RFID data collection and use
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of collecting information related to RFID tags associated with items of interest, comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting a category of items using a user interface associated with an RFID reader;
(b) using the RFID reader to interrogate at least one RFID tag associated with an item of interest; and
(c) associating information related to the at least one item with the selected category.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to various methods of collecting and using data from RFID tags associated with items of interest. In one embodiment, the permissible error tolerance associated with the location of an RFID-tagged item may be altered, either manually or automatically. In another embodiment, RFID-tagged items may be associated with certain categories of items, based either on default or user-specified categories.
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Citations
74 Claims
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1. A method of collecting information related to RFID tags associated with items of interest, comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting a category of items using a user interface associated with an RFID reader;
(b) using the RFID reader to interrogate at least one RFID tag associated with an item of interest; and
(c) associating information related to the at least one item with the selected category. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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8. A method of interrogating RFID tags associated with items of interest, comprising the steps of
(a) selecting at least two categories of items using a user interface associated with an RFID reader; -
(b) using the RFID reader to interrogate at least one RFID tag associated with an item of interest; and
(c) categorizing information related to the at least one item(s) associated with the interrogated RFID tag(s) in at least one of the categories. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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18. A method of interrogating RFID tags associated with items of interest, comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting at least one category of items using a user interface associated with an RFID reader;
(b) interrogating RFID tags associated with items, at least one of which is within the category of items;
(c) categorizing information related to the at least one item(s) associated with the interrogated RFID tag(s) in at least one of the categories; and
(d) ignoring any RFID-tagged-item that may not be categorized in at least one category.
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25. A method of identifying items associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a database including entries associated with certain items;
(b) interrogating RFID tags associated with items; and
(c) providing an indication to a user when an RFID tag associated with an item that is not on the database is interrogated.
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32. A method of obtaining information related to items associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) interrogating the RFID tags in an order; and
(b) organizing the information in an order other than the order in which the tags were interrogated. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of obtaining information related to items of interest associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) interrogating RFID tags, each associated with an item, to obtain information related to the items for a purpose other than determining the presence or absence of the items in a storage area; and
(b) using the information for determining the presence or absence of the items in the storage area.
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39. A method of obtaining information related to items of interest associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) interrogating RFID tags, each associated with an item, to obtain information for a first purpose of determining whether the items are in a predetermined order within a storage area; and
(b) using information obtained in step (a) for a second purpose of determining the presence or absence of the items in the storage area.
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40. A method of obtaining information related to items of interest associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) interrogating RFID tags, each associated with an item, to determine information related to the items for a first purpose of searching for certain items on a predetermined search list; and
(b) using the information for a second purpose of determining the presence or absence of the items in the storage area.
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41. A method of obtaining information related to items of interest associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) interrogating RFID tags, each associated with an item, to determine information related to the items for a first purpose of checking items into or out of a storage area; and
(b) using the information for a second purpose of determining the presence or absence of the items in the storage area.
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42. A method of reconciling an inventory list of items associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) using an RFID reader to interrogate at least one RFID tag associated with an item;
(b) determining whether the item is represented on the inventory list as being present, and if not;
(c) indicating to a user in real time that the inventory list indicates that the item is absent; and
(d) enabling the user in real time to confirm that the item is present using a user interface associated with the RFID reader. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 46, 47, 49)
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45. A method of reconciling an inventory list of items associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) using an RFID reader to interrogate RFID tags each associated with an item;
(b) determining whether an item represented on the inventory list as being present is among the items whose RFID tags were interrogated, and if not;
(c) indicating to a user in real time that the inventory list indicates that the item is present; and
(d) enabling the user in real time to confirm that the item is absent using a user interface associated with the RFID reader.
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48. A method of collecting data related to items associated with RFID tags, comprising the steps of:
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(a) using an RFID reader to interrogate RFID tags, each associated with an item, wherein the items are not arranged or interrogated in an order associated with their desired locations in a storage area;
(b) organizing information obtained from the RFID tags in an order associated with the desired locations of the items in a storage area; and
(c) providing the organized information from step (b) to a user.
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- 50. A method of collecting data related to items associated with RFID tags using an RFID reader, comprising the step of enabling a user to alter through a user interface associated with the RFID reader the permissible error tolerance associated with the location of RFID-tagged items interrogated by the RFID reader.
- 55. A method of collecting data related to items associated with RFID tags using an RFID reader, comprising the step of automatically altering the permissible error tolerance associated with locations of the items within a storage area based on the number of tags detected within range of the RFID reader at a given time.
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57. A method of converting items from non-RFID-tagged items to RFID-tagged items, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a list of items that should not be converted to RFID-tagged items;
(b) obtaining information from a non-RFID-tagged item to identify the item; and
(c) determining whether the non-RFID-tagged item is on the list.
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59. A method of converting items from non-RFID-tagged items to RFID-tagged items, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a list of items that should be converted to RFID-tagged items;
(b) obtaining information from a non-RFID-tagged item to identify the item; and
(c) determining whether the non-RFID-tagged item is on the list.
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61. A method of converting items from non-RFID-tagged items to RFID-tagged items, comprising the steps of:
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(a) presenting a non-RFID-tagged item to a conversion station;
(b) associating an RFID tag with the item; and
(c) determining whether the item presented is in an appropriate location in a storage area compared to an expected order of items in that storage area. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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64. A method of converting items from non-RFID-tagged items to RFID-tagged items, comprising the steps of:
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(a) presenting more than one non-RFID-tagged item to a conversion station;
(b) associating an RFID tag with each item; and
(c) taking inventory of the items by comparing the items to a database that includes information indicating whether the items are present. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 68, 69, 70)
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67. A method of searching for items of interest that are each associated with an RFID tag, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a list of items to an RFID reader;
(b) interrogating an RFID tag associated with at least one item of interest;
(c) comparing information obtained from the RFID tag to the list; and
(d) creating a database record indicating that the interrogated item is on the list.
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Specification