Electromagnetic user tracking system
US10834547B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 16, 2016 |
| Grant date | Nov 10, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 7, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L2012/6459
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A facility is equipped with floor tiles, each tile having several segments, each segment with an antenna. Each segment on a tile is associated with a particular timeslot. A transmitter at the tile transmits on a specific frequency. During the particular timeslot for that segment, a signal at the specific frequency is transmitted and radiated from the antenna for that segment. A user electromagnetically couples to one or more antennas of the tile, acting as a signal path for the signal. A receiver in a second tile detects the signal, and information about the frequency detected, timeslot for the signal, and relative signal strength is generated. Where the user has stepped from is determined using the information. By concatenating these steps, a path of the user may be determined. Receivers in shelves facilitate disambiguation of one user from another when interacting with items.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.