Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
1
MERCHANDISE EVENT MONITORING VIA WIRELESS TRACKING
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial
No.
61/788,846, entitled "Merchandise Event Monitoring Via Wireless Tracking,"
filed on March
15, 2013, and to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/862,354 entitled
"Merchandise Event
Monitoring Via Wireless Tracking," filed on April 12, 2013 which are hereby
incorporated
by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTION
Embodiments relate generally to radio frequency identification and the use of
RFID
tag information.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
RFID is a wireless, non-contact system that uses radio-frequency
electromagnetic
fields to transfer data from a tag attached to an object for automatic
identification and
tracking. A conventional RFID system includes one or more RFID tags and an
RFID reader.
The RFID tag includes a transponder having a radio frequency integrated
circuit and an
antenna. The RFID reader includes an antenna and a transceiver. The
transceiver includes a
transmitter, a receiver and a decoder for processing data within the signal
emitted by the
RFID tag. When a RFID tag is within the activation range of the RFID reader,
the RFID
reader can read tag information transmitted by the RFID tag.
In former approaches, a plurality of RFID readers may have been used together
to
comprise an RFID reader system. RFID readers have been dispersed throughout a
facility to
enable the RFID readers to read the majority of RFID tags within the facility.
Multiple RFID
readers have been used within a facility for purposes of tracking individual
RFID tagged
items. RFID information has been used with respect to inventory detection.
RFID
information has also been used to alert personnel of any RFID tagged item
passing through a
threshold, such as a customer door for a store.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
2
SUMMARY
The inventors of the present invention recognized that the historical focus on
monitoring individual RFID tags may not reveal information that can be
determined by
looking at similarities that can be discovered by monitoring pluralities of
RFID tags. The
inventors of the present invention recognized grouping multiple RFID tags over
time may
provide insights into various events that are not discernible when focused on
monitoring
individual RFID tag. The prior RFID data analysis methods have limited
application to rapid
event detection. To streamline the event determination process and adapt an
analysis and
notification system, the inventors recognized a need to quickly and
automatically monitor
movement of groups of RFID tags within a facility. Various embodiments,
computer-
implemented methods and systems are directed to monitoring merchandise events
via
wireless tracking.
In one aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of
monitoring a
group of merchandise event via wireless tracking. The method includes
receiving first RFID
data from a first RFID reader and receiving second RFID data from a second
RFID reader.
The first RFID data associates tag information of an RFID tag with at least
one first antenna
of the first RFID reader that read the tag information. The second RFID data
associates tag
information of an RFID tag with at least one second antenna of the second RFID
reader that
read the tag information. A processor identifies a first appearance of first
unique tag
information in the first RFID data. The processor also identifies an
appearance of the first
unique tag information in the second RFID data. If the appearance of the first
unique tag
information in the second RFID data occurs prior to its first appearance in
the first RFID
data, then the processor may determine that the RFID tag with the first unique
tag
information has moved from a location where it can be read by the second RFID
reader to a
location where it can be read by the first RFID reader. The processor also
identifies the first
appearance of second unique tag information in the first RFID data within a
predetermined
time of the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first
RFID data. Upon
finding two first appearances of unique tag information in the first RFID data
within a
predetermined time, the processor checks for an appearance of the second
unique tag
information where the first unique tag information previously appeared. In
particular, the
processor checks for an appearance of the second unique tag information in the
second RFID
data prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information in the
first RFID data.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
3
If the processor finds the appearance of the second unique tag information in
the second
RFID data prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag information
in the first RFID
data, then the processor may determine that the RFID tag with the second
unique tag
information has similarly moved from a location where it can be read by the
second RFID
reader to a location where it can be read by the first RFID reader.
Accordingly, the processor
designates a first group comprising the first unique tag information and the
second unique tag
information. Then the processor stores in memory the first group designation,
a first time
index, and a first event indicator, wherein the first event indicator
indicates a group
formation.
Embodiments of the invention may terminate a designated group based on
different
circumstances. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, a group may be
terminated
if the RFID data indicates no change in the location of any group member for a
second
predetermined time. In another embodiment of the invention, a group may
terminated if the
RFID data indicates that one member of the group is no longer located with the
other
members for a second predetermined time. In another embodiment of the
invention, a group
may be terminated if the RFID data indicates that members of the group have
been moved to
distinct locations for a second predetermined time. Generally, group
termination involves
storing in memory the group designation, a time index, and an event indicator
indicating
group termination.
In some embodiments, the method may further include checking the first RFID
data
for appearances of the first unique tag information and the second unique tag
information. If
the first RFID data continues to include appearances of both the first unique
tag information
and the second unique tag information for a second predetermined time, then
the first group
designation, a second time index, and a second event indicator that indicates
the termination
of a group designation are stored in memory.
In some embodiments, the method may further include checking the first RFID
data
for appearances of the first unique tag information and the second unique tag
information. If
the first RFID data comprises no appearance of either the first unique tag
information or the
second unique tag information for a second predetermined time limit, then the
first group
designation, a second time index, and a second event indication that indicates
the termination
of a group designation are stored in memory.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
4
In some embodiments, the method may further include identifying a first
appearance
of first unique tag information in third RFID data and identifying a first
appearance of second
unique tag information in fourth RFID data. The method then includes checking
for an
appearance of the first unique tag information in the fourth RFID data. The
method may
further include checking for an appearance of the second unique tag
information in the third
RFID data. If the third RFID data includes no appearance of the second unique
tag
information and the fourth RFID data includes no appearance of the first
unique tag
information for a second predetermined time limit, the third RFID data and
fourth RFID data
indicates that the RFID tags in the first group have been separated.
