DIVIDING TAGGED ITEMS INTO SUBSETS
First Claim
1. A method for dividing a set of tagged items into subsets, each tagged item being tagged with a passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, said method comprising:
- instructing a RFID reader to poll the RFID tags of all tagged items in a specified region having fixed boundaries to generate information comprising, for each tagged item in the region, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items in the region which are adjacent to each tagged item by being within a specified constant distance (Rlimit) from each tagged item, said region being entirely within a communication range (Rrange) of the RFID reader;
splitting the region into a plurality of subregions;
determining for each subregion a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion, said determining for each subregion the central tagged item utilizing the generated information; and
outlining a virtual boundary around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item by being within the specified constant distance (Rlimit) of the central tagged item, said virtual boundary defining a subset of the set of tagged items for each subregion as comprising the central tagged item and all other tagged items within the virtual boundary, wherein the portion of the tagged items in each subregion consists of all, or less than all, tagged items which are adjacent to the central tagged item in each subregion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for dividing a set of tagged items into subsets. Each tagged item is tagged with a passive RFID tag. A RFID reader is instructed to poll the RFID tags of all tagged items in a specified region having fixed boundaries to generate information including, for each tagged item, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items in the region which are adjacent to each tagged item. The region is split into a plurality of subregions. For each subregion, a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion is determined, utilizing the generated information. A virtual boundary is outlined around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item.
127 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for dividing a set of tagged items into subsets, each tagged item being tagged with a passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, said method comprising:
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instructing a RFID reader to poll the RFID tags of all tagged items in a specified region having fixed boundaries to generate information comprising, for each tagged item in the region, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items in the region which are adjacent to each tagged item by being within a specified constant distance (Rlimit) from each tagged item, said region being entirely within a communication range (Rrange) of the RFID reader; splitting the region into a plurality of subregions; determining for each subregion a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion, said determining for each subregion the central tagged item utilizing the generated information; and outlining a virtual boundary around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item by being within the specified constant distance (Rlimit) of the central tagged item, said virtual boundary defining a subset of the set of tagged items for each subregion as comprising the central tagged item and all other tagged items within the virtual boundary, wherein the portion of the tagged items in each subregion consists of all, or less than all, tagged items which are adjacent to the central tagged item in each subregion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied in the medium, said program code configured to be executed on a processor of a computer system to perform a method for dividing a set of tagged items into subsets, each tagged item being tagged with a passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, said method comprising:
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instructing a RFID reader to poll the RFID tags of all tagged items in a specified region having fixed boundaries to generate information comprising, for each tagged item in the region, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items in the region which are adjacent to each tagged item by being within a specified constant distance (Rlimit) from each tagged item, said region being entirely within a communication range (Rrange) of the RFID reader; splitting the region into a plurality of subregions; determining for each subregion a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion, said determining for each subregion the central tagged item utilizing the generated information; and outlining a virtual boundary around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item by being within the specified constant distance (Rlimit) of the central tagged item, said virtual boundary defining a subset of the set of tagged items for each subregion as comprising the central tagged item and all other tagged items within the virtual boundary, wherein the portion of the tagged items in each subregion consists of all, or less than all, tagged items which are adjacent to the central tagged item in each subregion. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for dividing a set of tagged items into subsets, each tagged item being tagged with a passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, said system comprising:
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means for instructing a RFID reader to poll the RFID tags of all tagged items in a specified region having fixed boundaries to generate information comprising, for each tagged item in the region, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items in the region which are adjacent to each tagged item by being within a specified constant distance (Rlimit) from each tagged item, said region being entirely within a communication range (Rrange) of the RFID reader; means for splitting the region into a plurality of subregions; means for determining for each subregion a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion, said determining for each subregion the central tagged item utilizing the generated information; and means for outlining a virtual boundary around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item by being within the specified constant distance (Rlimit) of the central tagged item, said virtual boundary defining a subset of the set of tagged items for each subregion as comprising the central tagged item and all other tagged items within the virtual boundary, wherein the portion of the tagged items in each subregion consists of all, or less than all, tagged items which are adjacent to the central tagged item in each subregion. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification