RFID READER WITH CAMERA, VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO CAPTURE DEVICE

• US 20120056722A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zest Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelleflex Corporation
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 9,202,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves

Abstract

A media capture device coupled to an RFID reader and/or antenna. A system in one embodiment includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader; an antenna coupled to the RFID reader; and a media capture device coupled to at least one of the reader and the antenna. A method in another embodiment includes capturing media using a media capture device coupled to at least one of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader and an antenna coupled to the RFID reader upon occurrence of a trigger event.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader;

an antenna coupled to the RFID reader; and

a media capture device coupled to at least one of the reader and the antenna.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media capture device is embedded in a housing of the RFID reader.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the media capture device is embedded in the antenna.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the media capture device captures media upon occurrence of a trigger event.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the trigger event is an RFID read event.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the RFID read event corresponds to reading a particular class of tags.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the RFID read event corresponds to detection of a change in a signal strength measurement from an RFID tag.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the RFID reader reads the RFID tag continuously or semi-continuously.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the RFID read event corresponds to reading a tag having a tag ID associated with a trigger command.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the trigger event is based on an unauthorized presence of the RFID tag in a restricted area.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the trigger event is based on a sensor reading.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein a continuous stream of media is captured by the media capture device, wherein additional data corresponding to occurrence of a trigger event is generated and stored.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the media capture device is steerable towards a direction of an RFID read event based on angle of arrival determination.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the media is used to verify data corresponding to the angle of arrival.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the media capture device is steerable based on an RFID read event associated with a particular RFID tag and knowledge of a location of the particular RFID tag.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to at least one of the media capture device and the RFID reader for storing media.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein information about an RFID read event is stored with the media.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the media is processed in a predefined manner based on a particular RFID read event.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein image facial recognition is performed based on a trigger event.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein voice recognition is performed based on a trigger event.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein optical bar codes related to RFID tag are detected.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein detection of an RFID read event causes an alarm to be sent to a predetermined individual, system, and/or entity.

45. The system of claim 1, further comprising an output device coupled to the RFID reader.

46. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input device coupled to the RFID reader.

23. A method, comprising:

capturing media using a media capture device coupled to at least one of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader and an antenna coupled to the RFID reader upon occurrence of a trigger event.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the media capture device is embedded in a housing of the RFID reader.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the media capture device is embedded in the antenna.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the trigger event is an RFID read event.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the RFID read event corresponds to reading a particular class of tags.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the RFID read event corresponds to detection of a change in a signal strength measurement from an RFID tag.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the RFID reader reads the RFID tag continuously or semi-continuously.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the RFID read event corresponds to reading a tag having a tag ID associated with a trigger command.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the trigger event is based on an unauthorized presence of the RFID tag in a restricted area.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the trigger event is based on a sensor reading.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising making an angle of arrival determination, and steering the media capture device towards a direction of an RFID read event based on the angle of arrival determination.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the media is used to verify data corresponding to the angle of arrival.

35. The method of claim 23, further comprising steering the media capture device based on an RFID read event associated with a particular RFID tag and knowledge of a location of the particular RFID tag.

36. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing the media in a memory coupled to at least one of the media capture device and the RFID reader.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising storing information about an RFID read event with the media.

38. The method of claim 23, further comprising processing the media in a predefined manner based on a particular RFID read event.

39. The method of claim 23, further comprising performing image facial recognition based on a trigger event.

40. The method of claim 23, further comprising performing voice recognition based on a trigger event.

41. The method of claim 23, further comprising detecting optical bar codes related to RFID tag.

42. The method of claim 23, further comprising detecting an RFID read event, and in response thereto, sending an alarm to a predetermined individual, system, and/or entity.

43. The method of claim 23, further comprising outputting at least one of visual and audible output using a device coupled to the RFID reader upon occurrence of the trigger event.

44. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving at least one of tactile and audible input using a device coupled to the RFID reader upon occurrence of the trigger event.