Radiating antenna providing spatially discretized signaling and method of identifying asset location

Abstract

The invention provides an antenna and a method for identifying an asset location. Various embodiments described herein are directed to utilizing a radiating antenna to detect the location of an asset, the antenna configured to transmit and / or receive data to / from one or more tags along spatially discrete sections of the antenna, as described herein. Thus, aspects of the present disclosure do not require multiple antennas to detect assets, thereby improving design, configuration, and installation.

Description

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 542,420, filed on October 4, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to an antenna. Background Art

[0004] The popularity of wireless technology, mobile computing devices, applications, and the Internet has promoted a growing interest in location-aware technologies. These technologies can locate or track objects using technologies such as Global Positioning System (GPS) triangulation, indoor location sensing (e.g., via beacons), technologies based on IEEE 802.11 standards, radio frequency identification, etc. Conventional location-aware technologies have shortcomings in design, configuration, installation, and functionality. As described in more detail herein, various embodiments of the present disclosure improve upon these location-aware technologies and other traditional solutions. Summary of the invention

[0005] This summary is intended to introduce a series of concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the following detailed description of the present disclosure. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter alone.

[0006] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a novel radiating antenna that provides spatially discretized signaling. In various aspects of the present disclosure, an antenna is provided that includes: a conductor assembly including an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor, and an outer conductor; and a plurality of switches, wherein: the inner conductor is the most centered relative to the intermediate conductor and the outer conductor, the intermediate conductor is located above the inner conductor, the outer conductor is located above the inner conductor and the intermediate conductor, is exposed to the environment as the outermost layer, and is divided into a plurality of sections, each of the plurality of sections includes one or more slots, the one or more slots are configured to allow a signal to radiate from the outer conductor to the environment, and the plurality of switches are configured to operate so that the signal travels along the inner conductor and reaches the intermediate conductor at a specific section of the plurality of sections, so that at least a portion of the signal is radiated from the one or more slots of the specific section, and the signal is not radiated from the one or more slots of at least one other section of the plurality of sections.

[0007] In some aspects, at least one of the inner conductor, the middle conductor, or the outer conductor is configured to carry a communication signal to the plurality of switches to operate the plurality of switches. For example, the communication signal may be transmitted using at least one of a 1-Wire protocol or an SDI-12 protocol.

[0008] In some aspects, the inner conductor and the outer conductor are configured to transmit a non-radio frequency band signal using a 2-Wire protocol to operate the plurality of switches. In addition, the antenna also includes a capacitive energy storage device located at each of the plurality of switches for powering a read circuit for the switch.

[0009] In some aspects, the plurality of switches are configured to operate via communication signals carried using a wireless communication protocol.In addition, at least one of the inner conductor, the middle conductor, or the outer conductor is configured to power each switch of the plurality of switches.

[0010] In various aspects, an antenna is provided that is divided into a plurality of sections along the length direction of the antenna, wherein each section of the plurality of sections includes at least one slot, and the shape of the at least one slot corresponds to a specified signal frequency so that at least a portion of a signal of the specified signal frequency traveling through the antenna is radiated from the at least one slot, while the signal is not radiated from at least one slot of at least one other section of the plurality of sections. In some aspects, at least one of the signal strength or orientation of one section of the plurality of sections is controlled by the slot size orientation and the number of slots of the at least one slot. In some aspects, the antenna further includes an inner conductor, a dielectric, an outer conductor, and a sheath.

[0011] In some aspects, at least one slot is at least coupled to or covered by a resonator configured to couple energy from the antenna to a specified signal frequency. For example, the resonator includes a uniquely shaped conductor. Additionally or alternatively, the resonator is attached to heat shrink tubing over the at least one slot.

[0012] In various aspects, a method is provided that includes: receiving, by at least one computing entity, a request to identify a location of an asset in an environment; performing, by the at least one computing entity, an iterative process to cause an interrogation signal to radiate from each of a plurality of segments of a radiating antenna, wherein one iteration of the iterative process includes: causing, by the at least one computing entity, the interrogation signal to radiate from one or more of the plurality of segments without the interrogation signal being radiated from the remainder of the plurality of segments; and receiving, by the at least one computing entity, a tag response from a tag that is coupled to the asset in the environment and is within at least one of a distance or signal strength threshold of the one or more segments that are radiating the interrogation signal; identifying, by the at least one computing entity and based at least in part on the tag response, the location of the asset in the environment; and causing signaling to be sent, by the at least one computing entity, to identify the location of the asset in the environment.

[0013] In some aspects, the radiating antenna includes an inner conductor, a middle conductor, and an outer conductor, and causing an interrogation signal to radiate from one or more of a plurality of segments while the interrogation signal does not radiate from the rest of the plurality of segments involves causing one or more switches to at least one of open or close so that the interrogation signal travels along the inner conductor and reaches the middle conductor at the one or more segments so that the interrogation signal radiates from the one or more segments while the interrogation signal does not radiate from the rest of the plurality of segments. In some aspects, each segment of the radiating antenna includes at least one slot, the shape of the slot corresponding to a designated signal frequency, causing the interrogation signal to radiate from one or more of the plurality of segments while the interrogation signal does not radiate from the rest of the plurality of segments, involving causing the interrogation signal generated by the radiating antenna to have the designated signal frequency to which at least one slot of the one or more segments is tuned.

[0014] In some aspects, identifying the location of an asset in an environment involves: determining, based at least in part on the tag responses, that a single segment of a plurality of segments receives a tag response from a tag associated with the asset; and identifying the location of the asset based at least in part on the location associated with the single segment. In some aspects, identifying the location of the asset in the environment involves: determining, based at least in part on the tag responses, that at least two segments of a plurality of segments receive a tag response from a tag associated with the asset; comparing signal strength values ​​of the tag responses received by the at least two segments from the tags associated with the asset; and identifying the location of the asset based at least in part on the location associated with the one segment having a tag response of the tag responses received by one of the at least two segments from the tag associated with the asset having a highest signal strength value. In some aspects, identifying the location of an asset in an environment involves: determining, based at least in part on the tag responses, at least two segments of a plurality of segments that receive tag responses from tags associated with the asset; comparing signal strength values ​​of the tag responses from the tags associated with the asset received by the at least two segments; determining that the signal strength values ​​satisfy a threshold with respect to each other; and in response to determining that the signal strength values ​​satisfy the threshold with respect to each other, comparing at least one other signal characteristic of the tag responses received by the at least two segments from the tags associated with the asset to detect the location of the asset. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Having generally described the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an interior housing of a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, illustrating an example of using a novel radiating antenna that provides spatially discretized signaling to guide a driver to the location of a particular asset;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a sorting facility according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, showing an example of using a novel radiating antenna, the radiating antenna providing spatially discretized signaling to guide sorting personnel to the location of a specific asset;

[0018] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a first configuration of a radiating antenna according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the radiating antenna providing spatially discretized signaling;

[0019] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of how a first configuration of a radiating antenna radiates a signal according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of a radiating antenna system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 4B yes Figure 4A A schematic diagram of a radiating antenna system showing how a specified frequency range resonates out of a specified segment of a second configuration of a radiating antenna providing spatially discretized signaling according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 5 is a table showing a mapping of radiating antenna segment IDs and their corresponding storage unit IDs according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example process for identifying the location of an asset according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an example of a computing environment in which aspects of the present disclosure may be run according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an example of a computing entity that may be used to perform various aspects of the present disclosure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a source computing entity that may be used to perform various aspects of the present disclosure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. In fact, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure satisfies applicable legal requirements. The same number refers to the same element throughout the text.

[0028] I. Overview

[0029] Traditional location sensing technologies require cumbersome design, configuration, installation and / or programming steps. For example, tag-reader-based technologies, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), generally require multiple antennas, resulting in complex design, configuration and installation. Radio Frequency Identification is a way to store and retrieve data by electromagnetic transmission to a radio frequency (RF) compatible integrated circuit. RFID readers read data emitted from or located within RFID tags. RFID readers and tags use specified radio frequencies and protocols to send, receive and read data. Radio Frequency Identification technology can perform trilateration to detect the location of items. However, in order to perform such functions, RFID technology, like other technologies, generally requires single-point or discrete arrays of reader antennas placed throughout the environment. For example, a twenty-yard cable may be required with twelve to fifteen discrete antennas and two readers attached to the cable to fully detect items stored in a parcel truck. However, due to the large number of components required, the cost of such solutions can be high. Additionally, such solutions may require careful installation or constant monitoring of the antennas to ensure that the antennas are all oriented in similar or optimal positions (for optimal transmission and read range), are not broken, and / or are all similarly tuned to transmit and / or receive specified channels.

[0030] Some existing location-aware technologies also employ complex logic in their readers. For example, RFID readers are equipped with various multiplexers that enable communication with multiple antennas. An RFID reader is generally capable of reading from one to four antennas simultaneously. Each antenna communicates in a given channel or frequency range. Accordingly, when there are more than four antennas, the system needs to be equipped with additional readers, or the reader needs to be equipped with additional multiplexers to allow the reader to switch between additional channels. However, such a design is both cumbersome and expensive (for example, it increases the time to configure the multiplexer).

[0031] Furthermore, without adding multiplexers to the system, the number of antennas that the reader can communicate with is limited by the number of ports on the reader. While some readers may have up to eight ports, the number of ports still limits the number of antennas that the reader can communicate with. Speed ​​is also affected. While there is a very small (millisecond) time loss for each switch to a port and further through the multiplexer, there is also a time loss when switching between channels. When used to identify objects in motion, this time loss can affect the ability to see a given object due to changes in the environment.

[0032] Other existing location-aware technologies include radiating or "leaky" cable antennas. Radiating cable antennas provide a technique for generating RF fields that are short-range but propagate continuously along a single axis. For example, radiating cable antennas have been used in subway tunnels to provide RF communications along the length of the tunnel. However, radiating cable antennas generally have a smaller read range and experience greater signal loss along the antenna due to their leaky characteristics. Therefore, radiating cable antennas tend to work best over smaller areas and shorter runs than over long runs of a single antenna. Additionally, radiating cable antennas are designed to radiate signals all the way along a single axis of the cable and cannot be used for discrete reads without separating the radiating cable antenna into multiple individual wired segments.

[0033] Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure address various technical challenges described herein with respect to conventional location sensing techniques by utilizing novel radiating antennas to provide spatially discretized signaling. For example, a radiating antenna may be used to send and / or receive data to / from one or more tags at spatially discrete segments along the antenna to detect the location of an asset associated with the tag. In this way, aspects of the present disclosure do not require multiple antennas to detect an asset, thereby improving design, configuration, and installation.

[0034] In various embodiments, a novel radiating antenna includes a structure, such as a triaxial radiating cable, having multiple concentric conductors within the cable, and switching logic that enables signals to be selectively radiated from or into different sections of the radiating antenna. Each section can be configured with one or more gaps or slots in the outer conductor to allow signals to radiate into or out of the section of the radiating antenna. For example, the radiating antenna includes an inner conductor that carries a signal in the X-axis direction and switching logic that enables the signal to selectively "leak" out of one or more gaps or slots in a particular section in the YZ plane along the length of the antenna (e.g., substantially perpendicular to the axis of the antenna).

[0035] In addition or alternatively, the novel radiating antenna employs uniquely shaped slots and / or resonant elements in different sections of the radiating antenna to resonate and hop between different frequencies or channels at different times along the length of the radiating antenna. For example, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) frequency hopping requires RFID readers to hop in steps of 500kHz within the U.S. radio frequency identification spectrum (902-928MHz), resulting in 50 different channels, allowing up to 50 different "zones" or sections to be created along a single antenna. This can effectively eliminate the switching mechanisms or other logic and / or complex processes required by traditional location sensing technologies. At the same time, the detected RFID tags are sensitive to all frequencies within the 902-928MHz spectrum, so when they are close to the signaling section of the radiating antenna, they will respond regardless of which designated channel is used for signaling.

[0036] In some embodiments, a novel radiating antenna may be used to locate assets in an environment. Here, each segment of the radiating antenna is mapped to a specific area or location in the environment. Thus, when a specific segment of the radiating antenna sends and / or receives data to / from a tag associated with an asset (e.g., coupled to an asset), the asset may be associated with the area or location mapped to the specific segment. For example, different segments of the radiating antenna may be mapped to areas and / or locations on a shelf of a parcel truck and used to locate parcels stored on the shelf. Thus, a parcel truck may only need to be equipped with 20 yards of radiating antenna and one reader, rather than 20 yards of cable, two readers, and 12 to 15 discrete antennas attached to the cable.

[0037] Therefore, various embodiments of the radiating antenna can eliminate the need for careful installation or constant monitoring because the radiating antenna eliminates the need for arrays of discrete antennas throughout the environment. In addition, various embodiments of the radiating antenna can also increase the speed of reading tags because the antenna does not require complex multiplexing switching logic to switch between channels to read tags.

[0038] Additionally or alternatively, various embodiments of the radiating antenna involve using a reader that is less complex than readers used by conventional location sensing techniques. More specifically, since discrete antennas are not required, various embodiments of the radiating antenna can use a reader that does not require additional multiplexers to communicate with multiple antennas. For example, when more than four antennas are required, the radiating antenna does not need to be equipped with additional readers or add additional multiplexers to handle the additional antennas. Instead, embodiments of the radiating antenna can employ switching mechanisms and / or resonant frequency elements (e.g., uniquely sized slots) to hop between different sections of the length of the radiating antenna at different time periods to detect the presence of a tag.

[0039] In addition or alternatively, various embodiments of radiating antennas provide more accurate predictions of asset locations. Traditional RFID positioning methods are based on triangulation and, due to the noisy nature of RFID signaling (particularly in industrial environments), require a trade-off between positioning accuracy and the number of discrete measurement locations (equivalent to discrete antennas). This results in systems that either provide very coarse positioning or become very complex and expensive, involving many RFID antennas, readers, multiplexers, and large amounts of cabling. In contrast, various embodiments of radiating antennas involve single-point measurements at very close range, using a much smaller number of system components, thereby achieving high-precision positioning with reduced system complexity.

[0040] II. Example Uses

[0041] Two examples are now discussed to provide the reader with context for using embodiments of the novel radiating antenna that provides spatially discretized signaling to track assets within an environment. The two examples are applicable to tracking assets as packages within two different distribution logistics environments. However, the reader should understand that embodiments of the novel radiating antenna can also be used in other environments besides distribution logistics environments. For example, embodiments of the novel radiating antenna can be used in a production environment, such as an assembly line, to track parts as they are being assembled through the assembly line.

[0042] Furthermore, the reader should understand that embodiments of the novel radiating antenna may be used for purposes other than tracking assets. For example, embodiments of the novel radiating antenna may be used to send spatially discretized communication signaling to provide discrete communications at discrete locations (segments) along the antenna. However, the remainder of this disclosure will discuss the use of embodiments of the novel radiating antenna in a distribution logistics environment for tracking package assets. However, the reader should not interpret this as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0043] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of an interior housing 100 of a vehicle according to various embodiments, illustrating an example of using a radiating antenna to provide spatially discretized signaling to detect the location of an asset in the interior housing 100 of the vehicle. Here, the asset detection system includes a reader (not shown) and a radiating antenna in the form of a cable. In addition, the asset detection system also includes lighting devices 140, 142, 144, 147, 148, 149 and reference tags 172, 174. The lighting devices 140, 142, 144, 147, 148, 149 are used to guide the driver to the location of the specific asset, and the reference tags 172, 174 can help identify the location of the specific asset and / or further refine the location of the specific asset. In addition, the asset detection system also includes a computing entity (not shown) for executing logic. For example, the computing entity can be regarded as a reader or a part thereof, or separated from the reader and located locally (e.g., inside) or away from the vehicle.

[0044] Each radiating antenna is divided into different sectors 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194, and each different sector 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194 is mapped to a specific storage unit 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130 within the vehicle interior housing 100. In various embodiments, the radiating antenna is configured to radiate signals from different sectors 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194 at different time periods to triangulate the location or detection of a tag 105-1 associated with an asset 105. Accordingly, each sector 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194 may radiate (and / or receive) data at different time periods according to any suitable algorithm.

[0045] For example, the computing entity may cause one of the radiating antennas to transmit an interrogation / radiated signal from one or more slots of the first segment 184 of the radiating antenna during a first period of time, which may cause any tag within a distance or signal strength threshold of the first segment 184 to transmit a tag response to the first segment 184. The tag response may include any suitable data, such as a tag identifier (ID), one or more signal strength indicator (RSSI) values, one or more phase angle values, or any other data that accommodates a specified value for a given tag.

[0046] During a second time period immediately following the first time period, the computing entity may cause the radiating antenna to send an interrogation / radiated signal from one or more slots of the second segment 186, which may cause any tag within a distance or signal strength threshold of the second segment 186 to transmit a tag response to the second segment 186. This process may be applied continuously to each of the remaining segments 180, 182, 188, 190, 192, and 194 for the radiating antenna. In response to the radiating antenna providing spatially discretized signaling via different segments 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, and 194 during different time periods, the computing entity determines which of the segments 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, and 194 have received a tag response returned from the tag 105-1 associated with the asset 105, and then determines the location of the asset 105 in the interior housing 100 of the vehicle.

[0047] For example, if only a single segment 184 receives a tag response from tag 105-1 associated with asset 105, the computing entity detects (e.g., identifies) that the location of asset 105 is within storage unit (e.g., shelf) 120 associated with segment 184. As an illustrative example, the computing entity may perform a lookup function on a data structure that maps segments 184 of a radiating antenna to their corresponding storage units 120.

[0048] However, if more than one segment 184, 186 receives a tag response from the tag 105-1, the computing entity may compare the characteristics of the tag responses of the different segments 184, 186 to determine the location of the asset 105. For example, the computing entity may compare the signal strengths (such as RSSI values) of the different segments 184, 186. Here, because the signal strength of the tag response received by the first segment 184 from the tag 105-1 is higher than the signal strength of the tag response received by the second segment 186 from the tag 105-1, the computing entity may determine that the tag 105-1 is more likely to be closer to the first segment 184 of the radiating antenna than to the second segment 186 of the radiating antenna. Therefore, the computing entity may determine that the asset 105 is more likely to be located in the storage unit 120 corresponding to the first segment 184 than in the storage unit 122 corresponding to the second segment 186. As described above, in addition or alternatively, the computing entity may also use other characteristics, such as phase angle, phase shift, etc., to detect the location of the asset 105.

[0049] In addition or in lieu thereof, the radiating antenna system is configured to use reference tags 172, 174 to help triangulate the location of tag 105-01 and / or identify a more precise location of tag 105-1. Each reference tag 172, 174 is associated with a specified area and / or location within the interior housing 100 of the vehicle. For example, two reference tags 172, 174 are associated with specific spaces in a storage unit 120 in the interior housing 100 of the vehicle. In these embodiments, in addition to tag responses from tag 105-1 coupled to the asset 105, each segment 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194 can also receive tag responses from any reference tag 172, 174 that are within a signal strength or communication range threshold of the respective segment 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194. Accordingly, the computing entity may use tag responses from the reference tags 172 , 174 in conjunction with a response from tag 105 - 1 coupled to asset 105 to detect a more precise location of asset 105 .

[0050] For example, the computing entity may cause the radiating antenna to transmit (i.e., radiate) an interrogation signal from the first segment 184 of the radiating antenna. In response, the radiating antenna may receive a first tag response from a tag 105-1 associated with the asset 105, including a tag identifier (and / or other tag data) of a first signal strength value. In addition, the radiating antenna may also receive a second tag response from the first reference tag 172, including a tag identifier of a second signal strength value. In addition, the radiating antenna may also receive a third tag response from a second reference tag 174, which is located farther from the tag 150-1 relative to the first reference tag 172, and the third tag response includes a tag identifier of a third signal strength value.

[0051] The computing entity may determine that the asset tag 105-1 may be closer to the first reference tag 172 than the second reference tag 174, based at least in part on the first signal strength value and the second signal strength value being within a threshold of each other (e.g., within 3 RSSI values) or sharing similar signal strength characteristics with respect to the first signal strength value and the third signal strength value. The computing entity may determine a finer location of the asset 105 within the storage unit 120 associated with the first segment 184. For example, the computing entity may perform a lookup function on a data structure that maps the first reference tag 172 to a corresponding location within the storage unit 120 associated with the first segment 184.

