DYNAMIC RFID-BASED INPUT DEVICES

• US 20160116976A1
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2014
• 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, Zerlina, Fransisca Vina
• Granted Patent: US 9,996,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/00 Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0672 with resonating marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A dynamic RFID-based input device may include an input surface and an input station. The input surface may include a plurality of RFID transmitting devices provided on at least one flexible layer, and the input station may include one or more RFID receiving devices, e.g., antennas and/or readers, provided in communication with a computing system or network. A worker may contact one or more portions of the input surface, and thereby cause one or more of the RFID transmitting devices to transmit one or more RFID signals including information, data, commands or instructions to be provided to the RFID receiving devices. Audible, visible or haptic feedback may be provided to the worker in response to the transmission of the one or more RFID signals.

Claims

1. A workstation comprising:

an input station having a working surface;

an RFID reading system having at least one RFID antenna provided on the working surface; and

a computing device having a processor,

wherein the computing device is in communication with the RFID reading system, and

wherein the computing device is configured to at least;

recognize a portable input surface associated with a worker, wherein the portable input surface comprises at least one flexible layer and a plurality of manually activated RFID tags;

identify the worker associated with the portable input surface;

receive information regarding at least one RFID signal transmitted by at least one of the plurality of manually activated RFID tags to the at least one RFID antenna, wherein the at least one RFID signal is transmitted in response to contact with a portion of the at least one flexible layer associated with the at least one of the manually activated RFID tags;

identify at least one action associated with the at least one RFID signal based at least in part on the information regarding the at least one RFID signal; and

cause the at least one action to be executed.

2. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least:

receive information regarding at least one RFID signal transmitted by an RFID transmitting device associated with the worker to the at least one RFID antenna,

wherein the worker is identified based at least in part on the information regarding the at least one RFID signal transmitted by the RFID transmitting device associated with the worker.

3. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least:

identify at least one of a preference of the worker, a qualification of the worker or a permission of the worker; and

configure an application operating on the computing device based at least in part on the preference of the worker, the qualification of the worker or the permission of the worker.

4. The workstation of claim 1, further comprising at least one feedback device,

wherein the computing device is further configured to at least:

provide feedback to the worker in response to the at least one RFID signal by the at least one feedback device,

wherein the at least one feedback device comprises at least one of a haptic vibrating element, an audio speaker or an LED light.

5. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the portable input surface comprises a top flexible layer joined to a bottom flexible layer,

wherein the plurality of manually activated RFID tags are disposed between the top flexible layer and the bottom flexible layer,

wherein the top flexible layer comprises a plurality of contact points provided thereon, and

wherein each of the plurality of contact points is associated with at least one of the manually activated RFID tags.

6. A method comprising:

recognizing a first portable input surface associated with a first worker, wherein the first portable input surface comprises at least one layer and a plurality of manually activated RFID transmitting devices disposed in association with the at least one layer;

receiving information regarding a first RFID signal transmitted from at least one of the plurality of manually activated RFID transmitting devices of the first portable input surface to a first input station, wherein the first input station comprises at least one RFID receiving device;

associating the information regarding the first RFID signal with the at least one of the first worker or the first portable input surface by at least one computer processor; and

storing at least some of the information regarding the first RFID signal in at least one data store.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying at least one action associated with the first RFID signal by the at least one computer processor based at least in part on the information regarding the first RFID signal; and

executing the at least one action by the at least one computer processor.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining an identity of the first worker by the at least one computer processor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the identity of the first worker further comprises:

receiving information regarding a second RFID signal transmitted from an automatic RFID device associated with the first worker, wherein the identity of the first worker is determined based at least in part on the second RFID signal, and

configuring at least one computer application based at least in part on the first RFID signal and the identity of the first worker.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining at least one of an identity of the first worker, a preference of the first worker, a qualification of the first worker or a permission of the first worker by the at least one computer processor,

wherein the at least one computer application is configured based at least in part on the at least one of the identity of the first worker, the preference of the first worker, the qualification of the first worker or the permission of the first worker.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

recognizing a second portable input surface associated with a second worker, wherein the second portable input surface comprises at least one layer and a plurality of manually activated RFID transmitting devices disposed in association with the at least one layer;

receiving information regarding a second RFID signal transmitted from at least one of the plurality of manually active RFID transmitting devices of the second portable input surface to the first input station;

associating the information regarding the second RFID signal with the at least one of the second worker or the second portable input surface by the at least one computer processor;

determining at least one of an identity of the second worker, a preference of the second worker, a qualification of the second worker or a permission of the second worker by the at least one computer processor; and

configuring the at least one computer application based at least in part on the second RFID signal and the at least one of the identity of the second worker, the preference of the second worker, the qualification of the second worker or the permission of the second worker.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer application is configured to receive RFID signals from the first portable input surface and the second portable input surface substantially simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the first portable input surface comprises a top layer and a bottom layer, and

wherein the plurality of manually activated RFID tags are disposed between the top layer and the bottom layer.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one layer comprises at least one of a paper layer, a plastic layer, a rubber layer or a fabric layer.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the first input station comprises at least one of:

a first RFID receiving device disposed in a working surface at the first input station;

or

a second RFID receiving device mounted above at least a portion of the first input station.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the first input station comprises at least one feedback device, and

wherein the method further comprises:

generating feedback by the at least one feedback device in response to the first RFID signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one feedback device comprises an audio speaker, a display apparatus, an illuminator or a haptic vibrating element.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon,

wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a computer system having at least one computer processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at an RFID reading system provided in association with an input station, a first RFID signal transmitted by an automatic RFID device associated with a first worker;

receiving, at the RFID reading system provided in association with the input station, a second RFID signal transmitted by a manually activated RFID tag provided on at least one flexible layer of a portable input surface, wherein the second RFID signal is transmitted by the manually activated RFID tag upon contact with at least a portion of the portable input surface by the first worker;

providing, after receiving the second RFID signal, feedback to the first worker by at least one feedback device associated with the input station;

identifying a confluence of RFID signals comprising the first RFID signal and the second RFID signal;

determining, after identifying the confluence of RFID signals, at least one action associated with the second RFID signal; and

causing, by the at least one computer processor, the computer system to execute the at least one action associated with the second RFID signal.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the manually activated RFID tag comprises a programmable memory component, and

wherein the method further comprises:

providing information regarding the at least one action to the programmable memory component over a network,

wherein the second RFID signal comprises at least some of the information regarding the action provided to the programmable memory component.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the at least one feedback device is one of a haptic vibration element, an audio speaker, an LED light or a display apparatus, and

wherein providing the feedback to the first worker by the at least one feedback device comprises:

causing the haptic vibration element to vibrate for a predetermined time;

causing the audio speaker to emit at least one sound;

causing the LED light to illuminate at least the portion of the portable input surface;

or

causing information associated with at least one of the first RFID signal or the second RFID signal to be displayed on the display apparatus.