Accordingly, the first
group comprising the first unique tag information and the second unique tag
information is
terminated. Then the first group designation, a second event indicator, and a
second time
index that indicates a group termination are stored in memory.
In some embodiments, the foregoing method may further include receiving third
RFID data from a third RFID reader. The third RFID reader comprises at least
one antenna
configured to read tag information of an RFID tag. The first RFID data
associates tag
information of an RFID tag with the at least one antenna that reads the tag
information. The
processor identifies a first appearance of first unique tag information and
second unique tag
information in the third RFID data within a predetermined time. The first
appearances of the
first unique tag information and second unique tag information in the third
RFID data may
also be required to occur within another predetermined time of an appearance
of the first
unique tag information and/or the second unique tag information in the first
RFID data. If the
first and second unique tag information have been previously designated a
group, and the
RFID data available to the processor indicates that their unique tag
information was read by
one antenna, but is now read by another antenna with a non-overlapping read
zone¨the new
first appearances may indicate a group move. For example, when the at least
one antenna of
the third RFID reader and the at least one antenna of the first RFID reader
have non-
overlapping read zone, the first new appearances of the first and second
unique tag
information in the third RFID data may indicate a group move. Under the right
circumstances, the first new appearances with cause the processor to determine
that the group
has moved. Accordingly, the first group designation, a second time index, and
a second
event indicator that indicates a group movement will be stored in memory.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
In some embodiments, the method may include calculating by at least one
processor a
confidence score based on a comparison of the appearance of the tag
information in the first
RFID data and the second RFID data.
In some embodiments, the method may include triggering an alert based on the
5 second event indicator. The alert may be in the form of a system
notification, a message
directed towards a specific user, a message sent via visual or audio alters
throughout the
facility. In some embodiments, the method may include triggering by the
processor an alert
based on the second event indicator and the tag information of the first RFID
tag and the
second RFID tag. In some embodiments, the method may include transmitting the
alert to an
inventory management system. The message sent to the inventory management
system may
include a status update by the system or may include a request for an action
by the inventory
management system. The request may be a restocking or a reordering request.
The request
may be intended to trigger a system or a human reaction. In some embodiments,
the method
may include analyzing by the processor, a plurality of second event indicators
to identify a
traffic flow pattern within a facility. The traffic flow pattern may include
how people move
about the facility, how much time is spent in a particular area of the
facility, or quantity of
items originating from areas of the facility. In some embodiments, the method
may include
filtering by the processor, the first RFID data to eliminate shadow data.
Shadow data include
duplicate RFID tag reads or RFID tag reads that are ambiguous due to signal
interruptions.
In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
system for
determining item movement via wireless tracking. The system comprises a first
RFID reader,
a second RFID reader, at least one processor, and a memory coupled to the at
least one
processor. The first RFID reader has at least one first antenna configured for
read RFID tag
information. The first RFID data associates tag information from an RFID tag
with each of
the at least one first antenna that reads the tag information. The second RFID
reader has at
least one second antenna configured to read RFID tag information. The second
RFID data
associates tag information of an RFID tag with each of the at least one second
antenna that
reads the tag information. The at least one processor is configured to
identify a first
appearance of unique tag information in the different RFID data. After the at
least one
processor identifies a first appearance of first unique tag information in the
first RFID data, it
looks for a prior appearance of the first unique tag information in other RFID
data. If the at
least one processor identifies a first appearance of second unique tag
information in the first
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
6
RFID data within a predetermined time of the first appearance of the first
unique tag
information in the first RFID data, it looks for a prior appearance of the
second unique tag
information in whatever other RFID data the first unique tag information
previously
appeared. Accordingly, the at least one processor may determine a movement of
two RFID
tags together from a location where they can be read by the second RFID reader
to a location
where they can be read by the first RFID reader. If the appearance of the
second unique tag
information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the
second unique tag
information in the first RFID data is found, the at least one processor
designates a first group
comprising the first unique tag information and the second unique tag
information.
Accordingly, the memory stores a first group designation, a first time index,
and a first event
indicator that indicates a group formation.
In some embodiments of the system, the at least one processor is further
configured
to compare associations of tag information in the first RFID data. The memory
is operatively
coupled to at least one processor. When the first RFID data associations of
tag information
of the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag do not change within a second
predetermined
time limit, the first group designation, a second time index, and a second
event indicator that
indicates the termination of a group designation may be stored in memory.
In some embodiments of the system, the at least one processor is further
configured to
check the first RFID data for tag information of the first RFID tag and the
second RFID tag.
The memory is operatively coupled to at least one processor. When the first
RFID data does
not include tag information of the first RFID tag or the second RFID tag for a
third
predetermined time limit, the first group designation, a second time index,
and a second event
indicator that indicates the termination of a group designation may be stored
in memory.
In some embodiments of the system, the at least one processor is further
configured to
receive a third RFID data from a third RFID reader comprising at least one
third antenna.
