Ultra-wideband location engine for self-shopping devices
First Claim
1. A method of operation in a self-shopping platform including a plurality of readers fixedly positioned within an environment, the method comprising:
- selecting, by at least one processor, one of a plurality of self-shopping terminals associated with the self-shopping platform;
sending, by the at least one processor, an activation command to the selected self-shopping terminal over a first wireless communication channel, the first wireless communication channel utilizing wireless signals other than ultra-wideband signals;
in response to the sending of the activation command, receiving, by a plurality of reader processors of a respective plurality of readers, ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal;
determining, by each of the plurality of reader processors of the respective plurality of readers which receive the ultra-wideband signals, a ranging value indicative of a distance between the self-shopping terminal and the respective reader using the received ultra-wideband signals; and
sending, by each of the plurality of reader processors of the respective plurality of readers which receive the ultra-wideband signals, the determined ranging value to a processor-based locator system over at least one data communication channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Real-time locating systems (RTLS) for self-shopping systems that utilize a dual technology approach. Self-shopping terminals are equipped with a passive or active ultra-wideband (UWB) tag that includes a UWB backscatter module or a UWB transmitter, respectively, as well as a standard wireless communication transceiver, such as a Wi-Fi® or UHF-RFID transceiver, that enables communication over the wireless communication channel. Readers fixed within a shopping environment activate the UWB tag of a selected one of the self-shopping terminals by addressing the self-shopping terminal using the standard wireless communication channel. Once activated, the UWB tag of the selected self-shopping terminal transmits UWB signals which are received by a plurality of the readers and used to determine the location of the UWB tag and hence the location of the self-shopping terminal. A messaging system may send messages to the self-shopping terminal for presentation to the customer on a display of the self-shopping terminal.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method of operation in a self-shopping platform including a plurality of readers fixedly positioned within an environment, the method comprising:
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selecting, by at least one processor, one of a plurality of self-shopping terminals associated with the self-shopping platform; sending, by the at least one processor, an activation command to the selected self-shopping terminal over a first wireless communication channel, the first wireless communication channel utilizing wireless signals other than ultra-wideband signals; in response to the sending of the activation command, receiving, by a plurality of reader processors of a respective plurality of readers, ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal; determining, by each of the plurality of reader processors of the respective plurality of readers which receive the ultra-wideband signals, a ranging value indicative of a distance between the self-shopping terminal and the respective reader using the received ultra-wideband signals; and sending, by each of the plurality of reader processors of the respective plurality of readers which receive the ultra-wideband signals, the determined ranging value to a processor-based locator system over at least one data communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A self-shopping system, comprising:
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a processor-based locator system; a plurality of readers fixedly positioned within a shopping environment, each of the plurality of readers coupled to the processor-based locator system over at least one data communication channel and comprising; at least one reader processor; a first wireless communication transceiver communicatively coupled to the at least one reader processor, the wireless communications transceiver including a first transmitter that sends data over a first wireless communication channel and a first receiver that receives data over the first wireless communication channel, the first communication channel utilizing signals other than ultra-wideband signals; a second receiver communicatively coupled to the at least one reader processor, the second receiver receives ultra-wideband signals; and at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one reader processor and which stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data that when executed by the at least one reader processor, cause the at least one reader processor to; send, by the first transmitter, an activation command to a selected one of a plurality of self-shopping terminals over the first wireless communication channel; receive, by the second receiver, ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal; determine a ranging value indicative of a distance between the self-shopping terminal and the respective reader using the received ultra-wideband signals; and send the respective determined ranging value to the processor-based locator system over the at least one data communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification