METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DETECTING RISK TAGS

• US 20120068828A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktieolaget L M Ericsson
• Inventors: Saros, Jakob
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10465 the interrogation device being capable of self-diagnosis, e.g. in addition to or as part of the actual interrogation process testing of electrical circuits in general G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

It is presented a risk tag detector server for detecting risk tags, the risk tags being tags which are likely to be faulty. The risk tag detector server comprises: a tag manager interface configured to obtain a tag list comprising at least two tags to evaluate, and to obtain tag data coupled to each of the tags of the tag list; a tag selector configured to select a candidate tag to evaluate from the tag list; a tag event interface configured to obtain event data of tag usage for the candidate tag; and a fault detector configured to determine the candidate tag to be a risk tag when a first condition is satisfied, the first risk condition comprising a first criterion that the event data indicates an absence of candidate tag usage during a predetermined time period. A corresponding method and computer program are also presented.

Claims

1. A risk tag detector server for detecting risk tags, the risk tags being tags which are likely to be faulty, the risk tag detector server comprising:

a tag manager interface configured to obtain a tag list comprising at least two tags to evaluate, and to obtain tag data coupled to each of the tags of the tag list;

a tag selector configured to select a candidate tag to evaluate from the tag list;

a tag event interface configured to obtain event data of tag usage for the candidate tag; and

a fault detector configured to determine the candidate tag to be a risk tag when a first condition is satisfied, the first risk condition comprising a first criterion that the event data indicates an absence of candidate tag usage during a predetermined time period.

2. The risk tag detector server according to claim 1, wherein the fault detector is also configured to determine the candidate tag to be a risk tag when a second condition is satisfied, the second risk condition comprising a third criterion that the event data indicates that the tag is has been removed from an installation location.

3. A method for detecting risk tags, the risk tags being tags which are likely to be faulty, the method comprising the steps, performed in a risk tag detector server, of:

obtaining a tag list comprising at least two tags to evaluate;

obtaining tag data coupled to each of the tags of the tag list;

selecting a candidate tag to evaluate from the tag list;

obtaining event data of tag usage for the candidate tag; and

determining the candidate tag to be a risk tag when a first condition is satisfied, the first risk condition comprising a first criterion that the event data indicates an absence of candidate tag usage during a predetermined time period.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the steps of selecting, obtaining event data and determining are repeated until all tags of the tag list have been selected in the selecting step.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the step of determining comprises:

when the event data indicates an absence of candidate tag usage during a predetermined time period, obtaining event data for any nearby tags, being tags near the candidate tag; and

wherein the first risk condition further comprises a second criterion that there is at least one nearby tag, and an establishment, using the event data of the at least one nearby tag, of whether the candidate tag is a risk tag.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising obtaining historical usage data of each of the tags of the tag list;

and

wherein the establishment comprises evaluating the historical usage data to obtain a probability that the candidate tag should have been detected in the predetermined time period.

7. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the step of determining comprises:

determining the candidate tag to be a risk tag when a second condition is satisfied, the second risk condition comprising a third criterion that the event data indicates that the tag is has been removed from an installation location.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein it is indicated that the tag has been removed from an installation location when the event data comprises repetitive tag detections of the candidate tag by a single mobile terminal.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein

the step of obtaining tag data comprises obtaining an installation location for each of the tags of the tag list;

and

the step of obtaining event data comprises obtaining a detection location,

wherein it is indicated that the tag has been removed from an installation location when the detection location substantially differs from the installation location of the candidate tag.

10. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 9 wherein when it is determined that the candidate tag is risk tag, a severity level is assigned to the candidate tag depending on what criterion is satisfied.

11. A computer program for a risk tag detector server, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on the risk tag detector server, causes the risk tag detector server to perform the steps of:

obtaining a tag list comprising at least two tags to evaluate;

obtaining tag data coupled to each of the tags of the tag list;

selecting a candidate tag to evaluate from the tag list;

obtaining event data of tag usage for the candidate tag; and

determining the candidate tag to be a risk tag when a first condition is satisfied, the first risk condition comprising a first criterion that the event data indicates an absence of candidate tag usage during a predetermined time period.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer program according to claim 11 and a computer readable means on which the computer program is stored.