Patent Application
20100259611
The present invention relates to a network and system that includes tracking equipment and user assigned mobile badges, which, for example, includes radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, that communicate with stationary readers, such as RFID readers, and with network nodes. The present invention further relates to a method for implementing the network and system for controlled tracking, and to devices implemented in the network and system for controlled tracking.
A real space collaborative workspace may be an area in which a group of people gather in furtherance of a common goal. The workspace can be, for example, a single room, a building, or even a plurality of separate real space areas virtually connected. It may be desirable to track those who are present in such a workspace for security and/or productivity reasons. For example, tracking may help ensure that only authorized personnel access the workspace or sub-spaces of the workspace. Tracking may also help provide information regarding who is a likely source of information regarding various topics and events concerning that which takes place within the workspace. For example, if information is sought regarding an experiment conducted at a particular sub-space of the workspace, the tracking information can indicate those who were present at the particular sub-space at that time, i.e., those who may be most likely to provide useful input regarding the experiment.
Components of a system for such tracking in a collaborative workspace may be surveillance equipment and identification badges in communication with readers. Such surveillance and tracking may be imposed upon personnel of the workspace and may even be embraced by the personnel since it may aid in the furtherance of goals in which the personnel endeavor, both with respect to security and providing useful information as discussed above. Nevertheless, it may occur that a participant of the workspace desires at least temporary disablement of the tracking of the participant's presence and/or activities within the workspace or sub-spaces thereof.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method that provides for user controlled tracking in real space collaborative workspaces.
According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a surveillance system may provide: a surveillance control unit; a mobile unit for transmitting an identification signal; and a first reader unit, statically positioned at a first location, for receiving the identification signal from the mobile unit and for transmitting, in response to receipt of the identification signal, the identification signal or another signal that identifies the mobile unit to the surveillance control unit for logging by the surveillance control unit of a presence of the mobile unit at the first location. This signal transmitted to the surveillance control unit is also referred to herein as a logging signal. The mobile unit and/or the first reader unit may be configured to transmit at least one surveillance control message for control of surveillance at the first location.
The surveillance system may further provide surveillance equipment. The at least one surveillance control message may include a first instruction type for preventing the logging of the mobile unit's presence and/or a second instruction type for preventing recording by particular ones of the surveillance equipment that have an association with the first location.
The surveillance control unit may store a first log entry indicating the presence of the mobile unit at the first location. Whether the first log entry is stored may be conditional upon receiving the logging signal without receiving an instruction of the first instruction type that is associated with the logging signal. If the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location is on when an instruction of the second instruction type is received by the surveillance control unit, the surveillance control unit may turn off the surveillance equipment having the association with the first location in response to receipt of the instruction of the second instruction type.
The mobile unit may transmit the instruction of the first instruction type to the first reader unit. The first reader unit may forward the instruction of the first instruction type to the surveillance control unit. In response to the receipt of the instruction of the first instruction type, the surveillance control unit may store a second log entry of the presence of the mobile unit at the first location. The second log entry may be a temporary one. In one example embodiment, the surveillance control unit may initially enter the first log entry, and, for storing the second log entry, the surveillance control unit may mark the first log entry as temporary, so that the first log entry is converted to the second entry. In response to the instruction of the second instruction type, the surveillance control unit associates the instruction of the second instruction type with the first location based on the second log entry.
In one example embodiment, the mobile unit may transmit the instruction of the first instruction type to the surveillance control unit. The surveillance control unit may associate the instruction of the first instruction type with the first log entry by determining that the mobile unit identified in the first log entry is the mobile unit from which the instruction of the first instruction type was received. In response to receipt of the instruction of the first instruction type, the surveillance control unit may discontinue storing the first log entry or refrain from entering the first log entry, e.g., if not already entered.
In response to a lapse, from the turning off of the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location, of either a predetermined amount of time or an amount of time specified in the instruction of the second instruction type, the surveillance control unit may turn on the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location.
In one example embodiment, subsequent to turning off the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location, the surveillance control unit may turn the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location back on in response to a signal that identifies the mobile unit and that is received from a second reader unit statically positioned at a second location if both (a) the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location does not have an equivalent association with the second location and (b) the association with the first location does not define an area including the second location.
