Method and apparatus for wireless management of articles

• US 8,493,214 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Kamel, John-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/476,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/10.51, 340/10.32, 340/10.4, 340/10.5, 340/592, 340/6.1, 340/8.1
• 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 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention is directed to method and apparatus for wireless management of articles. The method is implemented by a master REID tag. The method includes transmitting at least one first RFID read signal to a plurality of REID tags local to the master RFID tag and receiving a first RFID response signal from each of the plurality of RFID tags in response to the at least one first RFID read signal. Each of the first RFID response signals comprises an identifier associated with an article. The method further includes maintaining an article record indicating at least one expected article that is to be managed by the master RFID tag and comparing each of the identifiers with the article record in an attempt to compile contextual information associated with the article record. The method further includes transmitting a master signal comprising the contextual information associated with the article record.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a master RFID tag, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one first RFID read signal to a plurality of RFID tags local to the master RFID tag;

receiving a first RFID response signal from each of the plurality of RFID tags in response to the at least one first RFID read signal, each of the first RFID response signals comprising an identifier associated with an article;

maintaining an article record indicating at least one expected article that is to be managed by the master RFID tag;

identifying one or more extra articles by identifying a specific identifier received within the plurality of first RFID response signals that lacks a corresponding specific expected article within the article record; and

transmitting a master signal comprising one or more identifiers of the extra articles.

2. A method defined in claim 1 further comprising identifying one or more missing articles by identifying a specific expected article within the article record that lacks a corresponding specific identifier received within the plurality of first RFID response signals, the master signal further comprising one or more identifiers of the missing articles.

3. A method defined in claim 1, wherein the transmitting a master signal comprises, responsive to receipt of a second RFID read signal from an RFID reader, transmitting a second RFID response signal, the second RFID response signal comprising the one or more identifiers of the extra articles.

4. A method defined in claim 1, the master RFID tag being a first master RFID tag, wherein the transmitting a master signal comprises transmitting a master signal comprising the one or more identifiers of the extra articles to a second master RFID tag.

5. A method defined in claim 4 further comprising maintaining a second article record within the second master RFID tag for indicating at least one expected article that is to be managed by the second master RFID tag;

and receiving a request signal comprising at least one identifier from the second article record from the second master RFID tag; and

wherein the transmitting a master signal is responsive to the request signal.

6. A method defined in claim 5, wherein the transmitting the master signal to the second master RFID tag occurs if the at least one identifier from the second article record within the request signal is one of the identifiers of the extra articles.

7. A method implemented by a master RFID tag, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one first RFID read signal to a plurality of RFID tags local to the master RFID tag;

receiving a first RFID response signal from each of the plurality of RFID tags in response to the at least one first RFID read signal, each of the first RFID response signals comprising an identifier associated with an article;

maintaining an article record indicating at least one expected article that is to be managed by the master RFID tag;

identifying one or more missing articles by identifying a specific expected article within the article record that lacks a corresponding specific identifier received within the plurality of first RFID response signals; and

transmitting a master signal comprising one or more identifiers of the missing articles.

8. A method defined in claim 7, wherein the transmitting a master signal comprises, responsive to receipt of a second RFID read signal from an RFID reader, transmitting a second RFID response signal, the second RFID response signal comprising the one or more identifiers of the missing articles.

9. A method defined in claim 7, the master RFID tag being a first master RFID tag, wherein the transmitting a master signal comprises transmitting a master signal comprising the one or more identifiers of the missing articles to a second master RFID tag.

10. A method defined in claim 7, the master RFID tag being a first master RFID tag and the identifiers received within the first RFID response signals being a first set of identifiers;

the method further comprising receiving data associated with a second set of identifiers from a second master RFID tag and comparing the second set of identifiers with the one or more identifiers of the missing articles.

11. A method defined in claim 10 further comprising transmitting a request signal comprising the one or more identifiers of the missing articles to the second master RFID tag prior to receiving data associated with a second set of identifiers from the second master RFID tag.

12. A master RFID tag comprising:

a first communication unit operative for;

transmitting at least one first RFID read signal to a plurality of RFID tags local to the master RFID tag; and

receiving a first RFID response signal from each of the plurality of RFID tags in response to the at least one first RFID read signal, each of the first RFID response signals comprising an identifier associated with an article;

a memory unit operative for storing an article record indicating at least one expected article that is to be managed by the master RFID tag;

a processing unit operative for at least one of;

identifying one or more extra articles by identifying a specific identifier received within the plurality of first RFID response signals that lacks a corresponding specific expected article within the article record; and

identifying one or more missing articles by identifying a specific expected article within the article record that lacks a corresponding specific identifier received within the plurality of first RFID response signals; and

a second communication unit operative for transmitting a master signal comprising at least one of;

one or more identifiers of the extra articles and one or more identifiers of the missing articles.

13. A master RFID tag defined in claim 12, wherein the processing unit is operative for identifying one or more extra articles and the master signal comprises one or more identifiers of the extra articles.

14. A master RFID tag defined in claim 12, wherein the processing unit is operative for identifying one or more missing articles and the master signal comprises one or more identifiers of the missing articles.

15. A master RFID tag defined in claim 12, wherein to transmit a master signal, the second communication unit is operative for, responsive to receipt of a second RFID read signal from an RFID reader, transmitting a second RFID response signal, the second RFID response signal comprising at least one of:

the one or more identifiers of the extra articles and the one or more identifiers of the missing articles.

16. A master RFID tag defined in claim 12, the master RFID tag being a first master RFID tag, wherein to transmit a master signal, the second communication unit is operative for transmitting a master signal comprising at least one of:

the one or more identifiers of the extra articles and the one or more identifiers of the missing articles to a second master RFID tag.

17. A master RFID tag defined in claim 16, wherein the second master RFID tag is operative for maintaining a second article record for indicating at least one expected article that is to be managed by the second master RFID tag;

wherein the second communication unit is further operative for receiving a request signal comprising at least one identifier from the second article record from the second master RFID tag; and

wherein the transmitting a master signal is responsive to the request signal.

18. A master RFID tag defined in claim 17, wherein the second communication unit is operative for transmitting the master signal to the second master RFID tag if the at least one identifier from the second article record within the request signal is one of the identifiers of the extra articles.

19. A master RFID tag defined in claim 12, the master RFID tag being a first master RFID tag and the identifiers received within the first RFID response signals being a first set of identifiers;

wherein one of the first and second communication units is further operative for receiving data associated with a second set of identifiers from a second master RFID tag; and

wherein the processing unit is further operative for comparing the second set of identifiers with the one or more identifiers of the missing articles.

20. A master RFID tag defined in claim 19, wherein the one of the first and second communication units is further operative for transmitting a request signal comprising the one or more identifiers of the missing articles to the second master RFID tag prior to receiving data associated with a second set of identifiers from the second master RFID tag.