Product, asset, and device tracking, identification, and pricing system

• US 7,954,712 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transparent Visibility Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Transparent Visibility Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Babcock, Bruce K., Niles, Steven E., Babcock, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US12/210,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20100065632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/375, 235/487, 235/462.46, 235/472.02
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The invention utilizes a system that links two-way communication components with inventory, fixtures, and people. Once linked, the system permits a centralized computer network to collect information about the spatial and temporal relationship between inventory, fixtures, and people using a low frequency communication protocol. When the invention is applied to a retail situation, the retailer can track inventory throughout the supply chain and can do so without substantial human involvement. Furthermore, the two-way communication components also permit the retailer to communicate directly with products on the shelves in a way that allows for re-pricing of goods or broadcasting of messages to customers, also without the need for direct human involvement.

Claims

1. A system for tracking products, assets, and devices in a supply chain, comprising:

a plurality of tags for storing information and performing wireless communications;

a product to which a first tag of the plurality of tags is affixed, the first tag comprising;

a casing;

a low frequency wireless communications unit comprising (i) a low frequency antenna for receiving wireless communications, (ii) a low frequency transceiver for converting wireless communications to digital signals, (iii) a processor for processing digital signals, and (iv) memory;

a display comprising (i) a control sequencer for accepting display data from the processor, (ii) a display driver for converting the digital signals received by the control sequencer into a format displayable by a display medium, and (iii) the display medium; and

a backplane for facilitating digital communication between the low frequency wireless communications unit and the display;

an asset to which a second tag of the plurality of tags is affixed;

a device to which a third tag of the plurality of tags is affixed;

an application server having router hardware, server hardware, database software, and tracking software, the application server being configured for receiving associations created by wireless communications between the first tag, the second tag, and the third tag, wherein the application server is configured for taking actions based on the associations;

at least one infrastructure node for routing communications between the application server and the first tag, the second tag, and the third tag; and

at least one legacy system for supplying one or more data items about the product to the application server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tag further comprises one or more sensors for gathering data about the product associated with the first tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tag further comprises an onboard power source.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tag further comprises an ambient power source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the information stored on the plurality of tags is selected from the group consisting of zone, address, association, location, price, condition, status, boundary, permissions, rules, actions, and alarm.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of shelf labels, store displays, item packaging, and hanging fobs.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the data items provided by the legacy systems are selected from the group consisting of inventories, orders, UPCs, SKUs, prices, product descriptions, categories, customer purchasing histories, and employee dossiers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset is selected from the group consisting of fixtures, baskets, tools, entryways, shelves, hanging racks, pallets, security cameras, loading docks, storerooms, and fitting rooms.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of employee identification badges, customer loyalty cards, and security badges.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one infrastructure node further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of an antenna controller, routers, transceivers, antennas, and handheld transceivers.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the actions are selected from the group of initializing the tags, decommissioning the tags, changing prices on the tags, taking inventory of the products, restocking the products, locating the products, alerting employees to attempted theft of the products, managing power usage of the tags, advertising targeted to consumers based upon contents of baskets, advertising targeted to consumers based upon prior shopping history, and confirming the authenticity of the products.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the second tag comprises:

a second tag casing;

a second tag low frequency wireless communications unit for receiving wireless communications and converting wireless communications to digital signals;

a second tag display for displaying a representation of data from the digital signals; and

a second tag backplane for facilitating digital communication between the second tag low frequency wireless communications unit and the second tag display.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the third tag comprises:

a third tag casing;

a third tag low frequency wireless communications unit for receiving wireless communications and converting wireless communications to digital signals;

a third tag display for displaying a representation of data from the digital signals; and

a third tag backplane for facilitating digital communication between the third tag low frequency wireless communications unit and the third tag display.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tag is configured for receiving a correlation of the first tag to an identifier for the product and storing the correlation in the memory.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the display medium is configured for displaying a price for the product based on price data received wirelessly and converted to the digital signals by the low frequency wireless communications unit.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tag is associated with a hardware address, the first tag being configured for wirelessly communicating the hardware address to the application server.

17. A system for tracking products, assets, and devices in a supply chain, comprising:

a plurality of tags for storing information and performing wireless communications, wherein a first tag of the plurality of tags further comprises;

a casing;

a low frequency wireless communications unit comprising (i) a low frequency antenna for receiving wireless communications, (ii) a low frequency transceiver for converting wireless communications to digital signals, (iii) a processor for processing digital signals, and (iv) memory, wherein the information on the first tag is selected from the group consisting of zone, address, association, location, price, condition, status, boundary, permissions, rules, actions, and alarm;

a display comprising (i) a control sequencer for accepting display data from the processor, (ii) a display driver for converting the digital signals received by the control sequencer into a format displayable by a display medium, and (iii) the display medium; and

a backplane for facilitating digital communication between the low frequency wireless communications unit and the display;

a product to which the first tag is affixed, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of shelf labels, store displays, item packaging, and hanging fobs;

one or more assets to which a second tag of the plurality of tags is affixed, wherein the assets are selected from the group consisting of fixtures, baskets, tools, entryways, shelves, hanging racks, pallets, security cameras, loading docks, storerooms, and fitting rooms;

one or more devices to which a third tag of the plurality of tags is affixed, wherein the devices are selected from the group consisting of employee identification badges, customer loyalty cards, and security badges;

one or more application servers having router hardware, server hardware, database software, and tracking software, the application servers being configured for (i) receiving associations created by wireless communications between the first tag, the second tag, and third tag, and (ii) taking one or more actions as a result of the associations, wherein the actions are selected from the group consisting of initializing the tags, decommissioning the tags, changing prices on the tags, taking inventory of the products, restocking the products, locating the products, alerting employees to attempted theft of the products, managing power usage of the tags, advertising targeted to consumers based upon contents of baskets, advertising targeted to consumers based upon prior shopping history, and confirming the authenticity of the products; and

one or more infrastructure nodes for routing communications between the application servers and the tags affixed to the product, assets, and devices, wherein the infrastructure nodes are further comprised of one or more components selected from the group consisting of an antenna controller, routers, transceivers, antennas, and handheld transceivers;

one or more legacy systems for supplying one or more data items about the product to the application servers, wherein the data items provided by the legacy systems are selected from the group consisting of inventories, orders, UPCs, SKUs, prices, product descriptions, categories, customer purchasing histories, and employee dossiers.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first tag further comprises one or more sensors for gathering data about the product associated with the first tag.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first tag further comprises an onboard power source.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first tag further comprises an ambient power source.