Applications for radio frequency identification systems

• US 6,486,780 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Nash, James E., Grunes, Mitchell B., Gonzalez, Bernard A., Lindahl, Richard W., Garber, Sharon R., Karel, Gerald L., Jackson, Richard H., Kruse, John M., Piotrowski, Chester, Yorkovich, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/619,220
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/5.92, 340/10.1, 340/693.1, 340/693.5, 340/531, 340/533, 340/539, 340/825.49, 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2408 using ferromagnetic tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2411 Tag deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2431 Tag circuit details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2457 Lending systems using EAS tags wherein the tags are reusable, e.g. they can be activated and deactivated more than once, e.g. for a library
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2485 Simultaneous detection of multiple EAS tags
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 : used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 : used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/364 : using a particular conducting material, e.g. superconductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 : Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 : Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

The present invention relates to RFID devices, including handheld RFID devices, and applications for such devices. The devices and applications may be used in connection with items that are associated with an RFID tag, and optionally a magnetic security element. The devices and applications are described with particular reference to library materials such as books, periodicals, and magnetic and optical media.

Claims

1. A hand-held RFID device, comprising as an integrated unit:

(a) a computer;

(b) an antenna to transmit commands between an RFID tag and an RFID reader;

(c) an RFID reader for reading information from multiple RFID tags substantially simultaneously; and

(d) a display.

2. The hand-held RFD device of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) an RFID writer for transmitting information to an RFID tag for storage therein.

3. The hand-held RFID device of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) a data transfer system for transferring data from the RFID device to a separate database.

4. The hand-held RFID device of claim 3, wherein the data transfer system comprises a connection for operatively coupling with a docking station.

5. The hand-held RFID device of claim 3, wherein the data transfer system comprises a cabled data transfer connection.

6. The hand-held RFID device of claim 3, wherein the data transfer system comprises a wireless data transfer system.

7. The hand-held RFID device of claim 1, wherein the device includes an integral power source.

8. The hand-held RFID device of claim 1, wherein the computer is a detachable hand-held computer.

9. The hand-held RFID device of claim 8, wherein the computer includes a power source separate from the source of power for the remainder of the device.

10. The hand-held RFID device of claim 8, wherein the detachable hand-held computer comprises a connection for operatively coupling with a docking station.

11. The hand-held RFID device of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) a trigger for intermittent activation of the device.

12. The hand-held RFID device of any one of claims 1 through 10 or 11, further wherein the display is a touch-screen display.

13. The hand-held RFID device of any one of claims 1 through 10, or 11, wherein the hand-held device obtains information from an RFID tag, and immediately displays that information on the display.

14. The hand-held RFID device of any one of claims 1 through 10, or 11, wherein the hand-held device obtains information from an RFID tag, and immediately displays information stored within the hand-held device that is related to a tagged item.

15. The hand-held RFID device of any one of claims 1 through 10, or 11, wherein the device is adapted to verify the order of materials on a shelf.

16. The hand-held RFID device of any one of claims 1 through 10, or 11, wherein (i) the device is programmed with specific information identifying certain items that an operator wishes to locate, (ii) identifiers of items read by the RFID device are compared with the information identifying the certain items;

and (iii) when a match occurs, the device creates one or more signals indicating the presence of the item.

17. A hand-held RFID device, comprising as an integrated unit:

(a) a computer;

(b) an antenna to trasmit commands between an RFDI tag and an RFDI reader;

(c) an RFDI reader for reading information from multiple RFDI tags substantially simultaneously;

(d) an RFDI writer for transmitting information to an RFDI tag for storage therein;

(e) a touch-screen display; and

(f) a trigger for intermittent activation of the device.

18. The hand-held RFDI device of claim 17, further comprising a data transfer system for transferring data from the RFID device to a separate database.

19. The hand-held RFID device of claim 18, wherein the data transfer system comprises a connection for operatively coupling with a docking station.

20. The hand-held RFID device of claim 18, wherein the data transfer system comprises a cabled data transfer connection.

21. The hand-held RFID device of claim 18, wherein the data transfer system comprises a wireless data transfer system.

22. The hand-held RFID device of claim 17, wherein the device includes an integral power source.

23. The hand-held RFID device of claim 17, wherein the computer is a detachable hand-held computer.

24. The hand-held RFID device of claim 23, wherein the detachable hand-held computer comprises a connection for operatively coupling with a docking station.

25. The hand-held RFID device of claim 17, wherein the computer includes a power source separate from the source of power for the remainder of the device.

26. The hand-held RFID device of claim 17, wherein the hand-held device obtains information from an RFID tag, and immediately displays that information on the display.

27. The hand-held RFID device of claim 17, wherein the hand-held device obtains information from an RFID tag, and immediately displays information stored within the hand-held device that is related to a tagged item.

28. The hand-held RFID device of claim 17, wherein the device is adapted to verify the order of materials on a shelf.

29. The hand-held RFID device of claim 17, wherein (i) the device is programmed with specific information identifying certain items that an operator wishes to locate, (ii) indentifiers of items read by the RFID device are compared with the information identifying the certain items;

and (iii) when a match occurs, the device creates one or more signals indicating the presence of the item.