Inventory-cycle-based RFID tag location

• US 10,061,950 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Pesavento, Alberto, Anderl, Thomas G., Ascani, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US15/818,735
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101, 340 1042
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Techniques are provided to estimate the location of an RFID tag using tag read information, such as a tag read count or a tag read rate, and an opportunity metric, such as an inventory cycle duration, inventory cycle rate, or inventory cycle count. A tag tracking system determines read information for a tag in a zone and an opportunity metric associated with the tag and the zone. The tag tracking system then computes a success rate based on the tag read information and opportunity metric, and uses the success rate to estimate the location of the tag.

Claims

1. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) synthesized-beam reader (SBR) system to estimate a location of an RFID tag, the method comprising:

transmitting a first inventorying RF wave in a first SBR beam;

receiving a first nonzero number of responses from the RFID tag in the first SBR beam;

determining a first success rate based on a first response count and a first opportunity metric associated with the first SBR beam;

transmitting a second inventorying RF wave in a second SBR beam different from but overlapping the first SBR beam;

receiving a second nonzero number of responses from the RFID tag in the second SBR beam;

determining a second success rate based on a second response count and a second opportunity metric associated with the second SBR beam; and

estimating the tag location within an overlapping portion of the first and second SBR beams based at least on a comparison between the first success rate and the second success rate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

counting the first and second nonzero numbers of responses of the RFID tag by counting over first and second time intervals, respectively, wherein

the first and second opportunity metrics are based on the first and second time intervals, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first opportunity metric is based on a number of completed inventory cycles associated with the first SBR beam.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first opportunity metric is based on a total number of RFID tags inventoried in the first SBR beam.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first opportunity metric is one of an inventory-cycle duration and an inventory-cycle rate.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using at least one of a weighted-averaging method and a centroid-averaging method to estimate the tag location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the tag location comprises estimating the tag location further based on at least one of:

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with a response from the RFID tag,

an angle-of-arrival of the response,

a phase of the response,

a Doppler parameter of the response,

a timing of the response, and

data included in the response.

8. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system configured to estimate a location of an RFID tag, the system comprising:

a synthesized-beam reader (SBR) configured to;

generate at least first and second beams, wherein the first and second beams are different but overlap; and

transmit inventorying RF waves in the first and second beams; and

a processor block coupled to the SBR and configured to;

cause the SBR to transmit a first inventorying RF wave in the first beam;

receive a first nonzero number of responses from the RFID tag in the first beam;

determine a first success rate based on a first response count and a first opportunity metric associated with the first beam;

cause the SBR to transmit a second inventorying RF wave in the second beam;

receive a second nonzero number of responses from the RFID tag in the second beam;

determine a second success rate based on a second response count and a second opportunity metric associated with the second beam; and

estimate the tag location within an overlapping portion of the first and second beams based on at least a comparison between the first success rate and the second success rate.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the processor block is further configured to count the first and second nonzero numbers of responses over first and second time intervals, respectively; and

the first and second opportunity metrics are based on the first and second time intervals, respectively.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first opportunity metric is based on at least one of:

a number of completed inventory cycles associated with the first beam; and

a total number of RFID tags inventoried in the first beam.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first opportunity metric is one of an inventory- cycle duration and an inventory-cycle rate.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor block is further configured to use at least one of a weighted-averaging method and a centroid-averaging method to estimate the tag location.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor block is configured to estimate the tag location based on the comparison and at least one of:

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with a response from the RFID tag,

an angle-of-arrival of the response,

a phase of the response,

a Doppler parameter of the response,

a timing of the response, and

data included in the response.

14. A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) synthesized-beam reader (SBR) system to estimate a location of an RFID tag, the method comprising:

counting a first nonzero number of responses from the tag in a first SBR beam directed to a first zone;

determining a first success rate based on the first response count and a first opportunity metric associated with the first SBR beam;

counting a second nonzero number of responses from the tag in a second SBR beam different from the first SBR beam and directed to a second zone;

determining a second success rate based on the second response count and a second opportunity metric associated with the second SBR beam; and

estimating the tag location with respect to at least one of the first and second zones based on at least a comparison between the first and second success rates.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of:

the first zone only constitutes a portion of the first SBR beam; and

the second zone only constitutes a portion of the second SBR beam.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

counting the first and second nonzero numbers of responses of the RFID tag includes counting over first and second time intervals, respectively; and

the first and second opportunity metrics are based on the first and second time intervals, respectively.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first opportunity metric is based on at least one of:

a number of completed inventory cycles associated with the first SBR beam; and

a total number of RFID tags inventoried in the first SBR beam.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first opportunity metric is one of an inventory-cycle duration and an inventory cycle rate.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising using at least one of a weighted-averaging method and a centroid-averaging method to estimate the tag location.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein estimating the tag location comprises estimating the tag location further based on at least one of:

a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with a response from the RFID tag,

an angle-of-arrival of the response,

a phase of the response,

a Doppler parameter of the response,

a timing of the response, and

data included in the response.