Applications for radio frequency identification systems

• US 6,232,870 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Nash, James E., Grunes, Mitchell B., Gonzalez, Bernard A., Lindahl, Richard W., Garber, Sharon R., Karel, Gerald L., Jackson, Richard H., Kruse, John M., Piotrowski, Chester, Yorkovich, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/368,826
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.4, 340/572.3, 340/572.6, 340/572.7, 340/505, 340/10.1, 340/825.34, 235/380, 235/385, 705/28
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2408 using ferromagnetic tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2411 Tag deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2457 Lending systems using EAS tags wherein the tags are reusable, e.g. they can be activated and deactivated more than once, e.g. for a library
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2485 Simultaneous detection of multiple EAS tags
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 : used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 : used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/364 : using a particular conducting material, e.g. superconductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 : Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 : Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

The present invention relates to RFID devices, including handheld RFID devices, and applications for such devices. The devices and applications may be used in connection with items that are associated with an RFID tag, and optionally a magnetic security element. The devices and applications are described with particular reference to library materials such as books, periodicals, and magnetic and optical media.

Claims

1. A method of using a portable RFID device with a group of items each having an RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting information to the device describing a certain item or class of items;

(b) scanning the RFID tags associated with each item in the group of items;

(c) receiving signals from each of the scanned RFID tags; and

(d) comparing the received signals to the information input to the device to determine whether the certain item or class of items are present among the group of items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is selected from information describing missing items, items that have not been used within a specified period of time, items that have not been checked into inventory, items that have been designated for hold status, and the owner of the items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is contained within and available from the RFID element itself.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes the step of:

(c) providing an indication in real time to a user that the item or class of items of interest were located.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further includes the step of:

(d) recording in a database that the item or items of interest were located.

6. A method of using a portable RFID device, comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting an algorithm to the device that describes an ordered set of items;

(b) scanning a plurality of items having RFID elements to obtain information from those elements; and

(c) comparing a description of the items obtained using the information obtained from the RFID elements to the algorithm to determine whether the scanned items are in the algorithm order.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

(d) providing an indication to a user of any item that is not in the algorithm order.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the indication is provided in real time.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the indication is provided in response to information obtained from a database separate from the RFID device and the RFID tag.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the algorithm is based on an ordering system that is selected from the Dewey Decimal System, the Library of Congress System, an alphabetical listing of authors, and an alphabetical listing of topics.

11. A method of using a portable RFID device to associate a certain item bearing an RFID element with a location having a group of items each also bearing an RFID element, comprising the steps of:

(a) scanning the RFID element associated with the item;

(b) scanning the RFID elements of at least one additional item within the group of items; and

(c) determining whether the certain item belongs with the group of items.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

(d) providing an indication of the determination made in step (c) to the user in real time.

13. A method of using a portable RFID device, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining an item having an RFID element associated therewith;

(b) using the portable RFID device to interrogate the RFID element and obtain information therefrom; and

(c) having a user input information to the RFID device as to that item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further includes the step of:

(d) using the information input in step (c) to update a database that includes information as to that item.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the database is updated when the portable RFID device is connected to a docking station to download information to that database.

16. A method of using a portable RFID device with an item having an RFID element associated therewith, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating the RFID element with the RFID device to obtain information therefrom;

(b) identifying the item using the information obtained;

(c) requesting and obtaining from the portable RFID device further information regarding the item.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information requested in step (c) is obtained from memory contained within the portable RFID device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the information requested in step (c) is obtained from memory that is separate from the portable RFID device and is transferred to the device.

19. A method of using an RFID device, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating a group of items each bearing an RFID tag;

(b) providing to the RFID device information identifying a certain class of items; and

(c) receiving in real time from the RFID device information identifying items that are not within the certain class of items.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the class of items are items associated with a particular location, and the information provided in step (b) includes that location.

21. A method of using an RFID device with items of interest that bear an RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating a tagged item with the RFID device;

(b) entering information into the RFID device describing the location of the item of interest; and

(c) collecting in a database the information entered in step (b) regarding the item that was interrogated, wherein the database is separate from the RFID device, and the information is transferred to that database.