Reading codes of RFID tags incoming at premises and removing them later as they exit

• US 7,696,882 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Rahimi, Kambiz, Oliver, Ronald A., Diorio, Christopher J., Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US12/018,937
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/568.1, 340/571, 340/505, 340/506, 340/521, 340/528, 235/375, 235/385, 705/1, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2482 EAS methods, e.g. description of flow chart of the detection procedure
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2488 Timing issues, e.g. synchronising measures to avoid signal collision, with multiple emitters or a single emitter and receiver

Abstract

RFID reader systems, components, software and methods are provided for use premises that have RFID-tagged items. When a person comes onto an enclosure of the premises already carrying a personal tag, the incoming code of that personal tag is read. When later the person exits the enclosure, they could be transporting some of the items that have actionable codes. The actionable codes can be read, but the incoming code can be removed from them, before the actionable codes are acted upon, in Point-of-Sale or Electronic Article Surveillance systems.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader system for use in premises having an enclosure and a plurality of items tagged with item RFID tags within the enclosure, comprising:

one or more antennas for reading at least one incoming code of a personal RFID tag carried by a person, as the person is entering the enclosure, and for reading a plurality of exiting codes that include the incoming code and item codes from item RFID tags of some of the items being transported by the person, as the person prepares to leave the enclosure; and

a processor for deriving actionable codes by removing the incoming code from the exiting codes, and for causing an output transmission to be generated responsive to the actionable codes.

2. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

the exiting codes are read from a Point-Of-Sale station of the enclosure having a cash register, and

the output transmission includes at least some of the actionable codes for generating a sales report for the cash register.

3. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

the exiting codes are read from an Electronic Article Surveillance station of the enclosure,

an alarm is provided for notifying when one of the items is being removed from the enclosure without authorization from an operator of the enclosure, and

the output transmission causes the alarm to be activated.

4. The RFID reader system of claim 3, in which

the alarm is located at the Electronic Article Surveillance station.

5. The RFID reader system of claim 3, in which

the alarm is located at a place other than the Electronic Article Surveillance station.

6. The RFID reader system of claim 3, in which

the alarm includes one of a light and a speaker.

7. The RFID reader system of claim 3, in which

the alarm includes a display monitor.

8. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

the incoming code has been read via a first antenna of the RFID reader system, and

the exiting codes have been read via a second antenna of the RFID reader system distinct from the first antenna.

9. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

the incoming code and the exiting codes have been read via the same antenna of the RFID reader system.

10. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

a passing code of a particular RFID tag was read while being transported by a person,

a direction of travel is detected for the particular tag, and

the passing code is characterized as one of incoming and exiting from the detected direction of travel.

11. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

one of the exiting codes is determined to be inconsistent with codes of the item RFID tags, and

the actionable codes are derived by further removing from the exiting codes the inconsistent code.

12. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

an indication is received that one of the exiting codes is paid-for, and

the actionable codes are derived by removing also the paid-for code from the exiting codes.

13. The RFID reader system of claim 12, in which

the indication is generated from data read from the tag having the paid-for code.

14. The RFID reader system of claim 12, in which

the indication is generated from data read from a database associated with the premises.

15. The RFID reader system of claim 12, in which

one of the exiting codes is determined to be inconsistent with codes of the item RFID tags, and

the actionable codes are derived by further removing from the exiting codes the inconsistent code.

16. The RFID reader system of claim 12, in which

the exiting codes are read from an Electronic Article Surveillance station of the enclosure,

an alarm is provided for notifying when one of the items is being removed from the enclosure without authorization from an operator of the enclosure, and

the output transmission causes the alarm to be activated.

17. The RFID reader system of claim 16, in which

one of the exiting codes is determined to be inconsistent with codes of the item RFID tags, and

the actionable codes are derived by further removing from the exiting codes the inconsistent code.

18. The RFID reader system of claim 16, in which

after removing the incoming code and the paid-for code, there are no actionable codes, and the alarm is therefore not activated.

19. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

the incoming code is discarded without looking up information about it from a database.

20. The RFID reader system of claim 19, in which

the incoming code is discarded before the output transmission is caused to be generated.

21. The RFID reader system of claim 19, in which

a surrogate code is generated from the incoming code, according to a surrogate rule that renders the surrogate code unusable for looking up information about the incoming code.

