Inventory tracking using RFID
First Claim
1. An inventory area of a materials handling facility comprising:
- a panel having a plurality of horizontally extending knuckles provided on a front side of the panel;
a storage unit releasably mounted to the panel, wherein the storage unit comprises;
a base;
a horizontally aligned bolt mounted to an upper portion of the base,wherein the bolt is rotatably inserted into one of the horizontally aligned knuckles of the panel;
a support bar having a proximal end mounted to a front face of the base and a free distal end;
an RFID antenna having a proximal end mounted to the front face of the base above the support bar, wherein the RFID antenna is configured to emit an electromagnetic field having a standing wave in a phase determined based at least in part on an impedance of the RFID antenna, and wherein the RFID antenna is coupled to an RFID reader, anda phase shifter coupled to a distal end of the RFID antenna, whereinthe phase shifter comprises at least one resistor for establishing the impedance of the RFID antenna;
an item suspended from the support bar, wherein the item comprises;
an extension having an upper portion and a lower portion;
an RFID tag provided in the upper portion of the extension, wherein the RFID tag is programmed to transmit an RFID signal when the RFID tag senses the electromagnetic field emitted by the RFID antenna; and
a hole provided in a lower portion of the extension, wherein the support bar is extended through the hole,wherein the upper portion of the extension is positioned between the RFID antenna and the support bar.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A storage unit includes a support bar for hanging items and an RFID antenna provided within a predefined distance of the support bar. When the items hanging from the support bar are adorned with RFID tags, and the RFID antenna emits electromagnetic fields in a direction of the support bar, RFID signals identifying the items are transmitted from the RFID tags to the RFID antenna, thereby enabling a placement or a removal of an item to be automatically registered, or an accounting of the available items to be automatically performed. The RFID antenna may be a portion of a transmission line that uses shields and/or dielectric materials to shape the electromagnetic fields toward a predefined direction, and the locations of items bearing RFID tags on the support bar may be determined by varying the phase of the emitted radiofrequency and determining strengths of RFID signals when the electromagnetic fields are emitted at varying phases.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An inventory area of a materials handling facility comprising:
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a panel having a plurality of horizontally extending knuckles provided on a front side of the panel; a storage unit releasably mounted to the panel, wherein the storage unit comprises; a base; a horizontally aligned bolt mounted to an upper portion of the base, wherein the bolt is rotatably inserted into one of the horizontally aligned knuckles of the panel; a support bar having a proximal end mounted to a front face of the base and a free distal end; an RFID antenna having a proximal end mounted to the front face of the base above the support bar, wherein the RFID antenna is configured to emit an electromagnetic field having a standing wave in a phase determined based at least in part on an impedance of the RFID antenna, and wherein the RFID antenna is coupled to an RFID reader, and a phase shifter coupled to a distal end of the RFID antenna, wherein the phase shifter comprises at least one resistor for establishing the impedance of the RFID antenna; an item suspended from the support bar, wherein the item comprises; an extension having an upper portion and a lower portion; an RFID tag provided in the upper portion of the extension, wherein the RFID tag is programmed to transmit an RFID signal when the RFID tag senses the electromagnetic field emitted by the RFID antenna; and a hole provided in a lower portion of the extension, wherein the support bar is extended through the hole, wherein the upper portion of the extension is positioned between the RFID antenna and the support bar. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method comprising:
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emitting an electromagnetic field with a first standing wave in a first phase from an RFID antenna using at least one computer processor, wherein a first section of the RFID antenna is separated from a first section of a support bar by at least a first predefined distance; emitting the electromagnetic field with a second standing wave in a second phase from the RFID antenna using the at least one computer processor; receiving, by the RFID antenna, at least a first RFID signal from a first RFID tag, wherein the first RFID signal is received in response to at least one of the electromagnetic field with the first standing wave in the first phase or the electromagnetic field with the second standing wave in the second phase; interpreting contents of at least the first RFID signal using the at least one computer processor; identifying information regarding the first RFID tag based at least in part on the interpreted contents of the first RFID signal using the at least one computer processor; identifying a first item bearing the first RFID tag based at least in part on the information regarding the first RFID tag using the at least one computer processor; determining that one of the first item bearing the first RFID tag is disposed on the support bar based at least in part on the first RFID signal using the at least one computer processor; and storing first information in at least one data store, wherein the first information associates the one of the first item bearing the first RFID tag with the support bar. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A storage unit comprising:
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a base; a support bar having a proximal end mounted to a front face of the base, wherein the support bar extends from the front face of the base; an RFID antenna having a proximal end mounted to the front face of the base, wherein the RFID antenna extends from the front face of the base; and a phase shifter coupled with a distal end of the RFID antenna, wherein the phase shifter is configured to set an impedance of the RFID antenna, wherein the proximal end of the support bar and the proximal end of the RFID antenna are separated by a first predefined distance on the front face of the base, and wherein the RFID antenna comprises a conductive rod configured to emit an electromagnetic field with a standing wave having a phase determined based at least in part on the impedance of the RFID antenna, and wherein the conductive rod is further configured to emit an electromagnetic field at least in a radial direction toward the support bar. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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emitting an electromagnetic field with a first standing wave in a first phase from an RFID antenna, wherein at least a portion of the RFID antenna is separated from at least a portion of a support bar by a first distance; emitting the electromagnetic field with a second standing wave in a second phase from the RFID antenna; receiving, by the RFID antenna, at least a first RFID signal from a first RFID tag, wherein the first RFID signal is received in response to at least one of the electromagnetic field with the first standing wave in the first phase or the electromagnetic field with the second standing wave in the second phase; interpreting contents of at least the first RFID signal using at least one computer processor; identifying a first item based at least in part on the interpreted contents of the first RFID signal using the at least one computer processor; and storing information regarding the first item in at least one data store, wherein the information comprises an indication that one of the first item is disposed on the support bar.
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Specification