Symbol Technologies, LLC

Zebra Technologies Corporation

Timothy B Austin

Mark William Duron

Thomas E Wulff

David E Bellows

Edward D Barkan

Russell Calvarese

Richard T Knadle

Henry Grosfeld

Daniella Strat

Vikram Bhargava

Mark E Drzymala

Paul Dvorkis

Miklos Stern

Yajun Li

Richard J Lavery

Michael O'Haire

Charles Lauria

Patrick S Riechel

Susan Flake

Mary Jo Serrino

LuoSheng Chen

Steven P Woerfel

Russell E Calvaresse

Daniella N Strat

Systems and methods for determining radio frequency (RF) cabling configuration are provided. The systems include a central controller that includes two or more antenna ports that are coupled to corresponding antennas via respective RF cables. In embodiments, the central controller executes a calibration interrogation cycle to detect a misconfiguration of an RF cable that couples an antenna port of the central controller to an antenna port of a detector station that includes an antenna under test. While the central controller executes the calibration interrogation cycle, a RF sensor is disposed in a signal range of the antenna under test. The systems detect indications provided by the RF sensor to identify a misconfiguration of the RF cabling and provide guidance on how to re-configure the RF cabling.

Systems and methods for determining RF cabling configuration

In some implementations, a system may receive door position information that indicates a position of a door of a room. The system may receive, in association with a read operation of an RFID reader, first tag information associated with a first RFID tag, wherein the first tag information is received via a first antenna of the RFID reader, and wherein the RFID reader is disposed within the room and a first directional range of the first antenna is directed toward the door. The system may determine, based on the first tag information being received via the first antenna, a location status of the first RFID tag according to the door position information. The system may perform, based on the location status, an action associated with indicating a location of the first RFID tag.

Monitoring a door position to determine a status of a radio frequency identification tag

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of asset tracking via RFID. In an embodiment, the present disclosure describes a system that selectively deactivates at least some of the plurality of fixed RFID readers that are disposed within a venue based on a location determination of an active mobile RFID reader.

Operations of mobile RFID readers in a venue having fixed RFID readers

A system and method for locating group members. In various aspects, a set of wearable articles are grouped together. Each of the wearable articles may include a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. An RFID positioning system within a venue receives RFID position data indicating a location for each wearable article in the set of wearable articles. Based on the RFID position data, the system and method detect that a first wearable article within the set of wearable articles is no longer within a permitted location of the venue. The system and method transmit an alert to a mobile device associated with a second wearable article within the set of wearable articles.

Systems and methods for locating group members

Items associated with radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) tags sequentially arranged in a list are to be retrieved from a venue. A mobile RFID tag reader is jointly movable with an operator. The reader is controlled to non-sequentially read the tags from the list. The operator is guided to find any one of the items by reading the tag associated with the any one item. The operator is prompted to retrieve the any one item and to remove the associated tag from the list. The guiding operation to the any one item is discontinued after retrieval of the one item. The guiding operation, the prompting operation, and the discontinuing operation are repeated for any others of the items from the list in a non-ordered sequence.

Arrangement for, and method of, retrieving items associated with radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) tags sequentially arranged in a list

A system and method for density-based RFID network configuration. In various aspects, an RFID reader executes a read cycle defined by dwell times for a low RFID tag density and a high RFID tag density setting. Accordingly, a controller may cause the RFID reader to implement one or more RFID protocols. The controller may then receive data corresponding to the RFID tags from the RFID reader to determine a number of RFID tags within read range of the RFID reader. Based on the number of RFID tags, the controller may determine an adjustment to the read cycle executed by the RFID reader. The controller may then configure the RFID reader to execute the adjusted read cycle.

Systems and methods for density-based RFID network configuration

A radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) reader is mounted in a venue in proximity to a portal that is openable and closable by a door. The portal reader reads RFID object tags associated with objects that approach the portal. An electrical conductor is associated, and jointly movable, with the door. A portal RFID tag is mounted at the portal. The portal tag is overlain by the electrical conductor in a closed door position and is remote from the electrical conductor in an open door position. The portal tag is readable by the portal reader in either the open or the closed door position. A controller identifies any objects that have passed through the portal based on whether the object tags have been read, as well as whether the portal tag has been read in either the open or the closed door position.