The first RFID data associates tag information of an RFID tag with at least
one third antenna
that read the tag information. The at least one processor is further
configured to identify a
first appearance of first unique tag information and a first appearance of
second unique tag
information in the third RFID data. The at least one processor is further
configured to check
whether the two first appearances in the third RFID data occurred within a
second
predetermined time and whether the first appearances in the third RFID data
occurred within
a third predetermined time of an appearance of the first unique tag
information or the second
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
7
unique tag information in the first RFID data. If the first appearances occur
within the
second period of time and the third period of time, the at least one processor
is further
configured to cause the first group designation, a second time index, and a
second event
indicator that indicates a group movement to be stored in memory.
In some embodiments of the system, the at least one processor is further
configured to
calculate a confidence score based on a comparison of the appearance of the
tag information
in the first RFID data and the second RFID data.
In some embodiments of the system , the at least one processor is further
configured
to trigger an alert based on the second event indicator. In some embodiments,
the system may
further include the processor further configured to trigger an alert based on
the second event
indicator and the tag information of the first RFID tag, and the second RFID
tag. In some
embodiments, the system may further include the processor configured to
transmit the alert to
an inventory management system. In some embodiments, the system may further
include the
processor further configured to analyze, a plurality of the second event
indicators to identify a
traffic flow pattern within a facility. In some embodiments, the system may
further include
the processor further configured to filter the first RFID data to eliminate
shadow data.
In another aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of
monitoring a group merchandise event via wireless tracking. The method
includes receiving
first RFID data from a first RFID reader comprising a plurality of antennas.
The plurality of
antennas comprises a first antenna and a second antenna having non-overlapping
read zones.
The first RFID data associates tag information of an RFID tag with each of the
plurality of
antennas that read the tag information. The method involves identifying, by a
processor, a
first appearance of first unique tag information in the first RFID data
associated with the first
antenna. The method also involves identifying, by a processor, an appearance
of first unique
tag information in the first RFID data associated with the second antenna
prior to the first
appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID data
associated with the first
antenna. The method further involves identifying, by the processor, a first
appearance of
second unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first
antenna within a
predetermined time of the first appearance of the first unique tag information
in the first
RFID data associated with the first antenna. The method involves checking, by
the processor,
for an appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data
associated with
the second antenna prior to the first appearance of the second unique tag
information in the
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
8
first RFID data associated with the first antenna. If the appearance of the
second unique tag
information in the first RFID data associated with the second antenna prior to
the first
appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data
associated with the
first antenna is found, the method involves designating, by the processor, a
first group
comprising the first unique tag information and the second unique tag
information and storing
in memory the first group designation, a first time index, and a first event
indicator indicating
a group formation.
In some embodiments, the method may include checking, by the processor, the
first RFID data for tag information of the first RFID tag and the second RFID
tag. The first
group designation, a second time index, and a second event indicator when the
first RFID
data does not include tag information of the first RFID tag or the second RFID
tag, for a third
predetermined time limit, wherein the second event indicator indicates the
termination of a
group designation may be stored in memory.
Any combination of the embodiments is envisioned. Other objects and features
will
become apparent from the following detailed description considered in
conjunction with the
accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are
designed as
an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the
drawings,
each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various
figures is
represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component
may be labeled
in every drawing. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 depicts a plan view of an example of a retail store facility for
illustrating
certain aspects of some embodiments described herein.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating exemplary arrangements of RFID
readers
in a facility consistent with embodiments.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device that may be used to
perform any of the methods in the exemplary embodiments;
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
9
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary network environment suitable for a
distributed implementation of exemplary embodiments;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an exemplary method for monitoring a group
merchandise
event via wireless tracking in accordance with exemplary embodiments; and
FIG. 6 is a flow chart of an exemplary method for monitoring a group
merchandise
event via wireless tracking in accordance with exemplary embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments of the invention use RFID data from at least two non-overlapping
read
zones to identify RFID tags that have moved together from a first read zone to
a second non-
overlapping read zone. Each RFID tag makes unique tag identification
information available.
RFID data is generated by at least one RFID reader having at least one antenna
configured to
read RFID tag information. Whereas some embodiments may use RFID data from a
single
RFID reader having at least two antennas with non-overlapping read zones,
other
embodiments use RFID data from multiple RFID readers. When an RFID reader
features a
plurality of antennas, the RFID reader associates the tag information with
each antenna that
read the tag information. Thus, the RFID data associates tag information with
each antenna
that reads the tag information.
A processor in accordance with embodiments of the invention identifies
appearances
of tag information in different read zones based on RFID data. Generally, the
processor starts
by identifying a first appearance of first unique tag information in a new
read zone from
RFID data. The processor then identifies a prior appearance of the first
unique tag
information at a former read zone. Thus, movement of the first unique tag from
the former
read zone to the new read zone can be inferred from the RFID data. Next, the
processor
identifies a first appearance of second unique tag information in the new read
zone from
RFID data. If the first appearance of the second unique information in the new
read zone
occurs within a predetermined time of the first appearance of the first unique
tag information,
the processor checks whether the second unique tag information has previously
appeared in
the former read zone of the first unique tag, as indicated by the RFID data.
If so, movement
of the first and second unique tags together from the former read zone to the
new read zone
can be inferred from the RFID data. When two unique tags are determined to
have moved
together from a first read zone to a second read zone, a group comprising the
tags is
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
designated. Additionally, the group designation, a time stamp, and a group
formation
indicator are stored in memory.
