System for self-service checkout inventory control

• US 8,143,997 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MARR, III, RAYMOND LEONARD
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US12/165,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 340/1.1, 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 340/10.3
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/148 Adaptations facilitating the transport to the counter
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1488 Indicating or preventing transport of goods under the basket
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0096 Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/753 where the polling of the sub-stations is synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system for providing self-service inventory control comprises at least one RFID antenna mat placed adjacent to a cart with the RFID antenna transmitting and receiving information from a plurality of passive RFID tags within the cart, a connector unit attached to the cart and including a connector a processing unit for determining a position of said connector unit with respect to the processing unit, receiving information from each of the RFID tags, to obtain at least one characteristic information regarding each item and a display unit for displaying the obtained characteristic information.

Claims

1. A self-service inventory control system comprising:

a cart comprising;

at least one RFID antenna mat placed adjacent to at least one of a horizontal and vertical surface of said cart;

the at least one RFID antenna mat providing a gain and sensitivity to transmit and receive information from a plurality of passive RFID tags within said cart, each of said RFID tags containing information regarding an associated item; and

a connector unit attached to the cart at a predetermined known position, the connector unit in communication with each of the at least one RFID antenna mats and including a connector for transferring said RFID tag information;

a processing unit comprising;

an extendable arm; and

a connector attached to one end of the extendable arm, and

a processor for;

determining a position of said connector unit with respect to the processing unit;

controlling the movement of the arm to extend an arm connector proximate to the connector unit, the connector unit connector being in communication with said arm connector when the connector unit connector and the arm connector are in one of a proximate or a physical connection to each other;

initiating at least one request signal to the connector unit connector, said request signal being transmitted through the connector unit to said at least one antenna mat;

receiving information from each of the RFID tags receiving the request signal;

accessing a data base to obtain at least one characteristic information regarding each item based on the associated RFID tag;

tabulating the obtained characteristic information of each associated item; and

a display unit for displaying the tabulated obtained characteristic information.