Patent Publication Number: US-2003234293-A1

Title: Radio frequency identification survey monument system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification survey monument system for use in connection with survey monument marking and locating systems. The radio frequency identification survey monument system has particular utility in connection with using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to send valuable information about a land surveying monument to a future surveyor.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] Radio frequency identification survey monument systems are desirable to assist land surveyors in locating a land surveying monument and quickly and easily gain access to surveying information regarding land upon which a monument is located.  
       [0005] The use of radio frequency identification systems and the use of survey monument systems are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,348 to Aoki, et al discloses a surveying system using GPS receivers. However, the Aoki &#39;348 patent does not use RFID technology, and has further drawbacks of being limited in amount of information that can be stored at the monument site.  
       [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,913 to Nichols, et al discloses an optimization of survey coordinate transformations that uses GPS for selecting an optimal transformation for purposes of gathering surveying measurements. However, the Nichols &#39;913 patent does not store land surveying data and additionally does not assist a user in locating a land survey monument from fifteen (15) feet or more.  
       [0007] Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,703 to Ziegler discloses a survey monument and improved extraction restriction means therefore that has a simple spring clip extracting means to allow easy removal of rod after rod is driven in ground. However, the Zeigler &#39;703 patent does not assist a user is locating a land monument, and can not store all data the present invention is capable of storing for quick and easy retrieval.  
       [0008] Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,301 to Frieden discloses an electronic tracking tag that may be attached to various types of physical assets to assist in asset identification. However, the Frieden &#39;301 patent does not assist in locating a monument that may be buried, and has the additional deficiency of working only to locate an asset and does not have a feature wherein a reader receives information or data from an electronic tracking tag.  
       [0009] While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a radio frequency identification survey monument system that allows use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to locate monument and send valuable information about a land surveying monument to a future surveyor.  
       [0010] The present invention uses the known technology of RFID to improve upon current technology used in land surveying which will greatly decrease amount of time spent in locating land monuments, and improve upon ability to obtain accurate information regarding surveys.  
       [0011] Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved radio frequency identification survey monument system that can be used for locating a land survey monument and retrieving valuable information about a land survey. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the radio frequency identification survey monument system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of locating a land survey monument and retrieving valuable information about a land survey.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of survey monument systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved survey monument system, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved survey monument system and method of using it which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a radio frequency identification survey monument system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.  
       [0013] To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a radio frequency identification survey monument system with a radio frequency identification transponder tag operative to store information and to transmit a signal for marking and identifying a location on a region of land, and a reader operative to excite a transponder and read the signal transmitted by the radio frequency identification transponder tag.  
       [0014] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.  
       [0015] The invention may also include an external antenna for transmitting signals to a reader. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.  
       [0016] Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.  
       [0017] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
       [0018] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved survey monument system that has all of the advantages of the prior art survey monument systems and none of the disadvantages.  
       [0019] It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved survey monument system that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.  
       [0020] An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved survey monument system that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such survey monument system economically available to the buying public.  
       [0021] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new survey monument system that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.  
       [0022] Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a radio frequency identification survey monument system for locating a land survey monument and retrieving valuable information about a land survey. This allows a user with a reader to access valuable information about a land survey quickly and easily, without the need for extensive research. In many cases, research efforts can not only be time consuming, but can be unsuccessful. The present invention also assists in quick, easy and accurate location of a land survey monument without the current confusion caused by mixed signals with barbed wire or other metals on land.  
       [0023] Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of obtaining information about a location of land by receiving a radio frequency signal from a transponder tag located at the location and processing the radio frequency signal to obtain the information about the location. The present invention also operates to locate a land survey monument system by use of a reader.  
       [0024] These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0025] The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:  
     [0026]FIG. 1 is an overview of the preferred embodiment of the radio frequency identification survey monument system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.  
     [0027]FIG. 2 is an overview of the radio frequency identification survey monument system of the present invention.  
     [0028]FIG. 3 is an overview of the radio frequency identification survey monument system of the present invention. 
    
    
     [0029] The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0030] Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS.  1 - 3 , a preferred embodiment of the radio frequency identification survey monument system of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 10.  
     [0031] In FIG. 1, a new and improved radio frequency identification survey monument system  10  of the present invention for locating a land survey monument and retrieving valuable information about a land survey is illustrated and will be described. More particularly, the radio frequency identification survey monument system  10  has a radio frequency identification transponder tag  12  operative to store information  14  for marking and identifying a location on a region of land and transmit a signal  16  to a reader  18 . FIG. 1 also shows a reader  18  operative to excite the transponder tag  12  with exciter signal  8  and receive the signal  16  transmitted by the radio frequency identification transponder tag  12 .  
     [0032]FIG. 1 shows a survey monument cap  20  that includes the radio frequency identification transponder tag  12 . The transponder tag  12  is operative to allow the reader  18  to provide location information. FIG. 1 shows how the transponder tag  12  is operative to transmit to a reader  18  to allow the reader  18  to provide information  14  regarding at least one of a personal identify of a land surveyor and crew members who set monument, date and weather at time monument was set, type of equipment used to set monument, a depth of a monument, a set of land coordinates, Cadd files and field notes or property descriptions, deed and title information regarding region of land and surrounding land, station and offset information relating to construction plans, and any problems incurred when surveying property or right of way.  
     [0033]FIG. 1 also shows the radio frequency identification survey monument system  10  and illustrates how once it is excited by the reader  18  can read the signal  16  from the transponder tag  12  at a range of at least 15 feet from the reader  18 . The reader  18  can read the signal  16  from the transponder tag  12  for a duration of at least one year. Information  14  received by the reader  18  can be transferred from the reader  18  to a computer  30  with computer software  32 .  
     [0034]FIG. 1 shows the monument cap  20  and how a survey monument  22  fits within the survey monument cap  20 . The survey monument cap  20  can be made of plastic, while the survey monument  22  can be made of concrete, metal or plastic. The transponder tag  12  is operative to continue to transmit the signal  16  to the reader  18  when the transponder tag  12  is buried under ground  24 . FIG. 1 shows the transponder tag  12  with an external antenna  26  which can transmit the signal  16  to the reader  18  when the transponder tag  12  is buried under ground  24  and the antenna  26  is above ground  24 . The antenna  26  can be a wire.  
     [0035]FIG. 2 shows a method of obtaining information  14  about a location of land by exciting a transponder tag  12  with a reader  18 , then receiving a radio frequency signal  16  from a transponder tag  12  located at the location  42 , and processing the radio frequency signal to obtain the information  14  about the location  44 . FIG. 2 also shows how the reader  18  locates the land survey monument system  46 .  
     [0036]FIG. 3 shows a method of locating a land survey monument system  46  wherein information is transmitted to a reader  52  by a transponder tag, received with a reader  48 , processed with the reader  50 , and converted into a program language with computer software  54 .  
     [0037] In use, it can now be understood that a radio frequency identification survey monument system is essential to land surveyors and those who seek survey information about a region of land. The current methods for obtaining survey information are time consuming and can produce inaccurate or incomplete information.  
     [0038] While a preferred embodiment of the radio frequency identification survey monument system has been described in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. For example, any suitable sturdy material such as metal or plastic may be used instead. Also, the survey monument may also be made of heavy-duty plastic, metal, or similar material. And although using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to send valuable information about a land surveying monument to a future surveyor have been described, it should be appreciated that the radio frequency identification survey monument system herein described is also suitable for quickly and easily detecting a land survey monument in a region of land. Furthermore, a wide variety of land survey monuments may be used instead of the standard metal land survey monument described.  
     [0039] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.