Methods and systems for identifying stacked sets and locating and tracking stacked sets

• US 8,154,408 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin Spindel, Nadine Cino
• Original Assignee: Martin Spindel, Nadine Cino
• Inventors: Spindel, Martin, Cino, Nadine
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US13/070,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.4, 340/572.1, 340/573.1, 340/573.3, 340/10.32, 340/10.4, 235/385, 700/219, 700/229
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• 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 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/581 Combination lock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5854 Bolt, nut, stud, stud-cap

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for determining when a set of RFID tags on a set of stacked objects belongs to a same defined subset of stacked objects (“set identification”). This method includes the steps of: (1) detecting the set of RFID tags on the set of stacked objects, said RFID tags comprising integrated devices capable of sending signals that can be received by a receptor device and interpreted to determine a motion state of each RFID tag and stacked object; (2) receiving said signals from the set of RFID tags; (3) interpreting said signals to determine the motion state of each RFID tag and stacked object within the set, wherein said signals indicate whether the motion state of each RFID tag and object is in a state of stationary, starting in motion, stopping in motion, or continuing in motion; (4) determining which RFID tags and objects are in a same motion state within a predetermined time of each other; and (5) identifying the RFID tags that are in the same motion state, within the predetermined time, as belonging to the same defined subset of stacked objects, wherein said motion state is used to determine when said set of stacked objects forms a new stack.

Claims

1. A method for determining when a set of RFID tags on a set of stacked objects belongs to a same defined subset of stacked objects, and for determining a location of the defined subset, comprising:

receiving signals from the set of RFID tags on the set of stacked objects, said RFID tags comprising integrated devices capable of sending signals that can be received by a receptor device and interpreted to determine a motion state of each RFID tag and object;

interpreting said signals to determine that a subset of the stacked objects belong to the same defined subset based on the motion state of each RFID tag and object within the defined subset, wherein said signals indicate whether the motion state of each RFID tag and object are in a same motion state within a predetermined time of each other; and

determining a location of all the objects in the defined subset of objects by determining a location of as few as one RFID tag in the defined subset of objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each RFID tag has an integrated motion sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each RFID tag has an integrated accelerometer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receptor device comprises a Doppler detector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion state of each RFID tag is determined using the Doppler effect.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion state of each RFID tag is determined based upon properties of waves transmitted by said RFID tag.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects are selected from a group consisting of containers, boxes, dollies, pallets, and carts.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects are selected from a group consisting of railroad cars, trucks, cars, boats, and livestock.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a quantity of objects is identified as being in the same subset and said quantity is used to attribute properties to the subset of objects.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a determination is made as to an average received signal strength of the RFID tags that belong to the defined subset of objects.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a determination is made as to a zone in which the defined subset of objects is located, said determination based upon an average received signal strength of the RFID tags that belong to the defined subset of objects.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an infrared signal by at least one RFID tag in the defined subset of objects to determine a location of all objects in the defined subset of objects.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an infrared signal by at least one RFID tag in the defined subset of objects to determine that all objects in the defined subset of objects have passed through a chokepoint.

14. A system for determining when a set of RFID tags on a set of stacked objects belongs to a same defined subset of stacked objects and for determining a location of the defined subset, comprising:

a processor for processing program code; and

one or more memories for storing program code, coupled to the processor, which when executed by the processor execute a process comprising the steps of;

receiving signals from the set of RFID tags on the set of stacked objects, said RFID tags comprising integrated devices capable of sending signals that can be received by a receptor device and interpreted to determine a motion state of each RFID tag and object;

interpreting said signals to determine that a subset of the stacked objects belong to the same defined subset based on the motion state of each RFID tag and object within the defined subset, wherein said signals indicate whether the motion state of each RFID tag and object are in a same motion state within a predetermined time of each other; and

determining a location of all the objects in the defined subset of objects by determining a location of as few as one RFID tag in the defined subset of objects.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each RFID tag has an integrated motion sensor.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said receptor device comprises a Doppler detector.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein each RFID tag has an integrated accelerometer.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the motion state of each RFID tag is determined using the Doppler effect.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the motion state of each RFID tag is determined based upon properties of waves transmitted by said RFID tag.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein a quantity of objects is identified as being in the same subset and said quantity is used to attribute properties to the subset of objects.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein a determination is made as to an average received signal strength of the RFID tags that belong to the defined subset of objects.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein a determination is made as to a zone in which the defined subset of objects is located, said determination based upon an average received signal strength of the RFID tags that belong to the defined subset of objects.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more memories further comprise additional program code, which when executed comprise the additional step of:

receiving an infrared signal by at least one RFID tag in the defined subset of objects to determine a location of all objects in the defined subset of objects.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more memories further comprise additional program code, which when executed comprise the additional step of:

receiving an infrared signal by at least one RFID tag in the defined subset of objects to determine that all objects in the defined subset of objects have passed through a chokepoint.