Patent US6693539B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6693539B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Inventory system using articles with RFID tags
Assignee: Checkpoint Systems Inc
•
Filing: 2000-11-29
•
Granted: 2004-02-17
•
Expires: 2020-11-29
Abstract
Abstract An article inventory control system for articles, such as books, uses RFID tags attached to each article. Each tag has a unique identification or serial number for identifying the individual article. An inventory database tracks all of the tagged articles and maintains circulation status information for each article. Articles are checked out of the library using a patron self-checkout system. Checked out articles are returned to the library via patron self-check in devices. The shelves are periodically scanned with a mobile RFID scanner for updating inventory status.
Inventors
- 👤 John H. Bowers
- 👤 Thomas J. Clare
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 17:26
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08B; G08B13/00; G08B13/02; G08B13/14; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/08; G06K; G06K17/00; G06K17/0022; G07; G07F; G07F9/00; G07F9/02; G07F9/026; G07G; G07G1/00; G07G1/0036; G07G1/0045; G07G1/009; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
246 words
An RFID tag for use in an inventory control system wherein the inventory control system has at least one article return area for receiving articles which were removed from a storage area and which are to be returned to the storage area, the article return area including an interrogation zone and a collection area for holding returned articles, the returned articles passing through the zone and into the collection area as the articles are returned, wherein plural articles may be simultaneously placed in the zone, an interrogator for monitoring the zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of one or more tags within the zone, the interrogator substantially simultaneously interrogating each article in the zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal for each tag detected in the zone, each interrogator output signal including the identification information stored in the integrated circuit of an interrogated tag; said interrogator being couplable to a database for receiving the interrogator output signals, the database including inventory data for articles monitored by the system, the received interrogator output signals being used to update the status data of each returned article, the tag comprising: an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna for storing article identification information and for outputting the article identification information with the response signal upon interrogation of the tag.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
246 words
An RFID tag for use in an inventory control system wherein the inventory control system has at least one article return area for receiving articles which were removed from a storage area and which are to be returned to the storage area, the article return area including an interrogation zone and a collection area for holding returned articles, the returned articles passing through the zone and into the collection area as the articles are returned, wherein plural articles may be simultaneously placed in the zone, an interrogator for monitoring the zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of one or more tags within the zone, the interrogator substantially simultaneously interrogating each article in the zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal for each tag detected in the zone, each interrogator output signal including the identification information stored in the integrated circuit of an interrogated tag; said interrogator being couplable to a database for receiving the interrogator output signals, the database including inventory data for articles monitored by the system, the received interrogator output signals being used to update the status data of each returned article, the tag comprising: an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna for storing article identification information and for outputting the article identification information with the response signal upon interrogation of the tag.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The RFID tag according to claim 1 wherein the tag is a physically non-deactivatable tag.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system according to claim 1 wherein the article are library articles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
255 words
An RFID tag in an for use in an inventory control system wherein the inventory control system has at least one article return area for receiving articles which were removed from a storage area and which are to be returned to the storage area, the article return area including an interrogation zone and a collection area for holding returned articles, the returned articles passing through the zone and into the collection area as the articles are returned, wherein plural articles may be simultaneously placed in the zone, an interrogator for monitoring the zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of one or more tags within the zone, the interrogator substantially simultaneously interrogating each article in the zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal for each tag detected in the zone, each interrogator output signal including the identification information stored in the integrated circuit of an interrogated tag; said interrogator being a couplable to a database for receiving the interrogator output signals, the database including inventory data for articles monitored by the system, the received interrogator output signals being used to update the status data of each returned article, the tag comprising: an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal; a passive resonant circuit coupled to said antenna; and a programmable memory capable of storing a unique identifier, said programmable memory being powered by the passive resonant circuit to output the unique identifier stored therein.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
255 words
