System and method of assigning an electronic serial number to a radio frequency device

• US 5,917,422 A
• Filed: 07/10/1997
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Goodwin, John C. III, Adamec, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/882,775
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.35, 340/825.54, 340/825.15, 340/825.22, 340/825.52, 235/375, 235/383, 235/385, 364/478.03, 364/478.13, 364/479.08, 705/1, 705/22, 705/26, 705/28, 705/30
• US Class Current: 340/10.52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method of assigning an electronic serial number to a radio frequency (RF) device which minimizes handling of RF devices. The system includes a first isolation chamber which programs a first group of RF devices including the one RF device with a first electronic serial number, a holding area external to the first isolation chamber for separating the first group of RF devices into a plurality of second groups of RF devices including a third group of RF devices containing the one RF device, and a second isolation chamber which programs the one RF device with a second electronic serial number different from the first electronic serial number and different from third electonic serial numbers assigned to other RF devices within the third group.

Claims

1. A system for assigning an electronic serial number to a radio frequency (RF) device comprising:

a first isolation chamber having a first transmitter which programs a first group of RF devices including the one RF device with a first electronic serial number;

a holding area external to the first isolation chamber for separating the first group of RF devices into a plurality of second groups of RF devices including a third group of RF devices containing the one RF device; and

a second isolation chamber having a second transmitter which programs the one RF device with a second electronic serial number different from the first electronic serial number and different from third electronic serial numbers assigned to other RF devices within the third group.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the RF device comprises an electronic price label.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the RF device comprises an electronic price label.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first transmitter transmits first programming instructions to the RF devices in the first groups;

wherein the second transmitter transmits second programming instructions to the RF devices in the second groups; and

wherein the system further includes a controller coupled to the first and second transmitters.

3. A system for assigning an electronic serial number to a plurality of radio frequency (RF) devices comprising:

a first isolation chamber having a first transmitter which programs the plurality of RF devices in first groups with first electronic serial numbers unique to each of the first groups;

a holding area external to the first isolation chamber for separating the first groups of RF devices into a plurality of second groups of RF devices in which each RF device in any one of the first groups is separated from any other RF device in the one group; and

a second isolation chamber having a second transmitter which programs the RF devices within the second groups with unique electronic serial numbers.

6. A method of assigning an electronic serial number to a plurality of radio frequency (RF) devices comprising the steps of:

programming a first group of RF devices with a first electronic serial number transmitted by a first transmitter located in a first isolation chamber;

programming a second group of RF devices with a second electronic serial number transmitted by the first transmitter located in the first isolation chamber;

separating the first and second groups of RF devices into a plurality of third groups of RF devices each containing a first RF device from the first group of RF devices and a second RF device from the second group of RF devices; and

programming each of the RF devices in the third groups with third unique electronic serial numbers transmitted by a second transmitter located in a second isolation chamber.

7. A method of assigning an electronic serial number to a plurality of electronic price labels (EPLs) comprising the steps of:

separating the EPLs into first groups of EPLs wherein at least one of the first groups has at least a number N of EPLs;

programming each of the first groups of EPLs with first electronic serial numbers unique to each of the first groups transmitted by a first transmitter located in a first isolation chamber;

separating the first groups of EPLs into N second groups of EPLs wherein at least one of the second groups contains a first EPL from each of the first groups of EPLs; and

programming each of the second groups of EPLs with unique second electronic serial numbers transmitted by a second transmitter located in a second isolation chamber.

8. A system for assigning a unique final electronic serial number to each one of plurality of radio frequency (RF) devices having a common as manufactured default serial number comprising:

a first isolation chamber including a transmitter which programs a first group of the plurality of RF devices with a first temporary electronic serial number, further groups of the plurality of RF devices also being programmed in isolation with each group having its own unique temporary electronic serial number;

a holding area external to the first isolation chamber for separating the first and further groups of RF devices into a plurality of second groups of RF devices with each RF device in said plurality of second groups of RF devices having a unique temporary electronic serial number; and

a second isolation chamber which programs at least one of said plurality of second groups utilizing a second transmitter by addressing each RF device by its unique temporary electronic serial number and programming it with a unique final serial number.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the RF devices comprise electronic price labels.

10. A method of assigning a unique final electronic serial number to each one of a plurality of radio frequency (RF) devices having a common as manufactured default serial number comprising the steps of:

programming a first group of the plurality of RF devices with a first temporary electronic serial number in a first isolation chamber by transmitting the first temporary electronic serial number to all of the RF devices in the first group;

programming a second group of the plurality of RF devices with a second temporary electronic serial number in the first isolation chamber by transmitting the second temporary electronic serial to all of the RF devices in the second group;

separating the first and second groups of RF devices into a plurality of third groups of RF devices each containing a first RF device from the first group of RF devices and a second RF device from the second group of RF devices; and

programming each of the RF devices in one of the third groups with a final unique electronic serial number in a second isolation chamber by addressing each of the RF devices individually utilizing its temporary electronic serial number and programming the final unique electronic serial number.