[0052] In a particular embodiment, once the radiating antenna system has determined the location of the asset 105, the computing entity sends a control signal to, for example, a lighting device 140 associated with the storage unit 120 or a light source in a designated space within the storage unit 120 to cause the lighting device 140 to emit light, such as Figure 1 As shown. For example, the data structure maps each lighting device 140, 142, 144, 147, 148, 149 to a storage unit 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, or a designated space within the storage unit 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, and the computing entity can perform a search function on the data structure so that the computing entity can identify the appropriate lighting device 140 and cause the control signal to be sent to the appropriate lighting device 140. In this way, the driver sees that only the lighting device 140 of the storage unit 120 or its designated space where the asset 105 is located is emitting light, while the other lighting devices 142, 144, 147, 148, 149 are not emitting light. In this way, the driver can quickly locate the asset 105 in the interior housing 100 of the vehicle.

[0053] It is understood that the internal housing 100 of the vehicle can accommodate multiple assets, and each section 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194 of the radiating antenna can read tags associated with various assets and / or reference tags 172, 174 at the same time. In some embodiments, the computing entity can detect the location of a specified tag based at least in part on a location request for an asset associated with a specified tag. For example, a delivery driver can request to find package Z via a handheld device. In response to the request, the computing entity can cause each section 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194 of the radiating antenna to transmit the interrogation / radiation signal described herein at different time periods. In response to the radiating antenna providing spatially discretized signaling via different sections 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194 at different time periods, the computing entity receives a tag response, which includes a tag identifier or other identification data from the corresponding tag. The data structure maps the tag identifier or data received in the tag response to the corresponding package, and the computing entity can perform a lookup function on the data structure (e.g., a hash table) to identify the tag response received from package Z. In turn, the computing entity can identify the location of package Z as described herein and illuminate the corresponding lighting device 140, 142, 144, 147, 148, 149 so that the driver can locate package Z in the interior housing 100 of the vehicle.

[0054] Figure 2200 is a schematic diagram of a sorting facility (e.g., a transportation hub) according to various embodiments, illustrating an example of using a radiating antenna that provides spatially discretized signaling to guide sorting personnel to specific asset locations. Here, the asset detection system again includes a reader (not shown) and a radiating antenna in the form of a cable provided along the conveyor assembly 240. For example, different sections 202, 204, 206, 208 of the radiating antenna can be attached to corresponding areas of the conveyor assembly 240. The asset detection system also includes a computing entity (not shown) for executing logic. For example, the computing entity can be considered to be a reader or a part thereof, or separate from the reader and located locally (e.g., inside) or remote from the sorting facility 200.

[0055] In various embodiments, the radiating antenna is configured to radiate signals from each segment 202, 204, 206, 208 of the radiating antenna at different time periods to triangulate or detect a tag 230-1 associated with an asset 230 (e.g., a package) moving on the conveyor assembly 240. Accordingly, each segment 202, 204, 206, 208 radiates (and / or receives) data at different time periods according to any suitable algorithm.

[0056] For example, the computing entity causes the radiating antenna to transmit an interrogation / radiation signal from one or more slots of the first segment 202 of the radiating antenna during a first time period, which causes any tag within a distance or signal strength threshold of the first segment 202 to transmit a tag response back to the first segment 202. During a second time period immediately following the first time period, the computing entity can cause the radiating antenna to transmit an interrogation / radiation signal from one or more slots of the second segment 204, which causes any tag within a distance or signal strength threshold of the second segment 204 to transmit a tag response back to the second segment 204. This process continues for each of the remaining segments 206, 208. In response to the radiating antenna providing spatially discretized signaling via different segments 202, 204, 206, 208 during different time periods, the computing entity can determine which segments 202, 204, 206, 208 have received a tag response from a tag 230-1 associated with an asset 230, and then determine the location of the asset 230 on the conveyor assembly 240.

[0057] For example, if only one segment 202 has received a tag response from tag 230-1, the computing entity may detect the location of the asset 230 as being within the region of the conveyor belt assembly 240 corresponding to the segment 202. However, if more than one segment 202, 204 has received a tag response from tag 230-1, the computing entity may compare features, such as signal strength (e.g., RSSI value), contained in the tag responses received from the respective segments 202, 204 and tag 230-1 to detect that the location of the asset 230 is within the region of the conveyor belt assembly 240 corresponding to the segment 202 having the highest signal strength.

[0058] III. First Configuration of Radiating Antennas Providing Spatially Discretized Signaling

[0059] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a first configuration of radiating antennas for providing spatially discretized signaling according to various embodiments. Figure 3A In the embodiment of the present invention, the radiating antenna is in the form of a triaxial cable 300 having three different conductors 302, 304, 306. However, in different embodiments, the assembly of conductors 302, 304, 306 that form the antenna may not be in the form of a cable 300. For example, the assembly of conductors 302, 304, 306 may be a pipe, a tube, or some other type of cylindrical or non-cylindrical structure. In addition, the assembly of conductors 302, 304, 306 that form the antenna may be flexible or rigid.

[0060] Conductors 302, 304, 306 can be used as shields or signal conductors, depending on the current operating conditions of the radiating antenna. The inner conductor 302 is the most central conductor relative to the other conductors 304, 306. The middle conductor 304 is located above or around the inner conductor 302 and below the outer conductor 306. The outer conductor 306 is located above the middle conductor 304 and the inner conductor 302 and is the outermost layer exposed to the environment. The outer conductor 306 contains slots (e.g., holes or slots) 380, 382, ​​384, 386, which are configured to allow signals to radiate or leak out from the outer conductor 306, thereby sending the signal into the environment to search for tag responses.

[0061] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating how a radiating antenna radiates a signal according to various embodiments. Specifically, Figure 3B The switch logic that can be used in various embodiments is demonstrated to operate multiple switches so that the middle conductor 304 acts as a ground (where all RF signals generated by the inner conductor 302 are absorbed by the middle conductor 304), referred to as operating in a "pass-through" mode. In addition, Figure 3BThe switch logic that can be used in various embodiments is demonstrated to operate multiple switches so that the middle conductor 304 acts as a carrier for the signal carried by the inner conductor 302, so that at least a portion of the signal radiates or leaks through the outer conductor 306 via one or more slots 380, 382, ​​384, 386, referred to as operating in a "transmit" mode. Therefore, when the middle conductor 304 is grounded and operated in a "pass" mode and only the inner conductor 302 carries a signal, the signal does not radiate or leak through the outer conductor 306.

[0062] The outer conductor 306 is divided into different sections 310, 312, 316, 318 (i.e., the areas between switches). Each section 310, 312, 316, 318 may correspond to a different predetermined read area or other real-world area. For example, the first section 310 may correspond to Figure 1 The first section 184 and the second section 312 of the radiating antenna may correspond to Figure 1 A second section 186 of the radiating antenna is shown.

[0063] Figure 3B Specifically, the third section 316 of the radiating antenna radiates a signal, while the first section 310, the second section 312, and the fourth section 318 do not radiate a signal. From left to right, the inner conductor 302 acts as a default conductor, and since the first switch 320 at the beginning of the first section 310 and the second switch 322 at the beginning of the second section 312 are in the open state, the inner conductor 302 carries the signal through the first section 310 and the second section 312.

[0064] At the same time, the outer conductor 306 is connected to the middle conductor 304 for grounding via the third switch 321 located at the beginning of the first section 310 and the fourth switch 323 located at the beginning of the second section 312. Since the third switch 321 and the fourth switch 323 are closed, the middle conductor 304 is used as a shield, and together with the disconnected first switch 320 and the second switch 322, further prevents the signal from being radiated from the first section 310 and the second section 312.

[0065] When the signal moves along the inner conductor 302 and reaches the fifth switch 324 located at the beginning of the third segment 316, the signal reaches the middle conductor 304 because the inner conductor 302 and the middle conductor 304 are connected via the closed fifth switch 324 and the open sixth switch 325 located at the beginning of the third segment 316. Because the signal is now carried in the middle conductor 304 of the third segment 316, at least a portion of the signal radiates through one or more slots in the outer conductor 306 located in the third segment 316. However, the signal does not radiate from the first segment 310 and the second segment 312.

[0066] When the signal moves along the middle conductor 304 and reaches the seventh switch 326 and the eighth switch 327 located at the beginning of the fourth section 318, the signal no longer radiates outward because the middle conductor 304 and the outer conductor 306 are connected via the closed seventh switch 326 and the open eighth switch 327 and the signal travels along the outer conductor 306.

[0067] Various embodiments of the switch logic involve selectively reading or transmitting the signal while ignoring (passing on) other signals. For example, the switch logic may initially set the third segment 316 to a "transmit" mode (e.g., reading or transmitting a leakage signal) and the other segments 310, 312, 318 to a "pass" mode (e.g., neither reading nor transmitting a leakage signal). The switch logic may then respond by setting a different segment 318 to a "transmit" mode and the other segments 310, 312, 316 to a "pass" mode. Such functionality may continue until each segment 310, 312, 316, 318 transmits / leakages a signal and / or reads a tag response.

[0068] In some embodiments, only one segment 316 may be reading / transmitting at a time, so that all other segments 310, 312, 318 are turned off. In other embodiments, two or more segments 310, 312, 316, 318 may be reading / transmitting at a time (e.g., in "transmit" mode in parallel). The switching logic may sequentially place any segment 310, 312, 316, 318 in "transmit" mode according to any suitable algorithm. For example, the "transmit" function may be performed in sequence or in order, from the first segment 310 to the second segment 312, then to the third segment 316, and so on. However, the "transmit" function may also be performed out of sequence, such as, for example, the second segment 312 is in a first time period, the first segment 310 is in a second time period immediately following the first time period, the third segment 316 is in a third time period following the second time period, and so on.

[0069] In various embodiments, signal switching mechanisms of different architectures / types may be installed between each segment 310, 312, 316, 318 to open and close switches 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327 and to switch segments 310, 312, 316, 318 between "send" and "pass" modes. In some embodiments, conductors 302, 304, 306 may be used to carry signals to switches 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327 to control them. For example, digital communications may be sent on one or more conductors 302, 304, 306 using a communication protocol such as 1-Wire or SDI-12 to control switches 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327. As another example, a non-radio band (e.g., low frequency digital) signal can be sent on the outer conductor 306 and the inner conductor 302 using the 2-Wire protocol to control switches 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327. Additionally, the capacitive energy storage of each switch can be used to power the read circuit.

[0070] In other embodiments, an external, wireless communication protocol may be used to carry signals to the switches 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327 to control them. For example, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc. may be used when configuring the switches 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327. In these embodiments, the conductors 302, 304, 306 may be used to provide power and ground to the switches during operation.

[0071] In other embodiments, a switching mechanism may be used that includes components that enable the switching mechanism to be "snapped" or "crimped" onto a continuous length of the antenna. The switching mechanism can separate a single section of the antenna into two different, individually addressable sections of the antenna. In addition, the switching mechanism can also automatically connect to all conductors of each section of the antenna. In addition, the switching mechanism can connect the conductors to the switching mechanism electronics.

[0072] IV. Second Configuration of Radiating Antennas Providing Spatially Discretized Signaling

[0073] Figure 4Ais a schematic diagram of a radiating antenna system 400 including a second configuration of a radiating antenna 480 that provides spatially discretized signaling according to various embodiments. The radiating antenna system 400 includes a reader 420 connected to the radiating antenna 480 (e.g., a coaxial cable), and the radiating antenna 480 includes a first segment 402, a second segment 404, and a third segment 406. For this configuration of the radiating antenna 480, each segment 402, 404, 406 includes a slot (e.g., a hole or a slot) that is specifically (e.g., uniquely) tuned or shaped to correspond to a specified signal frequency. For example, see Figure 4B , each section 402, 404, 406 of the radiating antenna 480 includes one or more specially shaped respective slots 402-1, 404-1, 406-1. The slots 402-1 of the first section 402 are configured to radiate frequency range A. The slots 404-1 of the second section 404 are configured to radiate frequency range C. The slots 406-1 of the third section 406 are configured to radiate frequency range E.

[0074] The reader 420 (its computer processor) can send a control signal to the radiating antenna 480, requesting the radiating antenna 480 to generate a signal in a frequency range A (e.g., a specified channel). In response, the entire first segment 402 radiates a signal of frequency A, while the other two segments 404 and 406 avoid radiating a signal of frequency A because their corresponding slots 404-1 and 406-1 are configured to radiate different frequencies. The reader 420 is also configured to receive a tag response from the tag through the slots 402-1, 404-1, and 406-1.

[0075] In some embodiments, each segment 402, 404, 406 is defined by a corresponding connector (e.g., a coaxial connector). For example, a first connector couples the first segment 402 and the second segment 404 between the segments 402, 404 at a first end, and a second connector couples the second segment 404 and the third segment 406 between the segments 404, 406 at a second end. The radiating antenna 480 can be constructed using 3 to N types of cables, which corresponds to the number of required frequency ranges. For example, the radiating antenna 480 can be constructed using a first cable capable of generating leakage transmission in frequency range A, a second cable capable of generating leakage transmission in frequency range C, and a third cable capable of generating leakage transmission in frequency range E. Each segment 402, 404, 406 of the radiating antenna 480 can be cut into a desired length according to the desired usage and connected at the cable end via a coaxial cable.

[0076] In other embodiments, each section 402, 404, 406 is not defined by a connector, but rather by a slot 402-1, 404-1, 406-1 formed therein. In these embodiments, different types of cables and connectors connecting the ends of the cables may not be required. Instead, a single cable may be used with different etched slots 402-1, 404-1, 406-1 at different locations along its length.

[0077] In various embodiments, the field or signal strength and / or orientation may be controlled by the slot size orientation and number of slots along the segments 402, 404, 406. The more slots there are in the segments 402, 404, 406, the stronger the field of the segments 402, 404, 406. In some embodiments, each slot 402-1, 404-1, 406-1 is coupled to or covered by a corresponding resonator. For example, each slot 402-1, 404-1, 406-1 may be covered by a resonator, which is a uniquely shaped metal (or other conductor) piece that is attached to a heat shrink tubing above the slot 402-1, 404-1, 406-1. In some embodiments, when the slots 402-1, 404-1, 406-1 are cut in the outer conductor and the resonator (e.g., metal piece) is close to the slot, a capacitive connection is formed. The size and / or shape of the slot generally affects the coupling power to the resonator and the specified resonant frequency.

[0078] The purpose of the resonator is to couple energy from the radiating antenna to its resonant field (i.e., frequency range), and then radiate the energy as electric and magnetic field (E field and H field) components and reshape the resulting field of the resonator. Coupling the resonator with the slots 402-1, 404-1, 406-1 increases the field strength of the transmitted field. Therefore, the shape of the resulting field depends on the number of slots and resonators and their proximity to each other. In some embodiments, the radiating antenna includes an inner conductor, a dielectric, an outer conductor, and a sheath as a coaxial cable.

[0079] V. Mapping Examples

[0080] Figure 5 5 is a table 500 illustrating an exemplary mapping of radiating antenna segment identifiers (IDs) to corresponding storage unit identifiers (IDs). In some embodiments, table 500 represents one or more data structures for associating each segment with a respective geographic region or location (e.g., storage unit) in a geographic environment. For example, refer to Figure 1, when the first segment 184 receives data from the tag 105-1 associated with the asset 105, the reader (not shown) may send the tag data and the radiating antenna segment ID (i.e., indicating which segment received the tag data) over the network to the computing entity, which may place this data in a queue using the request handler. Additionally or alternatively, the computing entity may use the radiating antenna segment ID as a key to search the table 500 for the corresponding storage unit ID and determine the location of the asset 105. For example, the computing entity may have received the radiating antenna segment ID 1 and matched this ID with the first entry or record in the table 500 with the storage unit ID A. As a result, the computing entity may detect that the location of the asset 105 is storage unit A. Similar data structures (e.g., tables) may be used to map tag identifiers (IDs) to corresponding asset identifiers and / or to map reference tag identifiers to corresponding storage unit identifiers and / or to specified locations at corresponding storage unit identifiers.

[0081] VI. Exemplary System Operation

[0082] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example process 600 for identifying the location of an asset according to various embodiments. For example, Figure 6 The flowchart shown in may correspond to operations performed, for example, by a computing entity as described herein when it executes process 600 .

[0083] Depending on the specific embodiment, process 600 (and / or any functions described herein) may be performed by processing logic that includes hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions running on a processor to perform hardware simulation), firmware, or a combination thereof. Although the operations of process 600 are described in a particular order, it is understood that certain operations may be performed substantially in parallel with other operations or before or after other operations. In addition, there may be more or fewer operations than shown. Additional operations may include embodying the operations described herein (e.g., in combination with Figures 1 to 5 The operation of any function described).

[0084] At operation 610, process 600 involves a computing entity receiving a request to identify a location of an asset in an environment. For example, process 600 is performed to identify a location of an asset (e.g., a package, etc.) in a cargo area of ​​a delivery vehicle. A radiating antenna system has been installed in the vehicle, and a radiating antenna is installed in the cargo area. Accordingly, the radiating antenna is configured as described herein, and the antenna is divided into segments that are mapped to various locations in the cargo area. In addition, the radiating antenna system includes a reader, and the reader is configured to cause the segments of the radiating antenna to radiate interrogation signals and collect tag responses received by the segments of the radiating antenna from tags associated with (e.g., coupled to) the asset that responded to the interrogation signal.

[0085] Additionally, the radiating antenna system may include a computing entity that controls the functionality of the radiating antenna system and performs process 600. A delivery person (e.g., the driver of a vehicle) may have stopped along his or her route to deliver a package in the cargo area of ​​the vehicle. The delivery person may have selected an identifier for the package on a handheld device that the delivery person is using, which in turn has communicated the identifier when requesting the package from the computing entity over a wireless network.

[0086] The process 600 continues to perform an iterative process to radiate the interrogation signal from each segment of the radiating antenna. Here, the iteration may involve the computing entity causing the interrogation signal to radiate from one or more segments of the radiating antenna, but not from the remaining segments of the radiating antenna, at operation 620. For example, the radiating antenna may be in the form of a triaxial cable 300 having three different conductors 302, 304, 306. The computing entity may control the switching logic to open and / or close one or more switches to place one or more segments of the radiating antenna in a "transmit" mode while placing the remaining segments of the radiating antenna in a "pass" mode.

[0087] As another example, a segment of a radiating antenna includes a slot (e.g., a hole or slit) that is specifically tuned or shaped corresponding to a specified signal frequency. The computing entity requires the radiating antenna to produce a signal having a specific frequency, and one or more segments of the radiating antenna include slots tuned to this specific frequency. In various embodiments, the radiating antenna is configured to carry a signal in an X-axis orientation or parallel / along the length of the antenna. Accordingly, the signal can be radiated in the X-axis orientation and then radiated in a general Y-axis or cross-sectional orientation that is substantially perpendicular to the length of the radiating antenna and radiated out of the slots of the corresponding segment.

[0088] Accordingly, the radiating antenna system receives tag responses from tags coupled to the asset that are within a distance or signal strength threshold of one or more radiating segments of the radiating antenna radiating the interrogation signal. For example, via the slots of the one or more segments of the transmitted interrogation signal, the reader receives tag responses from tags coupled to the asset. The reader then forwards the responses to the computing entity.

[0089] In some embodiments, the tag is passive, meaning that the tag issues a tag response based at least in part on a received interrogation signal. For example, when the tag is activated via an interrogation signal, the tag responds by returning its identifier and / or other data unique to the tag. Alternatively, the tag is an active tag that can issue a tag response without being interrogated. For example, the tag may have its own power supply, allowing the tag to broadcast a response with its identifier and / or other tag-unique data in the absence of an interrogation signal. Therefore, in some embodiments, the radiating antenna system does not need to radiate the interrogation signal from one or more segments. In some embodiments, each segment of the antenna can be tuned to a specific frequency or switching logic to open different segments to receive specific signals (responses) from the tag.

[0090] At operation 630, the computing entity determines whether another segment of the radiating antenna needs to radiate the interrogation signal. For example, the computing entity may perform a "send" function that involves causing the segments of the radiating antenna to radiate the interrogation signal in a specified order or sequence. Thus, the computing entity may determine whether the order or sequence of causing the segments of the radiating antenna to radiate the interrogation signal has been completed. If not, the computing entity may return to operation 620 to perform another iteration and cause the interrogation signal to radiate from one or more additional segments of the radiating antenna.

[0091] If other sections of the radiating antenna do not need to radiate interrogation signals, then at operation 640, the computing entity identifies sections of the radiating antenna that received tag responses from tags associated with the asset to be located. For example, the computing entity may use some type of data structure (e.g., one or more tables) to map tag identifiers and corresponding tags. Accordingly, the computing entity may filter the tag responses to identify those responses received from tags associated with the asset to be located. The computing entity may then determine which sections of the radiating antenna received tag responses from tags associated with the asset to be located.

[0092] At operation 650, the computing entity identifies the location of the asset. In some embodiments, the computing entity may initially determine whether more than one segment of the radiating antenna received a tag response from a tag associated with the asset. If only a single segment of the radiating antenna received a tag response from the tag, the computing entity identifies the location of the asset as the location of the cargo area associated with this segment of the radiating antenna. For example, the computing entity may perform a lookup function on a data structure using an identifier of the radiating antenna segment that received a tag response to identify the location of the cargo area associated with the segment of the radiating antenna.

[0093] However, if more than one zone receives a tag response from a tag, the computing entity may perform additional functions to identify the location of the asset in the cargo area. For example, the computing entity compares the signal strength values ​​of those zones that received a tag response from the tag. In some embodiments, the computing entity determines whether the signal strength values ​​meet a threshold relative to each other. For example, the computing entity determines whether the signal strength values ​​differ by 5 dBM from each other, differ by 10 dBM from each other, etc.

[0094] If the signal strength values ​​do not meet a threshold for each other, the computing entity may determine the location of the asset based, at least in part, on the tag response that provides the highest signal strength value. For example, a first segment of the radiating antenna receives a tag response of 30 dBM from a tag. A second segment of the radiating antenna receives a tag response of 70 dBM from a tag. Because the difference between the two values ​​is greater than 5 dBM, the computing entity may determine that the values ​​do not meet the threshold. Accordingly, because the signal strength value of 30 dBM for the first segment is higher than the value of 70 dBM for the second segment, the computing entity determines that the tag and the corresponding asset are closer to the first segment than to the second segment.

[0095] If the signal strength values ​​do meet the threshold relative to each other, the computing entity can compare other signal characteristics of the tag response to detect the location of the asset. For example, the computing entity can determine the phase angle (angular displacement of the signal carrying the tag response) between the tag and the segment of the radiating antenna, using reference tag readings as described herein, using additional sensors such as cameras, LiDar, radar, etc. using object detection, and / or similar devices.

[0096] In some embodiments, the computing entity generates a total score of various signal characteristics to determine the location of the asset. For example, because the signal strength of the response received from the tag at the first segment is higher than the signal strength of the response received from the tag at the second segment, and the response received from the tag has characteristics that are closer to the response received from the reference tag at the first segment than to the characteristics of the response received from the reference tag at the second segment, the computing entity generates a total score of 2 for the first segment of the radiating antenna and a total score of 0 for the second segment of the radiating antenna. Therefore, because 2 is greater than 0, the computing entity can determine that the asset is located at the location associated with the first segment.

[0097] At operation 660, the computing entity causes some type of signaling to determine the location of the asset in the cargo area of ​​the vehicle. For example, the computing entity sends a control signal to a source, such as a lighting device associated with the location, causing the lighting device to illuminate. In this way, the delivery person sees that only the lighting device at the location of the asset is illuminated, while other lighting devices are not illuminated. In addition or in the alternative, the computing entity can also send notifications and / or instructions to the delivery person's handheld device, such as step-by-step instructions or a map about where to retrieve the asset in the cargo area. In this way, the delivery person is able to quickly locate the asset in the cargo area of ​​the vehicle.

[0098] VII. Apparatus, Methods and Systems

[0099] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of ways, including as a device comprising a manufactured product. A device or system may include a non-transient computer-readable storage medium that stores applications, programs, program modules, scripts, source code, program code, object code, byte code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code, executable instructions, etc. (also referred to herein as executable instructions, execution instructions, program code, and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein). Such non-transitory computer-readable storage media include all computer-readable media (including volatile and non-volatile media), excluding any transient media.

[0100] In various embodiments, the non-volatile computer-readable storage medium includes a floppy disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a solid-state storage (SSS) (e.g., a solid state drive (SSD), a solid state card (SSC), a solid state module (SSM)), an enterprise flash drive, a magnetic tape, or any other non-transitory magnetic medium, etc. The non-volatile computer-readable storage medium also includes a punch card, a paper tape, an optical marker sheet (or any other physical medium having a pattern of holes or other optically recognizable markings), a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), a compact disc-rewritable (CD-RW), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a Blu-ray disc (BD), any other non-transitory optical medium, etc. Such non-volatile computer-readable storage media also include read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory (such as serial flash memory, NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, etc.), multimedia memory card (MMC), secure digital memory card (SD), SmartMedia card, CompactFlash (CF) card, memory stick, etc.In addition, non-volatile computer-readable storage media also include conductive-bridging random access memory (CBRAM), phase change random access memory (PRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), resistive random access memory (RRAM), Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon memory (SONOS), floating junction gate random access memory (FJGRAM), Millipede memory, racetrack memory, etc.

[0101] In various embodiments, the volatile computer-readable storage medium includes a random access memory (RAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a fast page mode dynamic random access memory (FPM DRAM), an extended data-out dynamic random access memory (EDO DRAM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a double information / data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), a double information / data rate type two synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR2 SDRAM), a double information / data rate type three synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR3 SDRAM), a Rambus dynamic random access memory (Rambus dynamic random access memory), a 10-megahertz (100-megahertz) sDRAM, ... memory; RDRAM), dual-transistor RAM (TTRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), zero-capacitance RAM (Z-RAM), Rambus in-line memory module (RIMM), dual in-line memory module (DIMM), single in-line memory module (SIMM), video random access memory (VRAM), cache memory (including various levels), flash memory, register memory, etc.It will be appreciated that in the embodiments described using computer-readable storage media, other types of computer-readable storage media may be used in place of or in addition to the computer-readable storage media described above.

[0102] It should be understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented as methods, apparatuses, systems, computing devices / entities, computing entities, etc. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of apparatuses, systems, computing devices, computing entities, etc., executing instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium to perform specific steps or operations. However, embodiments of the present disclosure may also take the form of a complete hardware embodiment to perform specific steps or operations.

[0103] The embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to block diagrams and flow charts. Therefore, it should be understood that each box / operation in the block diagram and flow chart illustrations can be implemented in the form of a computer program product, a completely hardware embodiment, a combination of hardware and a computer program product, and / or a device, system, computing device / entity, computing entity, etc. that executes instructions, operations, steps, and similar words (e.g., executable instructions, instructions for execution, program codes, etc.) on a computer-readable storage medium. For example, the retrieval, loading, and execution of the code can be performed sequentially so as to retrieve, load, and execute an instruction at a time. In some exemplary embodiments, retrieval, loading, and / or execution can be performed in parallel so as to retrieve, load, and / or execute multiple instructions at the same time. Therefore, such an embodiment can produce a specially configured machine that performs the steps or operations specified in the block diagram and flow chart description. Accordingly, the block diagram and flow chart description support various combinations of embodiments for executing specified instructions, operations, or steps.

[0104] VIII. Exemplary Computing Environment

[0105] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing environment 700 in which various aspects of the present disclosure operate according to various embodiments. The computing environment 700 includes one or more computing entities 05, one or more tags 72 associated with (e.g., coupled to) one or more assets 70, one or more source computing entities 10 (such as mobile devices, tablets, mobile phones, etc.), a radiating antenna assembly 9 including a radiating antenna and a reader, and one or more vehicles 11, each of which is communicatively coupled via one or more networks 110.

[0106] Accordingly, two or more components, entities, devices, systems, and similar terms (also referred to as components) of the computing environment 700 can exchange data with each other via a wired (e.g., Ethernet or fiber optic media connected in a local area network) or wireless (e.g., IEEE802.15.4) computer protocol network. In addition, each component can communicate with each other directly or indirectly through, for example, the same or different wired and / or wireless networks. Although Figure 7 The various components are shown as separate, independent components, but the various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this particular architecture. Figure 7 Some embodiments of the present disclosure may involve more or fewer (or combinations of) components than those shown in environment 700 .

[0107] In various embodiments, the components of environment 700 may represent corresponding components described herein. For example, one or more computing entities 05 may represent execution entities described herein. Figure 6 The computing entity of process 600. One or more computing entities 05 together with the radiating antenna assembly 9 can be part of a radiating antenna system configured to detect a tag 72 associated with an asset 70 to identify the location of the asset 70, as described herein. For example, the radiating antenna system can be configured to identify the location of the asset 70 in the cargo area of ​​the vehicle 11. The radiating antenna assembly 9 can be mounted inside the cargo area of ​​the vehicle 11. In addition, the one or more computing entities 05 can be mounted locally in the vehicle 11 or remote from the vehicle 11. In addition, the one or more source computing entities 10 can be handheld devices used by delivery personnel as described herein.

[0108] In various embodiments, network 110 represents or includes an Internet of Things (IoT) or Internet of Everything (IoE) network, which is a network of interconnected items (e.g., assets 70 and vehicles 11), each of which has a unique identifier (e.g., UID) and computing logic to communicate or transfer data with each other or other components. Such communication can occur without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. For example, an IoT network can include a source computing entity 10 having an application that issues a request to at least one of the one or more computing entities 05 via network 110 to determine or predict the location of an asset 70. In response, a radiating antenna assembly 9 and / or a reference tag within vehicle 11 can help generate sensor data so that computing entity 05 can analyze the data as described herein.

[0109] The tag 72 is generally responsible for indicating or emitting / transmitting data (e.g., to the radiating antenna assembly 9 within the vehicle 11), such as an identifier that identifies the respective tag 72, which can be used to predict the location of the tag 72 (or, more generally, the asset 70), as described herein. The tag 72 is generally attached or otherwise coupled to the target asset 70, which may need to be loaded into the specific vehicle 11. The tag 72 can be or include any suitable label, machine, manufacturing, module and / or computer readable indicia. Because machines can process data, the "computer readable indicia" described herein is any tag (e.g., RFID or NFC tag) information, barcode, data matrix, number, line, shape and / or other suitable identifier that can be read by a machine (rather than a human). For example, the target tag 72 can be a radio frequency identification tag (active or passive), a near-field communication (NFC) tag, an optical computer readable indicia, a barcode computer readable indicia, a magnetic ink character recognition computer readable indicia, a beacon, etc.

[0110] IX. Exemplary Computing Entities

[0111] Figure 8 According to various embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 7 05 described in the block diagram of the computing entity 05. In general, the terms computing entity, computer, entity, device, system and / or similar words used interchangeably herein can refer to, for example, one or more computers, computing entities, desktops, mobile phones, tablet computers, tablet computers (Phablet), notebook computers, laptop computers, distributed systems, console input terminals, servers or server networks, blade servers (blade), gateways, switches, processing equipment, processing entities, set-top boxes, repeaters, routers, network access points, base stations, etc. and / or any combination of devices or entities suitable for performing functions, operations and / or processes described herein. For example, such functions, operations and / or processes can include transmission, reception, operation, processing, display, storage, determination, creation / generation, monitoring, evaluation, comparison and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein. In a specific embodiment, these functions, operations and / or processes can be performed on data, content, information / data and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein.

[0112] In various embodiments, the computing entity 05 may include one or more communication interfaces 28 for communicating with various computing entities, such as by communicating data, content, information / data that can be transmitted, received, operated, processed, displayed, stored, and / or similar terms that may be used interchangeably herein.

[0113] like Figure 8As shown, the computing entity 05 includes or communicates with one or more processing elements 22 (also referred to as processors, computer processors, processing circuits and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein), which communicate with other elements within the computing entity 05, for example, via a bus. As will be understood, the processing element 22 can be embodied in a variety of different ways. For example, the processing element 22 can be embodied as one or more complex programmable logic devices (complex programmable logic device; CPLD), microprocessors, multi-core processors, co-processing entities, application-specific instruction set processors (application-specific instruction-set processor; ASIP), microcontrollers and / or controllers. In addition, the processing element 22 can also be embodied as one or more other processing devices or circuits. The term circuit can refer to a completely hardware embodiment or a combination of hardware and a computer program product. Therefore, the processing element 22 can be embodied as an integrated circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (application specific integrated circuit; ASIC), a field programmable gate array (field programmable gate array; FPGA), a programmable logic array (programmable logic array; PLA), a hardware accelerator, other circuits, etc. Therefore, as will be understood, the processing element 22 may be configured for a specific purpose, or configured to execute instructions stored in a volatile or non-volatile medium or otherwise access the processing element 22. In this way, whether configured by hardware or a computer program product, or by a combination thereof, the processing element 22 is capable of performing steps or operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure when configured accordingly.

[0114] In various embodiments, the computing entity 05 may further include or communicate with non-volatile media (also referred to as non-volatile storage, memory, memory storage, memory circuits, and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein). In a particular embodiment, the non-volatile storage or memory includes one or more non-volatile storage or memory media 22, including but not limited to a hard disk, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, MMC, SD memory card, memory stick, CBRAM, PRAM, FeRAM, NVRAM, MRAM, RRAM, SONOS, FJGRAM, Millipede memory, racetrack memory, etc. As will be appreciated, the non-volatile storage or memory medium may store a database (e.g., a parcel / item / shipment database), a database instance, a database management system, data, an application, a program, a program module, a script, source code, object code, byte code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code, executable instructions, etc. The terms database, database instance, database management system and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein refer to a collection of records or information / data stored in a computer-readable storage medium using one or more database models (such as hierarchical database model, network model, relational model, entity-relationship model, object model, document model, semantic model, graph model, etc.).

[0115] In various embodiments, the computing entity 05 may further include or communicate with volatile media (also referred to as volatile storage, memory, memory storage, memory circuits, and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein). In particular embodiments, the volatile storage or memory may also include one or more volatile memories 26 or memory media, including, but not limited to, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, FPM DRAM, EDO DRAM, SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM, RDRAM, TTRAM, T-RAM, Z-RAM, RIMM, DIMM, SIMM, VRAM, cache memory, register memory, etc. As will be appreciated, the volatile storage or memory media may be used to store, for example, at least a portion of a database, a database instance, a database management system, data, an application, a program, a program module, a script, source code, object code, byte code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code, executable instructions, etc., executed by the processing element 22. Therefore, databases, database instances, database management systems, data, applications, programs, program modules, scripts, source code, object code, byte code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code, executable instructions, etc. can be used to control certain aspects of the operation of the computing entity 05 with the assistance of the processing element 22 and the operating system.

[0116] In particular embodiments, computing entity 05 may also include one or more communication interfaces 28 for communicating with various computing entities, such as by communicating information / data, content, information / data, and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein that can be transmitted, received, manipulated, processed, displayed, stored, etc. Such communications may be performed using wired information / data transmission protocols, such as fiber distributed information / data interface (FDDI), digital subscriber line (DSL), Ethernet, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), frame relay, data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS), or any other wired transmission protocol.Similarly, the computing entity 05 may also be configured to communicate via a wireless external communication network using any of a variety of protocols, such as general packet radio service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), CDMA20001X (1xRTT), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), High-Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, 802.16 (WiMAX), ultra wideband (WB), infrared (IR) protocol, near field communication (NFC) protocol, Wibree, Bluetooth protocol, wireless universal serial bus (USB) protocol, long range low power (LoRa), LTE Cat M1, narrowband IoT (NB IoT) and / or any other wireless protocol.

[0117] Although not shown, the computing entity 05 may include or communicate with one or more input elements (such as keyboard input, mouse input, touch screen / display input, action input, motion input, audio input, pointing device input, joystick input, keypad input, etc.). The computing entity 05 may also include or communicate with one or more output elements (not shown) (such as audio output, video output, screen / display output, action output, motion output, etc.).

[0118] It is understood that one or more components of computing entity 05 can be remote from other computing entity 05 components, such as in a distributed system. In addition, one or more components can be combined, and computing entity 05 can include other components that perform the functions described herein. Therefore, computing entity 05 can adapt to various needs and situations. As will be appreciated, these architectures and descriptions are provided for exemplary purposes only and are not intended to limit various embodiments.

[0119] X. Exemplary Source Computing Entities

[0120] Now please refer to Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 According to various embodiments Figure 7 . A block diagram of a source computing entity 10 of FIG. 1 is provided. In a particular embodiment, the source computing entity 10 may be embodied as a handheld computing entity (such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, etc.), and the handheld computing entity may be operated at least in part based on user input received from a user via an input mechanism. In addition, the source computing entity 10 may also be embodied as a vehicle-mounted computing entity, such as a central vehicle electronic control unit (ECU), a vehicle-mounted multimedia system, etc., and the vehicle-mounted computing entity may be operated at least in part based on user input. However, because such vehicle-mounted computing entities may be embodied as vehicle-mounted control systems of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), robots, etc., they may be configured for autonomous and / or near-autonomous operation. As a specified example, the source computing entity 10 may be used as an onboard controller of an unmanned aerial vehicle, configured to pick up and / or deliver packages to various locations, and accordingly, such a source computing entity 10 may be configured to monitor various inputs (e.g., from various sensors) and generate various outputs. It should be understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a plurality of source computing entities 10 embodied in one or more forms (e.g., self-service terminals, mobile devices, watches, laptops, personnel carrier devices (e.g., Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD)), etc.).

[0121] As will be appreciated, the user may be an individual, a family, a company, an organization, an entity, a department within an organization, a representative of an organization and / or an individual, etc. In various embodiments, the user may operate a source computing entity 10, which may include one or more components that are functionally similar to computing entity 05. This figure provides an illustrative schematic diagram of a source computing entity 10 that may be used in conjunction with embodiments of the present disclosure. Generally, the terms device, system, source computing entity, user device, entity and / or similar words used interchangeably herein may refer to, for example, one or more computers, computing entities, desktops, mobile phones, tablets, tablet phones, notebook computers, laptops, distributed systems, in-vehicle multimedia systems, in-vehicle control systems for autonomous vehicles, watches, glasses, key chains, radio frequency identification tags, earbuds, scanners, imaging devices / cameras (e.g., part of a multi-view image capture system), wristbands, kiosks, input terminals, servers or server networks, blade servers, gateways, switches, processing devices, processing entities, set-top boxes, repeaters, routers, network access points, base stations, etc., and / or any combination of devices or entities suitable for performing the functions, operations and / or processes described herein. The source computing entity 10 may be operated by multiple parties, for example, transportation personnel (sorters, loaders, delivery drivers, network administrators, etc.). As shown, source computing entity 10 may include antenna 30, transmitter 32 (e.g., radio), receiver 34 (e.g., radio), and processing element 36 (e.g., CPLD, microprocessor, multi-core processor, co-processing entity, ASIP, microcontroller, and / or controller), which respectively provide signals to and receive signals from transmitter 32 and receiver 34. In some embodiments, source computing entity 10 additionally includes other components not shown, such as a fingerprint reader, a printer, and / or a camera.

[0122] The signals provided to the transmitter 32 and the receiver 34, respectively, and received therefrom may include signaling information that conforms to the air interface standard of the applicable wireless system. In this regard, the source computing entity 10 may operate using one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, and access types. More specifically, the source computing entity 10 may operate in accordance with any of a number of wireless communication standards and protocols (such as the standards and protocols described above with respect to the analysis computing entity 05). In a specific embodiment, the source computing entity 10 may operate in accordance with a variety of wireless communication standards and protocols (such as UMTS, CDMA2000, 1xRTT, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, LTE, E-UTRAN, EVDO, HSPA, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, WiMAX, UWB, IR, NFC, Bluetooth, USB, etc.). Similarly, the source computing entity 10 may operate in accordance with a variety of wired communication standards and protocols (such as the standards and protocols described above with respect to the analysis computing entity 05) via the network interface 44.