In response to a lapse, from the turning off of the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location, of a predetermined amount of time or an amount of time specified in the instruction of the second instruction type, the surveillance control unit may transmit to the mobile unit a message as a reminder to turn on the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location.
If the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location is off when the instruction of the second instruction type is received by the surveillance control unit, the surveillance control unit may store the instruction of the second instruction type in an instruction queue for later execution. The instruction of the second instruction type may be removed from the queue in response to execution of the instruction of the second instruction type, receipt of a trigger originating at the mobile unit for turning on the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location, and/or a lapse, from a time of receipt of the instruction of the second instruction type by the surveillance control unit, of a predetermined amount of time or an amount of time specified in the instruction of the second instruction type.
In response to a trigger for turning on the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location, if any instruction of the second instruction type that is associated with the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location is pending, the surveillance control unit may defer turning on the surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location until after no instruction of the second instruction type that is associated with the surveillance equipment remains pending. A pending instruction may be one that is either queued or being executed.
The mobile unit may transmit the instruction of the first instruction type to the first reader unit. In response to the instruction of the first instruction type, the first reader unit may refrain from transmitting the logging signal to the surveillance control unit.
The first reader unit may include an input device for receiving input of the at least one surveillance control message. The first reader unit may forward the at least one surveillance control message or a modification of the at least one surveillance control message input via the input device to the surveillance control unit. The at least one surveillance control message may be associated with the mobile unit based on an identification input that is input into the input device, the identification signal, or the other signal that identifies the mobile unit.
For example, the first reader unit may associate the at least one surveillance control message with the mobile unit if the identification signal received by the first reader unit from the mobile unit is (a) an only identification signal received by the first reader unit prior to receiving the input of the at least one surveillance control message or (b) a last one of a plurality of identification signals that is received by the first reader unit prior to receiving the input of the at least one surveillance control message.
In another exemplary embodiment, the surveillance control unit may receive the at least one surveillance control message and associate it with the mobile unit if the logging signal received by the surveillance control unit from the first reader unit is (a) the only logging signal received by the surveillance control unit from the first reader unit or (b) a last one of a plurality of logging signals received by the surveillance control unit from the first reader unit prior to receiving the at least one surveillance control message.
The surveillance equipment that has the association with the first location may include a video and/or audio surveillance equipment. The video and/or surveillance equipment may include a video camera.
The mobile unit may include an RFID tag for transmitting the identification signal, and the first reader unit may include an RFID reader.
According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a surveillance method may provide: transmitting an identification signal by a mobile unit to a reader unit statically positioned at a location for indicating a presence of the mobile unit at the location; and transmitting at least one surveillance control message by the mobile unit or the statically positioned reader unit to a surveillance control unit for preventing a logging by the surveillance control unit of the presence of the mobile unit at the location and/or preventing recording by surveillance equipment having an association with the location.
The method may further provide: for the logging, in response to receiving the identification signal by the reader unit, transmitting, by the reader unit, a logging signal, which may be the identification signal or another signal that identifies the mobile unit, to the surveillance control unit; and associating, by the surveillance control unit, the at least one surveillance control message with the logging signal by determining that: (a) the mobile unit identified in the logging signal is the mobile unit from which the at least one surveillance control message is received; or (b) the logging signal and the at least one surveillance control message are received from the same reader unit, and the logging signal is either (i) an only logging signal received from the reader unit prior to receiving the at least one surveillance control message, or (ii) a last one of a plurality of logging signals received from the reader unit prior to the surveillance control unit receiving the at least one surveillance control message.
According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a mobile identification device may provide: an identification signal transmitter for transmitting an identification signal to a reader unit statically located at a location; an input device for receiving input of at least one surveillance control message; and a message transmitter for transmitting the at least one surveillance control message to a surveillance control unit for instructing the surveillance control unit to (a) refrain from maintaining a log entry indicating a presence of the mobile identification device at the location and/or (b) turn off surveillance equipment associated with the location.
The identification signal transmitter may be an RFID tag.
The identification signal transmitter and the message transmitter may transmit data at different frequencies.
The identification signal transmitter may transmit the identification signal at an ultra high frequency.
The message transmitter may transmit the at least one surveillance control message at a lower frequency than the ultra high frequency.
The at least one surveillance control message may be transmitted for association by the surveillance control unit with a logging signal based on the identification signal after receipt of the logging signal from the reader unit.
The at least one surveillance control message may be associated with the location based on the association of the at least one surveillance control message with the logging signal.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a tracking system and method that may provide user control of tracking in a real space collaborative workspace. The system may include user assigned mobile badges for communication with stationary readers. The badges and/or the readers may include one or more components for indicating a user's tracking preference. Examples of such components may be buttons, switches, or a keypad. The user may indicate a tracking preference regarding operation of surveillance equipment, such as video/audio equipment, and/or regarding a tracking log compiled based on user identifications associated with tags read by the readers.
A plurality of devices for receiving the identifying signals, such as RFID readers 106, may be distributed throughout a workspace 100. The RFID readers 106 may be low powered RF wireless nodes embedded in the environment for reading the signals. Each RFID reader 106 may be associated with a different corresponding sub-space of the workspace 100. For example, in
Aside from reading short range signals of RFID tags 102, the RFID readers 106 may include a transmitter for transmitting longer range signals to a base station 115 that tracks the users' movements, e.g., by entering entries in a log, and that controls surveillance equipment. The different ranges of the different transmitters may be provided for by using different frequencies, e.g., a lower frequency for transmitting the longer range signals, or by varying other configurations, e.g., providing varying levels of power to the different transmitters. For example, by varying the power provided to different transmitters, a transmitter transmitting at a first frequency may have a larger communication range than even another transmitter transmitting at a lower second frequency. (It is noted that the different transmitters may transmit at different frequencies for reasons other than varying their respective communication ranges.) The base station 115 may include a processor 118 to process logging and equipment inhibition instructions for determining whether to log a user's presence at a location and/or to turn off surveillance equipment, and/or for determining whether to turn on surveillance equipment. For example, an RFID reader 106 may directly communicate with the base station 115 or may communicate with a network of wireless nodes 107, including the base station 115, along communication path 112. Accordingly, the signal transmitted by the RFID reader 106 may be transmitted to the base station 115 either directly or through multiple network node hops. In response to the signal, the base station 115 may log the entrance of a user identified by the signal into the sub-space associated with the transmitting RFID reader 106. For example, the base station 115 may include a mapping of RFID readers to sub-spaces, and may log the user's presence at the sub-space associated with the transmitting RFID reader 106.
In an example embodiment of the present invention, a user may transmit to an RFID reader 106 an instruction along communication path 110 to refrain from logging the user's presence in the sub-space with which the RFID reader 106 is associated. For example, the instruction may be entered by pressing a button 103 of the user's badge 101. Alternatively or in addition, an RFID reader 106 may include an input device, for example, that has buttons, e.g., a keypad 111, for input of instructions by the users. In response to receiving the instruction, the RFID reader 106 may refrain from transmitting a signal to the base station 115 indicating the user's presence at the location of the RFID reader 106. Alternatively, the RFID reader 106 may transmit, along communication path 112, the signal indicating the user's presence at the RFID reader 106, and may also transmit another signal instructing the base station 115 to refrain from entering a log entry indicating the user's presence at the sub-space associated with the transmitting RFID reader 106. In response to the signal transmitted by the RFID reader 106, the base station 115 may refrain from adding a log entry in a user (e.g., administrator), accessible log. In one variant, the base station 115 may, e.g., temporarily, record the user's presence at the sub-space for use by the base station 115, as described herein, but may refrain from adding an entry in a user accessible log.
In an alternative example embodiment of the present invention, the user may transmit the log-inhibiting instruction directly to the network of wireless nodes 107 for transmission to the base station 115, via communication path 114. The instruction may be transmitted via an input device of the badge 101, e.g., by pressing a button 103. Alternatively, or in addition, the RFID readers 106 may include buttons for input of the log-inhibiting instruction for direct transmission to the base station 115 via communication path 112. When the base station 115 receives the logging signal from the RFID reader 106, the base station 115 may refrain from inserting a log entry into an accessible log tracking users' movements in the workspace 100.
According to the embodiments that provide for the transmission of log-inhibiting instructions to the base station 115, in response to receipt of a log-inhibiting instruction, the base station 115 may transmit an acknowledgement message indicating success of the command to the user via communication path 114. The message may be transmitted directly to the user's badge 101 or indirectly, via multiple hops through the network of wireless nodes 107. For example, a message may be a printed message, an audible message, and/or a turning on of one or more LEDs of the badge 101.
In one example embodiment of the present invention, a user may transmit an instruction to refrain from logging the presence of all or particular users other than the user, e.g., besides for the user. In one example embodiment, different users may have different authorities. For example, a first user may have no logging restriction authority, a second user may have such authority only with respect to logging of the second user, and a third user may have such authority even with respect to all or particular other users.
In one example embodiment, the log-inhibiting instruction may be a global instruction. In an alternative example embodiment, the instruction may be RFID reader specific. For example, according to the embodiment in which the user transmits the log-inhibiting instruction to the network of wireless nodes 107 via communication path 114, the instruction may be associated with the RFID reader 106 from which the base station 115 approximately concurrently receives a tracking signal associated with the user. In an alternative example embodiment, the instruction may be sub-space specific. In yet another example embodiment, the user may enter different log-inhibiting instructions. One may be a global instruction, another may be RFID reader specific, and yet another may be sub-space specific. For example, for a global or a sub-space specific instruction, the RFID reader 106 may transmit a log-inhibiting instruction to the base station 115 indicating that the base station 115 should not enter a log entry for any log signal, e.g., associated with the user who entered the instruction, that is received from any RFID reader 106 in the workspace 100 (if it is a global instruction) or from any RFID reader 106 in the particular sub-space (if it is a sub-space specific instruction).
Regarding sub-space specific instructions, a first RFID reader 106 may be associated with a large sub-space that is further divided into smaller sub-spaces that are each associated with another RFID reader 106, besides for their association with the first RFID reader 106. For example, sub-spaces 1 and 2 may be rooms within a wing of the workspace 100. The first RFID reader may be associated with the wing and RFID readers 106a-b may be associated with particular rooms of the wing. In one variant, an RFID reader 106 associated with a first sub-space may also be associated with a larger sub-space in which the first sub-space is located. An instruction transmitted to the RFID reader 106 may be associated with the entire larger sub-space. Alternatively, it may be associated with only the smaller sub-space. Alternatively, different instructions may be entered by the user, one associated with the entire larger sub-space, and another associated with the more local sub-space.
In an example embodiment of the present invention, a user may transmit to an RFID reader 106 an instruction along communication path 110 to turn off surveillance equipment, e.g., located in the sub-space with which the RFID reader 106 is associated. The surveillance equipment may be of any suitably appropriate type, e.g., audio/video equipment. For example, the workspace 100 may, include a camera network 108 including video cameras 109 distributed throughout the workspace 100. For example, one or more cameras 109 may be located in a sub-space. The instruction may be entered, for example, by pressing a button 103 of the user's badge 101. Alternatively or in addition, the RFID readers 106 may include buttons for input of the surveillance-inhibiting instructions by the users. In response to receiving the instruction, the RFID reader 106 may transmit, along communication path 112, a signal instructing the base station 115 to communicate with the camera network 108 via communication path 116 to turn off the cameras 109 of the sub-space with which the RFID reader 106 is associated. In response to the signal transmitted by the RFID reader 106, the base station 115 may turn off the cameras 109 of the indicated sub-space.
In an alternative example embodiment of the present invention, the user may transmit the surveillance-inhibiting instruction directly to the network of wireless nodes 107 for transmission to the base station 115, via communication path 114. When the base station 115 receives the logging signal from the RFID reader 106, the base station 115 may turn off the cameras associated with the sub-space with which the RFID reader 106 is associated.
In one example embodiment, the surveillance-inhibiting instruction may be a global instruction. In an alternative example embodiment, the instruction may be RFID reader specific. For example, according to the embodiment in which the user transmits the surveillance-inhibiting instruction to the network of wireless nodes 107 via communication path 114, the instruction may be associated with the RFID reader 106 from which the base station 115 approximately concurrently receives a tracking signal associated with the user. In an alternative example embodiment, the instruction may be sub-space specific. In yet another example embodiment, the user may enter different surveillance-inhibiting instructions. One may be a global instruction, another may be RFID reader specific, and yet another may be sub-space specific. For example, for a global or a sub-space specific instruction, the RFID reader 106 may transmit a surveillance-inhibiting instruction to the base station 115 indicating that the base station 115 should turn off the cameras 109 in the workspace 100 (if it is a global instruction) or in the indicated sub-space (if it is a sub-space specific instruction). For example, if a sub-space specific instruction is received from the RFID reader 106a, or in conjunction with receipt of a tracking signal from the RFID signal 106a, the base station 115 may turn off the camera 109a of sub-space 1, which is associated with the RFID 106a.
In response to receipt of a surveillance-inhibiting instruction, the base station 115 may transmit an acknowledgement message indicating success of the command to the user via communication path 114. The message may be transmitted directly to the user's badge 101 or indirectly, via multiple hops through the network of wireless nodes 107. For example, a message may be a printed message, an audible message, and/or a turning on of one or more LEDs of the badge 101.
The user may operate a user control, e.g., a button 103, to transmit, at step (304), a log inhibition instruction to the RFID reader 106, which the RFID reader 106 may receive at step (306). If the RFID reader 106 receives a log inhibition instruction, the RFID reader 106 may generate a logging signal that includes the received identification signal with data indicating that the signal should be only temporarily logged. The modified signal may be transmitted by the RFID reader 106 at step (308). In one alternative example embodiment, the RFID reader 106 may initially transmit the logging signal in response to receiving the ID signal, without indicating that the presence of the user should not be logged. Then, if the RFID reader 106 subsequently receives the log inhibition instruction, the RFID reader 106 may subsequently send this instruction, which may be matched by the base station 115 with the previously received ID signal as described below with respect to
For transmission of the log inhibition instruction to the RFID reader 106, a user may operate a control of the mobile badge 101. Alternatively, the user may input the log inhibition instruction to the RFID reader 106 via the input device of the RFID reader 106. If the instruction is input via the input device of the RFID reader 106, it may be required for the user to enter the user's ID, since the RFID reader 106 may receive a plurality of ID signals from different mobile badges 101 within a short period of time. In one example embodiment, the RFID reader 106 may by default associate the log inhibition instruction with a last ID signal received prior to input of the inhibition instruction. According to one variant of this embodiment, the user may input ID information along with the instruction to override the default association, so as to ensure that the instruction is associated with the correct user.
At step (310), the base station 115 may receive the logging signal transmitted by the RFID reader 106. If the received signal does not include a log inhibition instruction, the base station 115 may (at step (312)), enter a permanent log entry of the user's presence at the RFID reader's location. Otherwise, the base station 115 may (at step (314)), enter a temporary log entry. The temporary log entry may be stored, e.g., for associating a surveillance equipment inhibition instruction, if any, with the temporarily logged user and/or for transmitting an acknowledgement message to the user. According to the embodiment in which the base station 115 may initially receive a logging signal and then separately receive a log inhibition instruction, the base station may initially enter a logging entry, but then discontinue its storage, i.e., delete it, when it receives the inhibition instruction, and may store the temporary log entry in its place. Alternatively, the base station may mark the previously entered entry as temporary.
At step (328), the base station 115 may transmit to the user an acknowledgement message, acknowledging success of the log inhibition instruction. The user may receive the acknowledgement message at step (330).
The user may additionally operate a user control, e.g., a button 103, to transmit, at step (316), a surveillance equipment inhibition signal to the RFID reader 106, which the RFID reader 106 may receive at step (318). The RFID reader 106 may, at step (320), forward the surveillance equipment inhibition instruction to the base station 115, which may receive the instruction at step (322). At step (324), the base station 115 may associate the equipment inhibition instruction with equipment of a particular location. The association may be based on the particular RFID reader 106 from which the base station 115 received the instruction and/or based on content of the instruction. For example, if the message is limited to the particular sub-space at which the RFID reader 106 is located, the base station 115 may associate the instruction with the surveillance equipment of the sub-space of the RFID reader 106 from which the base station 115 received the instruction. If the instruction includes content indicating a more global space, e.g., an entire wing of a building, the base station 115 may associate the instruction with all surveillance equipment in the wing that includes the sub-space at which the RFID reader 106, from which the instruction was received, is located.
