# US 10,121,035 B2 · Method of identification of a tag on a moving item

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- Number: US 10,121,035 B2
- Document ID: US10121035B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/542,780
- Filed: 2015-01-14
- Published: 2018-01-04
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-14
- Assignees: Lyngsoe Systems A/S
- Applicants: Lyngsoe Systems A/S
- Inventors: Klaus Holst Jacobsen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121035B2

## CPC

- G06K 7/10445: {the record carriers being fixed to further objects, e.g. RFIDs fixed to packages, luggage, mail-pieces or work-pieces transported on a conveyor belt}
- B65G 43/08: Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)}
- G01S 13/74: Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
- G06K 7/10079: {the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions}
- G06K 7/10336: {the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil}
- G06K 7/10435: {the interrogation device being positioned close to a conveyor belt or the like on which moving record carriers are passing (conveying in accordance with bodily destination marks, see B65G47/46, sorting of objects carrying identity markings, see B07C5/34)}
- G06K 19/0723: {the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs}
- B65G 15/28: Conveyors with a load-conveying surface formed by a single flat belt, not otherwise provided for
- B65G 2201/0264: Luggage
- G06K 2007/10504: {Data fields affixed to objects or articles}
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

A method and system for identification of an item is provided, wherein the system includes a conveyor belt, a positioning device and a reader operable to receive at least one reading at at least one first antenna from at least one tag attached to the item, the first antenna being adapted to be arranged at a read point along the conveyor belt, wherein the positioning device is configured to retrieve a first position of the item at a first time instant before the first antenna and a second position of the item at a second time instant after the first antenna, the first and second time instants defining a time window, wherein the reader is configured to extract from each reading retrieved by the first antenna a measurement (6) of the phase of the signal transmitted by the tag (5) and perform a data processing of the phase measurements whereby the identification of the item (2) is accomplished.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of identification of an item in a system, the system comprising
a conveyor belt,
a reader comprising a first antenna, the first antenna being arranged at a read point along the conveyor belt and configured for receiving a signal transmitted from a tag, the reader being operable to receive at least one reading from the tag via the first antenna; wherein the reader is configured to extract from each reading retrieved by the first antenna a measurement of the phase of the signal transmitted by the tag;
a conveyor belt controller configured to retrieve a first position of the item at a first time instant t1 before the first antenna and a second position of the item at a second time instant t2 after the first antenna, the first and second time instants t1, t2 defining a time window W,
wherein the method comprises:
placing an item on the conveyor belt;
by the conveyor belt controller retrieving a first position of the item on the conveyor at the first time instant t1 before the read point of the first antenna and a second position of the item on the conveyor at the second time instant t2 after the read point of the first antenna, the first and second time instants t1, t2 defining a time window W;
by the reader receiving readings from the tag via the first antenna;
by the reader extracting, from each reading, a measurement of the phase of the signal transmitted by the tag;
by the reader or by a local server performing a data processing of the phase measurements, which data processing comprises constructing a phase curve from the phase measurements, the phase curve expressing the signal phase in dependence of time, and determining a global maximum on the phase curve;
by the reader associating the tag to the item if the global maximum lies within the time window W whereby the identification of the item is accomplished;
wherein the reader further comprises at least one second antenna placed underneath an upper surface of the conveyor belt, the second antenna being displaced from the read point; wherein the method further includes:
determining a time offset, the time offset corresponding to the time it takes for the conveyor belt to convey an item on the conveyor belt from the first antenna to the second antenna;
determining a further time window that is offset by the time offset; and
by the reader associating the tag to the item if at least one reading has been retrieved from the second antenna for the tag within the further time window.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises constructing the phase curve by detecting period roll overs of the phase measurements and adding period fragments.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises comparing the speed related to consecutive constructed phase measurements to the speed of the conveyor belt and accordingly filtering out constructed phase measurements not matching the movement pattern of the item.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises verifying the global maximum by defining an interval along the constructed phase curve around the global maximum, calculating a decline before and after the global maximum, and comparing the calculated declines to a threshold.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the tag is an RFID tag, and the first antenna is an RFID antenna, and wherein the method comprises transmitting signals by the tag and reading the signals by the antenna.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises providing a reading that comprises a timestamp for receipt of the signal from the tag, a signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the signal, the signal phase value of the signal, and information about a communication channel for the signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the method comprises providing a signal strength threshold and discarding phase measurements when a received signal has a strength under the signal strength threshold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the item is a suitcase, or a bag, or a package, and the method comprises identifying the item in an airport.