Antenna design and interrogator system
First Claim
1. An RFID interrogator moveable linearly along a movement path in a first direction to read a plurality RFID tags disposed along said movement path, comprising:
- an antenna having one or more coils, each coil oriented in an area defined by said first direction and a second direction orthogonal to said first direction, and said one or more coils, when activated, being adapted to radiate an interrogation signal in a third direction that is substantially orthogonal to said first and second directions and within a volume defined by a first area and extending in said third direction, the first area being within a larger second area extending along said movement path;
a switching mechanism for sequential activation of said one or more coils to interrogate RFID tags within the volume defined by said first area; and
a motorized mechanism adapted to move the antenna linearly in at least said first direction to a series of positions within the second area,whereby said antenna, when moved to each position by said motorized mechanism, and said one or more coils, when each coil is sequentially activated at each position, acts to mimic a process of sequentially switching of the coils in a coil array of an antenna formed with a plurality of coils sufficient to cover the second area, whereby said plurality of RFID tags are sequentially interrogated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to the identification of RFID devices that are arranged closely together and placed on shelving for logistical and storage purposes. Furthermore, the aspects of the present invention relate to an arrangement and/or layout of antenna coils for example in an interrogator. There is disclosed a RFID interrogator and/or method of interrogating comprising an antenna, when activated, being adapted to radiate an interrogation signal in a first area, means adapted to shift the antenna within a second area, the second area being larger than the first area. The antenna may be mechanically moveable.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An RFID interrogator moveable linearly along a movement path in a first direction to read a plurality RFID tags disposed along said movement path, comprising:
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an antenna having one or more coils, each coil oriented in an area defined by said first direction and a second direction orthogonal to said first direction, and said one or more coils, when activated, being adapted to radiate an interrogation signal in a third direction that is substantially orthogonal to said first and second directions and within a volume defined by a first area and extending in said third direction, the first area being within a larger second area extending along said movement path; a switching mechanism for sequential activation of said one or more coils to interrogate RFID tags within the volume defined by said first area; and a motorized mechanism adapted to move the antenna linearly in at least said first direction to a series of positions within the second area, whereby said antenna, when moved to each position by said motorized mechanism, and said one or more coils, when each coil is sequentially activated at each position, acts to mimic a process of sequentially switching of the coils in a coil array of an antenna formed with a plurality of coils sufficient to cover the second area, whereby said plurality of RFID tags are sequentially interrogated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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11. A method of interrogating a plurality of RFID tags by an RFID interrogator that is moveable linearly along a movement path in a first direction to read the plurality RFID tags disposed along said movement path, the method comprising:
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providing an antenna having one or more coils oriented in an area defined by said first direction and a second direction orthogonal to said first direction and adapted to radiate an interrogation signal in a third direction that is substantially orthogonal to said first and second directions and within a volume defined by a first area and extending in said third direction, the first area being within a larger second area extending along said movement path; moving the antenna linearly along said movement path to a series of positions within the second area by a motorized mechanism; switching an activation of the one or more coils at each position; and interrogating at least one RFID tag at each of the series of positions to mimic a process of sequentially switching of the antenna as a coil array, whereby said antenna, when moved to each position by said motorized mechanism, and said one or more coils, when each coil is sequentially switched to an activated condition at each position, acts to mimic a process of sequentially switching of the coils in a coil array of an antenna formed with a plurality of coils sufficient to cover the second area, whereby said plurality of RFID tags are sequentially interrogated. - View Dependent Claims (12, 20, 21)
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13. A logistics system comprising:
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a plurality of RFID tags; and an RFID interrogator moveable linearly along a movement path in a first direction to read a plurality RFID tags disposed along said movement path, said RFID interrogator comprising; an antenna having one or more coils oriented in an area defined by said first direction and a second direction orthogonal to said first direction, and when activated, being adapted to radiate an interrogation signal in a third direction that is substantially orthogonal to said first and second directions and within a volume defined by a first area and extending in said third direction, the first area being within a larger second area extending along said movement path; a switching mechanism for sequential activation of said one or more coils to interrogate RFID tags within the volume defined by said first area; and a motorized mechanism adapted to move the antenna linearly in said first direction to a series of positions within the second area to mimic the process of sequentially switching of the antenna as a coil array to cover the series of positions in the second area by sequentially switching of the one or more coils in the antenna to achieve such coverage, whereby said plurality of RFID tags are sequentially interrogated, wherein said system is adapted to identify each of a plurality of items having an associated RFID tag and being disposed at least one of above and below a storage shelf, and wherein the RFID interrogator is moveable in the movement direction and adapted to radiate the interrogation signal in a direction at least one of above and below the shelf and to identify each item by interrogating the associated RFID tag, whereby said antenna, when moved to each position by said motorized mechanism, and said one or more coils, when each coil is sequentially switched to an activated condition at each position, acts to mimic a process of sequentially switching of the coils in a coil array of an antenna formed with a plurality of coils sufficient to cover the second area, whereby said plurality of RFID tags are sequentially interrogated. - View Dependent Claims (14, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification