Detecting a departure of an RFID tag from an area

• US 7,671,743 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Donnie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/556,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A method of determining whether a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag has been removed from an area can include, responsive to detecting an RFID tag in a first area, making an entry within a tag read cache associated with the first area. The entry within the tag read cache can include an identifier corresponding to the RFID tag and a timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in the first area. A difference between a current time and the timestamp from the entry within the tag read cache can be calculated. An indication that the RFID tag is no longer in the first area can be provided if the difference exceeds a departure threshold.

Claims

1. A method of determining whether a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag has been removed from an area comprising:

responsive to detecting an RFID tag in a first area, making an entry within a tag read cache associated with the first area, wherein the entry within the tag read cache comprises an identifier corresponding to the RFID tag and a timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in the first area;

calculating a difference between a current time and the timestamp from the entry within the tag read cache;

indicating that the RFID tag is no longer in the first area if the difference exceeds a departure threshold; and

if the difference exceeds the departure threshold, purging the entry in the tag read cache corresponding to the RFID tag.

2. The method of claim 1, farther comprising updating the timestamp of the entry within the tag read cache for the RFID tag responsive to a subsequent detection of the RFID tag in the first area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein making an entry farther comprises making an entry within a location cache comprising an area indication specifying the first area, wherein the entry within the location cache is associated with the tag read cache.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to detecting the RFID tag in a second area, making an entry within the location cache comprising an area indication specifying the second area and making an entry within a different tag read cache associated with the second area comprising the identifier corresponding to the RFID tag and a timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected within the second area.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

calculating a difference between the timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in the second area and the timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in the first area; and

if the difference exceeds a cross-read threshold, indicating that the RFID tag is no longer in the first area.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising purging the entry in the location cache for the RFID tag corresponding to the first area and purging the entry in the tag read cache for the RFID tag corresponding to the first area.

7. A method of determining whether a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag has been moved from an area, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of detected RFID tags,

making a location cache entry comprising a location identifier specifying an area in which the RFID tag was detected;

making a tag read cache entry in a tag read cache corresponding to the location cache entry, wherein the tag read cache entry comprises a tag identifier corresponding to the RFID tag and a timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was read in the area;

identifying tag read cache entries having an age that exceeds a departure threshold as determined by a comparison of the timestamp specified by the tag read cache entries with a current time;

for each identified tag read cache entry, providing a notification that the RFID tag associated with that tag read cache entry is no longer in the area specified by the location cache entry which corresponds to the identified tag read cache entry; and

for each identified tag read cache entry, purging the identified tag read cache entry and purging the corresponding location cache entry.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, for each RFID tag that has a location cache entry for at least two different areas,

calculating a difference between a timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in a second area and a timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in a first area;

and

if the difference exceeds a cross-read threshold, indicating that the RFID tag is no longer in the first area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising purging the location cache entry corresponding to the RFID tag for the first area and purging the tag read cache entry for the RFID tag for the first area.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising, responsive to a detection of an RFID tag in a same area as a prior detection of the RFID tag, updating the timestamp specified in the tag read cache entry for the RFID tag with a timestamp of the latest detection in the same area.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising, responsive to a detection of an RFID tag in a different area as a prior detection of the RFID tag, making a location cache entry for the RFID tag indicating the different area and making a tag read cache entry within a tag read cache corresponding to the different area for the RFID tag.

12. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium having a computer-readable program that determines whether a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag has been removed from an area, said computer program product including;

computer-usable program code that, responsive to detecting an RFID tag in a first area, makes an entry within a tag read cache associated with the first area, wherein the entry within the tag read cache comprises an identifier corresponding to the RFID tag and a timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in the first area;

computer-usable program code that calculates a difference between a current time and the timestamp from the entry within the tag read cache;

computer-usable program code that indicates that the RFID tag is no longer in the first area if the difference exceeds a departure threshold; and

computer-usable program code that purges the entry in the tag read cache corresponding to the RFID tag if the difference exceeds the departure threshold.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer-usable program code that updates the timestamp of the entry within the tag read cache for the RFID tag responsive to a subsequent detection of the RFID tag in the first area.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer-usable program code that makes an entry farther comprises computer-usable program code that makes an entry within a location cache comprising an area indication specifying the first area, wherein the entry within the location cache is associated with the tag read cache.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer-usable program code that, responsive to detecting the RFID tag in a second area, makes an entry within the location cache comprising an area indication specifying the second area and makes an entry within a different tag read cache associated with the second area comprising the tag identifier and a timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected within the second area.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer-usable program code that calculates a difference between the timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in the second area and the timestamp indicating when the RFID tag was detected in the first area; and

computer-usable program code that, if the difference exceeds a cross-read threshold, indicates that the RFID tag is no longer in the first area.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer-usable program code that purges the entry in the location cache for the RFID tag corresponding to the first area and purges the entry in the tag read cache for the RFID tag corresponding to the first area.