Method, apparatus, and computer program product for detecting risk tags

• US 9,047,501 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Saros, Jakob
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US13/321,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 702 57- 59, 702 81- 84
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10465 the interrogation device being capable of self-diagnosis, e.g. in addition to or as part of the actual interrogation process testing of electrical circuits in general G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

It is presented a risk tag detector server for detecting risk tags, the risk tags being tags which are likely to be faulty. The risk tag detector server comprises: a tag manager interface configured to obtain a tag list comprising at least two tags to evaluate, and to obtain tag data coupled to each of the tags of the tag list; a tag selector configured to select a candidate tag to evaluate from the tag list; a tag event interface configured to obtain event data of tag usage for the candidate tag; and a fault detector configured to determine the candidate tag to be a risk tag when a first condition is satisfied, the first risk condition comprising a first criterion that the event data indicates an absence of candidate tag usage during a predetermined time period. A corresponding method and computer program are also presented.

Claims

1. A risk tag detector server for detecting risk tags, the risk tags being tags which are likely to be faulty, the risk tag detector server comprising:

a tag manager interface configured to obtain a tag list comprising at least two tags to evaluate;

a tag selector configured to select a candidate tag to evaluate from the tag list;

a tag event interface configured to obtain event data of tag usage for the candidate tag; and

a fault detector, wherein

the fault detector is configured to determine whether the candidate tag is a risk tag by performing at least the following step;

determining that the candidate tag is no longer affixed to an article to which the tag was previously affixed, wherein determining that the candidate tag is no longer affixed to the article comprises determining that the event data indicates that the tag has been repetitively read by a single terminal.

2. The risk tag detector server of claim 1, wherein the fault detector is configured to determine whether the candidate tag is a risk tag by further performing the step of:

determining whether the event data further indicates that the tag has been read at a time outside of a second predetermined time period.

3. The risk tag detector server of claim 1, wherein the fault detector is configured to determine whether the second risk condition is satisfied, wherein determining that the second risk condition is satisfied comprises:

i) determining that the event data indicates that the tag has been repetitively read by a single terminal and ii) determining that the event data indicates that the tag has been read at a time outside of a second predetermined time period.

4. A method for detecting risk tags, the risk tags being tags which are likely to be faulty, the method comprising the steps, performed in a risk tag detector server, of:

obtaining a tag list comprising at least two tags to evaluate;

selecting a candidate tag to evaluate from the tag list;

obtaining event data of tag usage for the candidate tag; and

determining the candidate tag to be a risk tag, wherein determining the candidate tag to be a risk tag comprises

determining that the candidate tag is no longer affixed to an article to which the tag was previously affixed, wherein determining that the candidate tag is no longer affixed to the article comprises determining that the event data indicates that the tag has been repetitively read by a single terminal.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the steps of selecting, obtaining event data and determining are repeated until all tags of the tag list have been selected in the selecting step.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising obtaining historical usage data of each of the tags of the tag list;

and

wherein the first risk condition further comprises evaluating the historical usage data to obtain a probability that the candidate tag should have been detected in the first predetermined time period.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein

the method further comprises obtaining an installation location for each of the tags of the tag list;

and

the step of obtaining event data comprises obtaining a detection location,

wherein the second risk condition further comprises a second removal criterion that the detection location substantially differs from the installation location of the candidate tag.

8. The method according to claim 4 wherein when it is determined that the candidate tag is risk tag, a severity level is assigned to the candidate tag depending on what criterion is satisfied.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein determining that the second risk condition is satisfied further comprises determining whether the event data further indicates that the tag has been read at a time outside of a second predetermined time period.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein

determining the candidate tag to be a risk tag comprises determining that the second risk condition is satisfied, and

determining that the second risk condition is satisfied comprises:

i) determining that the event data indicates that the tag has been repetitively read by a single terminal and ii) determining that the event data indicates that the tag has been read at a time outside of a second predetermined time period.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer program for a risk tag detector server and a non-transitory computer readable means on which the computer program is stored, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on the risk tag detector server, causes the risk tag detector server to perform the steps of:

obtaining a tag list comprising at least two tags to evaluate;

selecting a candidate tag to evaluate from the tag list;

obtaining event data of tag usage for the candidate tag; and

determining the candidate tag to be a risk tag, wherein determining the candidate tag to be a risk tag comprises

determining that the candidate tag is no longer affixed to an article to which the tag was previously affixed, wherein determining that the candidate tag is no longer affixed to the article comprises determining that the event data indicates that the tag has been repetitively read by a single terminal.