Arrangement for and method of optimally adjusting the scan rate of scan beams generated bya radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader having an array of antennas

摘要

Retail items movable from an inventory location at a retail venue through a portal to a retail exit are automatically tracked. The items are individually associated with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. An RFID tag reader has an array of antennas for generating a multitude of scan beams at an adjustable scan rate. A first set of the beams covers the inventory location, and a second set of the beams covers the portal to determine an exit characteristic of the items that have exited the retail venue. A point-of-sale workstation at the retail venue is operative, independently of the tag reader, for determining a sold characteristic of the items that have been sold. A controller dynamically adjusts the scan rate of the first and second sets of scan beams to an optimal scan rate as a function of the determined exit and sold characteristics.

主权项

1. An arrangement for automatically tracking items movable through a portal, the items being located at an inventory location and being individually associated with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, the arrangement comprising:
an RFID tag reader having an array of antennas for generating a multitude of scan beams at an adjustable scan rate, a first set of the beams covering the inventory location to scan and interrogate the tags of items located in the inventory location, and a second set of the beams covering the portal to scan and interrogate the tags of items passing through the portal to determine an exit characteristic of the items that have passed through the portal; a workstation operative, independently of the RFID tag reader, for determining a moved characteristic of the items that have been moved; and a controller operatively connected to the RFID tag reader and the workstation, for optimally dynamically adjusting the scan rate of the first and second sets of scan beams that are scanning the inventory location and the portal to an optimal scan rate as a function of the determined exit characteristic and the determined moved characteristic.