SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCATING AND DETERMINING THE ORIENTATION OF A HANDHELD DEVICE

摘要

Systems (100) and methods (400) for determining a Handheld Reader's (“HR”) location within a facility. The methods involve: performing first operations by HR to read RFID tags having locations within the facility that are unknown to the handheld reader; performing second operations by HR to receive signals from RF Enabled Devices (“RFED”) located at known locations within the facility; and determining HR's location/orientation using RSSI levels or TOF values of signals received from RFEDs, known locations of RFEDs, sensor data, known antenna patterns of RFEDs, a known antenna pattern of HR, and/or (9) information indicating which RFID tags were read by HR and at least one RFED. The first and second operations are performed while HR is being carried by a person throughout the facility.

主权项

1. A method for determining a location of a handheld reader within a facility, comprising:
performing first operations by the handheld reader to read Radio Frequency Identifier (“RFID”) tags having locations within the facility that are unknown to the handheld reader; performing second operations by the handheld reader to receive first signals from a plurality of stationary Radio Frequency (“RF”) enabled devices located at known locations within the facility; and determining at least one of an orientation of the handheld reader and a location of the handheld reader within the facility using a combination of at least two of (1) Received Signal Strength Indicator (“RSSI”) levels of the first signals, (2) known locations of the RF enabled devices associated with Time Of Flight (“TOF”) values, (3) sensor data generated by first sensors disposed in the handheld reader, (4) sensor data generated by second sensors disposed at known locations within the facility, (5) known antenna patterns of the RF enabled devices, (6) a known antenna pattern of the handheld reader, and (7) information indicating which RFID tags were read by the handheld reader and at least one of the RF enabled devices; wherein the first and second operations are performed while the handheld reader is being carried by a person throughout the facility.