An RFID tag in an for use in an inventory control system wherein the inventory control system has at least one article return area for receiving articles which were removed from a storage area and which are to be returned to the storage area, the article return area including an interrogation zone and a collection area for holding returned articles, the returned articles passing through the zone and into the collection area as the articles are returned, wherein plural articles may be simultaneously placed in the zone, an interrogator for monitoring the zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of one or more tags within the zone, the interrogator substantially simultaneously interrogating each article in the zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal for each tag detected in the zone, each interrogator output signal including the identification information stored in the integrated circuit of an interrogated tag; said interrogator being a couplable to a database for receiving the interrogator output signals, the database including inventory data for articles monitored by the system, the received interrogator output signals being used to update the status data of each returned article, the tag comprising: an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal; a passive resonant circuit coupled to said antenna; and a programmable memory capable of storing a unique identifier, said programmable memory being powered by the passive resonant circuit to output the unique identifier stored therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the unique identifier comprises a 64-bit identifier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the RFID tag is not deactivatable.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system according to claim 4 wherein the article are library articles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
162 words
A library monitoring system comprising: a number of borrowable articles, each article having a radio frequency tag mounted thereon, the radio frequency tag having a unique identification code; a processor coupled to a database containing an indication of the location of each library article, and to a borrowed article return location exterior to a library location; wherein the borrowed article return location comprises a receptacle into which the borrowed article may be inserted, the receptacle comprising an antenna which detects an insertion of a library article having a radio frequency tag mounted thereon; the borrowed article returning location, in response to the insertion of a library article into the receptacle, detecting the identification code and sending the identification code corresponding to the returned library article to the processor, the processor, in response to the received identification code, updating the information on the database relating to the returned library article to indicate that the returned library article has been returned to the library.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
162 words
A library monitoring system comprising: a number of borrowable articles, each article having a radio frequency tag mounted thereon, the radio frequency tag having a unique identification code; a processor coupled to a database containing an indication of the location of each library article, and to a borrowed article return location exterior to a library location; wherein the borrowed article return location comprises a receptacle into which the borrowed article may be inserted, the receptacle comprising an antenna which detects an insertion of a library article having a radio frequency tag mounted thereon; the borrowed article returning location, in response to the insertion of a library article into the receptacle, detecting the identification code and sending the identification code corresponding to the returned library article to the processor, the processor, in response to the received identification code, updating the information on the database relating to the returned library article to indicate that the returned library article has been returned to the library.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system according to claim 8 , wherein the returning location or returning station also sends a signal to the processor to indicate the location to which the article has been returned when the returning location or returning station detects that the library article has been inserted into the receptacle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is additionally coupled to a returned article collection area.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is additionally coupled to a borrowing location.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 11 , wherein a number of borrowing stations are provided within the library.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
85 words
A system according to claim 11 , wherein the borrowing location includes a radio frequency tag interrogator which reads the radio frequency tag on a library article which the user wishes to borrow and the borrowing location sends the identification signal relating to that library article and the identification signal relating to the borrower to the processor, and the processor updates the database with identification information relating to that library article and the borrower to show that the article has been borrowed by that borrower.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 13 , wherein a number of borrowing stations are provided within the library.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3752960A
Cited
US3816708A
Cited
US4141078A
Cited
US4223830A
Cited
US5019815A
Cited
US4567473A
Cited
US4656463A
Cited
US4827395A
Cited
US4580041A
Cited
US4862160A
Cited
US4688026A
Cited
US4583083A
Cited
US4745401A
Cited
US4746830A
Cited
US4857893A
Cited
US4924210A
Cited
US5103222A
Cited
US4837568A
Cited
US4964053A
Cited
US5059951A
Cited
US4881061A
Cited
US5036308A
Cited
US5119070A
Cited
US5214410A
Cited
US5099227A
Cited
US5153842A
Cited
US5218343A
Cited
US5450492A
Cited
US5111186A
Cited
EP0494114A2
Cited
US5099226A
Cited
US5151684A
Cited
US5339074A
Cited
US5471203A
Cited
US5214409A
Cited
US5710540A
Cited
US5450070A
Cited
US5448110A
Cited
US5288980A
Cited
US5260690A
Cited
US5497140A
Cited
EP0585132A1
Cited
US5432864A
Cited
US5726630A
Cited
US5519381A
Cited
EP0598624A1
Cited
US5499017A
Cited
US5353011A
Cited
US5347263A
Cited
EP0615285A2
Cited
US5604486A
Cited
US5589820A
Cited
US5430441A
Cited
US5444223A
Cited
US5446447A
Cited
US5539394A
Cited
US5469363A
Cited
US5608379A
Cited
US5602538A
Cited
US5490079A
Cited
US5541585A
Cited
US5708423A
Cited
US5786764A
Cited
US5777884A
Cited
US5689238A
Cited
US5990794A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-02-16 | 2007-08-18 | 2008-02-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-02-16 | 2011-08-18 | 2012-02-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-02-16 | 2015-08-18 | 2016-02-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |