MERCHANDISE EVENT MONITORING VIA WIRELESS TRACKING
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring a group merchandise event via wireless tracking comprising:
- receiving first RFID data from a first RFID reader comprising at least one first antenna, wherein the first RFID data associates tag information of an RFID tag with the at least one first antenna that read the tag information;
receiving second RFID data from a second RFID reader comprising at least one second antenna, wherein the second RFID data associates tag information of an RFID tag with the at least one second antenna that read the tag information;
identifying, by a processor, a first appearance of first unique tag information in the first RFID data;
identifying, by the processor, an appearance of the first unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID data;
identifying, by the processor, a first appearance of second unique tag information in the first RFID data within a predetermined time of the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID data;
checking, by the processor, for an appearance of the second unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data;
if the appearance of the second unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data is found designating, by the processor, a first group comprising the first unique tag information and the second unique tag information; and
storing in memory the first group designation, a first time index, and a first event indicator, wherein the first event indicator indicates a group formation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Item movement is determined via wireless tracking using RFID data from at least one RFID reader. The RFID data associates RFID tag information with each antenna of the RFID reader that receives the tag information. At least one processor is configured to identify a first appearance of unique tag information in the RFID data. Items may be grouped when their first appearance in RFID data and their antenna association indicates that they first appear in a location within a predetermined amount of time, as indicated by RFID data, and/or when they have all moved from a previous location within a predetermined amount of time, as indicated by different RFID data. A group designation comprises the relevant unique tag information, which may be stored in memory along with a time stamp.
26 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method of monitoring a group merchandise event via wireless tracking comprising:
-
receiving first RFID data from a first RFID reader comprising at least one first antenna, wherein the first RFID data associates tag information of an RFID tag with the at least one first antenna that read the tag information; receiving second RFID data from a second RFID reader comprising at least one second antenna, wherein the second RFID data associates tag information of an RFID tag with the at least one second antenna that read the tag information; identifying, by a processor, a first appearance of first unique tag information in the first RFID data; identifying, by the processor, an appearance of the first unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID data; identifying, by the processor, a first appearance of second unique tag information in the first RFID data within a predetermined time of the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID data; checking, by the processor, for an appearance of the second unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data; if the appearance of the second unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data is found designating, by the processor, a first group comprising the first unique tag information and the second unique tag information; and storing in memory the first group designation, a first time index, and a first event indicator, wherein the first event indicator indicates a group formation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A system for determining item movement via wireless tracking comprising:
-
a first RFID reader having at least one first antenna configured for receiving RFID tag information, the first RFID reader generating first RFID data that associates tag information of an RFID tag with each of the at least one first antenna that reads the tag information; a second RFID reader having at least one second antenna configured for receiving RFID data, the second RFID reader generating second RFID data that associates tag information of an RFID tag with each of the at least one second antenna that reads the tag information; at least one processor configured to receive the first RFID data and the second RFID data;
to identify a first appearance of first unique tag information in the first RFID data;
to identify an appearance of the first unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of first unique tag information in the first RFID data;
to identify a first appearance of second unique tag information in the first RFID data within a predetermined time of the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID data;
to check for an appearance of the second unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data; and
, if the appearance of the second unique tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data is found, to designate a first group comprising the first unique tag information and the second unique tag information; anda memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor to store the first group designation, a first time index, and a first event indicator, wherein the first event indicator indicates a group formation. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of monitoring a group merchandise event via wireless tracking comprising:
-
receiving first RFID data from a first RFID reader comprising a plurality of antennas, wherein plurality of antennas comprise a first antenna and a second antenna having non-overlapping read zones, wherein the first RFID data associates tag information of an RFID tag with each of the plurality of antennas that read the tag information; identifying, by a processor, a first appearance of first unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first antenna; identifying, by a processor, an appearance of first unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the second antenna prior to the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first antenna; identifying, by the processor, a first appearance of second unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first antenna within a predetermined time of the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first antenna; checking, by the processor, for an appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the second antenna prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first antenna; if the appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the second antenna prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first antenna is found, designating, by the processor, a first group comprising the first unique tag information and the second unique tag information; and storing in memory the first group designation, a first time index, and a first event indicator, wherein the first event indicator indicates a group formation. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
Specification