Goliath Solutions, LLC

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Osa Acquisition, LLC

Shelfbucks, Inc.

Other

Crosslink, Inc.

Astro Digital US Inc.

Gordon E Hardman

John W Pyne

Gary L Overhultz

Paul B Wilson

David Coombs

Brett W Floyd

Molly A Hardman

Philip B Loudin

David A Przygocki

Ronald C Grush

John D Rensel

Robert W Mead

David M Coombs

Francis L Merat

Frank L Merat

David C Coombs

Francis Merat

Jan King

Norman H Gholson, Iii

Mike Patton

Edward J Strazdes

Brett A Floyd

An antenna includes a body support structure, an extruding mechanism to exert an extrusion force, an extrusion plate to inhibit motion of an extension plate, an extrusion support structure, a nadir panel including one or more communication patches; one or more petals including one or more additional communication patches, one or more extension arms, and an extension mechanism exert an extension force upon the extension plate. The relative position and orientation of the components are altered by the operation of the extension mechanism and the extension mechanism from a stowed state to an extruded state to an extended state. A control system may be included to initiate and control the state of the antenna as well as operate the communications of the antenna once deployed.

S-band antenna

Systems and methods are provided for a capacitive inventory sensor. A system includes a track configured for retaining items. A first conducting plate is positioned along a portion of the track, and a second conducting plate is positioned in parallel with the first conducting plate along a portion of the track. The second conducting plate is positioned a distance from the first conducting plate, and the second plate is configured to have the items placed on top of the second plate. The system further includes a capacitance sensor configured for connection to the first and second conducting plates, where the capacitance sensor is configured to measure a capacitance between the first and second conducting plates, and where the capacitance varies based on a number of items positioned on the sensor track.

Systems and methods for determining stock quantities using a capacitive inventory sensor

Systems and methods are provided for a low stock product display alert system. A system includes a pushing element configured to push one or more products toward a front of a shelf as a unit of the product is removed from the shelf. The system also includes an RFID component, where the RFID component is configured to be in a dormant state when the pushing element is in a first position. The system further includes an activation element configured to activate the RFID component when the pushing element is in a second position, where when activated, the RFID component is configured to emit a signal indicating that the product display is out of product.

Computer-implemented systems and methods for providing an out of stock/low stock alert

Systems and methods are provided for monitoring a plurality of RFID tags. A receiver selection signal is sent along a receive path that includes a plurality of serially connected receivers. A receiver relays the receiver selection signal, listens for an RFID response signal, or operates in a standby mode based on the receiver selection signal. A transmitter selection signal is sent along a transmit path that includes a plurality of serially connected transmitters. A transmitter relays the transmitter selection signal, transmits an identification impulses, or operates in a standby mode based on the transmitter selection signal. The identification impulse is transmitted from the selected transmitter and an RFID response signal is received at the selected receiver.

Systems and methods for controlling serially connected transmitters in RFID tag tracking

Systems and methods are provided for monitoring a plurality of RFID tags. A system includes a plurality of serially connected transmitters along a transmit path, where each of the serially connected transmitters are configured to relay a received transmitter selection signal when the transmitter selection signal identifies a selected transmitter as being further along the transmit path than the serially connected transmitter and transmit an identification impulse using a transmit antenna when the transmitter selection signal identifies the serially connected transmitter as being the selected transmitter. A system further includes a control unit responsive to a plurality of transmit paths, the control unit being configured to send the transmitter selection signal along a selected transmit path, where the transmitter selection signal identifies one of the plurality of serially connected transmitters along the selected transmit path as the selected transmitter for transmitting the identification impulse.

Systems and methods for controlling serially connected RFID transmitters and receivers

A battery operated device includes a receiver for receiving a transmission that includes a postamble. A sensor, in a tire, measures a parameter of the tire and outputs data indicative of the parameter. A microprocessor is coupled to the receiver and the sensor. The microprocessor is configured to periodically partially awaken to determine whether the transmission is likely a forward link packet (FLP) by examining the postamble, and to transmit the data in a reverse link packet (RLP) in response to confirming that the transmission is a FLP.

System for conserving battery life in a battery operated device

A distributed antenna array with a centralized data hub for determining the presence and location of RF tags has been disclosed. This antenna array centralizes electronics and distributes the RF to zones in a facility to greatly reduce the expense of recurring components for monitoring RF tags. A single BRT/hub with multiple antennas attached to transmit and receive ports is used to cover an entire facility. Large facilities are covered by a small number of the BRT/hub combinations. The BRT/hub has transmit antennas coupled thereto, preferably by co-axial cable, that transmit signals to a portion or all of the RF tags and all or a portion of them modulate and reflect the RF signal to a particular receiving antenna. The receiving antenna then returns the RF signal with tag data to the BRT/hub, preferably by co-axial cable. Also disclosed is an RF backscatter tag that cleanly switches a resonant aperture antenna on and off, thereby greatly increasing the mark-to-space ratio of the backscatter data. This enables tags to be detected by the BRT at much greater distances.