The group designation is useful for automatic tracking a group as it may form,
move,
and uniform within a facility. Monitoring a single RFID tag may produce
unreliable data and
5 may not indicate events related to a plurality of RFID tags. The
inventors recognized that
monitoring groups of RFID tags via wireless tracking enables data association
and analysis
that may not be feasible with only information related to singe RFID tags.
Accordingly,
group designation and tracking may enable event monitoring such as the order
of customer
product selections, the timing of customer product selections, the movement of
customer
10 product selections, potential theft events, the need for restocking,
etc.
Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of an exemplary facility 100 having various
zones A-
L. For example, the facility may be a retail store having departments A-L. One
of ordinary
skill will understand that facility 100 is not limited to a particular number
of zones. Items
featuring RFID tags may be located in various zones of facility 100. For
example, RFID
tagged merchandise may be stocked at departments A-L of store 100. RFID tags
can contain
unique tag information and can be a fixed to individual items, to cases of
items, to pallets,
and/or to fixtures. An RFID tag for an individual item may contain unique tag
information.
One of ordinary skill will understand that facility 100 may include any number
of RFID
tagged items.
Different types of items may be located in different zones of facility 100.
For
example, men's clothing may be stocked in the men's clothing department A, and
women's
clothing may be stocked in the women's clothing department B. Certain products
may be
stocked in more than one location (e.g., departments A and F), or temporarily
moved to a
different location, such as an aisle end caps during a promotional event.
Neither the RFID tag
nor its tag information changes as the associated item's location changes
within the facility.
Figure 1 further illustrates two RFID readers in the exemplary facility. In
Figure 1, a
first RFID reader 210 and a second RFID reader 260 are configured to read RFID
tags. In
some embodiments of the invention, three or more RFID readers may be
configured to read
RFID tags. One of skill in the art will recognize additional RFID readers
could be used. The
RFID readers may be distributed evenly or unevenly throughout the facility.
The RFID
readers may be arranged to segment or delineate the facility into particular
zones. The RFID
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
11
readers may be clustered in particular areas of the facility. For example, a
plurality of RFID
readers may be arranged in a fifty by fifty foot grid pattern. The RFID
readers may be
arranged in an overhead position. The RFID readers may be configured to attach
to the
ceiling or the roof of the facility or may be mounted to a support structure.
Similar to Figure 1, Figures 2A and 2B each illustrate the plan view of
exemplary
facility 100 having various zones A-L and RFID readers 210 and 260. In Figures
2A and 2B,
RFID reader 210 features an antenna 212 configured to read RFID tags. In
Figures 2A and
2B, RFID reader 260 similarly features an antenna 262 configured to read RFID
tags. One of
skill in the art will recognize that RFID readers 210 and 260 could each
individually feature
one or more additional antennas. The RFID reader may be any suitable RFID
reader, such as
a UHF EPC Global Class 1 RFID reader, an Impinj Speedway Revolution RFID
reader, a
Motorola FX9500 RFID reader, or an Alien 9900 RFID reader. In facility 200,
the RFID
readers 210 and 260 may be the same type or different types.
The area within which an RFID reader antenna can read RFID tags is generally
considered its read zone. When antennas can read the same RFID tag, they are
deemed to
have overlapping read zones. For example, two directional antennas in close
proximity but
oriented in opposite directions may not have overlapping read zones. On the
other hand,
when oriented in the same direction, the same two directional antennas may
have overlapping
read zones.
The RFID readers may be configured to have antennas arranged in 360 degree
around
the RFID reader or in any subset of the 360 degree arrangement. The RFID
antennas may be
positioned in a circular, rectangular, trapezoidal, hexagonal, pentagonal,
square, triangular or
diamond in arrangement. The RFID antennas may be phased array antennas. The
RFID
readers may have antennas of varying signal strength. The RFID readers may
have a varying
number of antennas. The RFID readers used in the system may have varying
signal strength
and reader sensitivity levels.
In Figures 2A and 2B, the antennas of RFID readers 210 and 260 are selected
and
positioned within the facility 100 such that they do not have with overlapping
read zones.
For example, antenna 212 and antenna 262 may be directional and may each be
oriented such
that their read zones do not overlap.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
12
Figure 2A illustrates a first location of RFID tag 220 and of RFID tag 230 in
facility
100. The antenna of RFID reader 210 is selected and configured such that it is
able to read
RFID tag 220, but cannot read RFID tag 230, due to their respective locations
in facility 100.
Accordingly, RFID reader 210 will read RFID tag 220 and produce RFID data
associating tag
information from RFID tag 220 with antenna 212. The RFID data produced by RFID
reader
210 may be designated first RFID data. The antenna of RFID reader 260 is
selected and
configured such that it is able to read RFID tag 230, but cannot read RFID tag
220, due to
their respective locations in facility 100. Accordingly, RFID reader 260 will
read RFID tag
230 and produce RFID data associating tag information from RFID tag 230 with
antenna 262.
The RFID data produced by RFID reader 260 may be designated second RFID data.
Figure 2B illustrates a second location of RFID tag 220 and of RFID tag 230 in
facility 100. The antenna of RFID reader 210 is selected and configured such
that it cannot
read RFID tags 220 or 230, due to their locations in facility 100.