Arrangement for, and method of, detecting passage of objects associated with radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) object tags through a portal

Determining movement of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag first establishes a phase difference/frequency model comprising a set of phase-wrapped local rates-of-change and an intercept point. RFID tag readings are then made to measure phase differences between the interrogation signal and the tag response at different frequencies. A correlation is determined between the measured phase differences versus frequency and the phase-wrapped local phase rates-of-change of the phase difference/frequency model. If the correlation is better than or equal to a predetermined limit, the tag is stationary, or if the correlation is worse than the predetermined limit, the tag is moving.

Determining movement of a radio frequency identification tag using a phase difference/frequency model

Generating a planogram of a facility in real-time, includes positioning a wireless mobile device at a plurality of geometric positions within the facility. A location of the mobile device at each position is then established using a location mechanism. Each geometric position is then associated with that location of the mobile device. The planogram is then updated with information about the geometric position. The geometric positions are associated with physical objects modeled in the planogram. Non-geometric information can also be obtained at the location of the mobile device, and this non-geometric information can be overlaid onto the planogram.

Real-time planogram generation and maintenance

A method and system for locationing of a mobile device () within an environment includes light sources () disposed within the environment and modified to provide a plurality of unique identity patterns () associated with particular locations within the environment. A camera () and image processor () of the mobile device can obtain images of a modified light source () and recognize the unique identity patterns in the image and a horizontal and vertical angle of a position of the light source in the image from a center position. An accelerometer () can capture the gravity vectors of the camera. A locationing engine () can determine a location of the mobile device using the unique optical pattern, gravity vectors, and the horizontal and vertical angles.

Locationing using mobile device, camera, and a light source

A technique for operating a Radio Frequency Identification, RFID, reader with motion detection includes detecting a motion in proximity to the RFID reader, and triggering the RFID reader to read any tags in proximity to the RFID reader in response to detecting a motion in proximity to the RFID reader. Detecting a motion can also generate a change in digital signage, or communicate information about read tags to a local area network. Operating this system only when motion is detected saves battery life.

RFID reader with motion detection

A mobile device includes a housing having a plurality of surfaces. A processor is located within the housing. The processor heats a portion of one or more of the surfaces of the housing. A temperature sensor detects a temperature of the portion of the surface. The rate of energy consumption by the processor is adjusted based on the temperature of the portion of the surface of the housing.

Thermal management of a mobile device with ventless housing

An apparatus and method for identifying the read zone of an RFID reader. The apparatus includes a supporting sheet, a reader-position mark on the supporting sheet to indicate a recommended location to position an RFID reader, and a zone-boundary mark on the supporting sheet to indicate a read zone of the RFID reader with a predetermined field strength.

Method and apparatus for identifying read zone of RFID reader

An apparatus and method for improving RFID tag reading. The apparatus includes a substrate element having a predetermined active area, and a plurality of resonant elements each having a resonant frequency, a quality factor, and a response band. The resonant elements are distributed within the predetermined active area of the substrate element for scattering interrogation electromagnetic waves radiated thereupon from the RFID reader. At least one resonant element has a null-direction thereof orientated in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to a line extending from a center of the resonant element to a center of an antenna of the RFID reader.

Method and apparatus for improving RFID tag reading

A method and apparatus for transmitting data from an ultrasonic tag to an ultrasonic reader. The method comprises generating and transmitting an ultrasonic sound pressure wave, receiving the ultrasonic sound pressure wave at a first ultrasonic repeater, determining that the received ultrasonic sound pressure wave was not processed at the ultrasonic reader, retransmitting the ultrasonic sound pressure wave from the first ultrasonic repeater, and processing the retransmitted ultrasonic sound pressure wave at the ultrasonic reader.

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Stony Brook, NY, United States of America

Timothy B Austin