Symbol Technologies, LLC

Zebra Technologies Corporation

Zebra Technologies Corproation

David E Bellows

Thomas E Wulff

Rehan K Jaffri

Russell Calvarese

Sean D Marvel

Sean A Connolly

Mark William Duron

Richard J Lavery

Timothy B Austin

Robert I Sandler

Daniella Strat

Nicole Daphne Tricoukes

Matthew Louis Kowalski

Marco P Orlassino

Aslam Mohammed

Alistair Robert Hamilton

Ian R Jenkins

Curt D Croley

Sudhir Bhatia

Richard T Knadle

Eric M Johnson

Chad Chaumont

Shane E MacGregor

Kevin Cordes

Michael O'Haire

Martin J Strzelczyk

Joseph R White

Kang Pin Tee

Mark E Wheeler

Panchapakesan V Subramanian

LuoSheng Chen

Robert Sandler

Shane Macgregor

Asset tracking equipment housing

Systems and methods for automated and dynamic location tracking are provided. The system receives first location sensor data from a first location sensor indicative of first location information of at least one item associated with a radio frequency identification tag and detects a location change of the at least one item based on the received first location sensor data. The system determines whether the location change of the at least one item is greater than a predetermined threshold and generates and transmits a navigation path to a second location sensor indicative of an area associated with the first location information when the location change of the at least one item is greater than a predetermined threshold. The system receives second location sensor data from the second location sensor along the navigation path indicative of second location information of the at least one item within the area associated with the first location information.

System and method for automated and dynamic location tracking

In some implementations, a system may activate sensors of a smart shelf based on detected events. The system may include a first sensor array configured to monitor a surface of the smart shelf. The first sensor array may be associated with a first type of sensor. The system may include a second sensor array configured to monitor the surface of the smart shelf. The second sensor array may be associated with a second type of sensor. The system may include a controller. The controller may receive, from a first sensor of the first sensor array, a first sensor value. The controller may detect an occurrence of an event based on the first sensor value, wherein the event is associated with an item of the smart shelf. The controller may activate one or more second sensors of the second sensor array based on the occurrence of the event.

Sensor arrays for a smart shelf

Fulfillment guidance devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. An example device includes a memory; a communications interface; and a processor to: obtain, from a location tracking system deployed in a facility containing items of a plurality of item types, current locations for each of the items; select a subset of the items having a common type, and satisfying a proximity criterion; generate and store, in the memory, an item cluster definition having a type indicator corresponding to the common type, a count of items in the subset, and a single cluster location derived from the current locations of the items in the subset; obtain an item request including one of the item types; determine that the one of the item types matches the type indicator of the cluster definition; responsive to the determination, send at least a portion of the cluster definition to a mobile device within the facility.

Fulfillment guidance devices, systems, and methods

An edge device using broadcasting is disclosed herein. The edge device may include one or more memories and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories. In some implementations, the edge device may receive individual sets of data from a plurality of sensors and compile the individual sets of data into a single dataset to be processed by a backend device. The edge device may generate a plurality of advertisements to include a corresponding plurality of portions of the dataset and a corresponding plurality of sequence identifiers. The edge device may broadcast each advertisement, without receiving an acknowledgement of each preceding advertisement. The edge device may receive, from the backend device, an indication of one or more sequence identifiers that were not received. Accordingly, the edge device may retransmit, based on the indication of the sequence identifier(s), a portion of the plurality of advertisements.

Enhanced broadcast function at edge devices

A modular inventory management system is disclosed herein that includes a bin module. The bin module may include a module base, a sensor configuration, and a divider. The module base may have a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, and a top surface that connects the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge. The sensor configuration may be arranged on the module base between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge. The sensor configuration may include a plurality of sensor elements that are arranged in a single row on a center axis of the module base and configured to sense whether one or more objects are positioned on the top surface of the module base. The divider may be situated at the first lateral edge and may be configured to slide laterally with respect to the module base to adjust a width of the bin module.

