Wearable tuning surfaces for activating RFID buttons or controls

• US 9,953,290 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• 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): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US15/431,541
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 1052, 340567-5729
• 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 plurality of RFID tags;

a wearable accessory comprising an accessory configured to be worn on a body part of a human operator, the wearable accessory comprising at least one RFID tuner, the RFID tuner configured to interact with any respective RFID tag of the 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 RFID reader, the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory, and the respective RFID tag are independent of one another; and

a management module comprising circuitry and configured to;

receive, via the RFID reader, a received RFID signal comprising either the first signal or the second signal from the respective RFID tag in response to interaction of the respective RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory; and

instruct a response associated with the inventory system and based on whether the received RFID signal comprises the first signal or the second signal.

2. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the management module is further configured to:

receive, via the RFID reader, another RFID signal from another RFID tag in response to interaction of the another RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory, each of the respective RFID tag and the another RFID tag associated with respective objects;

wherein the response comprises associating the respective objects together based on the received RFID signal and the another RFID signal.

3. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the response comprises storing an affirmation of an operation or condition in a database based on the received RFID signal.

4. The inventory system of claim 1, wherein the response comprises storing a negation of an operation or condition in a database based on the received RFID signal.

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. An apparatus comprising:

a wearable accessory comprising an accessory configured to be worn on a body part of a human operator; and

at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) tuner mounted on the wearable accessory, 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 said RFID tag and said RFID tuner are independently located of one another and independently located of an RFID reader that is configured to receive the contact RFID signal and the non-contact RFID signal and that is coupled with a management module which comprises circuitry and which is configured to instruct a response based on what signal is received by the RFID reader, wherein the instructed response comprises an affirmation, negation, or indication of a condition or location of an item associated with the RFID tag.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wearable accessory comprises a glove, a shoe, an item of footwear, or a ring.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus 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.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first RFID tuner comprises at least one of a different type of material than the second RFID tuner or a different amount of material than the second RFID tuner.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first RFID tuner comprises a different electrical structure than the second RFID tuner.

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

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

14. The apparatus 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, by a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, an RFID signal from an RFID tag in response to interaction of the RFID tag with at least one RFID tuner of a wearable accessory worn by an operator, wherein the received RFID signal comprises (a) a contact RFID signal received from the RFID tag when the RFID tuner contacts the RFID tag or (b) a non-contact RFID signal from the RFID tag when the RFID tuner is separated from the RFID tag, wherein the RFID reader, the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory, and the RFID tag are independently located of one another; and

instructing, via a management module comprising circuitry coupled with the RFID reader, a response based on the RFID signal received by the RFID reader, wherein the instructed response comprises an affirmation, negation, or indication of a condition or location of an item associated with the RFID tag.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the response comprises storing an affirmation of an operation or condition in a database based on the received RFID signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the response comprises storing a negation of an operation or condition in a database based on the received RFID signal.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, via the RFID reader, another RFID signal from another RFID tag in response to interaction of the another RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory, each of the RFID tag and the another RFID tag associated with respective objects;

wherein the response comprises associating the respective objects together based on the received RFID signal and the another RFID signal.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, via the RFID reader, another RFID signal from another RFID tag in response to interaction of the another RFID tag with the at least one RFID tuner of the wearable accessory, each of the RFID tag and the other RFID tag associated with respective objects;

wherein the response comprises negating an association of the respective objects based on the received RFID signal and the another RFID signal.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the wearable accessory comprises footwear including the at least one RFID tuner, the RFID tag is situated in or on a surface, and the response comprises determining at least one of a location, stance, or movement pattern of the operator on the surface based on the received RFID signal.