RFID based product level availability

• US 7,940,181 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infosys Technologies Limited (Infosys Limited)
• Original Assignee: Infosys Technologies Limited (Infosys Limited)
• Inventors: Ramachandra, Girish A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US12/023,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/568.8, 340/612, 340/615, 340/626, 340/5.92, 705/16, 705/22, 705/28, 705/29, 705414-417, 700/225, 700/236, 700243-244, 700/215, 700/217, 700/221, 235/285, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters

Abstract

Product availability can be determined using radio frequency identification (RFID) by determining whether a RFID tag is detectable by a RFID reader and setting a product availability condition, where the RFID tag is not attached to the product, and where distance between the RFID tag and the RFID reader changes as quantity of the product changes. A system for determining availability of products using RFID can comprise a product display unit, a RFID reader, a RFID tag associated with the product display unit, and a computing device configured to set product availability conditions. In the system, distance between the RFID tag and the RFID reader changes as quantity of the product changes.

Claims

1. A method, implemented at least in part by a computing device, for determining product availability of products on a product display unit using radio-frequency identification (RFID), the method comprising:

determining whether a RFID tag is detectable by a RFID reader; and

based on the determination, setting a product availability condition indicating product availability of a product on the product display unit;

wherein the RFID tag is associated with the product display unit, wherein the RFID tag is not attached to the product, and wherein distance between the RFID tag and an antenna of the RFID reader changes as quantity of the product on the product display unit changes;

wherein the RFID tag is movably attached to the product display unit, wherein the RFID tag moves closer to the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the product is added to the product display unit, and where the RFID tag moves farther from the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the product is removed from the product display unit; and

wherein as quantity of the product is added to the product display unit, the product pushes the RFID tag closer to the antenna of the RFID reader, and wherein as quantity of the product is removed from the product display unit, the RFID tag is pushed farther from the antenna of the RFID reader.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is located closer to the antenna of the RFID reader when there is a greater quantity of the product on the product display unit, and wherein the RFID tag is located farther from the antenna of the RFID reader when there is a lesser quantity of product on the product display unit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the product availability condition is either no quantity of the product remaining on the product display unit, or one or more quantity of the product remaining on the product display unit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the product availability condition is selected from two available product availability conditions:

less than or equal to a pre-determined quantity of the product remaining on the product display unit; and

greater than the pre-determined quantity of product remaining on the product display unit.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the product is not RFID tagged.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag is detectable by the RFID reader when the RFID tag is located within a pre-configured detection range of the antenna of the RFID reader.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the pre-configured detection range corresponds to a pre-determined quantity of product on the product display unit.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the RFID tag is within detection range of the antenna of the RFID reader, receiving, by the RFID reader from the RFID tag, a unique identification number of the RFID tag.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the product display unit is a shelving unit, wherein the RFID tag is fixed to a spring-loaded pusher of the shelving unit, and wherein the spring-loaded pusher moves the RFID tag farther from the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the product is removed from the shelving unit.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether one or more other RFID tags are detectable by the RFID reader; and

based on the determination of whether the one or more other RFID tags are detectable, setting one or more other product availability conditions indicating product availability of one or more other products on the product display unit;

wherein the one or more other RFID tags are associated with the product display unit, wherein the one or more other RFID tags are not attached to the one or more other products, and wherein distance between the one or more other RFID tags and the antenna of the RFID reader changes as quantity of the one or more other products on the product display unit changes.

