US-12626078-B2 - Passive RFID tag placement for cybernetic command and control via localization

Abstract

An autonomous appliance configured to operate in a facility. The autonomous appliance includes a chassis including a motor configured to move the autonomous appliance within the facility and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader configured to communicate with infrastructure RFID tags attached to fixed infrastructure and with product RFID tags attached to product containers. The RFID tag reader emits an RF signal that provides ambient RF power to the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags. The autonomous appliance includes at least one actuator configured to manipulate the product containers and a controller coupled to the RFID tag reader and configured to read information from the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags. The controller adapts the behavior of the autonomous appliance relative to a first product container based on the read information.

Inventors

• Marouane Balmakhtar
• Lyle W. Paczkowski

Assignees

• T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240118

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of controlling autonomous appliances configured to operate in a facility, the method including: assigning by a server a joint task to be completed by a first autonomous appliance and a second autonomous appliance; performing by a first controller in the first autonomous appliance a first step of the joint task; updating by the first controller first status information related to completion of the first step in a first RFID tag in the first autonomous appliance; detecting by an RFID tag reader in the first autonomous appliance a second RFID tag in the second autonomous appliance, wherein detecting the second RFID tag comprises emitting an RF signal that provides ambient RF power to the second RFID tag; and transmitting to the second autonomous appliance the updated first status information.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further including: adapting by a second controller in the second autonomous appliance an operation of the second autonomous appliance based on the updated first status information.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , further including: performing by the second controller in the second autonomous appliance a second step of the joint task; updating by the second controller second status information related to completion of the second step in the second RFID tag in the second autonomous appliance; and detecting by an RFID tag reader in the second autonomous appliance the first RFID tag in the first autonomous appliance and transmitting to the first autonomous appliance the updated second status information.
4. 4 . An autonomous appliance configured to operate in a facility, the autonomous appliance including: a chassis including a motor configured to move the autonomous appliance within the facility; a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader configured to communicate with infrastructure RFID tags attached to fixed infrastructure in the facility and with product RFID tags attached to product containers stored in the facility, wherein the RFID tag reader is configured to emit an RF signal that provides ambient RF power to at least one of the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags; at least one actuator configured to manipulate the product containers; and a controller coupled to the RFID tag reader and configured to read information from the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags and to store information to the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags, wherein the stored information includes a time stamp corresponding to a location of a respective product RFID tag within the facility and environmental conditions of the facility for an area in which a respective infrastructure RFID tag or product RFID tag is located.
5. 5 . The autonomous appliance of claim 4 , wherein the controller stores the stored information to the first product RFID tag when the autonomous appliance moves the first product container from a first location in the facility to a second location in the facility.
6. 6 . The autonomous appliance of claim 4 , wherein the stored information adapts a behavior of a second autonomous appliance relative to the first product container when the second autonomous appliance reads the stored information.
7. 7 . The autonomous appliance of claim 6 , wherein the second autonomous appliance adapts an operation of the second autonomous appliance to modify an orientation of the first product container based on the stored information.
8. 8 . The autonomous appliance of claim 6 , wherein the second autonomous appliance adapts an operation of the second autonomous appliance to modify a handling operation of the first product container based on the stored information.
9. 9 . The autonomous appliance of claim 6 , wherein the second autonomous appliance adapts at least one of a speed and a direction of the second autonomous appliance as the second autonomous appliance moves through the facility based on the stored information.
10. 10 . The autonomous appliance of claim 6 , wherein the autonomous appliance comprises a robot.
11. 11 . The autonomous appliance of claim 6 , wherein the autonomous appliance comprises a robot forklift.
12. 12 . An autonomous appliance configured to operate in a facility, the autonomous appliance including: a chassis including a motor configured to move the autonomous appliance within the facility; a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader configured to communicate with infrastructure RFID tags attached to fixed infrastructure in the facility and with product RFID tags attached to product containers stored in the facility, wherein the RFID tag reader is configured to emit an RF signal that provides ambient RF power to at least one of the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags; at least one actuator configured to manipulate the product containers; and a controller coupled to the RFID tag reader and configured to: read information from the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags, wherein the controller adapts a behavior of the autonomous appliance relative to a first product container based on the read information; and store information to the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags, wherein the stored information includes a time stamp corresponding to a location of a respective product RFID tag within the facility and environmental conditions of the facility for an area in which a respective infrastructure RFID tag or product RFID tag is located.