[0123] Via these communication standards and protocols, the source computing entity 10 is able to communicate with various other entities using concepts such as Unstructured Supplementary Service information / data (USSD), Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency Signaling (DTMF), and / or Subscriber Identity Module Dialer (SIM Dialer). The source computing entity 10 can also, for example, download changes, add-ons, and updates to its firmware, software (e.g., including executable instructions, applications, program modules), and operating system.

[0124] According to various embodiments, the source computing entity 10 may include location determination aspects, devices, modules, functions and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein. For example, the source computing entity 10 may include outdoor positioning aspects, such as a positioning module suitable for obtaining, for example, latitude, longitude, altitude, geocoding, route, direction, heading, speed, universal time (UTC), date and / or various other information / data. In a specific embodiment, the positioning module can obtain information / data, sometimes also referred to as ephemeris information / data, by identifying the number of satellites in view and the relative positions of these satellites (e.g., using the Global Positioning System (GPS)). These satellites can be a variety of different satellites, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) satellite systems, the European Union Galileo Positioning System, China's BeiDou Navigation System, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, etc. This information / data may be collected using various coordinate systems, such as Decimal Degrees (DD); Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS); Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM); Universal Polar Stereographic (UPS) coordinate systems, etc. Alternatively, the location information may be determined by triangulating the location of the computing entity 10 in combination with a variety of other systems, including cellular towers, Wi-Fi access points, etc. Similarly, the source computing entity 10 may also include indoor positioning aspects, such as a positioning module for obtaining, for example, latitude, longitude, altitude, geocode, route, direction, heading, speed, time, date, and / or various other information / data, etc. Some indoor systems may use various location or positioning technologies, including RFID tags, indoor beacons or transmitters, Wi-Fi access points, cellular towers, nearby computing devices / entities (e.g., smartphones, laptops), etc. For example, such technologies include iBeacons, Gimbal proximity beacons, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmitters, NFC transmitters, etc. These indoor positioning aspects can be used in a variety of situations to determine the location of a person or something to within inches or centimeters.

[0125] The source computing entity 10 may also include a user interface (which may include a display 38 coupled to the processing element 36) and / or a user input interface (coupled to the processing element 36). For example, as described herein, the user interface may be a user application, a browser, a user interface, and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein executed on and / or accessible via the source computing entity 10 to interact with the computing entity 05 and / or cause information from the computing entity 05 to be displayed. The user input interface may include any of a number of devices or interfaces that allow the source computing entity 10 to receive information / data, such as a keypad 40 (hard keyboard or soft keyboard), a touch display screen, a voice / sound or motion interface, or other input device. In an embodiment including a keypad 40, the keypad 40 may include (or cause to be displayed) conventional numeric keys (0-9) and related keys (#, *) and other keys for operating the source computing entity 10, and may include a full set of alphabetic keys or a set of keys that can be activated to provide a full set of alphanumeric keys. In addition to providing input, the user input interface may also be used, for example, to activate or deactivate specific functions, such as screen savers and / or sleep modes, etc.

[0126] As shown in this figure, the source computing entity 10 may also include a camera 42 configured to capture images, an imaging device, and / or similar terms used interchangeably herein (e.g., a still image camera, a video camera, an IoT-enabled camera, an IoT module with a low-resolution camera, a wireless-enabled MCU, etc.). The source computing entity 10 may be configured to capture images via the camera 42 and store the images from these imaging devices / cameras locally, such as in a volatile memory 46 and / or a non-volatile memory 48. As discussed herein, the source computing entity 10 may be further configured to match the captured image data with associated location and / or time information captured via location determination aspects to provide contextual information / data, such as a timestamp, date stamp, location stamp, etc. reflecting the time, date, and / or location at which the image data was captured via the camera 42. The contextual data may be stored as part of the image (such that a visual representation of the image data includes the contextual data), and / or stored as metadata storage associated with the image data accessible to various computing entities 10.

[0127] The source computing entity 10 may include other input mechanisms, such as scanners (e.g., barcode scanners), microphones, accelerometers, RFID readers, etc., configured to capture and store various types of information for the source computing entity 10. For example, a scanner is used to capture information / data about a package / item / shipped freight from an item indicator placed on the surface of the shipped freight or other item. In a particular embodiment, the source computing entity 10 is configured to associate any captured input information / data, such as via the processing element 36. For example, scan data captured via a scanner may be associated with image data captured via the camera 42 to provide the scan data as context data associated with the image data.

[0128] The source computing entity 10 may also include volatile storage or memory 46 and / or non-volatile storage or memory 48, which may be embedded and / or removable. For example, the non-volatile memory may be ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, MMC, SD memory card, memory stick, CBRAM, PRAM, FeRAM, NVRAM, MRAM, RRAM, SONOS, FJGRAM, Millipede memory, racetrack memory, etc. The volatile memory may be RAM, DRAM, SRAM, FPM DRAM, EDODRAM, SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM, RDRAM, TTRAM, T-RAM, Z-RAM, RIMM, DIMM, SIMM, VRAM, cache memory, register memory, etc. The volatile and non-volatile storage or memory may store databases, database instances, database management systems, information / data, applications, programs, program modules, scripts, source code, object code, byte code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code, executable instructions, etc. to implement the functions of the source computing entity 10. As previously described, this may include a user application resident on the entity or accessible through a browser or other user interface for communicating with computing entity 05 and / or various other computing entities.

[0129] In another embodiment, source computing entity 10 may include one or more components or functions that are the same or similar to computing entity 05 described in more detail above. As will be appreciated, these architectures and descriptions are for exemplary purposes only and are not limiting of the various embodiments.

[0130] XI. Definitions

[0131] "And / or" is an inclusive disjunction, also called a logical disjunction, often referred to as an "inclusive or". For example, the phrase "A, B, and / or C" means that at least one of A or B or C is true; and "A, B, and / or C" is false only if A, B, and C are all false.

[0132] A "set of" items means the presence of one or more items; there must be at least one item, but it can be two, three, or more items. A "subset" of items means the presence of one or more items in a group of items that share a common characteristic.

[0133] "Plurality" of an item means that there is more than one item; there must be at least two items, but there can be three, four, or more items.

[0134] Unless expressly stated otherwise, “includes” and any variations (such as including, include, etc.) mean “including but not limited to”.

[0135] “User” or “Subscriber” includes, but is not necessarily limited to, (i) a single individual human being; (ii) an artificial intelligence entity with sufficient intelligence to act in place of a single individual human being or more than one individual human being; (iii) a business entity for which a single individual human being or more than one individual human being acts; and / or (iv) any combination of one or more related “Users” or “Subscribers” acting as a single “User” or “Subscriber”.

[0136] Unless expressly stated otherwise, the terms "receive," "provide," "issue," "input," "output," and "report" shall not be construed as indicating or implying (i) any particular degree of directness with respect to the relationship between the object and the subject; and / or (ii) the presence of intermediate components, intermediate acts, and / or collections of things between the object and the subject.

[0137] Unless otherwise expressly stated, the terms first (e.g., first label), second (e.g., second label), etc. should not be understood to indicate or imply an order or time sequence. Instead, they should be understood to distinguish two or more elements. In some embodiments, two or more elements, although distinguishable, have the same composition. For example, a first memory and a second memory may indeed be two separate memories, but they can both be RAM devices with the same storage capacity.

[0138] The terms "cause" or "induce" refer to one or more systems (e.g., computing devices) and / or components (e.g., processors) that may, alone or in combination with other systems and / or components, achieve or assist in achieving a specified result or effect. For example, a server may "cause" a computing entity to display a piece of information, and / or the same computing entity may "cause" the same information to be displayed (e.g., via a processor executing instructions and data in a display memory of a user device). Thus, one or both systems may, alone or in combination, "induce" the effect of displaying information.

[0139] The following embodiments represent exemplary aspects of the concepts considered herein. Any of the following embodiments may be combined in a multi-subordinate manner to be subordinate to one or more other clauses. In addition, any combination of subordinate embodiments (e.g., clauses that are explicitly subordinate to a previous clause) may be combined without exceeding the scope of the aspects considered herein. The following clauses are exemplary in nature and are not limiting.

[0140] XII. Various Embodiments of the Disclosure

[0141] Embodiment 1: An antenna comprises: a conductor assembly including an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor and an outer conductor; and a plurality of switches, wherein: the inner conductor is the most centered relative to the intermediate conductor and the outer conductor, the intermediate conductor is located above the inner conductor, the outer conductor: is located above the inner conductor and the intermediate conductor, is exposed to the environment as the outermost layer, and is divided into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments comprises one or more slots, the one or more slots are configured to allow a signal to radiate from the outer conductor into the environment, and a plurality of switches are configured to operate so that a signal travels along the inner conductor and reaches the intermediate conductor at a specific segment of the plurality of segments, so that at least a portion of the signal is radiated from the one or more slots of the specific segment, while the signal is not radiated from the one or more slots of at least one other segment of the plurality of segments.

[0142] Embodiment 2: An antenna according to embodiment 1, wherein the specific segment is configured to receive a response from a tag located in the environment, and the tag sends the response at least in part based on receiving the portion of the signal radiated from one or more slots of the specific segment.

[0143] Embodiment 3: The antenna according to embodiment 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the inner conductor, the middle conductor or the outer conductor is configured to carry communication signals to the plurality of switches to operate the plurality of switches.

[0144] Embodiment 4: The antenna of embodiment 3, wherein the communication signal is carried using at least one of a 1-Wire protocol or an SDI-12 protocol.

[0145] Embodiment 5: The antenna of Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the inner conductor and the outer conductor are configured to carry non-radio band signals using a 2-Wire protocol to operate the plurality of switches.

[0146] Embodiment 6: The antenna according to embodiment 5, wherein the antenna further comprises a capacitive energy storage located at each switch of the plurality of switches, the capacitive energy storage being used to power a read circuit for the switch.

[0147] Embodiment 7: The antenna of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of switches are configured to operate via communication signals carried using a wireless communication protocol.

[0148] Embodiment 8: The antenna of Embodiment 7, wherein at least one of the inner conductor, the middle conductor, or the outer conductor is configured to power each of the plurality of switches.

