Wearable RFID reader and system

• US 20060044112A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bridgelall, Raj
• Application Number:
  US10/931,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20060044112A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L

Abstract

A wearable RFID system of wearing on the body of a user is disclosed. The wearable RFID system comprises an RFID reader, a network controller coupled to the RFID reader and a network transceiver coupled to the network controller. The wearable RFID reader reads data stored on RFID tags, such as a product code. This data can then be sent to the network controller and then to the network transceiver. The network transceiver can send the information to an external network for processing or storage.

Claims

1. A wearable RFID system for wearing on the body of a user comprising:

a wearable RFID reader operable to receive data from an RFID tag; and

a network controller coupled to the wearable RFID reader for receiving the data received by the wearable RFID reader.

2. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 wherein the wearable RFID reader is a RFID glove.

3. The wearable RFID system of claim 2 wherein the RFID glove is wirelessly coupled to the network controller.

4. The wearable RFID system of claim 2 wherein the RFID glove initiates an interrogation of the RFID tag based on a proximity to the RFID tag.

5. The wearable RFID system of claim 2 wherein the RFID glove initiates an interrogation of the RFID tag when initiated by a trigger.

6. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 wherein the wearable RFID reader is a RFID hat.

7. The wearable RFID system of claim 6 wherein the RFID hat is wirelessly coupled to the network controller.

8. The wearable RFID system of claim 6 wherein the RFID hat initiates an interrogation of the RFID tag based on a proximity to the RFID tag.

9. The wearable RFID system of claim 6 wherein the RFID hat initiates an interrogation of the RFID tag when initiated by a trigger.

10. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 further comprising a network transceiver coupled to the network controller for sending the data to an external network.

11. The wearable RFID system of claim 10 wherein the network transceiver is a wireless network transceiver.

12. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 further comprising an onboard power supply.

13. The wearable RFID system of claim 12 wherein the onboard power supply is a battery.

14. The wearable RFID system of claim 12 wherein the onboard power supply is a solar power system.

15. The wearable RFID system of claim 12 wherein the onboard power supply is a regenerative power supply powered by a user.

16. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader further includes an RFID writer for writing information to an RFID tag.

17. The wearable RFID system of claim 4 wherein the RFID writer is operable to store pricing information to an RFID tag.

18. The wearable RFID system of claim 1 wherein the data is stored at the network controller for future retrieval.

19. A method for handling objects using a wearable RFID reader comprising:

reading first product data when the wearable RFID reader is within a preset distance from a first RFID tag associated with a first object;

reading second product data when the wearable RFID reader is within a preset distance from a second RFID tag associated with a second object;

evaluating the first product data and the second product data to determine if the first product is associated with the second product.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the wearable RFID reader is a RFID glove reader.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the wearable RFID reader is a RFID hat.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the first object is a package and the second object is a pallet comprising multiple related packages.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of writing to the first RFID tag when the wearable RFID reader is within a preset distance.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising generating a warning if the package is not associated with the pallet.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of writing pricing information to the package RFID tag.