Accordingly, RFID reader
210 will not read RFID tag 220 nor produce first RFID data associating tag
information from
RFID tag 220 with antenna 212. The antenna of RFID reader 260 is selected and
configured
such that it is able to read RFID tags 230 and 220, due to their respective
locations in facility
100. Accordingly, RFID reader 260 will read RFID tags 230 and 220 and produce
second
RFID data associating tag information from RFID tags 230 and 220 with antenna
262.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, RFID data from RFID Readers
210
and 260 enables a group comprising RFID tag 220 and RFID tag 230 to be
designated under
the right circumstances. A group may be designated if at least two items are
identified as
having moved from a first read zone to a second non-overlapping read zone
within a
predetermined period of time. In accordance with embodiments of the invention,
a processor
in computing device 300 of FIG. 3 may process the RFID data from RFID readers
210 and
260 to identify appearances of unique tag information at particular times in
particular zones.
A processor in computing device 300 of FIG. 3 may process the RFID data from
one or more
additional or alternative RFID readers to identify appearances of unique tag
information at
particular times in particular zones. Similarly, memory 306 of FIG. 3 may
store RFID data,
appearance information derived from RFID data, group designations, time
indexes, and/or
event indicators. Additionally or alternatively, storage 324 of FIG. 3 may
store RFID data,
appearance information derived from RFID data, group designations, time
indexes, and/or
event indicators.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
13
Those of skill in the art would recognize that RFID reader antennas need not
have a
directional read zone, need not have a conical read zone, need not be arranged
as described in
the foregoing example, and need not be equally spaced from other antennas. For
example,
each antenna of an RFID reader may be pointed in the same direction.
Alternatively,
antennas of an RFID reader may be arranged in 360 configuration about the RFID
reader.
Alternate antennas and antenna configurations are possible and within the
scope of the
invention.
One or more additional RFID data may be analyzed by the processor. At least
one
additional RFID tags may be included in the first or second RFID data. If an
appearance of
an additional RFID tag is present in the first or the second RFID data the
processor may the
third unique tag information in the identification and checking for tag
information.
The processor 302 may determine if the read zones of two RFID reader antennas
overlap. For example, if antenna 212 of RFID reader 210 and antennas 262 of
RFID reader
260 read tag information from the same RFID tags frequently, antennas 212 and
262 may be
deemed to have overlapping read zones. Alternatively, if antenna 212 of RFID
reader 210
and antennas 262 of RFID reader 260 read the tag information of the same RFID
tags only
rarely, antennas 212 and 262 may be deemed to have non-overlapping read zones.
The RFID
data generated by RFID reader 210 and RFID reader 260, including any antenna
associations
and time information therein, may be used to identify overlap in antenna read
zones. The
processor 302 may generally designate a group comprising tag information of
RFID tags that
RFID data indicates have moved together from a first read zone to a second non-
overlapping
read zone. Moving together may be measured by various time periods. The
processor 302
may perform further analyze RFID data to determine whether a designated group
has moved,
has increased in the number of RFID tags, has decreased in the number of RFID
tags, or
should be terminated.
Figure 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device 300 that may be
used
to perform any of the methods provided by exemplary embodiments. The computing
device
300 may be any suitable computing or communication device or system, such as a
workstation, desktop computer, server, laptop, handheld computer, tablet
computer (e.g., the
iPadTm tablet computer), mobile computing or communication device (e.g., the
iPhoneTm
communication device), or other form of computing or telecommunications device
that is
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
14
capable of communication and that has sufficient processor power and memory
capacity to
perform the operations described herein.
The computing device 300 includes one or more non-transitory computer-readable
media for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, programs or
software for
implementing exemplary embodiments. The non-transitory computer-readable media
may
include, but are not limited to, one or more types of hardware memory, non-
transitory
tangible media (for example, one or more magnetic storage disks, one or more
optical disks,
one or more USB flashdrives), and the like. For example, memory 306 included
in the
computing device 300 may store computer-readable and computer-executable
instructions,
programs or software for implementing exemplary embodiments. Memory 306 may
include
a computer system memory or random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, EDO RAM,
and the like. Memory 306 may include other types of memory as well, or
combinations
thereof.
The computing device 300 also includes processor 302 and associated core 304,
and
optionally, one or more additional processor(s) 302' and associated core(s)
304' (for
example, in the case of computer systems having multiple processors/cores),
for executing
computer-readable and computer-executable instructions or software stored in
the memory
306 and other programs for controlling system hardware. Processor 302 and
processor(s)
302' may each be a single core processor or multiple core (304 and 304')
processor.
Virtualization may be employed in the computing device 300 so that
infrastructure
and resources in the computing device may be shared dynamically. A virtual
machine 314
may be provided to handle a process running on multiple processors so that the
process
appears to be using only one computing resource rather than multiple computing
resources.
Multiple virtual machines may also be used with one processor.
A user may interact with the computing device 300 through a visual display
device
318, such as a computer monitor, which may display one or more user interfaces
320 that
may be provided in accordance with exemplary embodiments, for example, the
exemplary
interfaces illustrated in Figures 4. The visual display device 318 may also
display other
aspects, elements and/or information or data associated with exemplary
embodiments, for
example, views of location of the RFID readers, the internal boundaries of the
facility, and
the like. The computing device 300 may include other input/output (I/0)
devices for
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
receiving input from a user, for example, a keyboard or any suitable multi-
point touch
interface 308, a pointing device 310 (e.g., a mouse). The keyboard 2008 and
the pointing
device 310 may be coupled to the visual display device 318. The computing
device 300 may
include other suitable conventional I/0 peripherals.
