RFID tag filtering and monitoring

• US 8,258,956 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mistal Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kuzma, Peter J., Eldering, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US13/106,303
• Time in Patent Office: 481 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 of using an RFID reader, the method comprising:

obtaining with the RFID reader RFID tag information from a reading of an RFID tag;

identifying at least one item based at least in part on a comparison of a predetermined parameter to the RFID tag information;

determining if the at least one identified item is an item of interest based on expiration information corresponding to the at least one identified item;

reporting said item of interest, based at least in part on said determining, to facilitate initiating an action based at least in part on the at least one identified item being an item of interest, wherein the action comprises writing an indication that the item of interest may not be purchased into an RFID tag of the item of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the expiration information is stored on the RFID tag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the reading of the RFID tag comprises receiving the expiration information from the RFID tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the expiration information is stored in memory associated with the RFID reader.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the memory associated with the RFID reader is a database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting the item of interest comprises displaying information associated with the item of interest on a display of the RFID reader.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating an action comprises displaying instructions related to the item of interest.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating an action comprises sending a notification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is represented by a range.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is an identification number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating is also based at least in part on a time of said reading.

12. An RFID reader for determining whether to take an action with respect to an item of interest, the RFID reader comprising:

a memory for storing information related to a plurality of items;

an interrogation module configured to transmit a signal to Identify an RFID tag associated with one of the items and to receive a response from the RFID tag, the response comprising at least item identification information corresponding to the item associated with the RFID tag; and

a processor configured to determine, based on the item identification information and an expiration date associated with the item, if the item corresponding to the item identification information is an item of interest, the processor further configured to determine an action to be taken with respect to the identified item of interest, wherein the action includes writing into an RFID tag of the identified item of interest an indication that the item of interest may not be purchased.

13. The RFID reader of claim 12, wherein the item identification information and expiration data are stored on the RFID tag.

14. The RFID reader of claim 13, wherein the interrogation module is further configured to receive the expiration data from the RFID tag, and wherein the processor is further configured to utilize the expiration data in determining the item of interest.

15. The RFID reader of claim 12, wherein the information related to the plurality of items stored in the memory comprises expiration information.

21. The RFID reader of claim 12, further comprising a display configured to display the determined action with respect to the identified item of interest.

16. An RFID reader system for determining whether to take an action with respect to an hem of interest, the RFID reader system comprising:

a plurality of RFID tags, each of the plurality of RFID tags being associated with one of a plurality of items; and

an RFID reader comprising;

a memory for storing information related to the plurality of items;

an interrogation module configured to transmit a signal to identify one of the RFID tags and to receive a response from the identified RFID tag, the response comprising at least item identification information corresponding to the item associated with the identified RFID tag; and

a processor configured to determine, based on the item identification information and an expiration date associated with the item, if the item corresponding to the item identification information is an item of interest, the processor further configured to determine an action to be taken with respect to the identified item of interest, wherein the action includes writing into an RFID tag of the identified item of interest an indication that the item of interest may not be purchased.

17. The RFID system of claim 16, wherein the item identification information and expiration data are stored on the RFID tag.

18. The RFID system of claim 17, wherein the interrogation module is further configured to receive the expiration data from the RFID tag, and wherein the processor is further configured to utilize the expiration data in determining the item of interest.

19. The RFID system of claim 16, wherein the information related to the plurality of items stored in the memory comprises expiration information.

22. The RFID reader system of claim 16, further comprising a display configured to display the determined action with respect to the identified item of interest.

20. A method of using an RFID system, the method comprising:

obtaining, with an RFID reader, RFID tag information from a reading of at least one RFID tag;

identifying at least one item based at least in part on a comparison of a predetermined parameter to the RFID tag information;

determining if at least one identified item is an item of interest based on expiration information corresponding to the at least one identified item; and

initiating an action, based at least in part on said determining, wherein the action includes writing into an RFID tag of an item of interest an indication that the item of interest may not be purchased.

23. An RFID apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

obtain from one or more RFID readers information read from one or more RFID tags corresponding to one or more items by the one or more RFID readers;

determine based on the information and a respective expiration date for a respective item whether a respective item is an item of interest; and

determine an action to be taken with respect to the item of determining, wherein the action includes writing into an RFID tag of an item of interest an indication that the item of interest may not be purchased.

24. The RFID apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate the action to be taken.

25. The RFID apparatus of claim 23, wherein the information obtained from the one or more RFID readers is filtered by the one or more RFID readers prior to being obtained by the processor.