IP Library Granted Patent US 8,970,379
Granted Patent B2
US 8,970,379 · App. 14/059,249 · Granted Mar 3, 2015

Method and apparatus to visualize locations of radio frequency identification (RFID) tagged items

Inventor: Wayne Chang (Austin, TX)
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
G06K7/10376G01S3/046G02B27/017G06Q30/0623G02B2027/0138G02B2027/014
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,970,379
App. No.
14/059,249
Granted
Mar 3, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to visualize locations of radio frequency identification (RFID) tagged items are described. One example method includes receiving a request from a portable electronic device to access product information associated with an individual radio frequency identification (RFID) tagged item, determining a location of the product information in a database, transmitting the located product information to the portable electronic device for display thereon, receiving modified product information associated with the individual RFID tagged item from the portable electronic device, and storing the modified product information to the location of the product information in the database.

Claims (32)

1. A method, comprising:

processing, by a processor of a portable electronic device, a plurality of received radio frequency waves to determine a location of a radio frequency identification tagged item, where the location of the radio frequency identification tagged item is determined from an angle of each of the plurality of received radio frequency waves; and

transmitting the location of the radio frequency identification tagged item via the processor of the portable electronic device to a database.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location comprises a distance and a lateral position.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location is further determined from a time delay of each of the plurality of received radio frequency waves.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location is further determined from an amplitude change of each of the plurality of received radio frequency waves.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location is further determined from a second angle of a second radio frequency wave for a second radio frequency identification tagged item.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving product information at the processor of the portable electronic device, wherein the product information is associated with the radio frequency identification tagged item;

receiving at the processor of the portable electronic device an input to modify the product information associated with the radio frequency identification tagged item; and

transmitting the product information that is modified from the processor of the portable electronic device to the database.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of received radio frequency waves is processed to extract an identification number to reference the radio frequency identification tagged item.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

using a wireless communication channel to facilitate communication between the processor of the portable electronic device and the database.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the receiving the product information includes receiving an identification number for the radio frequency identification tagged item.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the product information further includes a product description.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the product information further includes an available quantity.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the product information further includes a manufacturer name.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the product information further includes a model number.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the product information further includes a catalog number.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the product information further includes a price.

16. The method of claim 6 , wherein the database stores the product information that has been modified.

17. The method of claim 6 , wherein the input is received from a keypad associated with the portable electronic device.

18. The method of claim 6 , wherein the indicating the location of the radio frequency identification tagged item comprises displaying the product information associated with the radio frequency identification tagged item on a transparent display.

19. A portable electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

processing a plurality of received radio frequency waves to determine a location of a radio frequency identification tagged item, where the location of the radio frequency identification tagged item is determined from an angle of each of the plurality of received radio frequency waves; and

transmitting the location of the radio frequency identification tagged item to a database.

20. A tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a portable electronic device, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

processing a plurality of received radio frequency waves to determine a location of a radio frequency identification tagged item, where the location of the radio frequency identification tagged item is determined from an angle of each of the plurality of received radio frequency waves; and

transmitting the location of the radio frequency identification tagged item to a database.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2022
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: WORKDAY, INC.
Reel/Frame 059553/0432 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 10, 2021
From: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 058955/0989 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 22, 2013
From: CHANG, WAYNE
To: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
Reel/Frame 031449/0898 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 13567917 · Aug 6, 2012
Continuation 13186269 · Jul 19, 2011
Continuation 12603365 · Oct 21, 2009
Continuation 11673829 · Feb 12, 2007
Related Publication 20140046803A1 · Feb 13, 2014