5 The computing device 300 may include one or more storage devices 324,
such as a
hard-drive, CD-ROM, or other computer readable media, for storing data and
computer-
readable instructions and/or software that implement exemplary embodiments of
a location
tracking system 2032 as taught herein. Exemplary storage device 324 may also
store one or
more databases for storing any suitable information required to implement
exemplary
10 embodiments. The databases may be updated by a user or automatically at
any suitable time
to add, delete or update one or more items in the databases.
Exemplary storage device 324 may store one or more system databases 326 for
storing information on RFID data association. System database 326 may also
include
information on each RFID data read including, but not limited to, properties
of the item, the
15 type of geographical location at which the load is located, the RFID
reader and RFID reader
antenna receiving the tag information, the quantity of RFID tags, the mix of
the RFID tags,
and the like.
Exemplary storage device 324 may store one or more system analysis databases
328
for storing information on RFID data association that may be used in
determining if the
criteria for group formation were satisfied and the like. System analysis
database 328 may
also include information on each system analysis method including, but not
limited to, the
location of the RFID data, the status of the RFID data, the type of the RFID
data, and the like.
Exemplary storage device 324 may store one or more group formation databases
330
for storing any group designation criteria. Group formation database 330 may
also include
additional information including, but not limited to, the facility
distribution of RFID readers
throughout the area, tag information, product location information and the
like.
The computing device 300 may include a network interface 312 configured to
interface via one or more network devices 322 with one or more networks, for
example,
Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN) or the Internet through a
variety of
connections including, but not limited to, standard telephone lines, LAN or
WAN links (for
example, 802.11, Tl, T3, 56kb, X.25), broadband connections (for example,
ISDN, Frame
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
16
Relay, ATM), wireless connections, controller area network (CAN), or some
combination of
any or all of the above. The network interface 312 may include a built-in
network adapter,
network interface card, PCMCIA network card, card bus network adapter,
wireless network
adapter, USB network adapter, modem or any other device suitable for
interfacing the
computing device 300 to any type of network capable of communication and
performing the
operations described herein.
The computing device 300 may run any operating system 316, such as any of the
versions of the Microsoft Windows operating systems, the different releases
of the Unix
and Linux operating systems, any version of the MacOS for Macintosh
computers, any
embedded operating system, any real-time operating system, any open source
operating
system, any proprietary operating system, any operating systems for mobile
computing
devices, or any other operating system capable of running on the computing
device and
performing the operations described herein. In exemplary embodiments, the
operating
system 316 may be run in native mode or emulated mode. In an exemplary
embodiment, the
operating system 316 may be run on one or more cloud machine instances.
Figure 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary network environment 400 suitable
for a
distributed implementation of exemplary embodiments. The network environment
400 may
include one or more servers 402 and 404 coupled to one or more RFID readers
406 and 408
via a communication network 410. The servers 402 and 404 may take the form of
or include
one or more computing devices 400' and 400", respectively. Similarly, the RFID
readers
406 and 408 may take the form of or include one or more computing devices 400"
' and
400", respectively, that are similar to the computing device 1000 illustrated
in Figure 1.
The network interface 312 and the network device 322 of the computing device
400
enable the servers 402 and 404 to communicate with the RFID readers 406 and
408 via the
communication network 410. As described with respect to FIG. 1, each RFID
reader, such as
RFID readers 406 and 408, may read RFID tags and produce RFID data including
tag
information from the RFID tags it reads. The communication network 410 may
include, but
is not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a
WAN (Wide Area
Network), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), a wireless network, an optical
network, and
the like. The communication facilities provided by the communication network
410 are
capable of supporting distributed implementations of exemplary embodiments.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
17
In an exemplary embodiment, the servers 402 and 404 may provide the RFID
readers
406 and 408 with computer-readable and/or computer-executable components or
products
under a particular condition, such as a license agreement. The computer-
readable and/or
computer-executable components or products may include those for providing and
rendering
an exemplary RFID reader interface. The RFID readers 406 and 408 may provide
and render
an exemplary RFID data using the computer-readable and/or computer-executable
components and products provided by the servers 402 and 404. In an exemplary
embodiment, the RFID reader 406 and 408 may transmit RFID data including RFID
tag
information defined by the user using the user interface to the servers 402
and 404 that may,
in turn, automatically determine if unique RFID tags have satisfied the
criteria to form a
group.
Alternatively, in another exemplary embodiment, the RFID readers 406 and 408
may
provide the servers 402 and 404 with computer-readable and computer-executable
components or products under a particular condition, such as a license
agreement. The
computer-readable and computer-executable components or products may include
those for
providing exemplary RFID reader self-discovery information. For example, in an
exemplary
embodiment, the servers 402 and 404 may transmit RFID data association based
on tag
information using the computer-readable and/or computer-executable components
and
products provided by the RFID readers 406 and 408. In an exemplary embodiment,
the
servers 402 and 404 may transmit information on a RFID reader self-discovery
operation
defined by the user using the user interface to the RFID readers 406 and 408
that may, in
turn, automatically execute the RFID reader data association operation.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process 500 for monitoring a group
merchandise event via wireless tracking. Process 500 may be implemented, for
example, in
network environment 400. Process 500 begins at block 502. At block 504, first
RFID data is
received from a first RFID reader, such as RFID reader 210 of FIG. 1. At block
506, the
second RFID data is received from a second RFID reader, such as RFID reader
260 of FIG. 1.
