DECOMMISSIONING BIN FOR AUTOMATIC DECOMMISSIONING OF ELECTRONIC TAGS

• US 20090051536A1
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lahiri, Sandip
• Granted Patent: US 7,791,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.300
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to electronic tag decommissioning and provide a method, system and computer program product for electronic tag decommissioning. In one embodiment of the invention, an electronic tag decommissioning system can be provided. The system can include a database housing link data associating a plurality of electronic tags with respective objects, and a decommissioning bin. The decommissioning bin can include an electronic tag reader coupled to decommissioning logic programmed to decommission the electronic tag in the database.

Claims

1. An electronic tag decommissioning system comprising:

a database comprising link data associating a plurality of electronic tags with respective objects;

a decommissioning bin, the decommissioning bin comprising an electronic tag reader coupled to decommissioning logic programmed to decommission the electronic tag in the database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the decommissioning bin comprises

an entry compartment;

an exit compartment; and

a decommissioning compartment disposed between the entry and exit compartments, the decommissioning compartment comprising the electronic tag reader coupled to decommissioning logic programmed to decommission the electronic tag in the database.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the entry compartment comprises an entry chute, an entry chamber and an entry trap door.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the exit compartment comprises an exit chute, an exit chamber and an exit trap door.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the decommissioning compartment comprises a decommissioning chute, a decommissioning chamber, and a decommissioning trap door.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

7. An electronic tag decommissioning method comprising:

reading an electronic tag associated with an article;

accessing a database of records each record associating an electronic tag with an article;

locating a record in the database for the read electronic tag; and

disassociating the read electronic tag from the article in the database.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein reading an electronic tag associated with an article, comprises reading a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with an article.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein disassociating the read electronic tag from the article in the database, comprises removing link data associating the read electronic tag with the article.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein disassociating the read electronic tag from the article in the database, comprises deleting the record.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium embodying computer usable program code for electronic tag decommissioning, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for reading an electronic tag associated with an article;

computer usable program code for accessing a database of records each record associating an electronic tag with an article;

computer usable program code for locating record in the database for the read electronic tag; and

computer usable program code for disassociating the read electronic tag from the article in the database.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code for reading an electronic tag associated with an article, comprises reading a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with an article.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code for disassociating the read electronic tag from the article in the database, comprises computer usable program code for removing link data associating the read electronic tag with the article.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code for disassociating the read electronic tag from the article in the database, comprises computer usable program code for deleting the record.