Battery-less IoT Tag for Automatic Retail Checkout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current IoT device-based pick-up sensing solutions rely on batteries, external sensors, and crystals, which increase costs, size, and maintenance requirements, and are not suitable for seamless product integration, especially in retail environments where customer experience is hindered by manual checkout processes.
Innovation Solution
A battery-less IoT tag system using low-power communication protocols like BLE, integrated with energy harvesting and on-die components, that detects pick-up events by analyzing frequency changes, enabling automatic product association and checkout upon user confirmation and exit from the store.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a battery is used to power the SoC, external crystal and sensor, then the device can operate reliably, but the cost, size, and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the battery from the IoT tag design, extracting the power source component entirely. The tag operates by harvesting energy from ambient RF signals, eliminating the need for battery installation, maintenance, and disposal while reducing device complexity and environmental impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The IoT tag employs energy harvesting from ambient RF environments to power its operations autonomously. This self-service approach allows the tag to generate its own power from available electromagnetic fields, eliminating dependence on external battery sources and reducing overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If external sensors and crystals are added to detect pick-up events, then measurement precision improves, but manufacturing cost and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pick-up detection functionality with the existing BLE radio and SoC by utilizing changes in RF signal characteristics when the tag is picked up. This integration eliminates the need for separate external sensors and crystals, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining detection precision through software-based analysis of frequency and signal strength variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The BLE radio serves multiple functions: communication, timing reference, and pick-up detection. By making the radio universal, the patent eliminates the need for dedicated external crystals and sensors, reducing component count and manufacturing complexity while maintaining measurement capabilities through multi-purpose use of the radio frequency system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If Bluetooth Low Energy radio is integrated for communication, then connectivity capability improves, but power consumption and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The IoT tag uses periodic advertising mode where it transmits brief signal packets at intervals rather than maintaining continuous communication. This periodic operation significantly reduces power consumption compared to continuous transmission, allowing the low-power tag to maintain BLE connectivity capability while consuming minimal energy from harvested sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as an intermediary that receives periodic signals from the low-power tag and manages communication protocols. This intermediary approach allows the tag to use simple, low-power periodic transmissions while the gateway handles complex communication tasks, dividing the energy burden and enabling versatile connectivity with minimal tag power consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces maintenance and integration costs, enhances customer experience by eliminating the need for manual checkout, and provides a compact, durable, and efficient pick-up sensing mechanism, allowing for seamless product integration and streamlined shopping processes.
Implementation Method 1
power supply may be harvested from other sources, such as light, mechanical movement, and electromagnetic power, (e.g., existing radio frequency transmissions)
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for detecting a pick-up of an item and processing payment based on the detected pick-up are provided. The method includes receiving at least one data packet from at least one Internet of Things (IoT) tag, wherein each of the least IoT tag is attached to an item, extracting a frequency word from the at least one received data packet, wherein the frequency word is a measure of the at least one IoT tag, analyzing the frequency word to determine a pick-up event to be associated with a pick-up of the item attached to the at least one IoT tag, upon detecting the pick-up event, sending a notification including an identification of the at least one IoT tag, wherein the notification includes information associated with the picked-up item attached to the at least one IoT tag, prompting a user to purchase the picked-up item, and upon the user selecting to purchase the item, and associating a user's purchase account with the picked-up item; and commencing checkout of the item upon detecting the user exiting a location where the item is sold.