Identification and tracking of persons using RFID-tagged items in store environments

• US 7,076,441 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2001
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hind, John R., Mathewson, James M. II, Peters, Marcia L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/847,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child

Abstract

A method and system for identifying and tracking persons using RFID-tagged items carried on the persons. Previous purchase records for each person who shops at a retail store are collected by POS terminals and stored in a transaction database. When a person carrying or wearing items having RFID tags enters the store or other designated area, a RFID tag scanner located therein scans the RFID tags on that person and reads the RFID tag information. The RFID tag information collected from the person is correlated with transaction records stored in the transaction database according to known correlation algorithms. Based on the results of the correlation, the exact identity of the person or certain characteristics about the person can be determined. This information is used to monitor the movement of the person through the store or other areas.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of inferring identifying characteristics associated with a particular person, the method comprising the steps of:

storing on a computer transaction information representing purchases associated with a plurality of different persons;

collecting product information from RFID-tagged items carried on a particular person, said product information comprising non-unique identification information;

correlating, using said computer, the product information with the transaction information;

inferring identifying characteristics associated with the particular person based on results of the correlating step by comparing said transaction information and identifying at least one set of characteristics associated with an individual, said individual having transaction information indicating that the RFID-tagged items match items purchased by said particular person;

determining which of said at least one set of characteristics has the highest likelihood of being associated with said particular person based on a set of correlation criteria, said criteria used to narrow a group of individuals to said particular person; and

inferring said particular person has said determined set of characteristics based upon the results of the determining step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step infers demographics of the particular person based on the results of the correlating step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step infers the exact identity of the particular person based on the results of the correlating step.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the particular person as the particular person roams through roaming areas using the inferred identifying characteristics and the product information associated with the particular person.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing targeted advertising using information obtained from said tracking step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the product information includes an SKU number associated with a product.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID-tagged items include RFID tags incorporated therein and carrying the product information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID-tagged items include RFID tags incorporated in the RFID-tagged items, said RFID tags carrying product information.

9. A computer-implemented method of inferring the identity of a person based on RFID-tagged items carried on the person, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting RFID tag information from the RFID-tagged items carried on the person and storing said collected RFID tag information on a computer, said RFID tag information comprising non-unique identification information;

associating movements of the person with the collected RFID tag information as the person roams through roaming areas using said computer;

inferring the identity of the person in the roaming areas based on results from the associating step, using said computer by comparing said collected RFID tag information and identifying at least one set of characteristics associated with an individual, said individual having transaction information indicating that the RFID-tagged items match items purchased by said particular person;

determining which of said at least one set of characteristics has the highest likelihood of being associated with said particular person based on a set of correlation criteria, said criteria used to narrow a group of individuals to said particular person; and

inferring said particular person has said determined set of characteristics based upon the results of the determining step.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, in the associating step, the person is associated with the collected RFID tag information without using any information about the exact identity or purchase records of the person.

11. A computer-implemented system for inferring identifying characteristics associated with a particular person, the system comprising:

a storage unit for storing transaction information representing purchases associated with a plurality of different persons;

at least one RFID tag scanner for collecting product information from RFID-tagged items carried on a particular person, said product information comprising non-unique identification information; and

a correlation module, operatively coupled to the storing unit and the RFID tag scanner, for correlating the product information with the transaction information, inferring identifying characteristics associated with the particular person based on the correlation results by comparing said transaction information and identifying at least one set of characteristics associated with an individual, said individual having transaction information indicating that the RFID-tagged items match items purchased by said particular person, determining which of said at least one set of characteristics has the highest likelihood of being associated with said particular person based on a set of correlation criteria, said criteria used to narrow a group of individuals to said particular person, and inferring said particular person has said determined set of characteristics based upon the results of the determining step.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the correlation module infers demographics of the particular person based on the correlation results.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the correlation module infers the exact identity of the particular person based on the correlation results.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the correlation module includes a tracking unit for tracking the particular person as the particular person roams through roaming areas using the inferred identifying characteristics and the product information associated with the particular person.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the product information includes an SKU number associated with a product.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the RFID-tagged items include RFID tags incorporated therein and carrying the product information.

17. A system for inferring the identity of a person based on RFID-tagged items carried on the person, the system comprising:

at least one RFID tag scanner for collecting RFID tag information from the RFID-tagged items carried on the person, said RFID tag information comprising non-unique identification information; and

a tracking unit, coupled to the RFID tag scanner, for associating movements of the person with the collected RFID tag information as the person roams through roaming areas, inferring the identity of the person in the roaming areas based on the association results by comparing said collected RFID tag information and identifying at least one set of characteristics associated with an individual, said individual having transaction information indicating that the RFID-tagged items match items purchased by said particular person, determining which of said at least one set of characteristics has the highest likelihood of being associated with said particular person based on a set of correlation criteria, said criteria used to narrow a group of individuals to said particular person, and inferring said particular person has said determined set of characteristics based upon the results of the determining step.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the tracking unit associates the person with the collected RFID tag information without any information about the exact identity or purchase records of the person.

19. A computer program product embodied on computer readable media readable by a computing device, for inferring identifying characteristics associated with a particular person, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for:

storing transaction information representing purchases associated with a plurality of different persons;

collecting product information from RFID-tagged items carried on a particular person, said product information comprising non-unique identification information;

correlating the product information with the transaction information;

inferring identifying characteristics associated with the particular person based on results of the correlation by comparing said transaction information and identifying at least one set of characteristics associated with an individual, said individual having transaction information indicating that the RFID-tagged items match items purchased by said particular person;

determining which of said at least one set of characteristics has the highest likelihood of being associated with said particular person based on a set of correlation criteria, said criteria used to narrow a group of individuals to said particular person; and

inferring said particular person has said determined set of characteristics based upon the results of the determining step.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer executable instructions infers demographics of the particular person based on the results of the correlation.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer executable instructions infer the exact identity of the particular person based on the results of the correlation.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising computer executable instructions for tracking the particular person as the particular person roams through roaming areas using the inferred identifying characteristics and the product information associated with the particular person.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the product information includes an SKU number associated with a product.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the RFID-tagged items include RFID tags incorporated therein and carrying the product information.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the RFID-tagged items include RFID tags incorporated in the RFID-tagged items, said RFID tags carrying product information.

26. A computer program product embodied on computer readable media readable by a computing device, for inferring the identity of a person based on RFID-tagged items carried on the person, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for:

collecting RFID tag information from the RFID-tagged items carried on the person, said RFID tag information comprising non-unique identification information;

associating movements of the person with the collected RFID tag information as the person roams through roaming areas;

inferring the identity of the person in the roaming areas based on the associating results by comparing said collected RFID tag information and identifying at least one set of characteristics associated with an individual, said individual having transaction information indicating that the RFID-tagged items match items purchased by said particular person;

determining which of said at least one set of characteristics has the highest likelihood of being associated with said particular person based on a set of correlation criteria, said criteria used to narrow a group of individuals to said particular person; and

inferring said particular person has said determined set of characteristics based upon the results of the determining step.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the person is associated with the collected RFID tag information without any information about the exact identity or purchase records of the person.