11. A product display system for determining availability of products using radio-frequency identification (RFID), the system comprising:

a product display unit configured to hold a quantity of a product;

a RFID reader;

a RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag is movably attached to the product display unit, wherein distance between the RFID tag and an antenna of the RFID reader changes as quantity of the product on the product display unit changes, and wherein the RFID tag moves closer to the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the product is added to the product display unit, and wherein the RFID tag moves farther from the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the product is removed from the product display unit; and

a computing device configured to set a product availability condition indicating product availability of the product on the product display unit;

wherein the RFID reader determines whether the RFID tag is detectable by the RFID reader, and wherein the determination depends on whether the RFID tag is within a pre-configured detection range of the antenna of the RFID reader; and

wherein as quantity of the product is added to the product display unit, the product pushes the RFID tag closer to the antenna of the RFID reader, and wherein as quantity of the product is removed from the product display unit, the RFID tag is pushed farther from the antenna of the RFID reader.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the product availability condition is either no quantity of the product remaining on the product display unit, or one or more quantity of the product remaining on the product display unit.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the product availability condition is selected from two available product availability conditions:

less than or equal to a pre-determined quantity of the product remaining on the product display unit; and

greater than the pre-determined quantity of product remaining on the product display unit.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the product availability condition indicates presence or absence of the product on the product display unit.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the product display unit is a shelving unit, wherein the RFID tag is fixed to a spring-loaded pusher of the shelving unit, and wherein the spring-loaded pusher moves the RFID tag farther from the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the product is removed from the shelving unit.

16. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

one or more other RFID tags, each of the one or more other RFID tags being movably attached to the product display unit, wherein distance between the one or more other RFID tags and the antenna of the RFID reader changes as quantity of one or more other products associated with the one or more other RFID tags changes;

wherein the computing device is further configured to set one or more other product availability conditions indicating product availability of the one or more other products, wherein the product display unit is further configured to hold the one or more other products;

wherein the RFID reader determines whether the one or more other RFID tags are detectable by the RFID reader, and wherein the determination depends on whether the one or more other RFID tags are within the pre-configured detection range of the antenna of the RFID reader.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the one or more other RFID tags move closer to the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the one or more other products associated with the one or more other RFID tags is added to the product display unit, and wherein the one or more other RFID tags moves farther from the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the one or more other products associated with the one or more other RFID tags is removed from the product display unit.

18. A product display system for determining availability of products on shelving units using radio-frequency identification (RFID), the system comprising:

a shelving unit configured to hold one or more products, wherein the shelving unit is configured in a plurality of rows, each row configured to hold a quantity of product of the one or more products;

a plurality of RFID tags corresponding to the plurality of rows, wherein each RFID tag is located on a different row of the plurality of rows, and wherein each RFID tag travels along its corresponding row;

a RFID reader, wherein the RFID reader determines which of the plurality of RFID tags are detectable by the RFID reader, and wherein the determination depends on whether each RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags is within a pre-configured detection range of an antenna of the RFID reader; and

a computing device configured to set one or more product availability conditions indicating product availability of the one or more products based on which of the plurality of RFID tags are detectable;

wherein each RFID tag moves closer to the antenna of the RFID reader along its row as quantity of a product of the one or more products is added to the row, and wherein each RFID tag moves farther from the antenna of the RFID reader along its row as quantity of the product is removed from the row; and

wherein as quantity of a product of the one or more products is added to a row of the plurality of rows, the product pushes an RFID tag corresponding to the row closer to the antenna of the RFID reader, and wherein as quantity of the product is removed from the row, the RFID tag corresponding to the row is pushed farther from the antenna of the RFID reader.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the shelving unit is a pre-configured shelving unit that has been pre-configured to hold the one or more products.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the shelving unit is user-configurable for a plurality of different products.

21. A product display system for determining availability of products using radio-frequency identification (RFID), the system comprising:

a means for holding a quantity of a product;

a RFID reader;

a means for associating a RFID tag with the means for holding the quantity of the product, wherein the RFID tag is not attached to the product, wherein distance between the RFID tag and an antenna of the RFID reader changes as quantity of the product changes, wherein the RFID tag moves closer to the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the product is added to the product display system, wherein the RFID tag moves farther from the antenna of the RFID reader as quantity of the product is removed from the product display system, wherein as quantity of the product is added to the product display system, the product pushes the RFID tag closer to the antenna of the RFID reader, and wherein as quantity of the product is removed from the product display system, the RFID tag is pushed farther from the antenna of the RFID reader; and

means for setting a product availability condition indicating product availability of the product on the means for holding the quantity of the product.