Locating system for items having RFID tags

• US 20070188342A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsunaga, Sabrina, Valeriano, Francisco, Kuo, Amos
• Granted Patent: US 7,741,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.490
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations

Abstract

A locating system for an archive having multiple objects stored therein includes an RFID reader device having an RFID reader to detect and read RFID tags on the objects. A central processing unit includes a database to store information on each object in the archive, a location engine operating system in communication with the RFID reader device, and a data structure to store a relative position of each object in the archive relative to each other object in the archive. A method of locating an object within an archive containing multiple objects includes carrying an RFID reader device through the archive. The RFID reader device queries each RFID tag for the identifier associated with the RFID tag and determines whether each identifier is an old identifier stored in a memory or a new identifier not stored in the memory. If one or more of the identifiers is a new identifier, a linkage is defined between each object associated with a new identifier and each other object within the range of the RFID reader device. Each linkage is saved in a data structure and each new identifier is stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A locating system for an archive having a plurality of objects stored therein, each of the objects having an RFID tag, comprises:

an RFID reader device including an RFID reader adapted to detect and read the RFID tags of the objects; and

a central processing unit including

a database adapted to store information on each object in the archive,

a location engine operating system in communication with the RFID reader device, and

a data structure adapted to store a relative position of each object in the archive relative to each other object in the archive.

2. The locating system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader device also includes an input mechanism adapted to input information associated with an object to be located into the operating system.

3. The locating system of claim 2 wherein the RFID reader device further includes an output mechanism, the operating system accessing the data structure to obtain location information for the object to be located and displaying the location information with the output mechanism.

4. The locating system of claim 1 wherein the database includes:

descriptive information associated with each of the objects in the archive; and

an identifier associated with the RFID tag of each object in the archive.

5. The locating system of claim 1 further comprising a central computer, the database and data structure being stored on the central computer.

6. The locating system of claim 5 wherein the RFID reader device and central computer include a wireless communication system.

7. The locating system of claim 1 wherein the central processing unit of the RFID reader device also includes a memory, the database and data structure being stored in the memory.

8. The locating system of claim 1 further comprising at least one landmark RFID tag fixedly disposed within the archive.

9. The locating system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of landmark RFID tags fixedly disposed within the archive, each of the landmark RFID tags being positioned at a distance from each other landmark RFID tag whereby at least one of the landmark RFID tags is within a detection range of the RFID reader when the RFID reader device is within the archive.

10. A method of locating an object within an archive containing a plurality of objects, each of the objects including an RFID tag having a unique identifier, the method comprising:

moving an RFID reader device relative to the archive, the RFID reader device having an RFID reader adapted to detect and read the RFID tags of the objects, the RFID reader having a range for detecting and reading the RFID tags;

determining whether there are any RFID tags within the range of the RFID reader;

querying each RFID tag sensed by the RFID reader for the identifier associated with the RFID tag; and

determining whether the identifier for each RFID tag is an old identifier stored in a memory or a new identifier not stored in the memory, and if one or more of the identifiers is a new identifier;

defining a linkage between each object associated with a new identifier and each other object within the range of the RFID reader device,

saving each linkage in a data structure adapted to store a relative position of each object in the archive relative to each other object in the archive, and

storing each new identifier in the memory.

11. The method of claim 11 further comprising;

determining whether any object associated with an old identifier is no longer within range of the RFID reader device; and

deleting each old identifier associated with an object that is no longer within range of the RFID reader device from the memory.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the archive also contains at least one fixedly disposed landmark RFID tag, the method further comprising:

determining whether there are any landmark RFID tags within the range of the RFID reader;

querying each landmark RFID tag sensed by the RFID reader for the identifier associated with the landmark RFID tag; and

determining whether the identifier for each landmark RFID tag is an old identifier stored in a memory or a new identifier not stored in the memory, and if one or more of the identifiers is a new identifier;

defining a linkage between each landmark RFID tag associated with a new identifier and each object within the range of the RFID reader device,

saving each linkage in the data structure, and

storing each new identifier in the memory.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising;

determining whether any landmark RFID tag associated with an old identifier is no longer within range of the RFID reader device; and

deleting each old identifier associated with a landmark RFID tag that is no longer within range of the RFID reader device from the memory.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

entering a search criteria for an object to be found into the RFID reader device;

querying each RFID tag sensed by the RFID reader for the identifier associated with the RFID tag;

querying the data structure for linkages connecting the objects in the range of the RFID reader to the object to be found;

computing a shortest distance to the object to be found; and

displaying the distance on an output mechanism of the RFID reader device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising moving in a first direction into the archive while observing the output mechanism of the RFID reader device and

moving in the first direction if the distance displayed on the output mechanism decreases;

or

moving in a second direction if the distance displayed on the output mechanism increases.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising visually scanning for the object to be located when the distance displayed on the output mechanism equals zero.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

comparing the identifiers stored in the memory to the linkages stored in the data structure;

determining that a linkage has been broken when the linkages defined by the identifiers stored in the memory is less than the linkages stored in the data structure for the identifiers stored in the memory; and

determining which object of the broken linkage has been moved.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein determining the object that has been moved comprises:

comparing a listing of the identifiers associated with the object of the linkages stored in the data structure, for the identifiers stored in the memory;

identifying the identifier of the listing that is missing from the memory; and

classifying the object having a linkage, stored in the data structure, with the object associated with the missing identifier as a carried object.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising deleting the broken linkage from the data structure.

20. A method of locating an object within an archive containing a plurality of objects and a plurality of fixedly disposed landmarks, each of the objects and landmarks including an RFID tag, each of the RFID tags having a unique identifier, the method comprising:

carrying an RFID reader device through the archive, the RFID reader device having an RFID reader adapted to detect and read the RFID tags, the RFID reader having a range for detecting and reading the RFID tags;

determining whether there are any RFID tags within the range of the RFID reader;

querying each RFID tag sensed by the RFID reader for the identifier associated with the RFID tag;

determining whether the identifier for each RFID tag is an old identifier stored in a memory or a new identifier not stored in the memory, and if one or more of the identifiers is a new identifier;

defining a linkage between each object or landmark associated with a new identifier and each other object within the range of the RFID reader device,

saving each linkage in a data structure adapted to store a relative position of each object and each landmark in the archive relative to each other landmark and each other object in the archive, and

storing each new identifier in the memory;

determining whether any object or landmark associated with an old identifier is no longer within range of the RFID reader device; and

deleting each old identifier associated with an object or land mark that is no longer within range of the RFID reader device from the memory.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

entering a search criteria for an object to be found into the RFID reader device;

querying each RFID tag sensed by the RFID reader for the identifier associated with the RFID tag;

querying the data structure for linkages connecting the objects in the range of the RFID reader to the object to be found;

computing a shortest distance to the object to be found;

displaying the distance on an output mechanism of the RFID reader device;

moving in the first direction if the distance displayed on the output mechanism decreases;

or moving in a second direction if the distance displayed on the output mechanism increases.