U.S. patent application number 16/406498 was filed with the patent office on 2019-08-29 for line determination based on rfid.
The applicant listed for this patent is Walmart Apollo, LLC. Invention is credited to Nicholaus A. Jones, Alvin S. Taulbee, Jeremy R. Tingler.
Application Number | 20190266365 16/406498 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64738207 |
Filed Date | 2019-08-29 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190266365 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jones; Nicholaus A. ; et
al. |
August 29, 2019 |
LINE DETERMINATION BASED ON RFID
Abstract
In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods are
provided herein useful to determining qualities of a line at a POS
terminal in a retail establishment. In some embodiments, a systems
comprises one or more RFID tags, wherein the one or more RFID tags
are located near the POS terminal, an RFID reader configured to
read signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, and a
control circuit communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, the
control circuit configured to receive, from the RFID reader, an
indication of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID
tags, determine, based on the indication of the signals from the
one or more RFID tags, properties of the signals transmitted by the
one or more RFID tags, and estimate, based on the properties of the
signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, a number of
people in line at the POS terminal.
Inventors: |
Jones; Nicholaus A.;
(Fayetteville, AR) ; Taulbee; Alvin S.;
(Springdale, AR) ; Tingler; Jeremy R.;
(Bentonville, AR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Walmart Apollo, LLC |
Bentonville |
AR |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
64738207 |
Appl. No.: |
16/406498 |
Filed: |
May 8, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16021325 |
Jun 28, 2018 |
10331918 |
|
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16406498 |
|
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62526832 |
Jun 29, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07G 3/00 20130101; G07F
7/08 20130101; G06Q 20/204 20130101; G06K 7/10 20130101; G07G 1/009
20130101; G06Q 20/208 20130101; G08C 17/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06K 7/10 20060101
G06K007/10; G06Q 20/20 20060101 G06Q020/20; G07G 1/00 20060101
G07G001/00; G07G 3/00 20060101 G07G003/00; G07F 7/08 20060101
G07F007/08; G08C 17/02 20060101 G08C017/02 |
Claims
1. A system for estimating a number of customers in line at a
point-of-sale (POS) terminal in a retail establishment, the system
comprising: one or more radio frequency identification (RFID) tags,
wherein the one or more RFID tags are located near the POS
terminal; an RFID reader configured to read signals transmitted
from the one or more RFID tags; and a control circuit
communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, the control circuit
configured to: receive, from the RFID reader, an indication of the
signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags; determine,
based on the indication of the signals transmitted from the one or
more RFID tags, properties of the signals transmitted from the one
or more RFID tags; and estimate, based on the properties of the
signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, the number of
customers in line at the POS terminal.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the properties of the signals
transmitted from the one or more RFID tags include one or more of
strength, location, direction, time, and interference.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further
configured to: determine a number of other POS terminals available;
determine, based on the number of customers in line at the POS
terminal and the number of other POS terminals available, that an
additional POS terminal should be opened; and cause a notification
indicating that the additional POS terminal should be opened to be
transmitted.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is further
configured to: determine a type of each of the other POS terminals
available, wherein the additional POS terminal is of a specific
type.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the specific type is one or more
of a standard POS terminal, an express POS terminal, a location of
a POS terminal, and an employee assigned to the additional POS
terminal.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of customers in the
line at the POS terminal includes one or more of a number of
customers in line, a number of carts in line, a number of baskets
in line, and a number of customers with neither carts nor baskets
in line.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more RFID tags are
mounted on one or more of a floor, a product display unit, a cart,
a basket, a product, and a ceiling.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination of properties
of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags is based,
at least in part, on a comparison with a baseline value.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further
configured to: review POS data; and based on the POS data,
determine if the estimation of the number of customer in line at
the POS terminal was accurate.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further
configured to: determine the properties of the signals transmitted
from the one or more RFID tags based on patterns of read periods
and non-read periods of the indication of the signals transmitted
from the one or more RFID tags.
11. A method for estimating a number of customers in line at a
point-of-sale (POS) terminal in a retail establishment, the method
comprising: reading, via a radio frequency identification (RFID)
reader, signals transmitted from one or more RFID tags located near
the point-of-sale (POS) terminal; receiving, at a control circuit
from the RFID reader, an indication of the signals transmitted from
the one or more RFID tags; determining, by the control circuit
based on the indication of the signals transmitted from the one or
more RFID tags, properties of the signals transmitted from the one
or more RFID tags; and estimating, based on the properties of the
signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, the number of
customers in line at the POS terminal.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the properties of the signals
transmitted from the one or more RFID tags include one or more of
strength, location, direction, time, and interference.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining a
number of other POS terminals available; determining, based on the
number of customers in line at the POS terminal and the number of
other POS terminals available, that an additional POS terminal
should be opened; and causing a notification indicating that the
additional POS terminal should be open to be transmitted.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining a type
of each of the other POS terminals available, wherein the
additional POS terminal is of a specific type.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the specific type is one or
more of a standard POS terminal, an express POS terminal, a
location of a POS terminal, and an employee assigned to the
additional POS terminal.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the number of customers in line
at the POS terminal include one or more of a number of customers in
line, a number of carts in line, a number of baskets in line, and a
number of customers with neither carts nor baskets in line.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more RFID tags are
mounted on one or more of a floor, a product display unit, a cart,
a basket, a product, and a ceiling.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the properties
of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags is based,
at least in part, on a comparison with a baseline value.
19. The method of claim 11, further comprising: reviewing POS data;
and based on the POS data, determining if the estimation of the
number of customers in the line at the POS terminal was
accurate.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the properties
of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags is based
on based on patterns of read periods and non-read periods of the
indication of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID
tags.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 16/021,325, filed Jun. 28, 2018, which claims the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/526,832, filed Jun. 29, 2017,
which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates generally to radio frequency
identification (RFID) technology and, more specifically, uses of
RFID technology in a retail facility.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In addition to causing frustration for shoppers, long lines
at point-of-sale (POS) terminals can negatively impact a retailer's
sales and revenue. For example, shoppers may defer a purchase, or
may be unlikely to return to the shopping area after getting in
line to retrieve additional products if lines are long. While an
employee can be tasked with monitoring line length, this solution
is not optimal. For example, when an employee is utilized to
monitor line length, the employee may not be able to quickly and
accurately determine the types and quantities of products customers
are buying, how long it will take to complete each customer's
transaction, etc. Additionally, assigning an employee to such a
task requires the retailer to either reassign an employee,
potentially leaving the retailer shorthanded elsewhere, or pay to
add an additional employee. Consequently, a need exists for
accurate and cost-effective systems and methods for monitoring
qualities of a line, such as the length, at POS terminals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, apparatuses,
and methods pertaining to determining qualities of a line at a POS
terminal in a retail establishment. This description includes
drawings, wherein:
[0005] FIG. 1 depicts a checkout area including a POS terminal 100
and a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags 118
located near the POS terminal 100, according to some
embodiments;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system 200 for determining
qualities of a line at a POS terminal in a retail establishment,
according to some embodiments; and
[0007] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram including example operations for
determining qualities of a line at a POS terminal in a retail
establishment, according to some embodiments.
[0008] Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and
clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example,
the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements
in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to
help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present
invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are
useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often
not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these
various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions
and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of
occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such
specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The
terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical
meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons
skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where
different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth
herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0009] Generally speaking, pursuant to various embodiments,
systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to
determining qualities of a line at a POS terminal in a retail
establishment. In some embodiments, a systems comprises one or more
RFID tags, wherein the one or more RFID tags are located near the
POS terminal, an RFID reader configured to read signals transmitted
from the one or more RFID tags, and a control circuit
communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, the control circuit
configured to receive, from the RFID reader, an indication of the
signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, determine,
based on the indication of the signals from the one or more RFID
tags, properties of the signals transmitted by the one or more RFID
tags, and estimate, based on the properties of the signals
transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, a number of customers
in line at the POS terminal.
[0010] As previously discussed, long wait times at POS terminals
can negatively impact customers' perceptions of a retail facility,
as well as the retail facility's sales and revenue. While
intuitively it may seem like assigning an employee to monitor line
lengths would be a suitable solution, this approach has many
drawbacks. First, assigning an employee to monitor line length
requires an employee to be moved from a different task or an
additional employee to be added. If an employee is a reassigned, it
may leave another portion of the retail facility understaffed. If
an additional employee is utilized, it raises staffing costs for
the retail facility. Second, an employee is likely limited in the
amount of information he or she can perceive. For example, while an
employee may be able to quickly discern that one line has three
shopping carts and another four, it is unlikely that the employee
is able to quickly determine how many items, and what kinds of
items, are in each cart. Further, without this information, the
employee may not be very good at predicting an action to take, such
as opening another register, based on the line length.
Consequently, a need exists for a system that can quickly determine
qualities about a line at a POS terminal, such as the line length,
the types and number of items in shopping carts and baskets, the
number of customers in line, etc.
[0011] Described herein are systems, methods, and apparatuses
capable of determining such qualities of a line. In some
embodiments, the systems, methods, and apparatuses utilize
radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags positioned near the POS
terminal. An RFID reader reads signals transmitted from the RFID
tags and a control circuit determines qualities of the line based
on properties of the transmitted signals. For example, the control
circuit can determine a number of shopping carts and shopping
baskets in the line, as well as the number and types of items in
each shopping cart and shopping basket based on properties of the
signals transmitted by the RFID tags, such as signal strength,
location from which the signal is transmitted, a direction in which
the signal is traveling, and interference with the signal. The
discussion of FIG. 1 provides an overview of such a system.
[0012] FIG. 1 depicts a checkout area including a POS terminal 100
and a plurality of RFID tags 118 located near the POS terminal 100,
according to some embodiments. The checkout area can also include a
product display unit, such as a shelving unit 114. The RFID tags
118 are located in various locations near the POS terminal 100. For
example, the RFID tags 118 can be located on the POS terminal 100,
above the POS terminal 100, on the shelving unit 114, on shopping
baskets 108, on carts 106, on products 116 on the shelving unit
114, on the floor, etc. It should be noted that these are just
example locations (i.e., the RFID tags 118 can be located in any
suitable location) and that the RFID tags 118 depicted in FIG. 1
are enlarged relative to most embodiments for clarity.
[0013] RFID readers 102 interact with the RFID tags 118. In
embodiments in which the RFID tags 118 are passive, the RFID
readers 102 interact with the RFID tags 118 by emanating energy
toward the RFID tags 118. The energy energizes the RFID tags 118
and the RFID tags 118 respond to the RFID readers 102 by
transmitting a signal from the RFID tags 118 to the RFID readers
102. In embodiments in which the RFID tags 118 are active, the RFID
tags 118 can actively transmit the signals to the RFID readers 102
(i.e., without first being energized by a transmission from the
RFID readers 102). In either embodiment, the signal can include
identification information (e.g., identifying the RFID tag 118 or a
surface (e.g., such as a product display unit or product 116) with
which the RFID tag 118 is associated). In some embodiments,
qualities of the signal can be determined directly from this
identification information. For example, if each of the shopping
carts 106 and baskets 108 includes an RFID tag 118 and the signals
transmitted from the RFID tags 118 identifies the shopping carts
106 and baskets 108, the number of shopping carts 106 and baskets
108 can be calculated. Similarly, if the products 116 in the
shopping carts 106 and baskets 108 include RFID tags 118, the
number, and in some embodiments the type, of the products 116 in
line, and in some embodiments in each shopping cart 106 or basket
108, can be determined.
[0014] In addition to determining qualities of the line directly,
in some embodiments, qualities of the line can be determined
indirectly. For example, the location of RFID tags 118 (whether on
carts 106, baskets 108, product display units 114, etc.) can be
determined based on the RFID signals. Systems, methods, and
apparatuses for determining locations of RFID tags are discussed in
U.S. Pat. No. 9,310,466 to Wal Mart Stores, Inc., which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety. The location of the RFID
tags 118 can be useful in determining which line (i.e., at which
POS terminal 100) the RFID tags 118 are located.
[0015] Additionally, in some embodiments, the number of people in
line can be estimated indirectly. For example, if the properties of
the signals transmitted from the RFID tags 118 are the strength of
the signal received by the RFID readers 102 (i.e., signal strength)
and the direction from which the signal emanated, the number of
shopping carts 106 and/or shopping baskets 108 can be estimated
inferentially. That is, if the strength of the signal received is
half of what it would be in the absence of shopping carts 106 and
baskets 108, the number of shopping carts 106 and/or baskets 108 in
line can be estimated. As one example, if the carts 106 include a
metal cage, the signals will be blocked if the distance between
bars of the metal cage is less than one quarter of the wavelength
of the signal. In some embodiments, current RFID signals can be
compared to baseline RFID signals. If the RFID readers 102 and the
RFID tags 118 are stationary (e.g., located on the ceiling an
around the POS terminal, respectively), received signal strength
indicator (RSSI) values can be used to detect the presence of carts
106, baskets 108, and people. For example, RFID tags 118 near an
RFID reader 102 may have an RSSI value of approximately -40 dBm
(e.g., as depicted by the line 120). RFID tags 118 located between
RFID readers 102 may have an RSSI value of approximately -60 dBm.
When an object, such as a cart 106 or basket 108, is interfering
with, or enhancing, the RFID signal, the RSSI value will change.
For example, the RSSI value may decrease when objects are between
the RFID tag 118 and the RFID reader 102 (e.g., as depicted by the
line 122). Additionally, dependent upon the object, the RSSI value
may increase when the object is positioned between an RFID tag 118
and an RFID reader 102. The presence of an object can be determined
based on these fluctuations from the baseline value. That is, when
the RFID signal is different than the baseline value, it can be
assumed that an object is positioned between the RFID tag 118 and
the RFID reader 102.
[0016] Additionally, in some embodiments, the system can estimate a
number of people (e.g., carts 106, baskets 108, people, etc.) in
the line. For example, if two people are in line, the RSSI value
for the RFID signal will fluctuate twice: once when each person
passes between the RFID tag 118 and the RFID reader 102.
Additionally, because the carts 106 are a relatively uniform
length, the amount of time that a signal is blocked (i.e., a
"non-read" period) is indicative of the number of carts 106 in the
line. In addition to the amount of time that the RFID readers 102
stop reading the signal (i.e., the amount of time that the signal
is blocked), patterns in the loss of signal can be used to
determine the qualities of the line. Additionally, the direction
from which the signal emanated can be used to determine or estimate
the location of the RFID tag 118 from which the signal emanated.
For example, an object in a cart 106 or basket 108 may reflect the
signal, causing the signal to be read by an RFID reader 102 that
would not typically read the signal. Further, other objects, such
as the customers themselves, may reflect and absorb some of the
signals. This absorption can affect signal strength and the
reflection can alter which RFID readers 102 read the signals.
[0017] Further, in some embodiments, the qualities of the line can
be determined based on both direct and indirect information. For
example, the amount of interference detected in the signals may
allow an inference that a customer is standing in line without a
shopping cart 106, and the types and number of products 116 that
the customer is holding may be determined directly from RFID tags
118 associated with the items. As another example, if the signal
identifies the RFID tag 118 from which it emanates, and is read by
an RFID reader 102 which would not typically read the RFID tag, it
can be determined that a reflective object, such as a shopping cart
106, is located between the RFID tag 118 and the RFID reader
102.
[0018] In addition to determining the qualities of the line at the
POS terminal 100, in some embodiments, it can be determined that
actions should be performed based on the qualities of the line. For
example, if the qualities of the line indicate that the number of
people in line, the number of items in the line, the average number
of items per cart 106, etc. exceed a threshold, it can be
determined that another POS terminal 100 should be opened. Further,
in some embodiments, information in addition to the qualities of
the line can be used to determine an action to perform (e.g.,
external information, such as the type of POS terminals 100 open).
