Method of determining failure of a communication base station

• US 7,417,545 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Crooks, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/265,808
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 3405681-5729, 340 101- 106, 340/500, 705/22, 705/28, 235/385, 235/449
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method of determining failure of a CBS.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) polling a known address associated with reference electronic shelf label (ESL) communication circuitry located adjacent to a communication base station (CBS) within communication range of the CBS, by the CBS; and

b) issuing an alert to a computer indicative of a failure of the CBS if the CBS fails to receive a response including address information identifying the address associated with the reference ESL communication circuitry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) comprises:

a-1) sending interrogation signals by the CBS;

a-2) receiving return signals;

a-3) determining first return signals received from the reference ESL communication circuitry;

a-4) tallying a count of the first return signals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step a-3) comprises:

a-3-A) comparing information in the return signals to reference information associated with the reference ESL communication circuitry and stored in a memory of the CBS.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) comprises:

b-1) issuing the alert via simple network management protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) comprises:

b-1) issuing the alert via electronic mail.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) comprises:

b-1) issuing the alert via a server console popup message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) comprises:

b-1) issuing the alert by adding an entry in an error log of the computer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) attenuating return signals from the reference ESL communication circuitry.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step c) comprises:

c-1) varying attenuation to simulate various distances between the reference RFID ESL communication circuitry and the CBS.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein step c) comprises:

c-1) increasing attenuation to a threshold attenuation level at which the CBS can no longer receive a reliable response from the reference ESL communication circuitry; and

c-2) comparing the threshold attenuation level to a previously obtained reference attenuation level.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step b) comprises:

b-1) issuing the alert if the threshold attenuation level substantially differs from the reference attenuation level.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) disabling the reference ESL communication circuitry to prevent unwanted chatter after polling is finished.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) initiating step a) by a computer.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) initiating step a) by the CBS.

15. A system comprising:

communication base station operative to send transmissions readable by electronic shelf label (ESL) communication circuitry and receive responses from ESL communication circuitry; and

reference ESL communication circuitry located adjacent the communication base station (CBS) at a location known to be within communication range of the CBS if the CBS is operating normally;

wherein the CBS polls the ESL communication circuitry by sending a transmission to a known address associated with the ESL communication circuitry, and issues an alert to a computer indicative of a failure of the CBS if the CBS fails to receive a response from the address associated with the ESL communication circuitry.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS comprises a housing and wherein the reference ESL communication circuitry is located within the housing.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS sends interrogation signals, receives return signals, determines first return signals received from the reference ESL communication circuitry, and tallies a count of the first return signals during polling.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the CBS compares information in the return signals to reference information associated with the reference ESL communication circuitry and stored in a memory of the CBS to determine the first return signals.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS issues the alert via simple network management protocol.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS issues the alert via electronic mail.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS issues the alert via a server console popup message.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS issues the alert by adding an entry in an error log of the computer.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS attenuates return signals from the reference ESL communication circuitry.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the CBS varies attenuation to simulate various distances between the reference ESL communication circuitry and the CBS.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the CBS increases attenuation to a threshold attenuation level at which the CBS can no longer receive a reliable response from the reference ESL communication circuitry, compares the threshold attenuation level to a previously obtained reference attenuation level.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the CBS issues the alert if the threshold attenuation level substantially differs from the reference attenuation level.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the reference RFID label attenuates return signals from the reference ESL communication circuitry.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising a wireless communicator for controlling the reference ESL communication circuitry.

29. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS disables the reference ESL communication circuitry to prevent unwanted chatter after polling is finished.

30. The system of claim 15, wherein the CBS initiates polling.

31. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer initiates polling.