RF Tag Receptacle Tracking for Untagged Item Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tracking systems for physical environments face challenges in tracking items without attaching radio frequency tags, especially for large numbers of items, and raise privacy concerns when tracking users using facial recognition or require burdensome mobile device installations.
Innovation Solution
A computing device implements a tracking system that uses radio frequency tags embedded in receptacles to receive and transmit unique identifiers and timestamps, allowing the system to infer the presence and movement of items without tags, and display relevant information in the environment without capturing user data or requiring mobile device installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If radio frequency tags are attached to each item for tracking, then tracking accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a receptacle as an intermediary object that contains multiple items. Instead of tracking each item individually with separate tags, a single radio frequency tag in the receptacle tracks the entire group. The system infers item presence and movement through the receptacle's location data, reducing the number of tags needed from many individual items to one per receptacle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual representation of items within the receptacle by inferring their presence based on the receptacle's movement and location data. The tracking system reconstructs item-level tracking information from receptacle-level data, effectively copying the tracking function from individual tags to a centralized receptacle tag system.
2Extent of automation
If facial recognition is used to track users, then user tracking capability is improved, but privacy concerns and user acceptance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from user-specific data (facial recognition, mobile device identifiers) and transfers it to the receptacle tag system. The radio frequency tag in the receptacle serves as the primary identifier, eliminating the need to collect or process sensitive user information while maintaining automated tracking capability.
3Extent of automation
If mobile device applications are installed for user tracking, then tracking functionality is improved, but ease of operation and user burden worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system makes the receptacle self-tracking through the embedded radio frequency tag. The tag automatically transmits location and identification data without requiring any user action, mobile device installation, or active participation. The tracking function serves itself through the receptacle's movement and the tag's automatic communication with tracking infrastructure.
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
Enables efficient tracking of items without tags and maintains user privacy by using embedded radio frequency tags in receptacles to compute time spent in regions, identifying items and displaying relevant information without the need for user data capture or mobile app installations.
Implementation Method 1
radio waves transmitted by the first radio frequency antenna within the first region
Implementation Method 2
first radio waves received by a first radio frequency antenna from a radio frequency tag embedded in a physical receptacle
Data Source
AI summary
In implementations of systems for tracking receptacles in physical environments, a computing device implements a tracking system to receive radio wave data describing first radio waves received by a first radio frequency antenna from a radio frequency tag embedded in a physical receptacle within a first region of a physical environment. The first radio waves indicate a unique identifier of the radio frequency tag. The tracking system computes an amount of time that the physical receptacle is within the first region based on the unique identifier of the radio frequency tag. An item is identified that does not include a radio frequency tag based on the amount of time and a unique identifier of the first radio frequency antenna. The tracking system generates an indication of information related to the item for display in a user interface of a display device disposed in a second region of the physical environment.