For transmission of the surveillance equipment inhibition instruction to the RFID reader 106, a user may operate a control of the mobile badge 101. Alternatively, the user may input the surveillance equipment inhibition instruction to the RFID reader 106 via the input device of the RFID reader 106. The matching of the equipment inhibition instruction with the correct ID signal may be performed as described above with respect to the log inhibition signal.
At step (326), the base station 115 may turn off the relevant surveillance equipment. At step (328), the base station 115 may transmit to the user an acknowledgement message to indicate success of the equipment inhibition instruction. At step (330), the user may receive the acknowledgement message.
The user may operate a user control, e.g., a button 103, to transmit, at step (408), a log inhibition instruction directly to the base station 115, which may receive the instruction at step (410). For example, the RFID reader 106 may be one with limited processing capabilities, e.g., limited to receiving an ID signal and forwarding it to the base station 115. At step (411), the base station 115 may associate the log inhibition instruction with the logging signal associated with the ID of the user who has transmitted the log inhibition instruction.
In one example embodiment, the user may input the log inhibition instruction directly to the base station 115 via the input device at the RFID reader 106. According to this embodiment, instead of the RFID reader 106 determining the association between the instruction and the ID signal, as described above with respect to the method illustrated in
If the log inhibition instruction is received, the base station 115 may (at step (414)), enter a temporary log entry, which may be stored, e.g., for associating a surveillance equipment inhibition instruction, if any, with the temporarily logged user and/or for transmitting an acknowledgement message to the user. Alternatively, the base station 115 may initially enter the permanent log, and if the log inhibition signal is subsequently received from the logged user, then the base station 115 may discontinue storing the permanent log, i.e., delete the permanent log, and store a temporary one its place. Alternatively, the base station 115 may mark the log for deletion.
At step (424), the base station 115 may transmit to the user an acknowledgement message, acknowledging success of the log inhibiting instruction. The user may receive the acknowledgement message at step (426).
The user may additionally operate a user control, e.g., a button 103, to transmit, at step (416), a surveillance equipment inhibition instruction directly to the base station 115, which may receive the instruction at step (418). Although steps (408)-(410) and (416)-(418) are illustrated in
At step (420), the base station 115 may associate the equipment inhibition instruction with equipment of a particular location. The association may be based on the particular RFID reader 106 from which the base station 115 received a logging signal associated with the user from which the base station 115 received the equipment inhibition instruction and/or based on content of the instruction. For example, if the instruction is limited to the particular sub-space at which the RFID reader 106 is located, the base station 115 may associate the instruction with the surveillance equipment of the sub-space of the RFID reader 106 from which the base station 115 received the logging signal. If the instruction includes content indicating a more global space, e.g., an entire wing of a building, the base station 115 may associate the instruction with all surveillance equipment in the wing that includes the sub-space at which the RFID reader 106, from which the logging signal was received, is located.
In one example embodiment, the user may input the surveillance equipment inhibition instruction directly to the base station 115 via the input device at the RFID reader 106. According to this embodiment, instead of the RFID reader determining the association between the instruction and the ID signal, as described above with respect to the method illustrated in
At step (422), the base station 115 may turn off the relevant surveillance equipment. In an alternative example embodiment, the base station 115 may output a request, e.g., to an administrator, to turn off the relevant equipment, instead of actually turning the equipment off. At step (424), the base station 115 may transmit to the user an acknowledgement message to indicate success of the equipment inhibition instruction, which the user may receive at step (426).
In an example embodiment of the present invention, the system may provide for various states, depending on user instructions input via the user's badge 101 or via an input device located at an RFID reader 106 that associates the instruction with the user's badge 101. Example states are where both tracking and surveillance are enabled, which may be a default state; where both tracking and surveillance are disabled, which may, be in response to instructions by a user; and where one of the tracking and surveillance is disabled while the other is enabled, depending on user instruction. In one example embodiment, in response to an instruction to inhibit logging of tracking information, the system may refrain from entering log entries and may also turn off surveillance equipment.
