RFID scanning system and shopping bag with integrated RFID loop antenna

• US 8,678,281 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kangas, P. Daniel, Thomas, Jeff D.
• Primary Examiner(s): St Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/302,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20130126611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/380, 235/383, 235/462.46
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A point of sale system and method are disclosed wherein a shopping bag has one or more RFID loop type antenna. An example system includes a bag holder for securing the shopping bag while items are placed in it. Multiple bag holders may be incorporated on a carousel, which can be rotated to move an empty bag to a filling station at the checkout counter, and to move filled bags to an open area for the customer or cashier to retrieve the filled shopping bags. An RFID reader in communication with the bag holder uses one of the RFID loop antennas to read the RFID tags on the items placed in the bag. In a shopping bag having more than one RFID loop antenna, the RFID system controller may monitor the impedance of each RFID loop antenna and dynamically select one of the RFID loop antennas on the shopping bag as a function of the impedances.

Claims

1. An inventory tracking system, comprising:

a shopping bag having at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) loop antenna along a perimeter of the shopping bag;

a bag holder for securing the shopping bag with a shopping bag interface in electrical connection with the at least one RFID loop antenna; and

a controller including an RFID reader electrically coupled with the shopping bag interface and configured to read RFID tags on items in the shopping bag using the at least one RFID loop antenna on the shopping bag.

2. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of RFID loop antennas oriented along the perimeter of the shopping bag, each RFID loop antenna terminating at a different set of electrical contacts;

wherein the shopping bag interface is in electrical connection with each set of electrical contacts along different electrical communication paths to the RFID reader; and

wherein the RFID reader is configured to read the RFID tags using any of the at least one RFID loop antennas.

3. The inventory tracking system of claim 2, further comprising:

an impedance sensor electrically connected with the RFID reader, the impedance sensor configured for sensing an impedance of each RFID loop antenna; and

wherein the RFID reader is configured for selecting one of the RFID loop antennas according to the sensed impedances of the RFID loop antennas and using the selected RFID loop antenna for reading the RFID tags.

4. The inventory tracking system of claim 3, wherein the RFID reader is configured for dynamically selecting one of the RFID loop antennas in response to a change in the sensed impedances of the RFID loop antennas.

5. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, further comprising:

each of the at least one RFID loop antenna defining a pair of electrical contacts on the shopping bag; and

the shopping bag interface including a pair of prongs having one or more electrical contacts positioned for connection with the pair of contacts on the shopping bag when the shopping back is secured on the bag holder, such that the RFID reader is electrically coupled with the at least one RFID loop antenna.

6. The inventory tracking system of claim 5, further comprising:

one or more handle on the shopping bag having an opening for receiving the prongs on the bag holder, wherein the pair of electrical contacts on the shopping bag are on the one or more handle.

7. The inventory tracking system of claim 6, wherein the pair of electrical contacts for one RFID loop antenna are on the same handle.

8. The inventory tracking system of claim 6, wherein the pair of electrical contacts for the RFID loop antenna include a first electrical contact on a first handle and a second electrical contact on a second handle.

9. The inventory tracking system of claim 6, wherein the pair of electrical contacts for the RFID loop antenna comprise donut-type contacts for surrounding the prongs.

10. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID loop antenna consists of electrically conductive ink printed on the shopping bag.

11. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID loop antenna comprises:

at least one RFID loop antenna printed on an interior surface of the shopping bag; and

at least one RFID loop antenna printed on an exterior surface of the shopping bag.

12. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, further comprising:

puncture type electrical contacts on the bag holder electrically coupled with the RFID reader, the puncture type electrical contacts configured to puncture a surface of the shopping bag to engage the at least one RFID loop antenna.

13. The inventory tracking system of claim 12, wherein the puncture type electrical contacts pierce the shopping bag from a surface opposite the surface on which the RFID loop antenna is printed.

14. The inventory tracking system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to detect a removal of one of the shopping bags from the carousel after having detected one or more RFID tags on items placed in the removed shopping bag.

15. The inventory tracking system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to measure the weight of each shopping bag containing items with RFID tags and compare the weight to an expected weight based on electronically stored product information associated with the RFID tags, and to output an indication of a difference between the weight and the expected weight.

16. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, further comprising:

a carousel, with the bag holder and one or more additional bag holders supported on the carousel for simultaneously securing the shopping bag and one or more other shopping bags each having at least one RFID loop antenna, wherein each shopping bag may be electrically coupled to the RFID reader.

17. The inventory tracking system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to track one or more of the shopping bags being opened on the carousel.

18. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the loop antenna comprises multiple loops around the perimeter of the shopping bag.

19. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the loop antenna extends along at least 360 degrees of the perimeter of the shopping bag.

20. The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the shopping bag comprises a plurality of plies, with a separate RFID loop antenna formed on each ply.