Switchable, oscillating near-field and far-field antenna

• US 10,326,204 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pallas, Derrick, Snyder, Ian, Markell, Joshua, Teachworth, Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Huedung X
• Application Number:
  US15/258,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20180069311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 343742
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• 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: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method of a switchable, oscillating near-field and far-field antenna that may be used in access control systems. A controller is coupled to a transceiver, wherein the transceiver comprises an antenna module that includes both a near-field antenna and a far-field antenna. The near-field antenna is a subset of the far-field antenna, and the controller is adapted to cause the antenna module to oscillate between a near-field configuration and a far-field configuration while, for example, scanning an RFID tag of a wireless asset and receiving one or more return signals from the RFID tag, in order to determine a location of the wireless asset based on the one or more return signals.

Claims

1. An access control system comprising:

a controller; and

a transceiver coupled to the controller, wherein the transceiver comprises an antenna module including a near-field antenna and a far-field antenna, and wherein the near-field antenna is a subset of the far-field antenna;

wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising;

oscillating the antenna module at a predetermined frequency between a first scanning mode and a second scanning mode different from the first scanning mode;

determining, from signals received from the wireless asset during the second scanning mode, whether the wireless asset is moving toward a controlled access point;

initiating, in response to a positive result of the determining, pre-authorization of the wireless asset to access the controlled access point; and

completing, in response to at least the initiating and subsequent signals received from the wireless asset during the second scanning mode, authorization for the wireless asset to access the controlled access point;

wherein the first scanning mode corresponds with use of the near-field antenna, and

wherein the second scanning mode corresponds with use of the far-field antenna.

2. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:

the oscillating scans, using the transceiver, one or more RFID tags, wherein each RFID tag is associated with a corresponding wireless asset;

receiving, via the transceiver, a one or more return signals from each of the RFID tags; and

determining a location of each wireless asset based on the one or more return signals received from each RFID tag associated with the wireless asset.

3. The access control system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving two or more return signals from the RFID tag; and

determining a direction of the wireless asset based on the two or more return signals.

4. The access control system of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting position information corresponding with one or more of the location of the wireless asset and the direction of the wireless asset to a cloud controller, wherein the cloud controller is configured to receive position information from a plurality of networked asset control systems.

5. The access control system of claim 2,

wherein the use of the near-field antenna corresponds to either use of the near-field antenna without the far-field antenna or in combination with the far-field antenna, and

wherein use of the far-field antenna corresponds to either use of the far-field antenna without the near-field antenna or in combination with the near-field antenna.

6. The access control system of claim 2, wherein the return signal comprises signal strength and phase information associated with the RFID tag.

7. The access control system of claim 1, wherein either the first or second mode is use of the near-field antenna in combination with the far-field antenna.

8. A method for tracking a wireless asset relative to a controlled access point, comprising:

scanning, using a transceiver, an RFID tag of a wireless asset, wherein the transceiver comprises an antenna module including a near-field antenna and a far-field antenna, the scanning comprising;

oscillating the antenna module at a predetermined frequency between a first scanning mode and a second scanning mode different from the first scanning mode,

wherein the first scanning mode corresponds with use of the near-field antenna, and

wherein the second scanning mode corresponds with use of the far-field antenna;

receiving a one or more return signals from the RFID tag; and

determining a location of the wireless asset based on the one or more return signals;

determining, from signals received from the wireless asset during the second scanning mode, whether the wireless asset is moving toward the access controlled access point;

initiating, in response to a positive result of the determining, pre-authorization of the wireless asset to access the controlled access point; and

completing, in response to at least the initiating and subsequent signals received from the wireless asset during the second scanning mode, authorization for the wireless asset to access the controlled access point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the near-field antenna is a subset of the far-field antenna.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving two or more return signals from the RFID tag; and

determining a direction of the wireless asset based on the two or more return signals.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting position information corresponding with one or more of the location of the wireless asset and a direction of the wireless asset to a cloud controller, wherein the cloud controller is configured to receive position information from a plurality of networked asset control systems.

12. The method of claim 8,

wherein the use of the near-field antenna corresponds to either use of the near-field antenna without the far-field antenna or in combination with the far-field antenna, and

wherein the use of the far-field antenna corresponds to either use of the far-field antenna without the near-field antenna or in combination with the near-field antenna.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein either the first or second mode is use of the near-field antenna in combination with the far-field antenna.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

scanning, using a transceiver, one or more RFID tags associated with one or more wireless assets, wherein the transceiver comprises an antenna module including a near-field antenna and a far-field antenna, the scanning comprising;

oscillating the antenna module at a predetermined frequency between a first scanning mode and a second scanning mode different from the first scanning mode,

wherein the first scanning mode corresponds with use of the near-field antenna, and

wherein the second scanning mode corresponds with use of the far-field antenna;

receiving a one or more return signals from each RFID tag;

determining, from signals received from the wireless asset during the second scanning mode, whether the wireless asset is moving toward a controlled access point;

initiating, in response to a positive result of the determining, pre-authorization of the wireless asset to access the controlled access point; and

completing, in response to at least the initiating and subsequent signals received from the wireless asset during the second scanning mode, authorization for the wireless asset to access the controlled access point;

determining a location of each wireless asset based on the one or more return signals received from each RFID tag associated with the wireless asset.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the near-field antenna is a subset of the far-field antenna.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving two or more return signals from the RFID tag; and

determining a direction of the wireless asset based on the two or more return signals.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

transmitting position information corresponding with one or more of the location of the wireless asset and a direction of the wireless asset to a cloud controller, wherein the cloud controller is configured to receive position information from a plurality of networked asset control systems.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14:

wherein use of the near-field antenna corresponds to either use of the near-field antenna without the far-field antenna or in combination with the far-field antenna, and

wherein the use of the far-field antenna corresponds to either use of the far-field antenna without the near-field antenna or in combination with the near-field antenna.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the return signal comprises signal strength and phase information associated with the RFID tag.

20. The medium of claim 14, wherein either the first or second mode is use of the near-field antenna in combination with the far-field antenna.