# US 9,435,877 B2 · Ultra-wideband location engine for self-shopping devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,877 B2 - Document ID: US9435877B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/579,874 - Filed: 2014-12-22 - Published: 2016-06-23 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-22 - Assignees: Datalogic IP Tech S.R.L. - Applicants: Datalogic IP Tech, S.r.l. - Inventors: Marco Bottazzi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435877B2 ## CPC - G01S 5/10: Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements {, e.g. omega or decca systems}(G01S5/12 takes precedence {; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308}) - G01S 5/14: Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location - G01S 13/767: {Responders; Transponders (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26)} - G01S 13/878: {Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence)} - G06Q 10/0833: Tracking - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q 10/08741: {by picking of items from inventory for fulfillment} - G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting} - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - H04B 1/69: Spread spectrum techniques - 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 - 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 - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Real-time locating systems (RTLS) for self-shopping systems that utilize a dual technology approach. Self-shopping terminals are equipped with a passive or active ultra-wideband (UWB) tag that includes a UWB backscatter module or a UWB transmitter, respectively, as well as a standard wireless communication transceiver, such as a Wi-Fi® or UHF-RFID transceiver, that enables communication over the wireless communication channel. Readers fixed within a shopping environment activate the UWB tag of a selected one of the self-shopping terminals by addressing the self-shopping terminal using the standard wireless communication channel. Once activated, the UWB tag of the selected self-shopping terminal transmits UWB signals which are received by a plurality of the readers and used to determine the location of the UWB tag and hence the location of the self-shopping terminal. A messaging system may send messages to the self-shopping terminal for presentation to the customer on a display of the self-shopping terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operation in a self-shopping platform including a plurality of readers fixedly positioned within an environment, the method comprising: selecting, by at least one processor, one of a plurality of self-shopping terminals associated with the self-shopping platform; sending, by the at least one processor, an activation command to the selected self-shopping terminal over a first wireless communication channel, the first wireless communication channel utilizing wireless signals other than ultra-wideband signals; in response to the sending of the activation command, receiving, by a plurality of reader processors of a respective plurality of readers, ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal; determining, by each of the plurality of reader processors of the respective plurality of readers which receive the ultra-wideband signals, a ranging value indicative of a distance between the self-shopping terminal and the respective reader using the received ultra-wideband signals; and sending, by each of the plurality of reader processors of the respective plurality of readers which receive the ultra-wideband signals, the determined ranging value to a processor-based locator system over at least one data communication channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein selecting one of a plurality of self-shopping terminals associated with the self-shopping platform comprises selecting an internet protocol (IP) address of one of the plurality of self-shopping terminals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein sending an activation command to the selected self-shopping terminal over a first wireless communication channel comprises sending an activation command to the selected self-shopping terminal over at least one of an IEEE 802.11 communication channel or an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF-RFID) communication channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein receiving ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal comprises receiving ultra-wideband signals from an active ultra-wideband transmitter of the ultra-wideband tag. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein receiving ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal comprises receiving ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband backscatter circuit of the ultra-wideband tag. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein receiving ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal comprises receiving code division multiple access (CDMA) ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein receiving CDMA ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal comprises receiving CDMA ultra-wideband signals that use a balanced spreading code. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein determining a ranging value indicative of a distance between the self-shopping terminal and the respective reader using the received ultra-wideband signals comprises performing at least one of a time difference of arrival (TDOA) calculation or a time of arrival (TOA) calculation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the at least one processor of the self-shopping platform, at least a two-dimensional position of the self-shopping terminal based at least in part on the ranging values determined by each of the plurality of reader processors which received the ultra-wideband signals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: selecting, by at least one processor, a message based at least in part on the determined position of the self-shopping terminal; and sending, by the at least one processor, the selected message to the self-shopping terminal over at least one data communication channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein sending the selected message to the self-shopping terminal over at least one communication channel comprises sending the selected message to the self-shopping terminal over the first wireless communication channel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the self-shopping platform further includes the associated self-shopping terminals, wherein the selected self-shopping terminal being associated with a consumer and having one or more processors, at least one wireless communications transceiver communicatively coupled to the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal, the ultra-wideband tag communicatively coupled to the one or more processors of the selected-self shopping terminal, and at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal and which stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data, the method comprising: receiving, by the at least one wireless communications transceiver of the selected self-shopping terminal, the activation command over the wireless communication channel, the first wireless communication channel comprising at least one of an IEEE 802.11 communication channel or an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF-RFID) communication channel; and in response to the received activation command, causing, by the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal, a transmission of ultra-wideband signals by an ultra-wideband backscatter circuit of the ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein receiving an activation command comprises receiving an activation command addressed to an internet protocol (IP) address of the selected self-shopping terminal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein causing a transmission of ultra-wideband signals by the ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal comprises causing a transmission of ultra-wideband signals by an active ultra-wideband transmitter of the ultra-wideband tag. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein causing a transmission of ultra-wideband signals by the ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal comprises causing a transmission of code division multiple access (CDMA) ultra-wideband signals from the ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein causing a transmission of CDMA ultra-wideband signals by the ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal comprises causing a transmission of CDMA ultra-wideband signals that use a balanced spreading code. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving, by the at least one wireless communications transceiver of the selected self-shopping terminal, a marketing message from at least one of the plurality of readers over the first wireless communication channel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: subsequent to the selecting of one of a plurality of self-shopping terminals associated with the self-shopping platform, selecting, by at least one processor, another self-shopping terminal of the plurality of self-shopping terminals associated with the self-shopping platform; sending, by the at least one processor, an activation command to the selected other self-shopping terminal over the first wireless communication channel, the first wireless communication channel utilizing wireless signals other than ultra-wideband signals; in response to the sending of the activation command to the selected other self-shopping terminal, receiving, by the plurality of reader processors of the respective plurality of readers, ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected other self-shopping terminal; and determining, by each of the plurality of reader processors of the respective plurality of readers which receive the ultra-wideband signals from the ultra-wideband tag of the selected other self-shopping terminal, a ranging value indicative of a distance between the other self-shopping terminal and the respective reader using the received other ultra-wideband signals. ### Claim 19 A self-shopping system, comprising: a processor-based locator system; a plurality of readers fixedly positioned within a shopping environment, each of the plurality of readers coupled to the processor-based locator system over at least one data communication channel and comprising: at least one reader processor; a first wireless communication transceiver communicatively coupled to the at least one reader processor, the wireless communications transceiver including a first transmitter that sends data over a first wireless communication channel and a first receiver that receives data over the first wireless communication channel, the first communication channel utilizing signals other than ultra-wideband signals; a second receiver communicatively coupled to the at least one reader processor, the second receiver receives ultra-wideband signals; and at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one reader processor and which stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data that when executed by the at least one reader processor, cause the at least one reader processor to: send, by the first transmitter, an activation command to a selected one of a plurality of self-shopping terminals over the first wireless communication channel; receive, by the second receiver, ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal; determine a ranging value indicative of a distance between the self-shopping terminal and the respective reader using the received ultra-wideband signals; and send the respective determined ranging value to the processor-based locator system over the at least one data communication channel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19 wherein the at least one reader processor: selects an internet protocol (IP) address of one of the plurality of self-shopping terminals. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19 wherein the at least one reader processor: sends an activation command to the selected self-shopping terminal over at least one of an IEEE 802.11 communication channel or an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF-RFID) communication channel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19 wherein the at least one reader processor: receives, by the second receiver, ultra-wideband signals from an active ultra-wideband transmitter of the ultra-wideband tag. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19 wherein the at least one reader processor: receives, by the second receiver, ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband backscatter circuit of the ultra-wideband tag. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19 wherein the at least one reader processor: receives code division multiple access (CDMA) ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The self-shopping system of claim 24 wherein the CDMA ultra-wideband signals received from an ultra-wideband tag comprise CDMA ultra-wideband signals that use a balanced spreading code. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19 wherein the at least one reader processor: performs at least one of a time difference of arrival (TDOA) calculation or a time of arrival (TOA) calculation. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19 wherein the processor-based locator system determines at least a two-dimensional position of the self-shopping terminal based at least in part on the ranging values determined by each of the plurality of reader processors which received the ultra-wideband signals. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The self-shopping system of claim 27, further comprising: a processor-based messaging system that select a message based at least in part on the determined position of the self-shopping terminal, and sends the selected message to the self-shopping terminal over at least one data communication channel. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The self-shopping system of claim 28 wherein the processor-based messaging system sends the selected message to the self-shopping terminal over the first wireless communication channel. ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19, further comprising, the selected self-shopping terminal, wherein the selected self-shopping terminal comprising: one or more processors; one or more wireless communications transceivers communicatively coupled to the one or more processors of the selected-self shopping terminal; the ultra-wideband tag communicatively coupled to the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal, the ultra-wideband tag comprising an ultra-wideband backscatter circuit; and one or more non-transitory processor-readable media communicatively coupled to the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal and which stores one or more of processor-executable instructions or data that when executed by the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal, cause the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal to: receive, by the one or more wireless communications transceivers of the selected-self shopping terminal, the activation command over the wireless communication channel, the first wireless communication channel comprising at least one of an IEEE 802.11 communication channel or an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF-RFID) communication channel; and in response to the received activation command, cause a transmission of ultra-wideband signals by the ultra-wideband backscatter circuit of the ultra-wideband tag of the selected self-shopping terminal. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The self-shopping system of claim 30 wherein the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal: receives, by the one or more wireless communications transceivers of the selected self-shopping terminal, an activation command addressed to an internet protocol (IP) address of the selected self-shopping terminal. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The self-shopping system of claim 30 wherein the ultra-wideband tag comprises an active ultra-wideband transmitter that transmits the ultra-wideband signals. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The self-shopping system of claim 30 wherein the ultra-wideband tag transmits code division multiple access (CDMA) ultra-wideband signals. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The self-shopping system of claim 33 wherein the ultra-wideband tag transmits code division multiple access (CDMA) ultra-wideband signals that use a balanced spreading code. ### Claim 35 (depends on 30) The self-shopping system of claim 30 wherein the self-shopping terminal comprises one of a smartphone, a tablet computer or a notebook computer. ### Claim 36 (depends on 30) The self-shopping system of claim 30 wherein the one or more processors of the selected self-shopping terminal: receives, by the one or more wireless communications transceivers of the selected self-shopping terminal, a marketing message from at least one of the plurality of readers over the first wireless communication channel. ### Claim 37 (depends on 19) The self-shopping system of claim 19 wherein the at least one reader processor, subsequent to sending an activation command to a selected one of a plurality of self-shopping terminals over the first wireless communication channel: sends, by the first transmitter, an activation command to another selected self-shopping terminal of the plurality of self-shopping terminals over the first wireless communication channel; receives, by the second receiver, ultra-wideband signals from an ultra-wideband tag of the other selected self-shopping terminal; and determines a ranging value indicative of a distance between the other self-shopping terminal and the respective reader using the received ultra-wideband signals from the ultra-wideband tag of the other selected self-shopping terminal.