RFID reader integration with a light source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9846795-B2
Application number	US-201414497961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2014
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a light bulb or other type of lighting fixture that integrates a light source and a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. Embodiments of the disclosure can also forward identifiers corresponding to RFID tags detected by the RFID reader to another computing device that can facilitate identification of products or items associated with the RFID tags. RFID tags are energized with interrogator signals and/or an electromagnetic field emitted from the RFID reader and submit a response, which can be forwarded, or data extracted and transmitted, to another computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light bulb, comprising:
a housing comprising at least one surface through which light may pass, the housing further comprising a threaded metal base compatible with a light fixture with an Edison screw socket, wherein the threaded metal base is electrically connected to the light bulb, the housing further comprising an outwardly extending flange that extends circumferentially about an axis along which the threaded metal base is rotatable;
a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader integrated within the housing, the RFID reader comprising at least one antenna that at least partially extends into the outwardly extending flange of the housing, the RFID reader comprising an active reader;
a light source integrated within the housing, the light source configured to emit light through the at least one surface;
a motion sensor integrated within the housing, the motion sensor configured to detect motion within a space in which the light bulb is installed;
at least one processor and a memory integrated within the housing, the at least one processor in communication with at least the motion sensor and the RFID reader;
a power reserve integrated within the housing, the power reserve coupled to the at least one processor, the memory, the RFID reader and the motion sensor, the power reserve being configured to power the at least one processor, the memory, the RFID reader and the motion sensor;
wherein at least one of the light source, the power reserve, the motion sensor and the RFID reader are coupled to an electricity source, the light source configured to activate when electricity is provided via the electricity source;
wherein the at least one processor is configured to activate the RFID reader when the motion sensor detects motion; and
wherein the RFID reader is configured to emit interrogator signals when activated by the at least one processor.

2. The light bulb of claim 1 , further comprising a communication device facilitating communication with at least one network.

3. The light bulb of claim 2 , wherein the RFID reader is configured to obtain a response to the interrogator signals and the at least one processor is configured to transmit the response to at least one computing device accessible via the at least one network.

4. The light bulb of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to filter a response to the interrogator signals having a signal strength that fails to meet a signal strength threshold.

5. The light bulb of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the signal strength threshold based upon a distribution of signal strengths corresponding to a plurality of responses obtained by the RFID reader.

6. The light bulb of claim 1 , wherein the power reserve is configured to charge when electricity is provided via the electricity source and provide power to the motion sensor, the RFID reader and the at least one processor when electricity is not provided via the electricity source.

7. A light bulb, comprising:
at least one processor;
a motion sensor;
a light source;
a housing comprising a threaded metal base compatible with a light fixture with an Edison screw socket, wherein the threaded metal base is electrically connected to the light bulb, the housing further comprising an outwardly extending flange that extends circumferentially about an axis along which the threaded metal base is rotatable;
an RFID reader integrated within the housing, the RFID reader comprising at least one antenna that at least partially extends into the outwardly extending flange of the housing; and
a power reserve coupled to at least the RFID reader and the at least one processor; wherein the RFID reader, the at least one processor, the light source and the power reserve are integrated within a housing, the light source is configured to illuminate an area external to the housing and in which the light bulb is installed, and the at least one processor is configured to:
initiate at least one RFID interrogator signal to be transmitted by the RFID reader when the motion sensor detects motion levels meeting a threshold;
obtain a response to the at least one RFID interrogator signal received by the RFID reader;
extract an identifier corresponding to an RFID tag associated with the response; and
deactivating the RFID reader in response to detecting motion levels that fails to meet the threshold.

8. The light bulb of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to forward the identifier corresponding to the RFID tag to at least one computing device via a network.

9. The light bulb of claim 8 , wherein the at least one computing device is configured to identify a product corresponding to the identifier.

10. The light bulb of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computing device is configured to generate a product recommendation based at least in part upon the product corresponding to the identifier.

11. The light bulb of claim 7 , wherein the RFID reader further comprises an antenna system integrated within the housing, the antenna system being configured to be visible from outside the housing, the antenna system being formed in a shape corresponding to at least one of a logo, a picture or text.

12. The light bulb of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of fan blades coupled to the housing, the plurality of fan blades being configured to rotate about the housing.

13. The light bulb of claim 12 , further comprising an antenna system coupled to the RFID reader, wherein the antenna system comprises a wire loop integrated within at least one of the plurality of fan blades.

14. The light bulb of claim 7 , further comprising a sensor integrated within the housing, the sensor configured to detect a condition associated with the area external to the housing.

15. The light bulb of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to activate the RFID reader when the sensor detects a condition meeting a threshold associated with the condition in the area external to the housing, wherein the condition corresponds to at least one of: temperature, smoke, or volume level.

16. A method, comprising:
detecting, via at least one processor, motion levels meeting a motion threshold using a motion sensor within a housing of a light bulb, the housing having a threaded metal base compatible with a light fixture with an Edison screw socket, the threaded metal base being electrically connected to the light bulb, and the housing having an outwardly extending flange that extends circumferentially about an axis along which the threaded metal base is rotatable;
causing emission, via at least one processor, of an interrogator signal from an RFID reader comprising at least one antenna that at least partially extends into the outwardly extending flange of the housing to energize a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in response to the motion levels meeting the threshold, the RFID reader being integrated within the housing with the at least one processor and a light source that is configured to illuminate an area external to the housing, the housing comprising a threaded metal base compatible with a light fixture with an Edison screw socket, wherein the threaded metal base is electrically connected to the light source;
obtaining, via the at least one processor, a response to the interrogator signal, the response comprising an identifier associated with the RFID tag;
transmitting, via the at least one processor, the identifier associated with the RFID tag to at least one computing device via a network interface accessible to the at lea

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Russell Ryan Scott

Classifications

• F21V23/0471

  the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person · CPC title

• G06K7/10336

  the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil · CPC title

• F21K9/232

  specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb · CPC title

• G06K7/10425

  the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device · CPC title

• G06K7/10009

  sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves · CPC title