RFID tag filtering and monitoring

• US 7,952,480 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Technology Patents & Licensing Incorporated
• Inventors: Kuzma, Peter J., Eldering, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu; Julie
• Application Number:
  US12/201,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2414 using inductive tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• 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

Abstract

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system that tracks tags in real-time based on EPC codes and on other priority codes written into transponder memory fields of the tags. As an example, a priority code may be written into a memory of an RFID transponder identifying a high-value item or a small high-value item that is likely to be stolen. Based on the use of this priority code, those items can be preferentially tracked as opposed to items of low value or size such that they are unlikely to be stolen. Such use of priority codes and local filtering alleviates the need to go back to large centralized databases associating unique numbers with other parameters and potentially the history of the item.

Claims

1. A method for initiating actions in response to RFID tags, comprising:

(a) providing a parameter to a RFID reader from a database;

(b) reading a RFID tag with the RFID reader;

(c) determining whether the RFID tag corresponds to an item of interest, based at least in part on comparing the parameter to the reading and the time of the reading;

(d) reporting to the database said item of interest in accordance with the determining in step (c); and

(e) initiating an action, based at least in part on said item of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said parameter is represented by a range.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said parameter is an identification number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said parameter is an EPC code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of step (c) is also based at least in part on the location of said RFID reader.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating of step (e) is also based at least in part on the time of said reading.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating of step (e) is also based at least in part on the location of said RFID reader.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said action comprises sending a notification.

9. A system for initiating actions in response to RFID tags, comprising:

(a) a database for providing a parameter and initiating an action based at least in part on the detection of an item of interest; and

(b) a RFID reader for reading a RFID tag, determining whether the RFID tag corresponds to the item of interest, based at least in part on comparing the parameter to the reading and based at least in part on the time of the reading, and reporting to the database the item of interest.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining is also based at least in part on the location of the RFID reader.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the parameter is represented by a range.

12. A method for initiating actions in response to RFID tags, comprising:

(a) providing at least one parameter to at least one RFID reader from a database, the at least one parameter being based at least in part on creating prioritization groups based on EPC codes, wherein said prioritization groups identify said action to be performed and do not require lookup of EPC information from said database;

(b) reading at least one RFID tag with said at least one RFID reader to create at least one reading;

(c) determining whether said at least one RFID tag is corresponds to at least one item of interest, based at least in part on comparing said at least one parameter to said at least one reading;

(d) reporting to said database said at least one item of interest in accordance with the determining of step (c); and

(e) performing at least one action, based at least in part on said at least one item of interest.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein steps (b) and (c) repeat until an item of interest is reported.