Item level inventory with a radio frequency identification (RFID) system

• US 20080186174A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Shafer, Gary Mark, Alexis, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/701,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186174A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0697 using spatial multiplexing

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for item level inventory and a method for performing an RFID item level inventory may be provided. The method may include selectively controlling with an RF signal each of a plurality of multiplexers connected to a plurality of local antennas and selectively enabling with an RF signal the plurality of local antennas using the plurality of multiplexers to perform RFID interrogation on a plurality of RFID tags. The method further may include acquiring inventory information based on the RFID interrogation.

Claims

1. A method for performing a radio frequency identification (RFID) inventory, the method comprising:

selectively controlling with an RF signal each of a plurality of multiplexers connected to a plurality of local antennas;

selectively enabling with an RF signal the plurality of local antennas using the plurality of multiplexers to perform RFID interrogation on a plurality of RFID tags; and

acquiring inventory information based on the RFID interrogation.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising determining identification information for each of the plurality of multiplexers.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising communicating with individual ones of the plurality of multiplexers based on the identification information.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising selectively powering with the RF signal the plurality of multiplexers.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the selectively controlling comprises transmitting write commands to the plurality of multiplexers.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising receiving the RF signal at an antenna exposed outside a container, the antenna connected to at least one of the plurality of multiplexers.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising positioning an RFID interface device between stacks of cases on a pallet, the RFID interface device including the plurality of multiplexers and local antennas.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising routing control commands using the plurality of multiplexers.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising using an RFID interrogator to transmit the RF signals.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising configuring the plurality of multiplexers to appear as passive RFID tags to an RFID interrogator.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising channeling RF energy from the RF signals through conducted paths between the plurality of multiplexers.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein acquiring inventory information comprises acquiring item level inventory information for each of a plurality of items.

20. Radio frequency identification (RFID) inventory information obtained by the process of claim 1.

13. A method for controlling the acquisition of information during an RFID item level inventory, the method comprising:

transmitting an identification (ID) request command to each of a plurality of multiplexers during an ID acquisition state, the ID request command activating multiplexers in a transmission range;

identifying, using the plurality of multiplexers, antenna arrays available to acquire RFID tag information; and

initiating an inventory acquisition process wherein each of a plurality of local antennas of the antenna arrays is selectively activated to acquire the RFID tag information.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 further comprising setting an RF switch of each antenna array to a pass through mode during the ID acquisition state.

15. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the plurality of local antennas are selectively activated using write commands from an RFID interrogator.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein the write commands comprise control words written to a controller for the plurality of multiplexers.

17. A method in accordance with claim 13 further comprising selectively setting a switch and multiplexer control line to selectively activate the antenna arrays.

18. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the RFID tag information comprises information relating to one or more items including at least one of a Universal Product Code (UPC), an Electronic Product Code (EPC), an item description, and a location of the item based on an interrogating controller and antenna.

19. A method in accordance with claim 13 further comprising performing a plurality of inventory rounds to acquire the RFID tag information using each of the antenna arrays.