As one example, if the qualities of the line indicate that the line
includes three shopping carts 106, each having a large number of
products 116, two shopping baskets 108, each have a relatively
small number of products 116, and the external information
indicates that there are no "express lanes" open, the action can be
to open an "express lane." Further, in some embodiments,
notifications can be generated and transmitted which indicate the
determined action. In such embodiment, the notification can be
transmitted. For example, a notification can be transmitted
indicating that additional POS terminal 100 should be opened.
[0019] To better improve inferences and action determinations, in
some embodiments, the inferences can be compared with sales data
generated by the POS terminal 100. For example, if it is determined
or estimated that a shopping cart 106 contained seventeen items,
the determination or estimation can be checked against the sales
data for that transaction. As another example, if it is determined
or estimated that opening an "express lane" will cause two
customers with shopping baskets 108 to move to the "express lane,"
this determination or estimation can be checked based on the sales
data.
[0020] While the discussion of FIG. 1 provides an overview of using
RFID technology to determine qualities of a line at a POS terminal,
the discussion of FIG. 2 provides additional details of a system
which can be used to determine the qualities of a line at a POS
terminal.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system 200 for determining
qualities of a line at a POS terminal in a retail establishment,
according to some embodiments. The system 200 includes a control
circuit 202, RFID tags 208, and RFID readers 210. The RFID tags 208
can be located in any suitable area about a POS terminal and can be
passive and/or active RFID tags 208. The RFID readers 210 can
likewise be positioned in any suitable area about the POS terminal.
The RFID readers 210 are configured to read signals transmitted
from the RFID tags 208. The RFID readers 210 are communicatively
coupled to the control circuit 202. The RFID readers 210 transmit
indications of the signals transmitted from the RFID tags 208 to
the control circuit 202.
[0022] The control circuit 202 can comprise a fixed-purpose
hard-wired hardware platform (including but not limited to an
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (which is an
integrated circuit that is customized by design for a particular
use, rather than intended for general-purpose use), a
field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like) or can comprise
a partially or wholly-programmable hardware platform (including but
not limited to microcontrollers, microprocessors, and the like).
These architectural options for such structures are well known and
understood in the art and require no further description here. The
control circuit 202 is configured (for example, by using
corresponding programming as will be well understood by those
skilled in the art) to carry out one or more of the steps, actions,
and/or functions described herein.
[0023] By one optional approach the control circuit 202 operably
couples to a memory. The memory may be integral to the control
circuit 202 or can be physically discrete (in whole or in part)
from the control circuit 202 as desired. This memory can also be
local with respect to the control circuit 202 (where, for example,
both share a common circuit board, chassis, power supply, and/or
housing) or can be partially or wholly remote with respect to the
control circuit 202 (where, for example, the memory is physically
located in another facility, metropolitan area, or even country as
compared to the control circuit 202).
[0024] This memory can serve, for example, to non-transitorily
store the computer instructions that, when executed by the control
circuit 202, cause the control circuit 202 to behave as described
herein. As used herein, this reference to "non-transitorily" will
be understood to refer to a non-ephemeral state for the stored
contents (and hence excludes when the stored contents merely
constitute signals or waves) rather than volatility of the storage
media itself and hence includes both non-volatile memory (such as
read-only memory (ROM) as well as volatile memory (such as an
erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM).
[0025] In some embodiments, the control circuit 202 includes a
determination unit 204 and a receiver 206. The receiver 206
receives indications of the signals transmitted by the RFID tags
208 from the RFID readers 210. In some embodiments, the receiver
206 can also transmit data to other components, such as the RFID
readers 210 and or other control circuits 202 (i.e., the receiver
206 can be a transceiver). The determination unit 204 determines
properties of the signals transmitted from the RFID tags 208. The
properties, for example, can be the strength of the signals, the
direction of the signals (i.e., the direction from which the signal
emanates), the location of the signal (e.g., the location at which
the signal was read), time (e.g., the amount of time between
transmitting energy from the RFID readers 210 and reading the RFID
tags 208), interference (i.e., interference with the signals), etc.
The determination unit 204 determines the qualities of the line
based on the properties of the signals transmitted from the RFID
tags 208. The qualities of the line, for example, can be a number
of customers in the line, a number of carts in the line, a number
of baskets in the line, a number of products in the line, a number
of customers with neither carts nor baskets in the line, etc. In
some embodiments, the determination unit 204 determines the
qualities of the line based on a comparison with a baseline value.