Although process 500 illustrates block 504 before block 506 in the flow, RFID
data may be
received from the second RFID reader before RFID data is received from the
first RFID
reader. Similarly, RFID data may be received from the second RFID reader at
approximately
the same time that RFID data is received from the first RFID reader. RFID data
from the first
RFID reader and/or the second RFID reader may be received intermittently or
continuously.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
18
RFID data may include time information that indicates when any tag information
was read by
the antenna of the associated RFID reader. The first RFID data associates tag
information of
an RFID tag with each antenna of the first RFID reader that reads the tag
information. For
example, RFID data from RFID reader 210 would associate antenna 212 with any
tag
information read by that antenna. The second RFID data associates tag
information of an
RFID tag with each antenna of the second RFID reader that reads the tag
information. For
example, RFID data from RFID reader 260 would associate antenna 262 with any
tag
information read by that antenna.
At block 508, a processor identifies a first appearance of first unique tag
information
in the first RFID data. At block 510, the processor identifies an appearance
of the first unique
tag information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the
first unique tag
information in the first RFID data. For example, a processor 302 may compare
the first RFID
data with the second RFID data to determine whether both the first RFID data
with the
second RFID data at one time included the first unique tag information.
Processor 302 may
compare the first RFID data with the second RFID data, upon command, whenever
it receives
the data, intermittently, and/or continuously. If the second RFID data does
not include the
first unique tag information, processor 302 may compare the first RFID data
with other
available RFID data to determine whether both the first RFID data with the
other available
RFID data at one time included the first unique tag information. Processor 302
may
continue comparing the first RFID data until it finds other available RFID
data that at one
time included the first unique tag information.
The processer 302 may only check for a prior appearance of first unique tag
information in the other RFID data for a specified period of time. For
example, the prior
appearance of first unique tag information may be required to occur in the
other RFID data
within 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, or 45 seconds before its first appearance in
the first RFID data.
Still alternatively, the prior appearance of the first unique tag information
may be required to
occur in the other RFID data within 50, 100, 200, 250, 300, 400, or 500
microseconds before
its first appearance in the first RFID data.
At block 512, the processer 302 identifies a first appearance of second unique
tag
information in the first RFID data. The first appearance of a second unique
tag information
must appear within a specified period of time of the first appearance of the
first unique tag
information in the first RFID data in order for the processer to continue
checking whether a
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
19
group should be designated. For example, the first and second unique tag
information may
be required to first appear within the first RFID data within 30 seconds.
Alternatively, the
first and second unique tag information may be required to first appear within
the first RFID
data within 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 45 seconds. Still alternatively, the first
and second unique
tag information may be required to first appear within the first RFID data
within 50, 100,
200, 250, 300, 400, or 500 microseconds.
At block 514, the processor 302 checks for a prior appearance of the second
unique
tag information in the RFID data that previously included the first unique tag
information. In
particular, the processor 302 may check for an appearance of the second unique
tag
information in the second RFID data prior to the first appearance of the
second unique tag
information in the first RFID data. Optionally, the processer 302 may only
check for a prior
appearance of the second unique tag information in the second RFID data within
a specified
amount of time before the first appearance of the second unique tag
information in the first
RFID data. For example, the prior appearance of second unique tag information
may be
required to occur in the second RFID data within 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, or
45 seconds before
its first appearance in the first RFID data. Still alternatively, the
appearance of the second
unique tag information may be required to occur in the second RFID data within
50, 100,
200, 250, 300, 400, or 500 microseconds before its first appearance in the
first RFID data.
Alternatively, the processer 302 may check for a prior appearance of the
second unique tag
information in the second RFID data for an unlimited amount of time before the
first
appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data. If no
such prior
appearance of the second unique is found, the processor proceeds to block 520
and stops
checking whether to designate a new group.
Alternatively, if the prior appearance of the second unique tag information in
the
second RFID data is found at block 514, the processor 302 proceeds to step 516
and
designates a first group comprising the first unique tag information and the
second unique tag
information. At block 518, the first group designation may be stored in memory
along with a
time index and an event indicator that indicates a group formation. If
processor 302
determines that the first RFID data and the second RFID data include a first
appearance of a
first unique tag information in the first RFID data and the second RFID data
and determine an
a first appearance of the second unique tag information in the second RFID
data prior to the
appearance of the second unique tag information in the first RFID data, it may
then determine
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
a first event indicator a first group designation and a first time index are
stored in memory
306 indicating a group formation. Alternatively, processor 302 may only
compare the first
RFID data with the second RFID data to determine whether both the first RFID
data with the
second RFID data include any of the same unique tag information within a
certain time range.
5 RFID
data may be generated intermittently or continuously. RFID data associations
can be performed at predetermined time increments and durations. The
predetermined time
increments may be fixed time periods or variable time periods. They may occur
as frequently
as every five microseconds. The RFID tags may be applied to fixtures, pallets,
cases or
items. RFID data associations can be compared over a period of time to monitor
store facility
10 changes or remerchandising a section of the facility.
Unique tag information from an RFID tag may appear in the RFID data of
multiple
RFID readers. Unique tag information from an RFID tag may further appear in
the RFID
data associated with multiple antennas of any RFID reader. For example, unique
tag
information may appear in the first RFID data and in the second RFID data.
Alternatively,
15 unique tag information may appear in the first RFID data associated with
multiple antennas.
