Object location system and method using rfid and guard tags
AssigneeAvery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC
InventorIan Forster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for locating a RFID tag in a space or area having a physical barrier is disclosed herein. More specifically, the system comprises a plurality of guard tags for use in conjunction with a RFID tag disposed on an item and a RFID reader for locating the same. The system is configured to locate the RFID tag on either side of the physical barrier. The plurality of guard tags may comprise a plurality of negative encoded guard tags and a plurality of positive encoded guard tags, and an algorithm may be used to determine a probability of the RFID tag location within the physical space. A method of locating a RFID tag within a physical space, and a method of virtually shielding the physical space is also disclosed.
Claims13
A system for locating a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in an area comprising:
- an RFID tag disposed on an article in the area that accommodates a plurality of articles and respective RFID tags, wherein the RFID tag includes a weight associated with a received signal strength indication of the RFID tag;
- an RFID reader in communication with the RFID tag;
- and
- a plurality of guard tags, each guard tag having a weight, the weight being based on a received signal strength indication of the guard tag and positioned in the area;
- wherein:
- at least one of the guard tags is a positive guard tag and at least one of the guard tags is a negative guard tag,
- the weight of the negative guard tag is higher than the weight of the positive guard tag;
- and
- a probability of a location of the RFID tag is determined based on the weight of the guard tags when compared with the weight of the RFID tag,
- wherein the plurality of guard tags is deployable to provide RF shielding to the area.
A method of locating an RFID tag within an area comprising:
- associating the RFID tag with an article positioned in the area, wherein the area accommodates a plurality of articles and respective RFID tags, wherein the RFID tag includes a weight associated with a received signal strength indication of the RFID tag;
- deploying a plurality of guard tags within the area to provide RF shielding in the area, each guard tag having a weight being based on a received signal strength indication of the guard tag, wherein at least one of the guard tags is a positive guard tag and at least one of the guard tags is a negative guard tag, and the weight of the negative guard tag is higher than the weight of the positive guard tag;
- comparing the weight of the guard tags with the weight of the RFID tags;
- determine a probability of a location of the RFID tag being based on the weight of the guard tags when compared with the weight of the RFID tag;
- and
- transmitting a signal from a RFID reader to the RFID tag to locate the RFID tag within the area.
A method virtually RF shielding an area comprising:
- assessing a need for RF shielding the area that accommodates a plurality of articles and respective RFID tags, wherein the RFID tag includes a weight associated with a received signal strength indication of the RFID tag;
- deploying a plurality of guard tags within the area to RF shield the area, each guard tag having a weight being based on a received signal strength indication of the guard tag, wherein at least one of the guard tags is a positive guard tag and at least one of the guard tags is a negative guard tag, and the weight of the negative guard tag is higher than the weight of the positive guard tag;
- comparing the weight of the guard tags with the weight of the RFID tags;
- determine a probability of a location of the RFID tag being based on the weight of the guard tags when compared with the weight of the RFID tag;
- and
- transmitting a RF signal from a RFID reader to a RFID tag to locate the RFID tag within the area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.