13. 13 . The autonomous appliance of claim 12 , wherein the autonomous appliance moves the first product container from a first location in the facility to a second location in the facility based on the read information.
14. 14 . The autonomous appliance of claim 12 , wherein the controller adapts an operation of the at least one actuator to modify an orientation of the first product container based on the read information.
15. 15 . The autonomous appliance of claim 12 , wherein the controller adapts an operation of the at least one actuator to modify a handling operation of the first product container based on the read information.
16. 16 . The autonomous appliance of claim 12 , wherein the controller adapts at least one of a speed and a direction of the autonomous appliance as the autonomous appliance moves through the facility based on the read information.
17. 17 . The autonomous appliance of claim 12 , wherein the read information includes: a location of a first infrastructure RFID tag; path information associated with the facility; steering and velocity information for controlling the autonomous appliance; an expiration date associated with a product in the first product container; a temperature requirement value associated with a product in the first product container; a vibration requirement value associated with a product in the first product container; or a handling requirement value associated with a product in the first product container.
18. 18 . The autonomous appliance of claim 12 , wherein the autonomous appliance comprises a robot.
19. 19 . The autonomous appliance of claim 12 , wherein the autonomous appliance comprises a robot forklift.
20. 20 . The autonomous appliance of claim 12 , wherein the controller includes a machine learning model and the controller used the machine learning model to adapt the behavior of the autonomous appliance.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS None. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable. REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX Not applicable. BACKGROUND Cybernetics is the science of human-machine interaction that involves feedback, control and communication. In engineering applications, cybernetics focuses on automatic control of dynamic systems, such as robots, aircraft, marine craft, automotive systems, electrical circuits, biological systems, process plants, and others. Cybernetics may involve systems of any nature that are capable of receiving, storing, and processing information that may be used to control a machine. A cybernetic system uses feedback to control itself. The system processes information, responds to it, and changes for better functioning. Some of the most important applications of cybernetics are in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence, or simply “AI”, is one aspect of machine intelligence. AI is an area of computer science based on the idea of computer programs that model aspects of intelligent behavior. It seeks to create machines to mimic human intelligence and behavior so that the machines may react like humans. Machine learning (ML) is a branch of AI that focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. Using statistical methods, machine learning algorithms are trained to make classifications or predictions and to obtain insights in data mining. There is a need for system and methods that provide improved environmental input data to ML/AI systems in order to improve the accuracy and functioning of cybernetic command and control over autonomous systems. There is a further need for peer-to-peer cybernetic control systems that enable joint task performance by autonomous appliances. SUMMARY In an embodiment, an autonomous appliance configured to operate in a facility is disclosed. The autonomous appliance includes a chassis including a motor configured to move the autonomous appliance within the facility and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader configured to communicate with infrastructure RFID tags attached to fixed infrastructure in the facility and with product RFID tags attached to product containers stored in the facility. The RFID tag reader is further configured to emit an RF signal that provides ambient RF power to at least one of the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags. The autonomous appliance further includes at least one actuator configured to manipulate the product containers; and a controller coupled to the RFID tag reader and configured to read information from the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags. The controller adapts the behavior of the autonomous appliance relative to a first product container based on the read information. In an embodiment, an autonomous appliance configured to operate in a facility is disclosed. The autonomous appliance includes a chassis including a motor configured to move the autonomous appliance within the facility; and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader configured to communicate with infrastructure RFID tags attached to fixed infrastructure in the facility and with product RFID tags attached to product containers stored in the facility. The RFID tag reader is configured to emit an RF signal that provides ambient RF power to at least one of the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags. The autonomous appliance further includes at least one actuator configured to manipulate the product containers; and a controller coupled to the RFID tag reader and configured to read information from the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags and to store information to the infrastructure RFID tags and the product RFID tags, wherein the stored information includes location information and a time stamp stored in a first product RFID tag attached to a first product container. In an embodiment, a method for controlling autonomous appliances configured to operate in a facility is disclosed. The method includes assigning by a server a joint task to be completed by a first autonomous appliance and a second autonomous appliance, performing by a first controller in the first autonomous appliance a first step of the joint task, and updating by the first controller first status information related to the completion of the first step in a first RFID tag in the first autonomous appliance. The method also includes detecting by an RFID tag reader in the first autonomous appliance a second RFID tag in the second autonomous appliance. Detecting the second RFID tag comprises emitting an RF signal that provides ambient RF power to the second RFID tag and transmitting to the second autonomous appliance the updated first status information. These and other features will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjuncti