Item level inventory with a radio frequency identification (RFID) system
AssigneeSensormatic Electronics Corporation
InventorsMark Alexis, Gary Mark Shafer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for item level inventory and a method for performing an RFID item level inventory may be provided. The method may include selectively controlling with an RF signal each of a plurality of multiplexers connected to a plurality of local antennas and selectively enabling with an RF signal the plurality of local antennas using the plurality of multiplexers to perform RFID interrogation on a plurality of RFID tags. The method further may include acquiring inventory information based on the RFID interrogation.
Claims20
A method for performing a radio frequency identification (RFID) inventory, the method comprising:
- selectively controlling with an RF signal each of a plurality of multiplexers connected to a plurality of local antennas;
- selectively enabling with an RF signal the plurality of local antennas using the plurality of multiplexers to perform RFID interrogation on a plurality of RFID tags;
- and
- acquiring inventory information based on the RFID interrogation.
A method for controlling the acquisition of information during an RFID item level inventory, the method comprising:
- transmitting an identification (ID) request command to each of a plurality of multiplexers during an ID acquisition state, the ID request command activating multiplexers in a transmission range;
- identifying, using the plurality of multiplexers, antenna arrays available to acquire RFID tag information;
- and
- initiating an inventory acquisition process wherein each of a plurality of local antennas of the antenna arrays is selectively activated to acquire the RFID tag information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.