In an example embodiment of the present invention, the system may remain in one of the non-default states for a predetermined amount of time. In one example embodiment, instead of a predetermined amount of time, the system may remain in one of the non-default states for a user-specified amount of time. After timeout, the system may automatically revert to its default state. For example, the base station 115 may reset a clock 117 in response to a user instruction, and may restart tracking and surveillance when the clock 117 times out. In one example embodiment, the user may enter an instruction for changing the state of the system even before the timeout. For example, the instruction may be to re-enter the default state in which tracking and surveillance are enabled.
In an alternative example embodiment, after timeout, the base station 115 may transmit to the badge 101 a reminder to instruct the system to revert back to the default state after timeout. The reminder may be a printed message, an audible message, or a lighting of one or more LEDs. The user may enter an instruction for changing the state of the system at any time. In one example embodiment, if the user changes the state of the system such that one of the tracking and surveillance remains inhibited, the base station 115 may restart the clock 117 in response to the instruction.
In an alternative example embodiment, a state in one sub-space may revert to the default state when an RFID reader 106 in a sub-space other than the one with which the inhibiting instruction is associated senses presence of the user badge 101 with which the inhibiting instruction is associated. For example, if the instruction is not directed globally to the entire workspace 100, but is limited, for example, to sub-space 1, then if RFID reader 106b receives a signal from the badge 101 and, accordingly, sends a tracking signal to the base station 115, the base station 115 may reset the state of sub-space 1 to the default state. If an inhibiting instruction relating to more than one user was entered, the system may revert back to the default state when the base station 115 receives indications that all users with whom the instruction is associated have left the sub-space with which the instruction is associated.
In one example embodiment, when the base station 115 detects that the user has moved to a different sub-space, the base station 115 may cause the first sub-space to revert to the default state and may set the second sub-space to the non-default state that was previously applied to the first sub-space. For example, when the user moves to the second sub-space, surveillance equipment in the first sub-space may be turned on, and surveillance equipment in the second sub-space may be turned off. However, if the initial surveillance inhibiting instruction associated with an RFID reader 106a is for inhibiting recording by surveillance equipment in an area around the RFID reader 106a that includes surveillance equipment located within sub-space 2 or within a similarly defined area drawn about RFID reader 106b, and/or that includes the location at which the RFID reader 106b is positioned, then the surveillance equipment may be left in the turned off state even after detection of the badge 101 at the RFID reader 106b.
In one variant of the preceding embodiment, RFID readers 106 may be located near one or more entrances/exits of the workspace 100. A rule set according to which the processor 118 of the base station 115 executes user tracking and inhibiting instructions, may provide for non-execution of instructions received from a user approximately, concurrently with receipt of a signal from an RFID reader 106 located at an outer boundary of the workspace 100 indicating the user's presence. For example, referring to
In one example embodiment, a combination of two or more of the preceding embodiments may be implemented. For example, the default state may be reinstated if a user instruction for reverting to the default state is received from the user that caused the system to enter a different state; if a first predetermined amount of time elapses; and/or if a signal indicating the user's presence is received from the RFID reader 106c at the entrance/exit 200. Additionally, if a second predetermined amount of time, shorter than the first predetermined amount of time, elapses without satisfaction of any of the conditions for reverting to the default state, the base station 115 may transmit to the user, via communication path 114, a reminder that the system is in the non-default state.
It may occur that two or more users transmit tracking and/or surveillance inhibiting instructions associated with the same sub-space to the base station 115.
At step (502), the system and method may determine whether a condition for removal of a surveillance inhibiting instruction is satisfied. For example, receipt of an instruction originating at a badge 101 with which a queued surveillance inhibiting instruction is associated to turn on the surveillance equipment may satisfy a condition for removal of the queued instruction. If no condition for removal of a queued surveillance inhibiting instruction associated with the particular surveillance equipment is satisfied, the system and method may loop back to continue waiting for satisfaction of such a condition.
If a condition for instruction removal is satisfied, an instruction for which the condition is satisfied may be deleted from the queue 500 at step (504). At step (506), it may be determined whether the queue 500 is empty. If it is determined that the queue 500 is not empty, the system and method may loop back to continue waiting for satisfaction of a condition for removal of another surveillance inhibiting instruction. Otherwise, the system and method may, at step (508), turn on the particular surveillance equipment, since no surveillance inhibiting instruction associated with the particular surveillance equipment remains pending in the queue 500.
