Inventory system using articles with RFID tags

• US 6,693,539 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Clare, Thomas J., Bowers, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/726,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20010000019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572-- 7, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/5.8, 340/10.52, 340/5.92, 700/825.49, 700/214, 700/215, 700/223-227, 700/231, 235/380, 235/381, 235/383, 235/385, 705/22, 705/404
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

An article inventory control system for articles, such as books, uses RFID tags attached to each article. Each tag has a unique identification or serial number for identifying the individual article. An inventory database tracks all of the tagged articles and maintains circulation status information for each article. Articles are checked out of the library using a patron self-checkout system. Checked out articles are returned to the library via patron self-check in devices. The shelves are periodically scanned with a mobile RFID scanner for updating inventory status.

Claims

1. An RFID tag for use in an inventory control system wherein the inventory control system has at least one article return area for receiving articles which were removed from a storage area and which are to be returned to the storage area, the article return area including an interrogation zone and a collection area for holding returned articles, the returned articles passing through the zone and into the collection area as the articles are returned, wherein plural articles may be simultaneously placed in the zone, an interrogator for monitoring the zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of one or more tags within the zone, the interrogator substantially simultaneously interrogating each article in the zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal for each tag detected in the zone, each interrogator output signal including the identification information stored in the integrated circuit of an interrogated tag;

said interrogator being couplable to a database for receiving the interrogator output signals, the database including inventory data for articles monitored by the system, the received interrogator output signals being used to update the status data of each returned article, the tag comprising;

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.

2. The RFID tag according to claim 1 wherein the tag is a physically non-deactivatable tag.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the article are library articles.

4. An RFID tag in an for use in an inventory control system wherein the inventory control system has at least one article return area for receiving articles which were removed from a storage area and which are to be returned to the storage area, the article return area including an interrogation zone and a collection area for holding returned articles, the returned articles passing through the zone and into the collection area as the articles are returned, wherein plural articles may be simultaneously placed in the zone, an interrogator for monitoring the zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of one or more tags within the zone, the interrogator substantially simultaneously interrogating each article in the zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal for each tag detected in the zone, each interrogator output signal including the identification information stored in the integrated circuit of an interrogated tag;

said interrogator being a couplable to a database for receiving the interrogator output signals, the database including inventory data for articles monitored by the system, the received interrogator output signals being used to update the status data of each returned article, the tag comprising;

an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal;

a passive resonant circuit coupled to said antenna; and

a programmable memory capable of storing a unique identifier, said programmable memory being powered by the passive resonant circuit to output the unique identifier stored therein.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the unique identifier comprises a 64-bit identifier.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the RFID tag is not deactivatable.

7. The system according to claim 4 wherein the article are library articles.

8. A library monitoring system comprising:

a number of borrowable articles, each article having a radio frequency tag mounted thereon, the radio frequency tag having a unique identification code;

a processor coupled to a database containing an indication of the location of each library article, and to a borrowed article return location exterior to a library location;

wherein the borrowed article return location comprises a receptacle into which the borrowed article may be inserted, the receptacle comprising an antenna which detects an insertion of a library article having a radio frequency tag mounted thereon;

the borrowed article returning location, in response to the insertion of a library article into the receptacle, detecting the identification code and sending the identification code corresponding to the returned library article to the processor, the processor, in response to the received identification code, updating the information on the database relating to the returned library article to indicate that the returned library article has been returned to the library.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the returning location or returning station also sends a signal to the processor to indicate the location to which the article has been returned when the returning location or returning station detects that the library article has been inserted into the receptacle.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is additionally coupled to a returned article collection area.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is additionally coupled to a borrowing location.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein a number of borrowing stations are provided within the library.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the borrowing location includes a radio frequency tag interrogator which reads the radio frequency tag on a library article which the user wishes to borrow and the borrowing location sends the identification signal relating to that library article and the identification signal relating to the borrower to the processor, and the processor updates the database with identification information relating to that library article and the borrower to show that the article has been borrowed by that borrower.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein a number of borrowing stations are provided within the library.