Accordingly, in block 4008, any antenna associations in the RFID data may be
used to
determine the first group designation, a first time index and a first event
indicator. Based on
the association in the RFID data, a determination of the first group
designation is made.
Processor 302 may immediately analyze the RFID data comparison. If not,
processor 302
20 may store the comparison in the RFID system database 326. Processor 302
continues the
analysis by comparing RFID data. Processor 302 makes a determination of a
first group
designation based on the appearance of the same unique tag information in the
RFID data.
Processor 302 may create associations based on the commonality of the RFID
data assigned
to the RFID reader. Processor 302 may store the analysis in the systems
analysis database
328.
Additionally, processor 302 may utilize preexisting information stored in the
RFID
association database to generate the group formation. Preexisting information
may include,
past RFID data including, past group formation information and past reading
intervals,
additional RFID tag information including, location information, location
history, product
information, stocking location information, and merchandising information. The
process
500 then ends at block 520.
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
21
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process 600 for forming a group
according
to one embodiment. Process 600 may be implemented, for example, in network
environment
410. Process 600 begins at block 602. At block 604, first RFID data is
received. The first
RFID data is generated by a first RFID reader comprising at least two antennas
having non-
overlapping read zones. The first RFID data associates tag information of an
RFID tag with
each antenna of the first RFID reader that read the tag information. At block
606, the
processor identifies a first appearance of the first unique tag information in
the first RFID
data associated with a first antenna. At block 608, the processor identifies
an appearance of
the first unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with a
second antenna prior
to the first appearance of the first unique tag information in the first RFID
data associated
with the first antenna. At block 610, the processor identifies a first
appearance of second
unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first
antenna within a
predetermined time before the first appearance of the first unique tag
information in the first
RFID data associated with the first antenna.
At block 612, the processor checks for a prior appearance of the second unique
tag
information in the first RFID data associated with the second antenna. In
particular, the
processor 302 may check for an appearance of the second unique tag information
in the first
RFID data associated with the second antenna prior to the first appearance of
the second
unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the first
antenna. Optionally,
the processer 302 may only check for a prior appearance of the second unique
tag
information in the first RFID data associated with the second antenna within a
specified
amount of time before the first appearance of the second unique tag
information in the first
RFID data associated with the first antenna. For example, the prior appearance
of second
unique tag information may be required to occur in the RFID data within 1, 2,
5, 10, 15, 20,
30, or 45 seconds before its first appearance in the first RFID data
associated with the first
antenna. Still alternatively, the appearance of the second unique tag
information may be
required to occur in the first RFID data within 50, 100, 200, 250, 300, 400,
or 500
microseconds before its first appearance in the first RFID data associated
with the first
antenna. Alternatively, the processer 302 may check for a prior appearance of
the second
unique tag information in the first RFID data associated with the second
antenna for an
unlimited amount of time before the first appearance of the second unique tag
information in
the first RFID data associated with the first antenna. If no such prior
appearance of the
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
22
second unique tag information in the RFID data associated with the second
antenna is found,
the processor proceeds to block 618 and stops checking whether to designate a
new group.
Alternatively, if the prior appearance of the second unique tag information in
the first
RFID data associated with the second antenna is found at block 612, the
processor 302
proceeds to step 614 and designates a first group comprising the first unique
tag information
and the second unique tag information. At block 616, the first group
designation may be
stored in memory, such as memory 306. Additionally, a first time index and a
first event
indicator indicating a group formation may be stored in memory, in association
with the first
group designation. The process ends at block 618.
Group designations may be used to provide a better understanding of item
movement
within a facility. Group designations may provide information allowing
improvements in
maintaining inventory levels and stocking efficiency. Merchandising teams may
use the
group designations to understanding facility traffic flow patterns, for
example, what areas of
the facility receive higher or lower traffic volumes, variable traffic
patterns during different
times of day, or variable patterns during different times of the year. The
group designations
may be used to plan facility layouts by providing understand what shoppers
typically
purchase together, and the order in which the items are purchased.
Group designations may also be used to interface with inventory management
systems. For example, one inventory management system may trigger an employee
restocking action or a reordering action. The group designation data may also
provide
information about what items are not purchased together, and may interface
with a
distribution system to avoid a potential overstock in a specific facility.
Group designations may also be used with inventory control, store security,
and loss
prevention systems. The group designation may provide an understanding of what
group
designations are typically a potential loss target. A facility may be able to
use this
information to provided additional resources to a specific area of a store,
where the losses are
more likely to originate. Additionally, group tracking information may provide
real time
information to a facility security system. For example, when a group of items
begins to move
together the group designation may trigger an alarm alerting the security team
that a suspect
group of items has formed and is moving in a certain direction. A suspect
group of items
may consist of a large number of the same item or an abnormal amount of the
same high
CA 02907083 2015-09-15
WO 2014/150531
PCT/US2014/023510
23
value item. Additionally, the group designations may provide useful
information if a group
of items is moving towards an exit and has failed to pass through a required
RFID check
point such as a point of sale.
The group designation may be terminated by a variety of different events. A
group
designation may be terminated if the group fails to move for a predetermined
amount of time.
A group designation may be terminated if one RFID tag in the group moves and
appears with
in a non-overlapping RFID data but the another RFID tag does not. Termination
of a group
designation may also occur when RFID tags in the group are separated and each
appear
within RFID data that does not contain the previously associated RFID tags.
