Patent ID: 7772976

Claim:
A method for locating an entity within and outside of a structure using an RFID system including a plurality of portable units, a portable unit comprising a storage, a unique identity, and an RF transmitter/receiver transported by the entity within the structure, a base unit comprising an RF transmitter/receiver and a display, and a plurality of passive RFID tags, the method comprising the steps of: the RF transmitter/receiver recording a location of an RFID tag; the base unit storing the location of the RFID tag in the storage; a supplemental location determination device determining the location of the entity; and the RF transmitter/receiver broadcasting the identity of the unit, the location of the RFID tag and the location of the entity to the base unit, which maintains a log of the identity of the unit, the location of the RFID tag and the location of the entity, determines the location of the entity from the location of the RFID tag, determines the identity of the entity from the identity of the unit, and maintains a log of the location the entity; wherein the RFID tags contain unique location information encoded according to a predetermined standard; wherein the RFID tags are disposed at predetermined intervals within the structure determined according a predetermined standard of placement; wherein the base unit transmits an interrogation signal to an active RFID tag and receives a schematic of the structure; wherein the base unit displays the schematic on the display and displays the location of the portable RF transmitter/receiver, the identity of the entity, and the log overlaid on the schematic.