Patent · US Expired

System and method for locating individuals and equipment, airline reservation system, communication system

US6127917A · kind A · utility

212Cited by
16References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 3, 1999
Grant dateOct 3, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 3, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M2242/30
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system for locating an individual in a facility, the system including a portable wireless transponder device borne by the individual; an interrogator; and a plurality of antennas distributed in the facility, the antennas being selectively separately connected to the interrogator, the interrogator when connected to any of the antennas having a communications range covering less than the area of the entire facility, the interrogator being configured to repeatedly transmit a wireless command to the portable wireless transponder device using alternating antennas, the portable wireless transponder device being configured to transmit data identifying the portable wireless transponder device in response to a command if the portable wireless transponder device is within communications range of the antenna sending the command, the individual being locatable by determining with which antenna the interrogator was able to establish communications with the portable wireless transponder device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.