IDENTIFYING AND VISUALIZING ATTRIBUTES OF ITEMS BASED ON ATTRIBUTE-BASED RFID TAG PROXIMITY

• US 20120327111A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: LEGGETT, JACQUELLE D. Jr., RHODES, PHILIPPA M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,599,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10415 the interrogation device being fixed in its position, such as an access control device for reading wireless access cards, or a wireless ATM banking machines in general G07F19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

A portable device receives a particular RFID signal identifying that a particular attribute is associated with a particular item placed proximate to the RFID tag emitting the particular RFID signal, wherein the particular RFID signal is identified from among a plurality of RFID signals, wherein a selection of the plurality of RFID signals are each associated with a separate attribute from among a plurality of attributes. The portable device displays a visual representation depicting that the particular item is associated with the particular attribute.

Claims

1. A method for identifying items comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, a particular RFID signal identifying that a particular attribute is associated with a particular item placed proximate to the RFID tag emitting the particular RFID signal, wherein the particular RFID signal is identified from among a plurality of RFID signals, wherein a selection of the plurality of RFID signals are each associated with a separate attribute from among a plurality of attributes; and

displaying, by the computer system, a visual representation depicting that the particular item is associated with the particular attribute.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, by a computer system, a particular RFID signal identifying that a particular attribute is associated with a particular item placed proximate to the RFID tag emitting the particular RFID signal, wherein the particular RFID signal is identified from among a plurality of RFID signals, wherein a selection of the plurality of RFID signals are each associated with a separate attribute from among a plurality of attributes, further comprises:

receiving the particular RFID signal identifying that the particular attribute is associated with the particular item, wherein the particular attribute indicates an absence of a type of ingredient.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, by a computer system, the particular RFID signal identifying that the particular attribute is associated with the particular item placed proximate to the RFID emitting the particular RFID signal, wherein the particular RFID signal is identified from among a plurality of RFID signals, wherein a selection of the plurality of RFID signals are each associated with a separate attribute from among a plurality of attributes, further comprises:

identifying an RFID signal identifier from the particular RFID signal;

comparing the RFID signal identifier with at least one attribute-based signal characteristic; and

responsive to the RFID signal identifier matching the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic, identifying a particular attribute mapping from among a selection of attribute mappings that maps the RFID signal identifier to the particular attribute.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a current location of the computer system; and

selecting the selection of attribute mappings specified for the current location from among a plurality of attribute mappings specified for a plurality of locations.

5. The method according to claim 3,

wherein identifying the RFID signal identifier from the particular RFID signal further comprises identifying a particular frequency of the particular RFID signal;

and

wherein comparing the RFID signal identifier with the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic further comprises identifying the particular frequency as matching at least one frequency specified as the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic.

6. The method according to claim 3,

wherein identifying the RFID signal identifier from the particular RFID signal further comprises identifying a selection of data from the particular RFID signal;

and

wherein comparing the RFID signal identifier with the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic further comprises identifying the selection of data as matching at least one data identifier specified as the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying, by the computer system, a visual representation depicting that the particular item is associated with the particular attribute, further comprises:

responsive to determining that the particular attribute is selected by a user in a selection of user attribute preferences, identifying a location of the RFID tag emitting the RFID signal;

selecting an overlay image for the particular attribute;

accessing an image of a current view captured by an image capture device;

identifying the location of the RFID tag within the current view; and

applying the selected overlay image to the location within an overlay interface.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein applying the selected overlay image to the location within the overlay interface further comprises:

applying the selected overlay image to the location within a display interface through which a user views an image of the current view captured through the image capture device.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a number of times the particular attribute is identified from one or more RFID signals; and

sharing the number of times the particular attribute is identified, with an entity.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computer system, a second RFID signal identifying that a second attribute from among the plurality of attributes is associated with the particular item placed proximate to the RFID tag emitting the second RFID signal; and

displaying, by the computer system, the visual representation depicting that the particular item is associated with the particular attribute and the second attribute.

11. A system for identifying items comprising:

a computer system operative to receive a particular RFID signal identifying that a particular attribute is associated with a particular item placed proximate to the RFID tag emitting the particular RFID signal, wherein the particular RFID signal is identified from among a plurality of RFID signals, wherein a selection of the plurality of RFID signals are each associated with a separate attribute from among a plurality of attributes; and

the computer system operative to display a visual representation depicting that the particular item is associated with the particular attribute.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the particular attribute indicates an absence of a type of ingredient.

13. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

the computer system operative to identify an RFID signal identifier from the particular RFID signal;

the computer system operative to compare the RFID signal identifier with at least one attribute-based signal characteristic; and

the computer system, responsive to the RFID signal identifier matching the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic, operative to identify a particular attribute mapping from among a selection of attribute mappings that maps the RFID signal identifier to the particular attribute.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising:

the computer system operative to identify a current location of the computer system; and

the computer system operative to select the selection of attribute mappings specified for the current location from among a plurality of attribute mappings specified for a plurality of locations.

15. The system according to claim 13,

wherein the computer system operative to identify the RFID signal identifier from the particular RFID signal further comprises the computer system operative to identify a particular frequency of the particular RFID signal;

and

wherein the computer system operative to compare the RFID signal identifier with the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic further comprises the computer system operative to identify the particular frequency as matching at least one frequency specified as the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic.

16. The system according to claim 13,

wherein the computer system operative to identify the RFID signal identifier from the particular RFID signal further comprises the computer system operative to identify a selection of data from the particular RFID signal;

and

wherein the computer system operative to compare the RFID signal identifier with the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic further comprises the computer system operative to identify the selection of data as matching at least one data identifier specified as the at least one attribute-based signal characteristic.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer system operative to display a visual representation depicting that the particular item is associated with the particular attribute, further comprises:

the computer system, responsive to determining that the particular attribute is selected by a user in a selection of user attribute preferences, operative to identify a location of the RFID tag emitting the RFID signal;

the computer system operative to select an overlay image for the particular attribute;

the computer system operative to access an image of a current view captured by an image capture device;

the computer system operative to identify the location of the RFID tag within the current view; and

the computer system operative to apply the selected overlay image to the location within an overlay interface.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the computer system operative to apply the selected overlay image to the location within the overlay interface further comprises:

the computer system operative to apply the selected overlay image to the location within a display interface through which a user views an image of the current view captured through the image capture device.

19. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

the computer system operative to track a number of times the particular attribute is identified from one or more RFID signals; and

the computer system operative to share the number of times the particular attribute is identified, with an entity.

20. A computer program product for identifying items, said computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising computer executable instructions which cause a computer to:

receiving, by a computer system, a particular RFID signal identifying that a particular attribute is associated with a particular item placed proximate to the RFID tag emitting the particular RFID signal, wherein the particular RFID signal is identified from among a plurality of RFID signals, wherein a selection of the plurality of RFID signals are each associated with a separate attribute from among a plurality of attributes; and

displaying, by the computer system, a visual representation depicting that the particular item is associated with the particular attribute.