System and user interface for finding multiple items using radio-frequency identification

Abstract

Methods and systems for utilizing RFID tagging to create and identify sets of items are provided. An application running on a computer system causes to be displayed on a display of the computer system a list of pre-established sets of items. Each set of the list of pre-established sets of items includes one or more items having affixed thereto a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag. A selection identifying a set of the list of pre-established sets is received by the application. Responsive to the selection, an RFID reader is caused to scan for RFID tags associated with the one or more items included within the selected set.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 causing to be displayed on a display of a computer system, by an application running on the computer system, a list of pre-established sets of items, wherein each set of the list of pre-established sets of items includes information regarding one or more items having affixed thereto a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag;   receiving, by the application, a selection identifying a set of the list of pre-established sets; and   responsive to said receiving, causing, by the application, an RFID reader to scan for RFID tags associated with the one or more items included within the selected set.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining, by the application, a database containing a name and a unique ID of each item of the one or more items of each set of the pre-established sets of items. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing information, by the application, to an end user of the computer system regarding presence or absence of the one or more items of the selected set within a read range of the RFID reader. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said causing, by the application, an RFID reader to scan for RFID tags comprises causing all RFID tags within range of the RFID reader to transmit their unique IDs. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising matching, by the application, a unique ID of an RFID tag received by the RFID reader against the unique ID of an item of the one or more items of the selected set. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the information regarding presence or absence is provided via a user interface that displays a list of those of the one or more items of the selected set that have yet to be detected by the RFID reader. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising responsive to determining all of the one or more items of the selected set have been detected by the RFID reader, causing to be displayed on the display, by the application, a message to that effect. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising responsive to determining all of the one or more items of the selected set have been detected by the RFID reader, causing a distinctive sound to be played by the computer system to notify the end user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising responsive to determining an item of the one or more items of the selected set has been detected by the RFID reader, causing a distinctive sound to be played by the computer system to inform the end user that the item has been found. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein for at least one set in the list of pre-established sets of items, an item of the one or more items comprises a set of one or more items. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising creating, by the application, a set of the pre-established sets of items by causing the RFID reader to scan for all RFID tags within range of the RFID reader. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said causing all RFID tags within range of the RFID reader to transmit their unique IDs comprises causing the RFID reader to interrogate passive RFID tags operating in an ultra high frequency (UHF) band. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the computer system and the RFID reader are separate devices and wherein said causing, by the application, an RFID reader to scan for RFID tags comprises the application directing the separate RFID reader to interrogate passive RFID tags operating in a frequency band of 905 megahertz (MHz) to 925 MHz. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer system comprises a smartphone and the RFID reader comprises a chip integrated within the smartphone and wherein said causing, by the application, an RFID reader to scan for RFID tags comprises the application directing the smartphone to use the integrated chip to interrogate passive RFID tags operating in a frequency band of 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) to 2.485 GHz. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a set of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a hand-held computer system, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
 displaying on a display of the hand-held computer system a list of pre-established sets of items, wherein each set of the list of pre-established sets of items includes information regarding one or more items having affixed thereto a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag;   receiving a selection identifying a set of the list of pre-established sets; and   responsive to said receiving, causing an RFID reader to scan for RFID tags associated with the one or more items included within the selected set.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises maintaining a database containing a name and a unique ID of each item of the one or more items of each set of the pre-established sets of items. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises providing information to an end user of the hand-held computer system regarding presence or absence of the one or more items of the selected set within a read range of the RFID reader. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein said causing an RFID reader to scan for RFID tags comprises causing all RFID tags within range of the RFID reader to transmit their unique IDs. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises matching a unique ID of an RFID tag received by the RFID reader against the unique ID of an item of the one or more items of the selected set. 
     
     
         20 . A radio-frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:
 a smartphone having stored therein an application; and   an RFID reader integrated within or attached to the smartphone;   wherein, when executed by the smartphone, the application performs a method comprising:   displaying on a display of the smartphone a list of pre-established sets of items, wherein each set of the list of pre-established sets of items includes information regarding one or more items having affixed thereto a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag configured to transmit a unique identifier stored within the RFID tag within a frequency band of 905 megahertz (MHz) to 925 MHz or a frequency band of 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) to 2.485 GHz;   receiving a selection identifying a set of the list of pre-established sets; and   responsive to said receiving, causing the RFID reader to scan for RFID tags associated with the one or more items included within the selected set.