Prefetching manifest data in an RFID system

• US 20070075833A1
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Gregory, Hunt, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 7,432,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

In an RFID system having an edge controller and a tag reader that is operably connected to the edge controller, a manifest of items having RFID tags tracked by the RFID system is identified, and data from the manifest is downloaded to the edge controller in anticipation of reading the RFID tags, i.e., the manifest data is prefetched. An RFID edge controller that may be operably connected to a tag reader receives, in anticipation of the tag reader reading RFID tags associated with items, manifest data prefetched from a database that stores manifests of items, and compares the manifest data with data read from the RFID tags to determine whether the items comply with the manifest.

Claims

1. A method suitable for use in an RFID system having an edge controller and a tag reader operably connected to the edge controller, comprising:

identifying a manifest of items having RFID tags tracked by the RFID system and downloading data from the manifest to the edge controller, in anticipation of reading the RFID tags by the tag reader.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing, by the RFID edge controller, the data from the manifest with data read from the RFID tags to determine whether the items comply with the manifest.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising reporting compliance to a premises server of the RFID system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the premises server downloads the manifest data to the edge controller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the premises server retrieves the manifest data from a database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a manifest comprises selecting a manifest from a plurality of manifests using an expected shipment arrival time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a manifest comprises selecting a next manifest from a plurality of manifests sorted according to expected shipment arrival times.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a manifest comprises identifying a container that contains items on the manifest to provide a container identity, and selecting a manifest from a plurality of manifests using the container identity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a manifest comprises identifying a vehicle that transports items on the manifest to provide a vehicle identity, and selecting a manifest from a plurality of manifests using the vehicle identity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a manifest comprises reading RFID tag information from an RFID tag of one of the items to provide a search key, and searching a plurality of manifests using the search key to identify the manifest.

11. An RFID edge controller that may be operably connected to a tag reader, wherein said edge controller receives, in anticipation of the tag reader reading a plurality of RFID tags associated with a plurality of items, manifest data fetched from a database that stores manifests;

and compares the manifest data with data read from the RFID tags by the tag reader to determine whether the items comply with the manifest.

12. A computer program product suitable for use in an RFID system having an edge controller and a tag reader operably connected to the edge controller, said computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embedded therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to identify a manifest of items having RFID tags tracked by the RFID system and computer readable program code configured to download data from the manifest to the edge controller, in anticipation of reading the RFID tags by the tag reader.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer readable program code configured to compare, by the RFID edge controller, the data from the manifest with data read from the RFID tags to determine whether the items comply with the manifest.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer readable program code configured to report compliance to a premises server of the RFID system.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code configured to identify a manifest comprises computer readable program code configured to select a manifest from a plurality of manifests using an expected shipment arrival time.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code configured to identify a manifest comprises computer readable program code configured to select a next manifest from a plurality of manifests sorted according to expected shipment arrival times.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code configured to identify a manifest comprises computer readable program code configured to identify a container that contains items on the manifest to provide a container identity, and to select a manifest from a plurality of manifests using the container identity.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code configured to identify a manifest comprises computer readable program code configured to identify a vehicle that transports items on the manifest to provide a vehicle identity, and to select a manifest from a plurality of manifests using the vehicle identity.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code configured to identify a manifest comprises computer readable program code configured to read RFID tag information from an RFID tag of one of the items to provide a search key, and to search a plurality of manifests using the search key to identify the manifest.