Patent ID: 8253538

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a first radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to receive radio-frequency signals from a plurality of radio-frequency identification tags, wherein the first radio-frequency identification reader is a mobile reader, each of the radio-frequency signals represents a tag identifier associated with a respective one of the radio-frequency identification tags, the radio-frequency identification tags include asset tags and location tags, each of the asset tags is associated with a respective one of a plurality of first assets, and each of the location tags is associated with a respective one of a plurality of first locations; an association module configured to, based on the tag identifiers, generate first associations between (i) each of the plurality of first assets and (ii) one or more of the plurality of first locations, a motion detector configured to detect motion, in a second location, of (i) a second asset, and (ii) one of the plurality of first assets; a second radio-frequency identification reader configured to capture radio-frequency signals present in the second location in response to the detected motion, in the second location, of (i) the second asset, and (ii) the one of the plurality of first assets, wherein the second radio-frequency identification reader is a fixed reader, wherein the first radio-frequency identification reader and the second radio-frequency identification reader are in communication with the association module via a network, and wherein the association module is configured to, in response to the radio-frequency signals captured in the second location, generate at least one second association between (i) the second location and (ii) the second asset, and the one of the plurality of first assets; and a camera configured to create an image of the second location in response to the detected motion, in the second location, of the (i) the second asset, and (ii) the one of the plurality of first assets, wherein the association module is configured to, in response to the radio-frequency signals captured in the second location, generate a third association relating the second location, the image, the second asset, and the one of the plurality of first assets; and wherein the third association identifies a person who has moved one of (i) the one of the plurality of first assets from one of the first locations to the second location, and (ii) the second asset from the second location to one of the plurality of first locations.