Applications for radio frequency identification systems

• US 8,502,673 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Garber, Sharon R., Gonzalez, Bernard A., Grunes, Mitchell B., Jackson, Richard H., Karel, Gerald L., Kruse, John M., Lindahl, Richard W., Nash, James E., Piotrowski, Chester, Yorkovich, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/731,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20100176936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/5.92, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/572.6, 705/28, 705/22, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.3
• 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 method of using a hand-held radio frequency identification (RFID) device comprising:

providing an RFID element associated with a library item, wherein the RFID element operates both;

(1) to provide identification for the library item, and (2) to provide information for ensuring secure removal of the library item from a library;

providing a magnetically responsive element associated with the library item that functions as an antenna coupled to circuitry in the RFID element; and

interrogating, with the hand-held RFID device, the RFID element associated with the library item to determine an identification for the library item and update an inventory database with respect to the library item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system to allow a library patron to remove the library item from the library without triggering an alarm.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensitizing or de-sensitizing the magnetically responsive element in response to information obtained from the RFID element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensitizing or de-sensitizing is performed directly in response to information obtained from and contained within the RFID element itself.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensitizing or de-sensitizing is performed based on information obtained from the RFID element being compared to information in a database separate from the RFID element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information for ensuring secure removal of the library item from a library comprises information identifying the type of library item.