Systems and methods for an improved tag counting process

• US 10,679,179 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Trivelpiece, Craig E., Trivelpiece, Steve E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US15/493,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20180308040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating a tag reader. The methods comprise: performing tag read operations by the tag reader to read tags; processing first information received from the read tags to identify which tags are newly detected tags; adding entries for the newly detected tags in a local list stored in a local memory of the tag reader; communicating second information at least identifying the newly detected tags from the tag reader to a remote computing device; receiving, by the tag reader, feedback information generated by the remote computing device which specifies at least a count of entries added to a remote list stored in a remote datastore based on the second information; and selectively outputting a notification from the tag reader based on the value of the count.

Claims

1. A method for operating a tag reader, comprising:

performing tag read operations by the tag reader to read tags;

processing first information received from the read tags to identify which tags are newly detected tags;

adding entries for the newly detected tags in a local list stored in a local memory of the tag reader;

communicating second information at least identifying the newly detected tags from the tag reader to a remote computing device;

receiving, by the tag reader, feedback information generated by the remote computing device which specifies at least (1) a count of entries added to a remote list stored in a remote datastore based on the second information and (2) a percentage of cycle completion,

where the entries are for given ones of the newly detected tags which were not already identified in the remote list, and the remote list identifies tags which were detected by at least one other tag reader; and

selectively outputting a notification from the tag reader based on the value of the count, which is less than a total number of the newly detected tags.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second information is communicated from the tag reader continuously or at every pre-defined interval of time.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entries are added to the remote list based additionally on third information obtained from at least one other tag reader.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing operations by the tag reader to clear at least a first portion of the local list prior to when the tag read operations are performed by the tag reader.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a second portion of the local list includes exclusion information identifying tags that are not to be counted during a tag counting cycle.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising removing an entry from the local list for at least one tag associated with an oldest tag read.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second information further specifies at least one of a unique reader identifier and a location of the tag reader.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the feedback information further specifies at least one of a user efficiency and an area of a facility in which tag reads still need to be performed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification is selectively output from the tag reader only when the value is a non-zero value.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification comprises:

at least one beep having a variable volume or variable duration that correspondingly increases and decreases with changes in the value;

or a plurality of beeps of a number defined by the value.

11. A tag reader, comprising:

a processor;

and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to implement a method for inventory management,

wherein the programming instructions comprise instructions to;

process first information received from tags read by the tag reader to identify which tags are newly detected tags;

add entries for the newly detected tags in a local list stored at the tag reader;

cause second information at least identifying the newly detected tags to be communicated from the tag reader to a remote computing device;

receive feedback information generated by the remote computing device which specifies at least (1) a count of entries added to a remote list stored in a remote datastore based on the second information and (2) a percentage of cycle completion,

where the entries are for given ones of the newly detected tags which were not already identified in the remote list, and the remote list identifies tags which were detected by at least one other tag reader; and

cause a notification to be selectively output from the tag reader based on the value of the count, which is less than a total number of the newly detected tags.

12. The tag reader according to claim 11, wherein the second information is communicated from the tag reader continuously or at every pre-defined interval of time.

13. The tag reader according to claim 11, wherein the entries are added to the remote list based additionally on third information obtained from at least one other tag reader.

14. The tag reader according to claim 11, wherein the programming instructions further comprise instructions to clear at least a first portion of the local list prior to when the tag read operations are performed by the tag reader.

15. The tag reader according to claim 14, wherein a second portion of the local list includes exclusion information identifying tags that are not to be counted during a tag counting cycle.

16. The tag reader according to claim 11, wherein the programming instructions further comprise instructions to remove an entry from the local list for at least one tag associated with an oldest tag read.

17. The tag reader according to claim 11, wherein the second information further specifies at least one of a unique reader identifier and a location of the tag reader.

18. The tag reader according to claim 11, wherein the feedback information further specifies at least one of a user efficiency and an area of a facility in which tag reads still need to be performed.

19. The tag reader according to claim 11, wherein the notification is selectively output from the tag reader only when the value is a non-zero value.

20. The tag reader according to claim 11, wherein the notification comprises:

at least one beep having a variable volume or variable duration that correspondingly increases and decreases with changes in the value;

or a plurality of beeps of a number defined by the value.