That is, the determination unit 204 can compare the current
properties of the signals transmitted from the RFID tags 208 with a
known value, such as the properties of the signals transmitted from
the RFID tags 208 when there isn't a line or aren't any products,
or when the composition of the line and/or products is known.
Further, in some embodiments, the control circuit 202 can
constantly or periodically determine the properties of the signals
transmitted by the RFID tags 208. Changes in the properties of the
signals transmitted by the RFID tags 208 may be indicative of a
change in the qualities of the line. In such embodiments, detection
of a change in the properties of the signal can trigger a
determination of an action by the determination unit 204.
[0026] While the discussion of FIG. 2 provides additional
information regarding a system which can be used to determine the
qualities of a line at a POS terminal, the discussion of FIG. 3
describes example operations for determining the qualities of a
line at a POS terminal.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram including example operations for
determining qualities of a line at a POS terminal in a retail
establishment, according to some embodiments. The flow begins at
block 302.
[0028] At block 302, signals transmitted from RFID tags are read.
For example, one or more RFID readers can read the signals
transmitted from the RFID tags. The RFID tags can be of any
suitable type and are located near a POS terminal. The RFID readers
are likewise located near the POS terminal. In some embodiments,
the signals include identifying information which identifies the
RFID tag and/or a product with which the RFID tag is associated.
The flow continues at block 304.
[0029] At block 304, indications of the signals transmitted from
the RFID tags are received. For example, a control circuit can
receive the indications of the signals transmitted from the RFID
tags to the RFID tag readers. The indications of the signals
transmitted from the RFID tags can include the identification
information. The flow continues at block 306.
[0030] At block 306, properties of the signals transmitted from the
RFID tags are determined. For example, the control circuit can
determine the properties of the signals transmitted from the RFID
tags. The properties, for example, can be the strength of the
signals, the direction of the signals (i.e., the direction from
which the signal emanates), the location of the signal (e.g., the
location at which the signal was read), time (e.g., the amount of
time between transmitting energy from the RFID readers and reading
the RFID tags), interference (i.e., interference with the signals),
or any other suitable property. The control circuit determines the
properties of the signals transmitted from the RFID tags based on
the indications of the signals transmitted from the RFID tags. The
flow continues at block 308.
[0031] At block 308, qualities of the line at the POS terminal are
determined. For example, the control circuit can determine the
qualities of the line at the POS terminal. The qualities of the
line, for example, can be a number of customers in the line, a
number of carts in the line, a numbers of baskets in the line, a
number of products in the line, a number of customers with neither
carts nor baskets in the line, or any other suitable quality. In
some embodiments, the control circuit can check or verify these
determinations based on sales data generated by the POS terminal.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the control circuit can
determine actions to be taken based on the qualities of the line at
the POS terminal and check or verify these determinations based on
the sales data.
[0032] In some embodiments, a systems comprises one or more RFID
tags, wherein the one or more RFID tags are located near the POS
terminal, an RFID reader configured to read signals transmitted
from the one or more RFID tags, and a control circuit
communicatively coupled to the RFID reader, the control circuit
configured to receive, from the RFID reader, and indication of the
signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, determine,
based on the indication of the signals from the one or more RFID
tags, properties of the signals transmitted by the one or more RFID
tags, and determine, based on the properties of the signals
transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, the qualities of the
line at the POS terminal.
[0033] In some embodiments, an apparatus and a corresponding method
performed by the apparatus, comprises reading, via an RFID reader,
signals transmitted from one or more RFID tags located near the POS
terminal, receiving, at a control circuit from the RFID reader, an
indication of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID
tags, determining, by the control circuit based on the indication
of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID tags,
properties of the signals transmitted from the one or more RFID
tags, and determining, based on the properties of the signals
transmitted from the one or more RFID tags, the qualities of the
line at the POS terminal.
[0034] Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety
of other modifications, alterations, and combinations can also be
made with respect to the above described embodiments without
departing from the scope of the invention, and that such
modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as
being within the ambit of the inventive concept.
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