Checkpoint Systems, Inc.

Byte Foods, Inc.

Pantry Retail, Inc.

Artem Tkachenko

Christopher Alika Ah New

Upamanyu Madhow

Ben J Wild

Kannan Ramchandran

Alexander Yancher

Zhongning Chen

Robert G Barton

Ben Wild

Petya Vachranukuniet

RFID tag antenna

One variation of a method for controlling access to products from a vending machine includes: locking a door of the vending machine; recording an initial inventory of products arranged within the vending machine based on signals received by a radio antenna arranged within the vending machine and read by a radio frequency identification reader; initiating a transaction in response to receiving a cashless payment mechanism from a patron; unlocking the door in response to authentication of the cashless payment mechanism; in response to closure of the door, recording a final inventory of products within the vending machine based on signals received by the radio antenna and read by the radio frequency identification reader; and initiating a payment with the cashless payment mechanism for a difference between the initial inventory and the final inventory to complete the transaction.

Vending kit and method

Methods and systems for localizing an asset using the modulated backscatter from an asset tag and one or more marker tags are described. The system includes the reader, a location module and one or more marker tags. The location estimates for the asset tag are based partially on a prior knowledge of the location of each of the one or more marker tags. The location for each marker tag may be stored in a database. The location module determines a location estimate for the asset tag using the estimated parameters of the modulated backscatter signals received from one or more marker tags and from the asset tag. Using the known locations of the marker tags, a location estimate of the asset tag can be determined. The location estimate may be a relative location, an absolute location, and/or may be a zone including the marker tags. A mobile reader using the marker tags can localize asset tags throughout a large area and may, for example, take an inventory of assets throughout the large area.

Localizing tagged assets using modulated backscatter

An RFD reader includes a transceiver configured to receive a first radio frequency signal reflected off at least one surface to provide baseline signal information and a second radio frequency signal reflected off the at least one surface and an object to provide further signal information. A comparator is configured to compare the baseline signal information and the further signal information to provide a signal comparison. A processor is configured to detect the presence of the object in accordance with the signal comparison. A determination is made whether the object is in motion in accordance with the signal comparison. The determination whether the object is in motion is made in accordance with a continuous fluctuation of the second radio frequency signal. A determination whether the object is no longer in motion is made in accordance with an ending of the continuous fluctuation of the second radio frequency signal.

Background object sensor

In an RFID system with existing reader and tags communicating with each other, appliqu&#xe9;s derive information by listening to this communication to yield significant performance benefits, while not affecting the communication between the existing nodes. For example, an appliqu&#xe9; capable of receiving beamforming can estimate the angle of arrival of the signal emitted by a tag, thereby providing information that can be used to localize the tag. An appliqu&#xe9; may be connected to an existing reader by means of an existing port, such as to an antenna port or to an Ethernet port. The information from appliqu&#xe9;s can be integrated with that obtained from existing nodes at either the appliqu&#xe9;s, or further up the hierarchy in middleware.

Applique nodes for performance and functionality enhancement in radio frequency identification systems

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Artem Tkachenko