[austinaero]

I'm not sure they can get a patent on this. It's pretty open technology.

[sinkspur]

When a person carrying or wearing items having RFID tags enters the store or other designated area, a RFID tag scanner located therein scans the RFID tags on that person and reads the RFID tag information. The RFID tag information collected from the person is correlated with transaction records stored in the transaction database according to known correlation algorithms. Based on the results of the correlation, the exact identity of the person or certain characteristics about the person can be determined. This information is used to monitor the movement of the person through the store or other areas.

This sounds like a hoax, to me.

First, RFID tags are used to track items in a supply chain; at the present time, that's done at the pallet level.

Now, as prices for RFID tags come down, they could be placed on individual items, but they have to be in a location where they can be read. If they're buried in a pocket or on the inside of an article, there are problems reading the tag.

Second, I'm only in the database if the particular item I'm wearing or carrying was purchased in this store. If I'm wearing a Nordstrom shirt in an Old Navy, Old Navy's database won't know who I am.

Third, why would Old Navy want to track my movements through their store?

Finally, what the hell is a "correlation algorithm"? There is no "algorithm" needed to match a name or key on the tag to a name or key in a database.

This "patent" is an invention of that nutcase Katherine Albrecht to stir up her "mark of the beast" paranoids.