Portable rfid reading terminal with visual indication of scan trace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017011335-A1
Application number	US-201615274007-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2012
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A portable radio-frequency identifier (RFID) reading terminal can comprise a microprocessor, a memory, an RFID reading device, and a display. The portable RFID reading terminal can be configured to display a scan trace provided by a line comprising a plurality of time varying points. Each point can be defined by a projection of a radio frequency (RF) signal coverage shape of the RFID reading device onto a chosen plane at a given moment in time.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
outputting a radio-frequency (RF) signal from an radio-frequency identifier (RFID) reader to a spatial area; displaying a scan trace in response to the outputting the RF signal, wherein the scan trace comprises a line or a plurality of points that indicates a path of scanning by the RFID reader over a period of time in the spatial area.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising reconciling, by reading RFID tags attached to items, an inventory of items stored in a facility against at least one of: an expected inventory list and an expected count of items.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving, by the RFID reader from an external computer, at least one of: the expected inventory list and the expected count of items.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving via the user interface at least one of the expected inventory list and the expected count of items.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving via the two-dimensional imager at least one of the expected inventory list and the expected count of items.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving from an external memory device at least one of: (1) the expected inventory list and (2) the expected count of items.

7 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising transmitting, to a second external computer, at least one of: a list of read RFID tags and a count of read RFID tags.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the scan trace on a display of the RFD reader.

9 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each point is defined by a projection of a coverage shape of an RF signal transmitted by the RFID antenna onto the plane at a given moment in time, and wherein a spatial position of the coverage shape of the RF signal is determined based on a known position and orientation of the RF antenna relatively to a position of a field of view of the two-dimensional imager.

10 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each point is defined by a projection of a coverage shape of an RF signal transmitted by the RFID antenna onto a plane at a given moment in time, wherein a distance to an object is measured using a two-dimensional imager; and wherein a projection of the RF signal coverage shape determined and displayed onto the plane defined by a physical structure.

11 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each point is defined by a projection of a coverage shape of an RF signal transmitted by the RFID antenna onto a plane at a given moment in time, and wherein a change of a spatial position and orientation of the RF signal coverage shape is determined based on proper acceleration values received from at least one accelerometer.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying at least one of the following; a quantity of scanned items, a quantity of items which have not be scanned yet, and a total quantity of items to be scanned.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying an indicator of a ratio of quantity of scanned items to a total quantity of items to be scanned.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the scan trace overlaid over an image of a physical structure.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving the image of the physical structure from a camera on the RFID reader.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a description of a physical structure; creating an image of the physical structure based on the description; and displaying the scan trace is displayed overlaid over the image of the physical structure.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising
acquiring, using a two-dimensional imager, an image of a physical structure; and displaying the scan trace overlaid over the image of the physical structure.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying an indicator of an RF signal coverage over the scan trace overlaid over an image of a physical structure.

19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying an indicator of an RF signal coverage over a current position within the scan trace.

20 . An radio-frequency identifier (RFID) reader comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) antenna that outputs an RF signal; wherein a scan trace is displayed in response to the outputting the RF signal, wherein the scan trace comprises a line or a plurality of points recorded over a period of time that thereby indicates a path of scanning by the RFID antenna over the period of time in a spatial area.

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Vargas Joseph
• Plocher Tom
• Wang Ynjiun Paul
• Putrevu Sriharsha
• Zumsteg Philip

Classifications

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/0875

  Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials · CPC title

• G06K7/10475

  arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices · CPC title

• G06K7/10386

  the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader · CPC title