[0149] Embodiment 9: An antenna divided into a plurality of segments along the length of the antenna, wherein each of the plurality of segments comprises at least one slot, wherein a shape of the at least one slot corresponds to a specified signal frequency so that at least a portion of a signal of the specified signal frequency traveling through the antenna is radiated from the at least one slot, while the signal is not radiated from at least one slot of at least one other segment of the plurality of segments.

[0150] Embodiment 10: The antenna according to embodiment 9, wherein at least one of the signal strength or orientation of a segment in the plurality of segments is controlled by the slot size orientation and the number of slots of the at least one slot.

[0151] Embodiment 11: The antenna according to embodiment 9 or 10, wherein the at least one slot is at least coupled to or covered by a resonator, wherein the resonator is configured to couple energy of the antenna to a specified signal frequency.

[0152] Embodiment 12: The antenna of Embodiment 11, wherein the resonator comprises a uniquely shaped conductor.

[0153] Embodiment 13: The antenna of Embodiment 11, wherein the resonator is attached to a heat shrink tubing over the at least one slot.

[0154] Embodiment 14: The antenna according to any one of Embodiments 9 to 13, further comprising an inner conductor, a dielectric, an outer conductor and a sheath.

[0155] Embodiment 15: A method, comprising: receiving, by at least one computing entity, a request to identify the location of an asset in an environment; performing, by the at least one computing entity, an iterative process to cause an interrogation signal to radiate from each of a plurality of segments of a radiating antenna, wherein one iteration of the iterative process comprises: causing, by the at least one computing entity, the interrogation signal to radiate from one or more of the plurality of segments while the interrogation signal is not radiated from the remaining segments of the plurality of segments; and receiving, by the at least one computing entity, a tag response from a tag coupled to an asset in the environment and located within at least one of a distance or signal strength threshold of the one or more segments that are radiating the interrogation signal; identifying, by the at least one computing entity and based at least in part on the tag response, the location of the asset in the environment; and causing signaling to be issued by the at least one computing entity to identify the location of the asset in the environment.

[0156] Embodiment 16: The method according to embodiment 15, wherein the radiating antenna comprises an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor and an outer conductor, and causing the interrogation signal to radiate from the one or more segments of the plurality of segments while the interrogation signal is not radiated from the remaining segments of the plurality of segments, involves causing one or more switches to at least one of open or close so that the interrogation signal travels along the inner conductor and reaches the intermediate conductor at the one or more segments so that the interrogation signal is radiated from the one or more segments while the interrogation signal is not radiated from the remaining segments of the plurality of segments.

[0157] Embodiment 17: The method according to embodiment 15 or 16, wherein each segment of the radiating antenna comprises at least one slot, the shape of the at least one slot corresponds to a designated signal frequency, so that the interrogation signal is radiated from the one or more segments of the plurality of segments, while the interrogation signal is not radiated from the remaining segments of the plurality of segments, involving causing the interrogation signal generated by the radiating antenna to have the designated signal frequency to which the at least one slot of the one or more segments is tuned

[0158] Embodiment 18: A method according to any one of Embodiments 15 to 17, wherein identifying the location of the asset in the environment involves: determining that a single segment of the plurality of segments receives a tag response from a tag associated with the asset based at least in part on the tag response; and determining the location of the asset based at least in part on a location associated with the single segment.

[0159] Embodiment 19: A method according to any one of Embodiments 15 to 17, wherein identifying the location of the asset in the environment involves: determining that at least two of the plurality of segments receive tag responses from the tag associated with the asset based at least in part on the tag responses; comparing signal strength values ​​of the tag responses received by the at least two segments from the tag associated with the asset; and identifying the location of the asset based at least in part on the location associated with the one segment when one of the tag responses received by the at least two segments from the tag associated with the asset has a highest signal strength value.

[0160] Embodiment 20: A method according to any one of Embodiments 15 to 17, wherein identifying the location of the asset in the environment involves: determining at least two of the plurality of segments that receive tag responses from tags associated with the asset based at least in part on the tag responses; comparing signal strength values ​​of tag responses of tags associated with the asset received by the at least two segments; determining that the signal strength values ​​satisfy a threshold with respect to each other; and in response to determining that the signal strength values ​​satisfy the threshold with respect to each other, comparing at least one other signal feature of tag responses received by the at least two segments from tags associated with the asset to detect the location of the asset.

[0161] in conclusion

[0162] Although this specification contains many specific details, these details should not be understood as limitations on the scope of any invention or what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of specific features of specific embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features described in this specification in separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. In addition, although the above-mentioned features may be described as working in certain combinations, or even initially claimed to be so, in some cases, one or more features in the claimed combination may be deleted from the combination, and the claimed combination may be a sub-combination or a variation of a sub-combination.

[0163] Similarly, although operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order described or in a sequential order, or that all described operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In certain cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. In addition, the separation of various components in the various embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and the described program components (e.g., modules) and systems can be integrated in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0164] With the benefit of the teachings presented in the above description and the related drawings, many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will occur to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Therefore, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although designated terms are used herein, these terms are used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising: a conductor assembly, comprising an inner conductor, an intermediate conductor and an outer conductor; and Multiple switches, in: the inner conductor is most centrally located relative to the middle conductor and the outer conductor, The intermediate conductor is located above the inner conductor, The outer conductor: located above the inner conductor and the intermediate conductor, As the outermost layer is exposed to the environment, and divided into a plurality of sections, each section of the plurality of sections comprising one or more slots, the one or more slots being configured to allow a signal to radiate out of the outer conductor into the environment, and A plurality of switches are configured to operate so that a signal travels along the inner conductor and reaches the middle conductor at a specific segment among the plurality of segments so that at least a portion of the signal radiates from one or more slots of the specific segment, while the signal does not radiate from one or more slots of at least one other segment among the plurality of segments.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the particular segment is configured to receive a response from a tag located in the environment, the tag sending the response based at least in part on receiving the portion of the signal radiated from one or more slots of the particular segment.

3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner conductor, the middle conductor, or the outer conductor is configured to carry communication signals to the plurality of switches to operate the plurality of switches.

4. The antenna of claim 3, wherein the communication signal is carried using at least one of a 1-Wire protocol or an SDI-12 protocol.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the inner conductor and the outer conductor are configured to carry non-radio band signals using a 2-Wire protocol to operate the plurality of switches. 6 . The antenna according to claim 5 , wherein the antenna further comprises a capacitive energy storage located at each switch of the plurality of switches, the capacitive energy storage being used to power a readout circuit for the switch.

7. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the plurality of switches are configured to operate via communication signals carried using a wireless communication protocol.

8. The antenna of claim 7, wherein at least one of the inner conductor, the middle conductor, or the outer conductor is configured to power each of the plurality of switches.

9. An antenna divided into a plurality of segments along the length of the antenna, wherein each of the plurality of segments includes at least one slot, the shape of the at least one slot corresponding to a specified signal frequency so that at least a portion of a signal of the specified signal frequency traveling through the antenna is radiated from the at least one slot, while the signal is not radiated from at least one slot of at least one other segment of the plurality of segments.

10. The antenna of claim 9, wherein at least one of a signal strength or an orientation of a segment of the plurality of segments is controlled by a slot size orientation and a number of slots of the at least one slot.

11. The antenna of claim 9, wherein the at least one slot is at least coupled to or covered by a resonator configured to couple energy from the antenna to a designated signal frequency.

12. The antenna of claim 11, wherein the resonator comprises a uniquely shaped conductor.

13. The antenna of claim 11, wherein the resonator is attached to heat shrink tubing over the at least one slot.

14. The antenna of claim 9, further comprising an inner conductor, a dielectric, an outer conductor, and a sheath.

15. A method for identifying the location of an asset, comprising: receiving, by at least one computing entity, a request to identify a location of the asset in the environment; An iterative process is performed by the at least one computing entity to cause the interrogation signal to radiate from each of the plurality of sectors of the radiating antenna, wherein one iteration of the iterative process comprises: causing, by the at least one computing entity, the interrogation signal to radiate from one or more of the plurality of segments while the interrogation signal is not radiated from remaining segments of the plurality of segments; and receiving, by the at least one computing entity, a tag response from a tag coupled to an asset in an environment and within at least one of a distance or signal strength threshold of the one or more segments radiating the interrogation signal; identifying, by the at least one computing entity and based at least in part on the tag responses, a location of the asset in an environment; and Signaling is caused, by the at least one computing entity, to identify a location of the asset in the environment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the radiating antenna comprises an inner conductor, a middle conductor, and an outer conductor, and causing the interrogation signal to radiate from the one or more of the plurality of segments without radiating from the remaining of the plurality of segments involves causing one or more switches to at least one of open or close so that the interrogation signal travels along the inner conductor and reaches the middle conductor at the one or more segments so that the interrogation signal radiates from the one or more segments without radiating from the remaining of the plurality of segments.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each segment of the radiating antenna comprises at least one slot, the shape of the at least one slot corresponding to a designated signal frequency, so that the interrogation signal is radiated from the one or more segments of the plurality of segments, while the interrogation signal is not radiated from the remaining segments of the plurality of segments, involving causing the interrogation signal generated by the radiating antenna to have the designated signal frequency to which the at least one slot of the one or more segments is tuned.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the location of the asset in the environment involves: Based at least in part on the tag response, determining that a single segment of the plurality of segments received a tag response from a tag associated with the asset; and The location of the asset is identified based at least in part on a location associated with the single segment.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the location of the asset in the environment involves: determining, based at least in part on the tag response, that at least two of the plurality of segments received a tag response from a tag associated with the asset; comparing signal strength values ​​of tag responses received by the at least two segments from tags associated with the asset; and A tag response among tag responses received by one of the at least two segments from a tag associated with the asset has a highest signal strength value, identifying a location of the asset based at least in part on a location associated with the one segment.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the location of the asset in the environment involves: determining, based at least in part on the tag responses, at least two segments of the plurality of segments that received tag responses from tags associated with the asset; comparing signal strength values ​​of tag responses from tags associated with the asset received by the at least two segments; determining that the signal strength values ​​satisfy a threshold with respect to each other; as well as In response to determining that the signal strength values ​​satisfy the threshold with respect to one another, at least one other signal characteristic of tag responses received by the at least two segments from tags associated with the asset is compared to detect a location of the asset.

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