RFID Tagged Item Trajectory And Location Estimation System And Method
First Claim
1. A system for predicting a trajectory of an item tagged with an RFID tag comprising:
- a network of communicatively coupled RFID readers, each having tag cache memory; and
a search engine communicatively coupled with the tag caches in each of the readers;
wherein, when the tag is within operating range of one of the readers, the tag is interrogated for its data and path information comprising timestamps of reader-tag interactions and related event data, and updated path information is stored in the tag cache memory;
wherein the search engine, performs a search the tag cache memory in one of one of the readers to locate information corresponding to search criteria including characteristics of the tagged item sought;
wherein, when the information corresponding to the search criteria is found, the path information is retrieved, and the trajectory of the item is extrapolated using a transit time of the item and average velocity of the item, determined from the timestamps and known distances between locations of each of the reader-tag interactions, along an expected path of the item.
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Abstract
A system for predicting a trajectory of an item tagged with an RFID tag. The system includes a network of communicatively coupled RFID readers, each having tag cache memory, and a search engine communicatively coupled with the tag caches in each of the readers. When a tag is within operating range of one of the readers, the tag is interrogated for its data and path information comprising timestamps of reader-tag interactions and related event data, and updated path information is stored in the tag cache memory. The search engine performs a search the tag cache memory in one of one of the readers to locate information corresponding to search criteria including characteristics of the tagged item sought. When the information corresponding to the search criteria is found, the path information is retrieved, and the trajectory of the item is extrapolated using a transit time of the item and average velocity of the item, determined from the timestamps and known distances between locations of each of the reader-tag interactions, along an expected path of the item.
60 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for predicting a trajectory of an item tagged with an RFID tag comprising:
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a network of communicatively coupled RFID readers, each having tag cache memory; and a search engine communicatively coupled with the tag caches in each of the readers; wherein, when the tag is within operating range of one of the readers, the tag is interrogated for its data and path information comprising timestamps of reader-tag interactions and related event data, and updated path information is stored in the tag cache memory; wherein the search engine, performs a search the tag cache memory in one of one of the readers to locate information corresponding to search criteria including characteristics of the tagged item sought; wherein, when the information corresponding to the search criteria is found, the path information is retrieved, and the trajectory of the item is extrapolated using a transit time of the item and average velocity of the item, determined from the timestamps and known distances between locations of each of the reader-tag interactions, along an expected path of the item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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6. A system for predicting a trajectory of an item tagged with an RFID tag comprising:
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a plurality of communicatively coupled RFID readers having tag cache memory; and a search engine, associated with each of the readers, on an external processor coupled to the tag cache memory; wherein; data stored in the tag is read by readers encountering the tag and stored in an associated tag cache memory; a search in tag cache is performed for a unique entry; if the unique entry is not in the present reader'"'"'s tag cache, then the next reader'"'"'s tag cache is read; if the unique entry is found in the present reader'"'"'s tag cache, then the item'"'"'s present location and a timestamp of the current time are stored in the tag cache memory; a prediction is then made of the time of arrival of the tagged item at the next expected reader location; and an event notification is sent to the reader at the next expected reader location.
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14. A method for predicting a trajectory of an item tagged with an RFID tag, in a system including a network of RFID readers, each having a tag cache associated therewith for storing data concerning tags the reader has read, the method comprising:
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interrogating the tag cache for path information comprising timestamps of reader-tag interactions and related event data, and updated path information is stored in the tag cache, when the tag is within operating range of one of the readers; and performing a search of the tag caches to locate information corresponding to search criteria including characteristics of the item sought; wherein, when the information corresponding to the search criteria is found, the path information is retrieved, and the trajectory of the item is extrapolated using a transit time of the item and average velocity of the item, determined from the timestamps and known distances between locations of each of the reader-tag interactions, along an expected path of the item. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification