Method and apparatus to indicated proximity of a medium and update a user inventory

• US 7,556,194 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rogoyski, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US11/351,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20070181682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 705/22, 705/28
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A computer implemented method, computer usable code and apparatus for locating a desired medium having a radio frequency transponder having a product unique identifier, wherein the desired medium has a medium name. A radio frequency reader or reader looks up the medium unique identifier from a user inventor based on the medium name. The reader sends an interrogate signal. The reader receives a radio frequency response having a candidate identifier. The reader determines whether the candidate identifier matches search criteria and outputs a status change to a user interface.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method in a data processing system for locating a desired medium using a radio frequency reader, the computer implemented method comprising:

connecting to an online identity pair server to locate an identity pair assigned to the desired medium, wherein the identity pair is assigned by a manufacturer of the desired medium, and wherein the identity pair comprises a radio frequency identifier and a content, wherein the content is a table of contents comprising corresponding attributes associated with the desired medium;

receiving the identity pair assigned to the desired medium from the online identity pair server;

receiving an annotation from a user, wherein the annotation is added to the content, and wherein the annotation is associated with the radio frequency identifier;

storing the identity pair and the annotation in a user inventory comprising a plurality of identity pairs and corresponding attributes that are associated with a plurality of desired mediums, wherein the annotation is added to the plurality of corresponding attributes, wherein each corresponding attribute is at least one of an album name, a song name, the annotation, and a user tag, wherein the radio frequency reader stores the each identity pair in the user inventory, wherein the radio frequency reader is coupled to the data processing system;

inputting a user search criteria into the radio frequency reader to locate the desired medium, wherein the user search criteria uniquely identifies the desired medium, and wherein the user search criteria comprises a selection of corresponding attributes associated with the desired medium;

responsive to receiving the user search criteria for the desired medium, determining a status of the desired medium, wherein the status indicates the desired medium is checked out of the user inventory;

responsive to determining that the status of the desired medium is not checked out, locating the radio frequency identifier in the user inventory according to the user search criteria;

transmitting an interrogate signal containing the radio frequency identifier associated with the desired medium using the radio frequency reader;

receiving a radio frequency response having the radio frequency identifier in response to transmitting the interrogate signal indicating the status of the desired medium;

receiving a response from the user to input a status change for the desired medium;

responsive to receiving the status change for the desired medium, changing to a revised status;

responsive to an absence of the user to input the status change for the desired medium, making a determination whether the response includes the radio frequency identifier; and

outputting the status change indication to a user interface, wherein the status change indicates a location of the desired medium.

2. A computer program product stored on a recordable computer useable medium storing executable instructions for locating a desired medium, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for connecting to an online identity pair server to locate an identity pair assigned to the desired medium, wherein the identity pair is assigned by a manufacturer of the desired medium, and wherein the identity pair comprises a radio frequency identifier and a content, wherein the content is a table of contents comprising corresponding attributes associated with the desired medium;

instructions for receiving the identity pair assigned to the desired medium from the online identity pair server;

instructions for receiving an annotation from a user, wherein the annotation is added to the content wherein the annotation is associated with the radio frequency identifier, and wherein the annotation becomes a searchable term in the user inventory;

instructions for storing the identity pair and the annotation in a user inventory comprising a plurality of identity pairs and corresponding attributes that are associated with a plurality of desired mediums, wherein the annotation is added to the plurality of corresponding attributes, wherein each corresponding attribute is at least one of an album name, a song name, the annotation, and a user tag, wherein the radio frequency reader stores the each identity pair in the user inventory, wherein the radio frequency reader is coupled to the data processing system;

instructions for inputting a user search criteria into the radio frequency reader to locate the desired medium, wherein the user search criteria comprises a selection of a corresponding attribute associated with the desired medium, wherein the user search criteria uniquely identifies the medium;

instructions for determining a status of the desired medium, wherein the status indicates the desired medium is checked out of the user inventory, in response to receiving the user search criteria for the desired medium;

instructions for locating the radio frequency identifier in the user inventory according to the user search criteria responsive to determining that the status of the desired medium is not checked out;

instructions for transmitting an interrogate signal containing the radio frequency identifier associated with the desired medium using the radio frequency reader;

instructions for receiving a radio frequency response having the radio frequency identifier in response to transmitting the interrogate signal indicating the status of the desired medium;

instructions for receiving a response from the user to input a status change for the desired medium;

instructions for changing to a revised status, in response to receiving the status change for the desired medium;

instruction for making a determination whether the response includes the radio frequency identifier, in response to an absence of the user to input the status change for the desired medium; and

instructions for outputting the status change indication to a user interface, wherein the status change indicates a location of the desired medium.

3. An apparatus for locating a desired medium, the apparatus comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device contains a computer useable program product;

a processor unit, wherein the processor unit executes the computer useable program product to

connect to an online identity pair server to locate an identity pair assigned to the desired medium, wherein the identity pair is assigned by a manufacturer of the desired medium, and wherein the identity pair comprises a radio frequency identifier and a content, wherein the content is a table of contents comprising corresponding attributes associated with the desired medium;

receive the identity pair assigned to the desired medium from the online identity pair server;

receive an annotation from a user, wherein the annotation is added to the content wherein the annotation is associated with the radio frequency identifier;

store the identity pair and the annotation in a user inventory comprising a plurality of identity pairs and corresponding attributes that are associated with a plurality of desired mediums, wherein the annotation is added to the plurality of corresponding attributes, wherein each corresponding attribute is at least one of an album name, a song name, the annotation, and a user tag, wherein the radio frequency reader stores the each identity pair in the user inventory, wherein the radio frequency reader is coupled to the data processing system;

input a user search criteria into a radio frequency reader to locate the desired medium, a user search criteria, wherein the user search criteria comprises a selection of a corresponding attribute associated with the desired medium, wherein the user search criteria uniquely identifies the medium;

determine a status of the desired medium, wherein the status indicates the desired medium is checked out of the user inventory in response to receiving the user search criteria for the desired medium;

locate the radio frequency identifier in the user inventory according to the user search criteria responsive to determining that the status of the desired medium is not checked out;

transmit an interrogate signal containing the radio frequency identifier associated with the desired medium using the radio frequency reader;

receive a radio frequency response having the radio frequency identifier in response to transmitting the interrogate signal indicating the status of the desired medium;

receive a response from the user to input a status change for the desired medium;

change to a revised status in response to receiving the status change for the desired medium;

make a determination whether the response includes the radio frequency identifier in response to an absence of the user to input the status change for the desired medium; and

output the status change indication to a user interface, wherein the status change indicates a location of the desired medium.