RFID-based inventory monitoring systems and methods with self-adjusting operational parameters
First Claim
1. A method comprising the steps of:
- polling a plurality of RFID tags;
determining product attributes for items tagged with the plurality of RFID tags;
storing the product attributes in a historical database;
associating the product attributes with at least one other attribute;
scanning an item;
determining the scanned item'"'"'s current location;
determining product information for the scanned item; and
using the determined associations, the product information, and the scanned item'"'"'s current location for determining if the scanned item is misplaced based on strength of the determined associations, wherein the strength of an attribute association monotonically increases with the time period of the attribute association.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inventory monitoring controller maintains information reflecting a current inventory of articles based on radio frequency identification (RFID) tag identifying information received from one or more RFID tag readers in the context of inventory polling operations. In an embodiment, the controller also adjusts an operational parameter (e.g., a missing article detection threshold or a variable polling parameter) based on an analysis of the RFID tag identifying information. For example, a variable polling parameter may be adjusted in response to an occurrence of a triggering event (e.g., an inventory change indicated by the RFID tag identifying information or an occurrence of a temporal event), and a missing article detection threshold may be adjusted based on historical information relating to the detection of (or failure to detect) a particular RFID tag.
42 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method comprising the steps of:
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polling a plurality of RFID tags; determining product attributes for items tagged with the plurality of RFID tags; storing the product attributes in a historical database; associating the product attributes with at least one other attribute; scanning an item; determining the scanned item'"'"'s current location; determining product information for the scanned item; and using the determined associations, the product information, and the scanned item'"'"'s current location for determining if the scanned item is misplaced based on strength of the determined associations, wherein the strength of an attribute association monotonically increases with the time period of the attribute association. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method comprising the steps of:
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scanning an item; determining the scanned item'"'"'s current location; determining product information for the scanned item; determining historical associations for the product information; and using the determined historical associations, the product information, and the scanned item'"'"'s current location for determining if the scanned item is misplaced based on strength of the determined associations, wherein the strength of an attribute association monotonically increases with the time period of the attribute association. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A system comprising:
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an RFID scanner polling a plurality of RFID tags; a controller determining product attributes for items tagged with the plurality of RFID tags, storing the product attributes in a historical database, and associating the product attributes with at least one other attribute; and wherein the associations are utilized by the controller to determine if items are misplaced based on strength of the determined associations, wherein the strength of an attribute association monotonically increases with the time period of the attribute association. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification