Application for radio frequency identification systems

• US 6,448,886 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• 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:
  US09/805,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20020008623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.3, 340/572.6, 340/572.7, 340/505, 340/5.92, 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 interrogating a package bearing an RFID tag, and multiple items inside the package each bearing its own RFID tag, the RFID tag associated with the package including information about the RFID tags associated with the multiple items, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating the RFID tag associated with the package to identify the package and the items in the package;

(b) interrogating the RFID tags associated with the items in the package substantially simultaneously to identify the items; and

(c) comparing the information obtained in steps (a) and (b) to verify the contents of the package.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the items are library materials.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the library materials are magnetic media.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the magnetic media are audio tapes.

5. A method of interrogating a package bearing an RFID tag having information identifying the package, and multiple items inside the package each bearing its own RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating the RFID tag associated with the package to identify the package and, from a software database, the items in the package;

(b) interrogating the RFID tags associated with the items in the package substantially simultaneously to identify the items; and

(c) comparing the information obtained in steps (a) and (b) to verify the contents of the package.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the items are library materials.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the library materials are magnetic media.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the magnetic media are audio tapes.

9. A method of sweeping RFID-tagged items to determine information concerning usage of those items, comprising the steps of:

(a) interrogating the RFID-tagged items with an RFID reader to obtain information identifying the items;

(b) providing the information identifying the interrogated items to a database;

(c) collecting information identifying the location at which the item was used;

(d) providing that location information to the database; and

(e) enabling the database to generate a statistical profile of how often the RFID-tagged items have been used.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location is a location in a library.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) comprises selecting a location from a list of locations.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) comprises entering a location code.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) comprises reading a location RFID tag that is affixed on or near the location.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the items are on a cart, and the method further comprises using a handheld device to interrogate the items.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises using the handheld device to make a single pass by the items to interrogate them.

16. The method of any one of claim 9 or 10 through 15, wherein the items are library materials.

17. The method of any one of claim 9 or 10 through 15, wherein the items are packages.