Patent ID: 7152791
Filing Date: 2006-12-26
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A tracking system to track the location of a plurality of assets of interest, said tracking system comprising: a set of asset badges, wherein each of said set of asset badges is attached to a corresponding one of a first set of assets and transmits a corresponding badge identifier; a plurality of intelligent badges, wherein each of said plurality of intelligent badges is attached to a corresponding one of a second set of assets and transmits a corresponding badge identifier, wherein said first set of assets and said second set of assets are comprised in said plurality of assets; each of said plurality of intelligent badges receiving a corresponding one of a plurality of sets of badge identifiers, each of said plurality of intelligent badges sending said corresponding one of a plurality of sets of badge identifiers associated with a badge identifier of the intelligent badge, wherein the badge identifiers in each set are sent together associated with the badge identifier of the intelligent badge even if the badge identifiers in the set are it received at different time instances; a processing system receiving and processing said plurality of sets of badge identifiers and corresponding identifiers of said intelligent badges to determine a location of each of said plurality of assets of interest; and a reader receiving each of said plurality of sets of badge identifiers and said associated badge identifier from a corresponding one of said plurality of intelligent badges, said reader sending said plurality of sets of badge identifiers and said associated badge identifiers to said processing system, wherein said reader is associated with a reader zone, wherein each of said asset badges transmits a corresponding badge identifier using a first type of signals suited for a first distance range, and each of said plurality of intelligent badges sends said corresponding one of said plurality of sets of badge identifiers associated with said badge identifier of the intelligent badge using a second type of signals suited for a second distance range, wherein said second distance range is more than said first distance range, wherein said reader is located within a distance of said second distance range from each of said plurality of intelligent badges.