Line determination based on RFID

1. A system for estimating a number of customers in line at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal in a retail establishment, the system comprising:

one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, wherein the one or more RFID tags are located near the POS terminal;

an RFID reader configured to read signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags; and

a control circuit communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, the control circuit configured to:

receive, from the RFID reader, an indication of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags;

determine, based on the indication of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, a pattern of read periods and non-read periods, wherein an RSSI value of at least one signal transmitted from the one or more RFID tags is higher during a read period than the RSSI value of the at least one signal transmitted from the one or more RFID tags during a non-read period; and

estimate, based on the pattern of read periods and non-read periods, the number of customers in line at the POS terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein during the read periods the RFID reader detects signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tag and during the non-read periods the RFID reader does not detect signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine a number of other POS terminals available;

determine, based on the number of customers in line at the POS terminal and the number of other POS terminals available, that an additional POS terminal should be opened; and

cause a notification indicating that the additional POS terminal should be opened to be transmitted.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine a type of each of the other POS terminals available, wherein the additional POS terminal is of a specific type.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the specific type is one or more of a standard POS terminal, an express POS terminal, a location of a POS terminal, and an employee assigned to the additional POS terminal.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the number of customers in the line at the POS terminal includes one or more of a number of customers in line, a number of carts in line, a number of baskets in line, and a number of customers with neither carts nor baskets in line.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more RFID tags are mounted on one or more of a floor, a product display unit, a cart, a basket, a product, and a ceiling.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the pattern of read periods and non-read periods is based, at least in part, on a comparison with a baseline value.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

review POS data; and

based on the POS data, determine if the estimation of the number of customer in line at the POS terminal was accurate.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the non-read period occurs when an object is blocking at least one signal transmitted from the one or more RFID tags.

11. A method for estimating a number of customers in line at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal in a retail establishment, the method comprising:

reading, via a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, signals transmitted from one or more RFID tags located near the point-of-sale (POS) terminal;

receiving, at a control circuit from the RFID reader, an indication of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags;

determining, by the control circuit based on the indication of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, a pattern or read periods and non-read periods, wherein an RSSI value of at least one signal transmitted from the one or more RFID tags is heigher during a read period than the RSSI value of the at least one signal transmitted from the one or more RFID tags during a non-read period; and

estimating, based on the pattern of read periods and non-read periods, the number of customers in line at the POS terminal.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein during the read periods the RFID reader detects signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags and during the non-read periods the RFID reader does not detect signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a number of other POS terminals available;

determining, based on the number of customers in line at the POS terminal and the number of other POS terminals available, that an additional POS terminal should be opened; and

causing a notification indicating that the additional POS terminal should be open to be transmitted.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining a type of each of the other POS terminals available, wherein the additional POS terminal is of a specific type.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the specific type is one or more of a standard POS terminal, an express POS terminal, a location of a POS terminal, and an employee assigned to the additional POS terminal.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the number of customers in line at the POS terminal include one or more of a number of customers in line, a number of carts in line, a number of baskets in line, and a number of customers with neither carts nor baskets in line.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more RFID tags are mounted on one or more of a floor, a product display unit, a cart, a basket, a product, and a ceiling.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining the read periods and non-read periods is based, at least in part, on a comparison with a baseline value.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

reviewing POS data; and

based on the POS data, determining if the estimation of the number of customers in the line at the POS terminal was accurate.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the non-read period occurs when an object is blocking at least one signal transmitted from the one or more RFID tags.