Multi-protocol RFID system

• US 10,083,329 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amtech Systems LLC (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gravelle, Kelly, Catanach, Steven J., Tiernay, Robert W., Kao, Joseph H., Melville, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/727,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20180032766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 105, 3405721, 3405724, 370252, 370342, 455 61, 4552771, 380 24, 235384
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/016 Synchronisation of sensing process
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10069 the collision being resolved in the frequency domain, e.g. by hopping from one frequency to the other frequency hopping or spread spectrum techniques H04B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles

Abstract

A multi-protocol RFID interrogating system employs a synchronization technique (step-lock) for a backscatter RFID system that allows simultaneous operation of closely spaced interrogators. The multi-protocol RFID interrogating system can communicate with backscatter transponders having different output protocols and with active transponders including: Title 21 compliant RFID backscatter transponders; IT2000 RFID backscatter transponders that provide an extended mode capability beyond Title 21; EGO™ RFID backscatter transponders, SEGO™ RFID backscatter transponders; ATA, ISO, ANSI AAR compliant RFID backscatter transponders; and IAG compliant active technology transponders. The system implements a step-lock operation, whereby adjacent interrogators are synchronized to ensure that all downlinks operate within the same time frame and all uplinks operate within the same time frame, to eliminate downlink on uplink interference.

Claims

1. An interrogator system to read active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) transponders and backscatter RFID transponders at a single monitoring location comprising:

at least two antennas, each antenna covering a respective capture zone at said monitoring location,

wherein said system is configured to establish a tag communication signal sequence, said signal sequence comprising first, second, third and fourth sequence portions,

said signal sequence being arranged to enable said system to;

read a first active RFID transponder during said first sequence portion,

read a second active RFID transponder during said second sequence portion, and

read a third active RFID transponder during said third sequence portion,

wherein communication with at least two backscatter RFID transponders during said fourth sequence portion via said at least two antennas overlaps in time.

2. The system of claim 1, where said system is configured to read the active RFID transponders at a different frequency than a frequency at which at least one of the backscatter RFID transponders is read.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said capture zones overlap.

4. The system of claim 1, where said at least two backscatter RFID transponders are sent different commands.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein one of said commands is a read of a first page of transponder data and another of said commands is a read of a second page of transponder data.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein one of said commands is a read of a page of transponder data and another of said commands is a write to a page of transponder data.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein one of said commands is a read of a page of transponder data and another of said commands requests a random number.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein three commands are used and one of said commands is a write to a page of transponder data and another of said commands is a request for a random number.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein one of said commands is a read of a page of transponder data and another of said command is an acknowledgement of receipt of data from the transponder.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein four commands are used in communicating with the transponder wherein one of the commands is an acknowledgement receipt of data from the transponder.

11. An interrogator system to read active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) transponders and backscatter RFID transponders at a single monitoring location comprising:

at least two antennas, each antenna covering a respective capture zone at said monitoring location,

wherein said system is configured to establish a tag communication signal sequence, said signal sequence comprising first, second, and third sequence portions,

wherein said signal sequence is arranged to enable said system to perform the following;

read at least one active RFID transponder in a first capture zone during said first sequence portion,

read at least one active RFID transponder in a second capture zone during a second sequence portion, and

communicate with at least two backscatter transponders during said third sequence portion via the at least two antennas,

wherein the communicating with each of the at least two backscatter transponders overlaps in time.

12. The system of claim 11 where said system is configured to read the active RFID transponders at a different frequency than a frequency at which at least one of the backscatter transponders is read.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said capture zones overlap.

14. The system of claim 11 where said backscatter transponders are sent different commands.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein one of said commands is a read of a first page of transponder data and another of said commands is a read of a second page of transponder data.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein one of said commands is a read of a page of transponder data and another of said commands is a write to a page of transponder data.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein one of said commands is a read of a page of transponder data and another of said commands requests a random number.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein three commands are used and one of said commands is a write to a page of transponder data and another of said commands is a request for a random number.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein one of said commands is a read of a page of transponder data and another of said command is an acknowledgement of receipt of data from the transponder.

20. An interrogator system to read active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) transponders and backscatter RFID transponders at a single monitoring location comprising:

an interrogator comprising at least two antennas,

wherein the interrogator is configured to establish a tag communication signal sequence, said signal sequence comprising first, second, third and fourth sequence portions,

wherein said signal sequence is arranged to enable said interrogator system to perform the following;

read at least one active RFID transponder during said first sequence portion,

read at least one active RFID transponder during a second sequence portion,

read at least one active RFID transponder during said third sequence portion, and

communicate with at least two backscatter transponders during said fourth sequence portion via the at least two antennas,

wherein the communicating with each of the at least two backscatter transponders overlaps in time.