Wearable tuning surfaces for activating RFID buttons or controls

• US 9,600,699 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Russell, Ryan Scott, Lauka, Wesley Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sam K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US14/570,885
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 1052, 340567-5729
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/12 using record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31319 Use data groups as inventory control value, adapt inventory need to new data
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10396 the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/032 using RFID technology in switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/167 Circuits for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers

Abstract

An inventory system can include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and RFID tuners that can be brought into interacting proximity with one another to provide input or other information about the location or other condition of movable elements within the inventory system. A wearable accessory that is wearable by a human operator can include RFID tuners thereon for interacting with RFID tags on other elements of the inventory system in order to communicate details about the elements and facilitate functions of the inventory system.

Claims

1. An inventory management system comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader;

a wearable accessory comprising at least one RFID tuner, the RFID tuner configured to interact with any respective RFID tag of a plurality of RFID tags such that a first RFID signal is received from the respective RFID tag when the RFID tuner is at a first position relative to the respective RFID tag and such that a second RFID signal is received from the respective RFID tag when the RFID tuner is at a second position relative to the respective RFID tag, the first and second RFID signals being different from each other and the first and second positions being different from each other;

an inventory holder comprising a bin RFID tag associated with a bin on the inventory holder, the bin RFID tag included in the plurality of RFID tags;

an inventory item comprising an item RFID tag, the item RFID tag included in the plurality of RFID tags, wherein the RFID reader, the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory, the bin RFID tag of the inventory holder, and the item RFID tag of the inventory item are independent of one another; and

a management circuitry configured to;

receive, via the RFID reader, a bin RFID signal from the bin RFID tag in response to interaction of the bin RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory;

receive, via the RFID reader, an item RFID signal from the item RFID tag in response to interaction of the item RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory; and

associate, based at least in part on the received bin RFID signal and the received item RFID signal, the inventory item together with the bin on the inventory holder.

2. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the management circuitry being configured to associate, based at least in part on the received bin RFID signal and the received item RFID signal, the inventory item with the bin on the inventory holder comprises providing an indication that the inventory item was stowed in the bin on the inventory holder.

3. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the management circuitry being configured to associate, based at least in part on the received bin RFID signal and the received item RFID signal, the inventory item with the bin on the inventory holder comprises providing an indication that the inventory item was removed from the bin on the inventory holder.

4. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the management circuitry being configured to associate, based at least in part on the received bin RFID signal and the received item RFID signal, the inventory item with the bin on the inventory holder comprises providing an indication that the inventory item was counted at the bin on the inventory holder.

5. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the wearable accessory comprises a glove.

6. The inventory system of claim 5, wherein the at least one RFID tuner is positioned on a fingertip of the glove.

7. A wearable accessory comprising at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tuner, the RFID tuner configured to interact with an RFID tag of a plurality of RFID tags such that a contact RFID signal is received from the RFID tag when the RFID tuner contacts the RFID tag and such that a non-contact RFID signal is received from the RFID tag when the RFID tuner is separated from the RFID tag;

wherein the wearable accessory is configured for use in an inventory management system that comprises;

an RFID reader;

an inventory holder comprising a bin RFID tag associated with a bin on the inventory holder, the bin RFID tag included in the plurality of RFID tags;

an inventory item comprising an item RFID tag, the item RFID tag included in the plurality of RFID tags, wherein said item RFID tag of the inventory item, said bin RFID tag of the inventory holder, and said at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory are independent of one another and of said RFID reader, wherein said RFID reader is configured to receive the contact RFID signal and the non-contact RFID signal; and

a management circuitry configured to;

receive, via the RFID reader, a bin contact RFID signal from the bin RFID tag in response to contact between the bin RFID tag and the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory;

receive, via the RFID reader, an item contact RFID signal from the item RFID tag in response to contact between the item RFID tag and the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory; and

associate, based at least in part on the received bin contact RFID signal and the received item contact RFID signal, the inventory item together with the bin on the inventory holder.

8. The wearable accessory of claim 7, wherein the wearable accessory comprises at least a first RFID tuner and a second RFID tuner, each of the first RFID tuner and the second RFID tuner configured to interact with an RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags such that a first contact RFID signal is received from the RFID tag when the first RFID tuner contacts the RFID tag and such that a second contact RFID signal is received from the RFID tag when the second RFID tuner contacts the RFID tag, the first contact RFID signal being different from the second contact RFID signal.

9. The wearable accessory of claim 8, wherein the first RFID tuner comprises a different amount of material than the second RFID tuner.

10. The wearable accessory of claim 8, wherein the first RFID tuner comprises a different type of material than the second RFID tuner.

11. The wearable accessory of claim 8, wherein the first RFID tuner comprises a different electrical structure than the second RFID tuner.

12. The wearable accessory of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of RFID tags is associated with an inventory item.

13. The wearable accessory of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of RFID tags is associated with an inventory holder.

14. The wearable accessory of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of RFID tags is associated with a container configured to hold inventory items requested in an order from an inventory system.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, via a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, an item RFID signal from an item RFID tag in response to interaction of the item RFID tag with at least one RFID tuner of a wearable accessory worn by an operator, the RFID tuner configured to interact with any respective RFID tag of a plurality of RFID tags such that a first RFID signal is received from the respective RFID tag when the RFID tuner is at a first position relative to the respective RFID tag and such that a second RFID signal is received from the respective RFID tag when the RFID tuner is at a second position relative to the respective RFID tag, the first and second RFID signals being different from each other and the first and second positions being different from each other, wherein the item RFID tag is included in the plurality of RFID tags and is comprised by an inventory item;

receiving, via the radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, a bin RFID signal from a bin RFID tag in response to interaction of the bin RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory worn by the operator, wherein the bin RFID tag is included in the plurality of RFID tags and is comprised by a bin on an inventory holder and wherein the RFID reader, the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory, the bin RFID tag, and the item RFID tag are independent of one another; and

associating, based at least in part on the received bin RFID signal and the received item RFID signal, the inventory item together with the bin on the inventory holder.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via the radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, at least one additional RFID signal from at least one RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags in response to interaction of the at least one RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory; and

instructing a response based on the received at least one additional RFID signal, wherein the response comprises storing an affirmation of an operation or condition in a database based on the received at least one additional RFID signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via the radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, at least one additional RFID signal from at least one RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags in response to interaction of the at least one RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory; and

instructing a response based on the received at least one additional RFID signal, wherein the response comprises storing a negation of an operation or condition in a database based on the received at least one additional RFID signal.