NFC Tag Triangulation for Box Mapping in Storage Bays
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Solution Overview
Problem
In retail industry warehouses, finding specific boxes within storage bays is challenging due to varying bay sizes and the lack of visible barcodes or identifying stickers, especially when boxes are stacked or moved.
Innovation Solution
A method using a handheld mobile device to map box locations by ascertaining storage bay boundaries, reading identifying information from NFC tags associated with boxes, and determining tag positions through triangulation, creating a mapping of box locations and orientations while automatically repositioning boxes to resolve overlaps or edge issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If boxes are stacked in storage bays to maximize space utilization, then storage capacity is improved, but visibility of barcodes and identifying stickers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces RFID tags as an intermediary identification mechanism. Instead of relying on visible barcodes on box surfaces, the system uses RFID tags that can be read wirelessly without line-of-sight requirements. The mobile device acts as a mediator to read these tags and triangulate box positions, solving the visibility problem while maintaining stacking density.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical system of barcode scanning (requiring visual line-of-sight) with an electromagnetic field-based RFID reading system. This substitution allows identification and positioning of boxes without needing to see the box surfaces, enabling effective tracking even when boxes are stacked or obscured.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual searching is performed within storage bays to locate specific boxes, then flexibility in handling inventory changes is maintained, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by continuously maintaining an updated digital map of box locations within storage bays. As boxes are moved in or out, the system proactively updates the mapping data through RFID scanning and triangulation, so that when a search is needed, the location is already known, eliminating manual searching time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where RFID tags continuously transmit box identification data, the mobile device triangulates positions, and the mapping system updates box locations in real-time. This feedback mechanism ensures the digital map remains synchronized with physical inventory changes, enabling rapid location retrieval without manual intervention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If storage bay sizes vary to accommodate different inventory needs, then adaptability to different storage requirements is improved, but precision of location identification deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional bay boundary markers to three-dimensional spatial positioning using RFID triangulation. By measuring signal strength or time-of-flight from multiple antennas on the mobile device, the system calculates precise box positions in 3D space, maintaining accuracy regardless of varying bay dimensions or configurations.
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 approach enables efficient tracking and organization of boxes within warehouses by providing accurate location and orientation data, improving the ability to find specific boxes despite varying storage bay sizes and inventory changes.
Implementation Method 1
wirelessly reading, using a handheld mobile device, identifying information from tags associated with the boxes within a proximity sphere of the handheld mobile device
Implementation Method 2
determining positioning of the tags in the storage bay by triangulating tag locations relative to, at least in part, one or more determined locations of the handheld mobile device during the wirelessly reading
Data Source
AI summary
Mapping boxes in a storage bay is provided, which includes: ascertaining storage bay boundaries; wirelessly reading, using a mobile device, identifying information from tags associated with the boxes, each box having one or more associated tags, and the identifying information including size information for the associated box; determining position of the tags in the storage bay by triangulating tag locations relative to, in part, one or more locations of the mobile device; and creating, by a processor, a mapping of boxes in the storage bay using the tag positions and the identifying information wirelessly read from the tags. In one or more implementations, the tags are near-field communication (NFC) tags associated with the boxes, and the creating may include automatically reorienting a floating box in the mapping of boxes, as well as automatically repositioning a box when boxes overlap each other, or overlap an edge of the storage bay.