# US 9,038,905 B2 · System, method, and storage unit for managing multiple objects in an object zone > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,038,905 B2 - Document ID: US9038905B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/229,855 - Filed: 2014-03-29 - Published: 2014-07-31 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-31 - Assignees: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation - Applicants: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation - Inventors: Pamela Chen; Rebecca Lj Chen; Chun-Lin Liao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038905B2 ## CPC - G06K 7/01: Details - G06F 16/00: Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor - G06K 7/10316: {using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers (antennas in general H01Q1/22)} - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Disclosed is a system for managing multiple objects in an object zone. The system comprises multiple machine-readable object identification tags configured to be respectively attached to the multiple objects; a storage unit moving through the object zone to store the selected objects which are respectively attached with the machine-readable object identification tags; at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag attached to the storage unit; and multiple spaced reading units capable of remotely reading the multiple machine-readable object identification tags and the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag, wherein the objects attached with the machine-readable object identification tags within a predefined spatial range defined based on the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag are associated with the storage unit. A method thereof and a storage unit are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for managing multiple objects in an object zone, comprising: multiple machine-readable object identification tags configured to be respectively attached to the multiple objects; a storage unit moving through the object zone for storing one or more of the multiple objects within a predefined spatial range defining an area with the storage unit; at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag configured to be attached to the storage unit and configured to define the predefined spatial range; multiple spaced reading units configured to remotely read the multiple machine-readable object identification tags and the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag; and at least one processor and memory configured to: determine that the one or more of the multiple objects are within the predefined spatial range based on the reading of the multiple-readable object identification tags and the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag; and associate the one or more of the multiple objects with the storage unit based on the determination. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag includes a machine-readable storage unit identification tag which is located at the substantially central point of the storage unit to define a sphere having a certain radius as the predefined spatial range. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag includes at least two machine-readable storage unit identification tags which are configured on the surface of the storage unit to define a space as the predefined spatial range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit can selectively be one of a shopping cart, a goods shelf, a counter, a pallet, a box, a cage and a storage unit having a proper storage space. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein wherein each of the reading units is one of a reader, a RFID reader, an active wireless RFID tag, and a semi-passive wireless RFID tag, or the at least one machine-readable object identification tag is one of a RFID tag, a zigbee tag, and a NFC tag, or the machine-readable storage unit identification tag is one of a RFID tag, a zigbee tag, and a NFC tag. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, further comprising: a computer infrastructure configured to provide an object management service for managing the multiple objects in the object zone; a wireless communication device configured to enable the communication between the machine-readable object identification tags, the machine-readable storage unit identification tag, the reading unit and the computer infrastructure; and a storage unit matching device configured to acquire and display the object management service. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to acquire information of the one or more of the multiple objects in response to determining that the one or more of the multiple objects are within the predefined spatial range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a shopping cart matching device, and wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to transmit the acquired information to the shopping cart matching device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the acquired information comprises prices of the objects, and wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to calculate a total price of the objects based on the prices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the acquired information one of a price, a total number, a total price, and a name. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are configured to checkout the objects based on the determination. ### Claim 12 A storage unit applicable to an object zone in which there are multiple objects which are respectively attached with multiple machine-readable object identification tags, wherein the storage unit moving through the object zone to store one or more of the multiple objects, the storage unit comprises: a storage unit body; at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag which is attached to the storage unit body and configured to define a predefined spatial range within the storage unit body, wherein multiple spaced reading units are configured in the object zone to remotely read the multiple machine-readable object identification tags and the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag, and the one or more multiple objects attached with the machine-readable object identification tags within the predefined spatial range defined based on the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag are associated with the storage unit; and at least one processor and memory configured to: determine that the one or more of the multiple objects are within the predefined spatial range based on the reading of the multiple-readable object identification tags and the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag; and associate the one or more of the multiple objects with the storage unit based on the determination. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The storage unit according to claim 12, wherein the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag includes a machine-readable storage unit identification tag which is located at the substantially central point of the storage unit to define a sphere having a certain radius as the predefined spatial range, or the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag includes at least two machine-readable storage unit identification tags which are configured on the surface of the storage unit to define a space as the predefined spatial range. ### Claim 14 A method for managing multiple objects in an object zone, comprising: attaching multiple machine-readable object identification tags to the multiple objects respectively; attaching at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag to a storage unit which moves through the object zone to store one or more of the multiple objects; remotely reading the multiple machine-readable object identification tags and the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag using multiple spaced reading units, wherein the objects attached with the machine-readable object identification tags within a predefined spatial range defined based on the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag are associated with the storage unit; determining, at the at least one processor and memory, that the one or more of the multiple objects are within the predefined spatial range based on the reading of the multiple-readable object identification tags and the at least one machine-redable storage unit identification tag; and associating, at the at least one processor and memory, the one or more of the multiple objects with the storage unit based on the determination. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag includes a machine-readable storage unit identification tag which is located at the substantially central point of the storage unit to define a sphere having a certain radius as the predefined spatial range; or the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag includes at least two machine-readable storage unit identification tags which are configured on the surface of the storage unit to define a space as the predefined spatial range.