Distributed antenna array with centralized data hub for determining presence and location of RF tags

An in-line directional radio-frequency ('RF') power meter for measuring power and other parameters in a transmission line. The meter simultaneously measures complex voltage-waves traveling in the forward and reverse directions of a connected transmission line and processes measured voltages to compute forward and reverse power, standing wave ratio, and impedance values. The apparatus includes a microprocessor having microcode for digitally computing RF power parameters, and a field programmable gate array ('FPGA') having microcode for executing complex Fast Fourier Transforms (&#x201c;FFT&#x201d;) to calculate voltages and frequencies, a microprocessor with attached firmware to make a series of complex calculations relative to sensed electrical values in the transmission line and to pass certain calculated values to the device to communicate RF power parameters to a user. The configuration of the apparatus allows for measurement of RF power parameters in a relatively economical package.

Radio frequency power meter

A system for conserving battery life in a battery operated device such as a tire tag where there are several modes of operation. The typical mode is the deep sleep mode where the tag is generally inactive (no clock is running; however, an RC watchdog timer is running, which uses very little power). The tag spends most of its time in this low power mode. The tag periodically partially awakens to a lucid sleep mode (when the watchdog timer times out), initiates a low-speed clock, determines if it is time to enter a search mode by examining a search mode counter and, if it is not time, adjusts the search mode counter (e.g., decrements the counter by one), and returns to the deep sleep mode. The tag sleeps in the deep sleep mode most of its life in an effort to conserve battery power. During the deep sleep mode, because the clock oscillators are OFF, a deep sleep counter is adjusted (incremented or decremented) periodically (e.g., about every 18 ms) by an internal R/C oscillator. The internal watchdog timer (WDT) monitors the deep sleep counter and when the deep sleep counter, for example, contains a NULL value (all zeroes) the WDT wakes up the microcontroller (i.e., the WDT initiates the low-speed clock so that the tag cannot enter the lucid sleep mode). The tire tag delivers data at a slower or faster rate to achieve the important advantage of extending battery life. Also to extend battery life two oscillators are desirable because they allow two clock speeds. Having two clocks allows a designer to minimize use of the high-speed clock, thus conserving battery power.

In accordance with the teachings described herein, RFID systems are provided that include a distributed RFID antenna array utilizing one or more circular polarized helical antennas. A plurality of RFID tags may be used, with each RFID tag including a linear polarized antenna for communicating RFID tag signals. One or more receiver antennas may be used for receiving the RFID tag signals from the RFID tags. An RFID tag signal reader may be used to process RFID tag signals received by the receiver antennas. In one example, the receiver antennas may include a circular polarized helical antenna element. One or more transmitter antennas may be used for transmitting an RF signal to the plurality of RFID tags, the transmitter antennas including a circular polarized helical antenna element. A transmitter may be used to generate the RF signal for transmission by the transmitter antennas. In one example, the RFID tag signal reader and the transmitter may be included in a single reader/transmitter unit.

Distributed RFID antenna array utilizing circular polarized helical antennas

An advertising compliance monitoring system is provided that includes a backscatter tag affixed to a sign or marketing material or shopper ID card, the tag communicating with a backscatter reader. The tag includes a memory for storing tag data and a transmitter. The tag transmits tag data to a reader automatically on a periodic basis or when interrogated. The tag data includes an identification number used to identify the tag associated with a particular sign, price, marketing material or shopper. This data is processed by a computer to determine compliance with and/or exposure to a particular advertising program.

Advertising compliance monitoring system

In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are described for monitoring the open stock merchandising. A product label may be used that includes an electronic identification device that outputs information identifying one or more products to be stocked on one or more retail display structures, such as a shelf. A wireless communication device may be used that communicates with a wireless communication system. The product label may also include one or more connectors for electrically coupling the electronic identification device to the wireless communication. The wireless communication device may be configured to receive the information identifying the one or more products via the one or more connectors and wirelessly communicate the information to the wireless communication system. The information may be used to determine if a first product is adjacent to a second product on one or more retail display structures.

Systems and methods for monitoring open stock merchandising

A contact-based system for inexpensively monitoring the presence, location, and timing of various advertising and merchandising materials at a variety of retail facilities has been disclosed. This includes sign holders, display holders, stocking section identifiers, and the like that contain a plurality of contact point sensors that match or mate with contacts positioned on the material to be monitored. Identifying contacts are placed on the material to be monitored at a factory such that when they are inserted into a pre-specified location at a facility, contact is made. The contact data is then decoded data and relayed wirelessly to a device at the facility that in turn relays the data to a remote server to determine if the merchandising materials have been positioned in that facility and at a plurality of facilities at the right place and at the right time.

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Gordon E Hardman