Modular inventory management system

A computing device includes: a memory storing sensor placement rules; a processor connected with the memory, the processor configured to: obtain a floor plan representing a facility, the floor plan including contextual data representing spatial and structural features of the facility; define, based on the contextual data of the floor plan, one or more sensor placement regions within the facility; for each sensor placement region: generate a sensor layout within the sensor placement region based on the sensor placement rules; generate, based on a correspondence between the sensor placement region and the floor plan, a list of sensor devices and corresponding coordinates for each sensor device; and output the list of sensor devices and the corresponding coordinates.

Systems and methods for automatically generating sensor layouts

Layout generation for location-tracking sensors is disclosed herein. An example method in a computing device includes: receiving a map defining a set of features of a facility; obtaining layout data corresponding to the facility, the layout data defining, for each of a plurality of location tracking sensors, a location in a facility coordinate system; in response to deployment of the location tracking sensors in the facility according to the layout data, obtaining a performance metric for each of the location tracking sensors; and updating a primary layout generator according to the map, the layout data, and the performance metrics.

Layout generation for location-tracking sensors

A method of validating a set of location sensors deployed in a facility includes: receiving sensor data from at least a subset of the location sensors; generating a current location of a mobile reference target within the facility based on (i) the sensor data and (ii) expected positions corresponding to the location sensors; based at least on the current location: (i) selecting at least one of the location sensors, and (ii) setting an inspection indicator for the selected location sensor; presenting sensor status data including the inspection indicator via an output device associated with the mobile reference target; and repeating the generating, the selecting, the setting, and the presenting until inspection indicators have been set for each of the location sensors.

Automated validation of location tracking system

Smart shelf systems and methods of operating the same are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining a current position of a divider on a smart shelf based on sensor outputs of the smart shelf at the current position responsive to the divider positioned at the current position; comparing the current position of the divider to an intended position of the divider; and providing a first alert when the current position of the divider does not match the intended position of the divider. In some examples, the intended position of the divider is updated to the current or an installed position of the divider.

Smart shelf systems and methods of operating the same

A method and apparatus for a co-located Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device and ultrasonic device includes an RFID reader loop antenna element oriented parallel to a reflector panel. An ultrasonic emitter is disposed through an aperture in the reflector panel with a horn that extends through the loop element. The horn can serve as a mounting structure for the antenna element. A diameter of the aperture is less than one-quarter wavelength of an operating frequency of the RFID reader loop antenna element. The aperture is located in the reflector panel near a minimum E-field area of the RFID reader loop antenna element.

Co-located locationing technologies

An RFID reader configures each of a plurality of antennas operating in the RFID reader to operate in one of a first state and a second state, configures each of the plurality of antennas to operate in a first session and a second session and to operate in opposite states in the first session and the second session, and configures adjacent antennas or adjacent groups of antennas to operate in opposite states in the first session and the second session. During operation, each of the plurality of antennas is configured to read an RFID tag within a range of the antenna when a state of the RFID tag for the session in which the antenna is configured to operate matches the state in which the antenna is configured to operate and to switch the state of the RFID tag to the opposite state for each session.

Apparatus and method for producing an appropriate quantity of RFID reads

A system and method for managing a population of RFID tags. In various aspects, an RFID reader implements one or more RFID protocols to execute a read cycle that defines a series of actions for the RFID reader to perform. The read cycle may begin by the RFID reader broadcasting a query to deselected RFID tags to generate a list of deselected tag identifiers. The read cycle then causes the RFID reader to broadcast a query to selected RFID tags to track selected RFID tags. Finally, the read cycle causes the RFID reader to broadcast a selection command that includes the list of deselected tag identifiers.

Systems and methods for managing a population of RFID tags

An anti-fraud security tag removal system reads product identifiers on groups of items presented for purchase at a point of sale area. The product identifiers indicate how many of the items include security tags that must be removed. A security tag detacher removes security tags only on items for which the system has detected that the item was present, preventing removal of security tags on items which were not read by the point of sale system. An RF antenna and a security tag detacher are co-located such that the product identifier of the item is highly likely to be read when a sales clerk removes the security tag. The product identifier may be incorporated into the security tag and disabled when the security tag is attached to the item. The product identifier may be shunted by the security tag.

Growing community of inventors

Wantagh, NY, United States of America

David E Bellows