Method and Apparatus Pertaining to the Use of Statistics-Based RFID-Tag Information

• US 20140266615A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Bruce W., Jones, Nicholaus A., Ouyang, Jie
• Application Number:
  US13/803,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266615A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A control circuit has access to coverage information that maps the coverage area for each of a plurality of RFID-tag readers to physical locations within a given monitored facility. The control circuit then uses those readers to read, over time, a population of RFID tags and to store historical-read information comprising corresponding RFID-system metrics along with tag-specific information and corresponding timestamps regarding when the reads occurred. The control circuit uses that historical-read information as corresponds to a given period of time and the aforementioned coverage information to determine sub-groups of the population of RFID tags and then uses the historical-read information to calculate at least one aggregated RFID-system metric on a sub-group level basis for at least some of the sub-groups. The control circuit can use the aggregated RFID-system metric to determine the location of a particular RFID tag by comparing that metric to read-based information regarding that RFID tag.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a control circuit having access to coverage information that maps coverage for each of a plurality of RFID-tag readers to physical locations within a given monitored facility;

using the plurality of RFID-tag readers to read, over time, a population of RFID tags and storing historical-read information comprising corresponding RFID-system metrics along with tag-specific information and corresponding timestamps;

using the historical-read information as corresponds to a given period of time and the coverage information to determine sub-groups of the population of RFID tags;

using the historical-read information to calculate at least one aggregated RFID-system metric on a sub-group level basis for at least some of the sub-groups.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID-system metrics include at least one of:

a particular RFID-tag reader;

a particular RFID-tag reader antenna;

a particular RFID-tag reader logical antenna;

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value;

a received signal phase angle;

a total number of reads.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the tag-specific information includes an electronic product code as specified by a standard denoted as EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz-960 MHz Version 1.0.9.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the sub-groups of the population of RFID tags comprises defining the sub-groups, at least in part, by product-based categories.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the product-based categories comprise Universal Product Code categories.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein defining the sub-groups comprises defining the sub-groups, at least in part, as groupings of similar products having a similar physical location within the facility.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the at least one aggregated RFID-system metric on a sub-group level basis comprises, at least in part, calculating an average value for a given one of the RFID-system metrics for members of the sub-group.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using the at least one aggregated RFID-system metric to determine a location of a particular RFID tag by comparing the at least one aggregated RFID-system metric to read-based information regarding the particular RFID tag.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a memory having stored therein coverage information that maps coverage for each of a plurality of RFID-tag readers to physical locations within a given monitored facility;

a control circuit operably coupled to the memory and configured to;

use the plurality of RFID-tag readers to read, over time, a population of RFID tags and storing historical-read information comprising corresponding RFID-system metrics along with tag-specific information and corresponding timestamps;

use the historical-read information as corresponds to a given period of time and the coverage information to determine sub-groups of the population of RFID tags;

use the historical-read information to calculate at least one aggregated RFID-system metric on a sub-group level basis for at least some of the sub-groups.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the RFID-system metrics include at least one of:

a particular RFID-tag reader;

a particular RFID-tag reader antenna;

a particular RFID-tag reader logical antenna;

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value;

a received signal phase angle;

a total number of reads.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the tag-specific information includes an electronic product code as specified by a standard denoted as EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-8 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for Communications at 860 MHz-960 MHz Version 8.0.9.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the sub-groups of the population of RFID tags by defining the sub-groups, at least in part, by product-based categories.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the product-based categories comprise Universal Product Code categories.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the control circuit is configured to define the sub-groups by defining the sub-groups, at least in part, as groupings of similar products having a similar physical location within the facility.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control circuit is configured to calculate the at least one aggregated RFID-system metric on a sub-group level basis by, at least in part, calculating an average value for a given one of the RFID-system metrics for members of the sub-group.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

use the at least one aggregated RFID-system metric to determine a location of a particular RFID tag by comparing the at least one aggregated RFID-system metric to read-based information regarding the particular RFID tag.