Patents by Inventor John F. Neal

John F. Neal has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus pertaining to RFID tag tag-type identifiers
    Patent number: 9569707
    Abstract: An RFID tag includes a tag-type identifier. This tag-type identifier can represent data encoder-relevant tag-type information and/or printer-relevant tag-type information as desired. This identifier can comprise an optical or electronic code such as a numeric, binary, or hexadecimal code. This code can be stored within the RFID tag's integrated circuit (for example, within the integrated circuit's stored EPC field). These teachings also provide for recovering from an unassigned RFID tag its tag-type identifier and using that tag-type identifier to facilitate automatically processing the RFID tag when assigning the RFID tag to a corresponding item. This can comprise utilizing the tag-type identifier to determine corresponding assignment-facilitation information to use when assigning the RFID tag. Examples in these regards, include, for example, an RFID tag encoder power setting or position, a printer setting, or a label layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholaus A. Jones, Justin C. Lewis, John F. Neal
  • Method and Apparatus Pertaining to RFID Tag Tag-Type Identifiers
    Publication number: 20130265142
    Abstract: An RFID tag includes a tag-type identifier. This tag-type identifier can represent data encoder-relevant tag-type information and/or printer-relevant tag-type information as desired. This identifier can comprise an optical or electronic code such as a numeric, binary, or hexadecimal code. This code can be stored within the RFID tag's integrated circuit (for example, within the integrated circuit's stored EPC field). These teachings also provide for recovering from an unassigned RFID tag its tag-type identifier and using that tag-type identifier to facilitate automatically processing the RFID tag when assigning the RFID tag to a corresponding item. This can comprise utilizing the tag-type identifier to determine corresponding assignment-facilitation information to use when assigning the RFID tag. Examples in these regards, include, for example, an RFID tag encoder power setting or position, a printer setting, or a label layout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventors: Nicholaus A. Jones, Justin C. Lewis, John F. Neal