary electronic tags may include tamper detection means for detecting tampering with the tag e.g. an attempt to remove it from the bearer.
The primary electronic tag may be a portable tag which may be, for example, attached to clothing or the like of the person, located in a pocket of the authorised person, or the like. The primary electronic tag may be arranged to performs similar functions as a conventional tag, e.g. time reporting or the like.
Still further in accordance with the invention, there is provided a primary electronic tag for use in monitoring movement of at least one secondary electronic tag, the primary electronic tag including primary identification data programmed to identify a bearer of the primary electronic tag in use and identify the secondary electronic tag.
The primary identification data may include an inventory of a plurality of secondary electronic tags associated with the primary electronic tag. The primary electronic tag may include a transmitter for intermittently transmitting a signal including the primary identification data to reading apparatus.
Further in accordance with the invention, there is provided a method of monitoring movement from a selected zone, the method including
reading primary identification data from a primary electronic tag issued to a
Konisa Limited
Ladas & Parry
Lee Benjamin C.
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