22. The RFID reader system of claim 19, in which

the incoming code is discarded, even if it has not been removed from any exiting codes.

23. The RFID reader system of claim 1, in which

a store visiting profile is compiled from the incoming code.

24. The RFID reader system of claim 23, in which

a surrogate code is generated from the incoming code, according to a surrogate rule that renders the surrogate code unusable for looking up information about the incoming code, and

the profile is compiled from the surrogate code.

25. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader system to be used in premises having an enclosure and a plurality of items tagged with item RFID tags within the enclosure, comprising:

receiving, as a person is entering the enclosure, at least one incoming code of a personal RFID tag carried by the person;

receiving, as the person prepares to leave the enclosure, a plurality of exiting codes that include the incoming code and item codes from item RFID tags of some of the items being transported by the person;

deriving actionable codes by removing the incoming code from the exiting codes; and

causing an output transmission to be generated responsive to the actionable codes.

26. The method of claim 25, in which

the exiting codes are received from a Point-Of-Sale station of the enclosure having a cash register, and

the output transmission includes at least some of the actionable codes for generating a sales report for the cash register.

27. The method of claim 25, in which

the exiting codes are received from an Electronic Article Surveillance station of the enclosure,

the output transmission causes to be activated an alarm for notifying when one of the items is being removed from the enclosure without authorization from an operator of the enclosure.

28. The method of claim 27, in which

the alarm includes one of a light and a speaker.

29. The method of claim 27, in which

the alarm includes a display monitor.

30. The method of claim 25, in which

the incoming code has been read via a first antenna of the RFID reader system, and

the exiting codes have been read via a second antenna of the RFID reader system distinct from the first antenna.

31. The method of claim 25, in which

the incoming code and the exiting codes have been read via the same antenna of the RFID reader system.

32. The method of claim 25, in which

a passing code of a particular RFID tag was read while being transported by a person,

a direction of travel is detected for the particular tag, and

the passing code is characterized as one of incoming and exiting from the detected direction of travel.

33. The method of claim 25, in which

one of the exiting codes is determined to be inconsistent with codes of the item RFID tags, and

the actionable codes are derived by further removing from the exiting codes the inconsistent code.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

an indication is received that one of the exiting codes is paid-for, and

the actionable codes are derived by removing also the paid-for code from the exiting codes.

35. The method of claim 34, in which

the indication is generated from data read from the tag having the paid-for code.

36. The method of claim 34, in which

the indication is generated from data read from a database associated with the premises.

37. The method of claim 34, in which

one of the exiting codes is determined to be inconsistent with codes of the item RFID tags, and

the actionable codes are derived by further removing from the exiting codes the inconsistent code.

38. The method of claim 34, in which

the exiting codes are received from an Electronic Article Surveillance station of the enclosure,

an alarm is provided for notifying when one of the items is being removed from the enclosure without authorization from an operator of the enclosure, and

the output transmission causes the alarm to be activated.

39. The method of claim 38, in which

one of the exiting codes is determined to be inconsistent with codes of the item RFID tags, and

the actionable codes are derived by further removing from the exiting codes the inconsistent code.

40. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

discarding the incoming code without looking up information about it from a database.

41. The method of claim 40, in which

the incoming code is discarded before the output transmission is generated.

42. The method of claim 40, in which

the incoming code is discarded, even if it has not been removed from any exiting codes.

43. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

compiling a store visiting profile from the incoming code.

44. The method of claim 43, in which

the profile is compiled from a number of times that the incoming code was received or removed.

45. The method of claim 43, in which

the profile is compiled from a duration between receiving the incoming code and removing it from the exiting codes.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

causing an alert to be triggered, if the profile includes a behavior number that exceeds a threshold.

47. An article comprising:

a storage medium, the storage medium having instructions stored thereon, in which when the instructions are executed by at least an RFID reader system component used in association with premises having an enclosure and a plurality of items tagged with item RFID tags within the enclosure, the instructions result in;

receiving, as a person is entering the enclosure, at least one incoming code of a personal RFID tag carried by the person;

receiving, as the person prepares to leave the enclosure, a plurality of exiting codes that include the incoming code and item codes from item RFID tags of some of the items being transported by the person;

deriving actionable codes by removing the incoming code from the exiting codes; and

causing an output transmission to be generated responsive to the actionable codes.