RF point of sale and delivery method and system using communication with remote computer and having features to read a large number of RF tags
A method and system for providing point-of-sale and point-of-delivery and/or distribution of products in a restricted access unit near the customer. The method and system utilize products equipped with radio frequency tags and reduce the effects of energy sharing, shadowing, and nulls. In one embodiment, a plurality of RF tagged products are placed within a refrigerator, cabinet, or other micro-warehouse that has a door or opening that can detect access to the micro-warehouse. In one embodiment, one or more antennas are positioned within the door. Each antenna may have a transmission line of sight and be configured to emit a signal at predefined frequencies. Each antenna generates an electromagnetic field within the micro-warehouse. In one embodiment, the products are positioned in one or more bins, compartments, or similar devices located within the micro-warehouse such that at least two of the plurality of products are spaced a distance from each other to reduce energy sharing. The electromagnetic field is moved or altered within the micro-warehouse through the use of reflectors, devices that move the antennas, or other mechanisms.
1 - 94 . (canceled)
95 . A system comprising:
RFID scanning means for using RFID to scan an access-controlled area, wherein said RFID scanning means comprises an antenna and means for automatically physically moving the antenna using an electrical actuator that is mechanically coupled to the antenna;
inventory determining means for determining an inventory in accordance with a result of scanning by said RFID scanning means; and
access control means for controlling access of a user to the access-controlled area in accordance with reading of a RFID badge of the user.
96 . A system according to claim 95 , further comprising reordering means for automatically reordering an object so as to cause the object to be delivered to the access-controlled area in accordance with (a) the inventory determined by said inventory determining means and (b) a predetermined business rule.
97 . A system according to claim 95 , further comprising means for determining how much time an RFID tag has spent in the access-controlled area.
98 . A system according to claim 95 , further comprising means for determining whether an object having an RFID tag, the object being disposed in the access-controlled area, has been recalled.
99 . A system according to claim 95 , wherein said RFID scanning means further comprises means for obtaining a list identifying all RFID tags read during any of a plurality of RFID scans, and means for determining whether or not to perform an additional RFID scan.
100 . A system according to claim 95 , further comprising:
reordering means for automatically reordering an object so as to cause restocking of the same to the access-controlled area, in accordance with (a) the inventory determined by said inventory determining means and (b) a predetermined business rule; and
means for determining whether an object corresponding to an RFID tag, the RFID tag being disposed in the access-controlled area, has been recalled,
wherein said RFID scanning means further comprises another antenna and means for activating said antenna and said another antenna at different times when performing RFID scanning.
101 . A system according to claim 100 , wherein the object corresponding to the RFID tag is attached to the RFID tag.
102 . A system according to claim 101 , wherein the access-controlled area is the interior of a refrigerated cabinet, and
wherein said access control means controls access of the user to the access-controlled area by controlling a lock of a door of the refrigerated cabinet.
103 . A system according to claim 102 , wherein the inventory is an inventory of any biological products stored in the access-controlled area, each such product having a passive RFID tag and being selected from the group consisting of an enzyme, an assay, and a cloning vector,
wherein the inventory is determined in accordance with a differential comparison between two RFID scanning operations,
wherein the lock is an electric actuated lock comprising a solenoid,
wherein the refrigerated cabinet comprises sensing means for sensing opening and closing of the door of the refrigerated cabinet by sensing output of a proximity sensor,
wherein said antenna is mounted in the refrigerated cabinet, and
wherein the lock is further controlled in accordance with the temperature within the refrigerated cabinet.
104 . A system according to claim 95 , wherein said RFID scanning means further comprises another antenna and means for activating the antenna and the another antenna at different times when performing RFID scanning, wherein each of the antenna and the another antenna are used to perform RFID scanning by sending signals for RFID tag interrogation and by receiving RFID tag-generated signals.
105 . A system comprising:
RFID scanning means for using RFID to scan an access-controlled area, wherein said RFID scanning means comprises an antenna, means for automatically physically moving the antenna to change an orientation of the antenna, another antenna, and means for activating the antenna and the another antenna at different times when performing RFID scanning;
inventory determining means for determining an inventory in accordance with a result of scanning by said RFID scanning means; and
access control means for controlling access of a user to the access-controlled area in accordance with reading of a RFID badge of the user.
106 . A system according to claim 105 , further comprising:
reordering means for automatically reordering an object so as to cause restocking of the same to the access-controlled area, in accordance with (a) the inventory determined by said inventory determining means and (b) a predetermined business rule; and
means for determining whether an object corresponding to an RFID tag, the RFID tag being disposed in the access-controlled area, has been recalled,
wherein the access-controlled area is the interior of a refrigerated cabinet, and
wherein said access control means controls access of the user to the access-controlled area by controlling a lock of a door of the refrigerated cabinet.
107 . A system according to claim 106 , wherein the inventory is an inventory of any biological products stored in the access-controlled area, each such product having a passive RFID tag and being selected from the group consisting of an enzyme, an assay, and a cloning vector,
wherein the inventory is determined in accordance with a differential comparison between two RFID scanning operations,
wherein the lock is an electric actuated lock comprising a solenoid,
wherein the refrigerated cabinet comprises sensing means for sensing opening and closing of the door of the refrigerated cabinet by sensing output of a proximity sensor,
wherein said antenna is mounted in the refrigerated cabinet, and
wherein the lock is further controlled in accordance with the temperature within the refrigerated cabinet.
108 . A system according to claim 105 , wherein said RFID scanning means further comprises means for modifying a frequency used by the antenna for RFID scanning.
109 . A method comprising:
using RFID to scan an access-controlled area, wherein a plurality of RFID antennae activated at different times are used to effect the RFID scanning;
automatically physically moving an antenna of the plurality of RFID antennae to change its orientation;
determining an inventory in accordance with a result of the RFID scanning; and
controlling access to the access-controlled area of a user in accordance with an authentication procedure.
110 . A method according to claim 109 , wherein the authentication procedure comprises reading a RFID badge of the user.
111 . A method according to claim 109 , wherein the authentication procedure comprises reading a fingerprint of the user.
112 . A method according to claim 109 , wherein the authentication procedure comprises one of (a) reading a RFID badge of the user and (b) reading a fingerprint of the user.
113 . A method according to claim 112 , further comprising:
automatically reordering an object so as to cause restocking of the same to the access-controlled area, in accordance with (a) the inventory determined by said inventory determining step and (b) a predetermined business rule,
wherein the access-controlled area is the interior of a refrigerated cabinet,
wherein said access controlling step controls access of the user to the access-controlled area by controlling a lock of a door of the refrigerated cabinet.
114 . A method according to claim 113 , wherein the inventory is an inventory of any biological products stored in the access-controlled area, each such product having a passive RFID tag and being selected from the group consisting of an enzyme, an assay, and a cloning vector,
wherein the inventory is determined in accordance with a differential comparison between two RFID scanning operations,
wherein the lock is an electric actuated lock comprising a solenoid,
wherein the refrigerated cabinet comprises sensing means for sensing opening and closing of the door of the refrigerated cabinet by sensing output of a proximity sensor,
wherein said antenna is mounted in the refrigerated cabinet, and
wherein the lock is further controlled in accordance with the temperature within the refrigerated cabinet.
115 . A method according to claim 109 , further comprising a step of cloaking a tag during an RFID scan.
116 . A method according to claim 109 , further comprising determining a read time for a RFID scan.
117 . A method according to claim 109 , further comprising a step of altering the position of nulls in an electromagnetic field used for the RFID scanning.
118 . A method according to claim 109 , further comprising a step of using an RFID read time curve to determine a condition in the access-controlled area.