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Inventory system using articles with RFID tags

  • US 6,195,006 B1
  • Filed: 08/27/1999
  • Issued: 02/27/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A self-service checkout system for a library having articles available for checkout by patrons, each of the articles having a radio frequency tag attached thereto, each tag including an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna for storing article identification information and for outputting the article identification information with the response signal upon interrogation of the tag by an interrogator, the system also having a plurality of patron identification cards, each including a radio frequency tag, the system comprising:

  • (a) an interrogator located in a checkout area of the library for interrogating at least one article which the patron wants to borrow and substantially simultaneously interrogating a patron identification (ID) card which identifies a patron to the system, the interrogator receiving a response signal containing the stored article identification information for each of the articles to be borrowed and patron identification information from the ID card, wherein the interrogator receives the response signals regardless of the orientation of the articles or patron identification card, and wherein the interrogator may substantially simultaneously receive response signals from a plurality of tagged articles;

    (b) an inventory database including a list of articles in the library and the circulation status of each of the articles, the database receiving the patron identification information and the article identification information for each of the articles to be borrowed; and

    (c) a processor in communication with the database for updating the circulation status of the articles to be borrowed.

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