RFID AND ROBOTS FOR MULTICHANNEL SHOPPING

• US 20140152507A1
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADASA Inc.
• Original Assignee: Clarke William Mcallister
• Inventors: McAllister, Clarke William
• Granted Patent: US 9,747,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/464
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10376 the interrogation device being adapted for being moveable
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems, methods, and devices for consumers using RFID-tagged items for multichannel shopping using smartphones, tablets, and indoor navigation, preservation of consumer'"'"'s privacy related to RFID-tagged items that they leave a retail store with, and automatically reading and locating retail inventory without directly using store labor. Robots and aerial mobile automated RFID reading devices are disclosed.

Claims

1. An inventory locating system comprising:

a plurality of RFID transponders;

location references;

a two-wheeled mobile device;

an antenna having a gain of at least 11 dBic to form a narrow interrogation field;

an RFID interrogator coupled with the antenna;

moving parts on the two-wheeled mobile device to precisely direct the interrogation field to selected vectors that as an aggregate prevent missing any transponders from among the plurality of transponders;

a triangulation computation for computing each location of the plurality of RFID transponders from transponder readings from the selected vectors;

and accelerometers to sense motion, acceleration, and posture of the two-wheeled mobile device.

2. The moving parts of claim 1 further comprising a reflector for redirecting the interrogation field.

3. The two-wheeled mobile device of claim 1 further comprising a camera for determining the location of the mobile device relative to the location references;

4. The location references of claim 1 further comprising optical location references with modulated LEDs having modulation patterns for signaling coded designator numbers for the optical location references.

5. The location references of claim 1 further comprising reference points within a constellation map that is communicated to the mobile device.

6. The plurality of RFID transponders of claim 1 further comprising PPR privacy-preserving recommissioning features.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising two wheel hub motors for methodically scanning the plurality of RFID transponders.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising aerial mobility.

9. A robot for reading a plurality of RFID transponders comprising:

two wheel hub motors;

two motor drives;

a battery mounted such that the robot'"'"'s center of gravity is below the axles of both hub motors;

a high gain antenna for forming a narrow RF beam for reading the plurality of transponders; and

accelerometers and gyros to sense motion, acceleration, and posture of the robot.

10. The robot of claim 9 further comprising a reflective surface to redirect radio waves around obstacles to and from the plurality of transponders.

11. The reflective surface of claim 10 further comprising an inflatable radiolucent skin to define and retain a desired shape.

12. The reflective surface of claim 10 further comprising a counterbalance to hold it in an upright posture.

13. The robot of claim 9 further comprising a camera for navigation using optical location references.

14. The optical location references of claim 13 further comprising LEDs having modulation patterns for signaling coded designator numbers for the optical location references.

15. The two motor drives of claim 9 further comprising micro-stepping current control drives.

16. A transponder from among the plurality of transponders of claim 9 that carries data for reporting its physical location.

17. The robot of claim 9 further comprising a means to report to a database the location of transponders from among the plurality of transponders.

18. A method of reading the locations of a plurality of RFID transponders comprising the steps of:

reading location references;

moving a two-wheeled mobile device;

tilting the two-wheeled mobile device;

rotating the two-wheeled mobile device about its central vertical axis;

using the moving, tilting, and rotating to methodically direct an antenna having a gain of at least 11 dBic that is mounted on the two-wheeled mobile device to scan a narrow interrogation field to selected vectors;

performing a triangulation computation for computing each transponder location of the plurality of RFID transponders from transponder readings from the selected vectors; and

using accelerometers to sense and control motion, acceleration, and posture of the two-wheeled mobile device.

19. The location references of claim 18 further comprising optical location references.

20. The two-wheeled mobile device of claim 18 further comprising a center of gravity below the axles of the two wheels.