Reading RFID tags in defined spatial locations
First Claim
1. A radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) reader of a point-of-sale (POS) system, comprising;
a first radio frequency (RF) antenna configured to read a first set of RFID tags disposed within a first spatial zone at a first time but not in the first spatial zone at a second time;
a second RF antenna configured to read the first set of RFID tags, at the second time and in a second spatial zone that is upstream and adjacent to the first spatial zone,wherein the first set of RFID tags are attached to items to be purchased at a point of sale location of an establishment, wherein the point of sale location comprises a checkout zone, the first spatial zone and the second spatial zone, wherein the checkout zone comprises a decodable indicia reading device so that a list of identifiers of cleared RFID tags is produced listing only RFID tags of the first set of RFID tags that indicate that they have been scanned, at time between said first and second times, by the decodable indicia reading, wherein the list is produced based on the first set of RFID tags being moved, from the first spatial zone to the second spatial zone, and purchased based on the readings by the first and second RF antennas at the first and second times, to enable the POS system to identify read RFID tags of the first set of RFID tags that are not listed on the list and trigger an alarm.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices, methods, and software are disclosed for reading RFID tags located in defined spatial locations. In one illustrative embodiment, a system can comprise a processor, a memory, and an RFID reading device including at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna. The system can be configured to read a first plurality of RFID tags attached to items disposed within a first spatial zone and read a second plurality of RFID tags attached to items disposed within a second spatial zone. The system can be further configured to produce a list of identifiers of RFID tags which belong to the second plurality of RFID tags and do not belong to the first plurality of RFID tags. In some embodiments, the system can be further configured, responsive to successfully decoding decodable indicia attached to an item, to match the item to an RFID tag belonging to the list.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A radio frequency identification (“
- RFID”
) reader of a point-of-sale (POS) system, comprising;a first radio frequency (RF) antenna configured to read a first set of RFID tags disposed within a first spatial zone at a first time but not in the first spatial zone at a second time; a second RF antenna configured to read the first set of RFID tags, at the second time and in a second spatial zone that is upstream and adjacent to the first spatial zone, wherein the first set of RFID tags are attached to items to be purchased at a point of sale location of an establishment, wherein the point of sale location comprises a checkout zone, the first spatial zone and the second spatial zone, wherein the checkout zone comprises a decodable indicia reading device so that a list of identifiers of cleared RFID tags is produced listing only RFID tags of the first set of RFID tags that indicate that they have been scanned, at time between said first and second times, by the decodable indicia reading, wherein the list is produced based on the first set of RFID tags being moved, from the first spatial zone to the second spatial zone, and purchased based on the readings by the first and second RF antennas at the first and second times, to enable the POS system to identify read RFID tags of the first set of RFID tags that are not listed on the list and trigger an alarm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- RFID”
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10. A method of a point-of-sale (POS) system, performed using one or more processors, comprising:
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reading, using a first radio frequency (RF) antenna of a radio frequency identification (“
RFID”
) reader, a first set of RFID tags disposed within a first spatial zone at a first time but not in the first spatial zone at a second time;reading, using a second RF antenna of the radio frequency identification (“
RFID”
) reader, the first set of RFID tags disposed within a second spatial zone upstream and adjacent to the first spatial zone, at a second time;wherein the first set of RFID tags are attached to items to be purchased at a point of sale location of an establishment, wherein the point of sale location comprises a checkout zone, the first spatial zone and the second spatial zone, wherein the checkout zone comprises a decodable indicia reading device so that a list of identifiers of cleared RFID tags is produced listing only RFID tags of the first set of RFID tags that indicate that corresponding attached items to be purchased have been scanned, at time between said first and second times, by the decodable indicia reading device, wherein the list is produced based on the first set of RFID tags being moved, from the first spatial zone to the second spatial zone, and purchased based on the readings by the first and second RF antennas at the first and second times; matching, using at least one processor, an RFID tag of said first set of RFID tags, between a time when the first set of RFID tags is read at the first spatial zone at the first time and when the RFID tag is read at the second spatial zone at the second time, responsive to said decodable indicia reading device successfully decoding optical decodable indicia attached to an item of said items to be purchased being scanned; and adding the item to produce an entry into said list only in response to the matching, to enable the POS system to identify read RFID tags of the first set of RFID tags that are not listed on the list and trigger an alarm. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions executed by one or more processors of a point-of-sale (POS) system for:
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reading, using a first radio frequency (RF) antenna of a radio frequency identification (“
RFID”
) reader, a first set of RFID tags attached to items disposed within a first spatial zone at a first time but not in the first spatial zone at a second time;reading, using a second RF antenna of the radio frequency identification (“
RFID”
) reader, the first set of RFID tags disposed within a second spatial zone upstream and adjacent to the first spatial zone, at a second time;wherein the first set of RFID tags are attached to items to be purchased at a point of sale location of an establishment, wherein the point of sale location comprises a checkout zone, the first spatial zone and the second spatial zone, wherein the checkout zone comprises a decodable indicia reading device so that a list of identifiers of cleared RFID tags is produced listing only RFID tags of the first set of RFID tags that indicate that corresponding attached items to be purchased have been scanned, at time between said first and second times, by the decodable indicia reading device, wherein the list is produced based on the first set of RFID tags being moved, from the first spatial zone to the second spatial zone, and purchased based on the readings by the first and second RF antennas at the first and second times; determining that a first RFID tag of the first set of RFID tags has moved to the second spatial zone from the first spatial zone based on comparing data from the readings; decoding, by the decodable indicia reading device, optical decodable indicia attached to an item of said items to be purchased once the item is scanned; and matching, responsive to said decoding, said item to the first RFID tag to produce an entry into said list, to enable the POS system to identify read RFID tags of the first set of RFID tags that are not listed on the list and trigger an alarm. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification