Distinguishing RFID tags using motion data

• US 9,734,367 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lecky, Ned, Russell, Ryan Scott, Lauka, Wesley Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, April
• Application Number:
  US14/467,748
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 235385
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for verifying that items have been correctly retrieved to fulfill orders or shipments. A plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are energized with an electromagnetic field emitted from an RFID reader, wherein individual ones of the RFID tags include a sensor. Motion data is reported by the RFID tags and detected via the RFID reader. Subsequently, at least one of the plurality of RFID tags is selected from the plurality of RFID tags based at least in part on the motion data.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a unique identifier, a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor, a radio receiver, and a radio transmitter; and

at least one computing device configured to at least;

receive, from a device comprising an RFID reader, the unique identifier of the RFID tag and motion data generated by the MEMS sensor;

identify an item associated with the RFID tag based at least in part on the unique identifier;

determine that the item is included in a pick list associated with a robotic picker in proximity to the RFID tag;

compare the motion data with expected motion data of the RFID tag, wherein the expected motion data indicates that the item has been picked by the robotic picker; and

determine, based at least in part on a comparison of the motion data with the expected motion data, that a picking of the item by the robotic picker has occurred.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch in the RFID tag that enables the radio transmitter of the RFID to transmit the unique identifier when the MEMS sensor detects the movement of the RFID tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the radio receiver and the radio transmitter of the RFID tag operate on different frequencies.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion data corresponds to an acceleration of the RFID tag.

5. A system, comprising:

an RFID tag comprising a sensor;

an RFID reader; and

at least one computing device configured to;

process a response received from the RFID tag,

wherein the response comprises motion data corresponding to movement of the RFID tag during an event, and

wherein the motion data is generated at least in part by the sensor in the RFID tag;

compare the motion data of the response received from the RFID tag with expected motion data during the event;

select a unique identifier of the RFID tag based at least in part on the comparison of the motion data with the expected motion data;

identify an item associated with the unique identifier in response to receiving the unique identifier of the RFID tag; and

determine whether the item is included in a pick list associated with a robotic picker located near the RFID tag.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope or a MEMS velocimeter.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the motion data corresponds to an acceleration of the RFID tag.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the RFID tag is configured to transmit the response only in response to the sensor of the RFID tag detecting a movement of the RFID tag.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the RFID tag further comprises a radio transmitter and a radio receiver.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one computing device further comprises an RFID reader configured to energize the RFID tag and receive the response from the RFID tag.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to send an electronic message to a client device associated with the robotic picker in response to a determination that the item is not included in the pick list.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the electronic message comprises a notification that the item is not included in the pick list.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to record that the item has been picked in response to a determination that the item is included in the pick list.

14. A method, comprising:

energizing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with an electromagnetic field emitted from an RFID reader, wherein the RFID tag comprises a sensor;

receiving, via a computing device, a unique identifier and motion data from the RFID tag during an event;

comparing, via the computing device, the motion data of the RFID tag with expected motion data during the event;

selecting, via the computing device, the unique identifier of the RFID tag based at least in part on the comparison of the motion data with the expected motion data; and

determining, via the computing device, whether the unique identifier is included in a pick list assigned to a robotic picker associated with the RFID reader.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

marking an item in the pick list corresponding to the unique identifier as picked, via the computing device, in response to determining that the unique identifier is included in the pick list.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending an electronic message, via the computing device, to a device associated with the robotic picker in response to determining that the unique identifier is not included in the pick list.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the motion data comprises a first acceleration value corresponding to an X-axis, a second acceleration value corresponding to a Y-axis, and a third acceleration value corresponding to a Z-axis.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein motion data is not received from the RFID tag when the RFID is stationary.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the RFID tag corresponds to an item located in a fulfillment center, the unique identifier of the RFID tag uniquely identifying the item.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the motion data comprises a trajectory and the expected motion data comprises an expected trajectory and comparing the motion data with the expected motion data further comprises determining, via the computing device, whether the trajectory of the RFID tag matches the expected trajectory.