System and method for RFID system integration

• US 20050092825A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CapTech Ventures, Inc. (Markel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CapTech Ventures, Inc. (Markel Corporation)
• Inventors: Cox, George E. Jr., George, Daniel T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,267,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• 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: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A robust system, method and environment for the programming, collection, manipulation, and propagation of RFID data enhances the integration of RFID elements into new and existing enterprise systems.

Claims

1. A tag identification information system, comprising:

a reader interface component for receiving data from at least one tag reader, said reader being either polled for tag information or set to automatically detect tag information from an item bearing at least one tag;

a field control element for defining tag query fields associated with said at least one tag reader;

a process sequence control element for associating said tag reader and said detected tag information into an event, said event representative of a time or location wherein said at least one tag is detected by said at least one reader;

an enterprise interface component for receiving event information; and

a management and monitoring component for managing and monitoring said at least one tag reader and said at least one tag, said management component providing an interface for said field control element and for establishing said process sequence control element.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said process sequence control element is provided in a pipe-and-filter architecture.

3. The system of claim 1 further including a reader registrar containing reader interface details.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a ruleset registrar containing rules for evaluating and routing events to at least one chain.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said process sequence control element includes at least one link and at least one chain comprised of one or more links.

6. The system of claim 1 further including a chain registrar containing information for processing said event.

7. The system of claim 1 further including a memory mapping component for mapping memory of said at least one tag.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said field control element includes means for defining multiple antennae within a single field.

9. The system of claim 1 including a tag direction determination component.

10. The system of claim 1 including a programming component for programming said at least one tag.

11. A method for detecting and managing tag identifications, comprising the steps of:

providing a reader interface component for receiving data from at least one tag reader, said reader being either polled for tag information or set to automatically detect tag information from an item bearing at least one tag;

providing a field control element for defining tag query fields associated with said at least one tag reader;

providing a process sequence control element for associating said tag reader and said detected tag information into an event, said event representative of a time or location wherein said at least one tag is detected by said at least one reader;

providing an enterprise interface component for receiving event information; and

providing a management and monitoring component for managing and monitoring said at least one tag reader and said at least one tag, said management component providing an interface for said field control element and for establishing said process sequence control element.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said process sequence control element is provided in a pipe-and-filter architecture.

13. The method of claim 11 including the step of providing a reader registrar containing reader interface details.

14. The method of claim 11 including the step of providing a ruleset registrar having rules for evaluating and routing events to at least one chain.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said process sequence control element includes at least one link and at least one chain comprised of one or more links.

16. The method of claim 11 including the step of providing a chain registrar with information for processing said event.

17. The method of claim 11 including the step of providing a memory mapping component for mapping memory of said at least one tag.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said field control element includes means for defining multiple antennae within a single field.

19. The method of claim 11 including the step of providing a tag direction determination component.

20. The method of claim 11 including the step of providing a programming component for programming said at least one tag.

21. A method for mapping chip memory in an RFID system, comprising the steps of:

specifying a reader to read contents of a tag'"'"'s non-volatile RAM by reading bytes in the tag'"'"'s memory not previously read, or reading all bytes in said memory;

storing said contents in a tag buffer;

mapping properties associated with the memory to tag bits of the said contents, thereby manipulating said contents; and

writing the manipulated contents back to at least one receiving tag.

22. The method of claim 21 including the further step of describing said mapping properties without using programming code.

23. The method of claim 21 including the further step of describing said mapping properties in XML format.

24. The method of claim 21 including the further step of defining variant structures.

25. The method of claim 21 including the further step of defining repeating structures.

26. The method of claim 21 including the further step of defining predefined structures.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein said properties are expressed as links.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein said step of writing the contents back to the tag is initiated via a user interface and wherein the written memory is representative of the mapped properties.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein said step of writing the memory is performed by a second reader which is different from said specified reader.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one receiving tag is said tag read by the specified reader.

31. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one receiving tag is a second tag distinct from said tag read by said specified reader.

32. A memory mapping system, comprising:

a reader specification component for receiving identification information pertaining to a specified tag reader;

a memory reading component associated with said specified reader for reading the chip memory of a tag within the range of said specified reader;

an NVRAM property mapping component capable of mapping properties of the read memory to the tag bits in non-volatile RAM; and

a tag writing component for writing the memory back to the memory of at least one receiving tag.

33. The system of claim 32 further including a component for defining at least one of:

repeating structures, variant structures, predefined structures.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein said at least one receiving tag is said tag read by the specified reader.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein said at least one receiving tag is a second tag distinct from said tag read by said specified reader.

36. A method for reading tagged items, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of readers associated with an environment;

aggregating at least a portion of said plurality of readers into a single reader field, said field being at least a portion of said environment;

detecting at least one tag of a tagged item as it encounters said field; and

for any multiple detections of said at least one tag, determining whether there is a duplicate tag detection.

37. The method of claim 36 including the step of, upon determining that there is a duplicate tag detection, merging said duplicate tag detection into a single tag detection.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein said determining step considers a time between a first and a second one of said multiple detections, and, if said determined time is shorter than a predetermined time, merging said second one of said multiple detections into a single detection.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein said plurality of readers includes readers of different frequencies, different error protocols or different host interfaces.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein said step of detecting at least one tag includes detecting a plurality of tags, wherein of said plurality of tags, at least two of said plurality have a different communications protocol, a different memory structure, a different frequency, or a different power supply type.

41. The method of claim 40 including the step of creating an event upon said tag being detected, said event including the time at which said tag is detected by a reader within said field.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein said plurality of readers comprises a single reader with a plurality of antennae.

43. A method of determining direction of identification tag movement in a multiple tag reader environment, comprising the steps of:

configuring at least two tag antennae for receiving and reporting tag signals and tag information;

configuring an environment map representing the environment where said tag antennae are deployed;

defining at least one tag direction so as to include a direction maximum traversal time and at least two waypoints respectively associated with said at least two tag antennae;

receiving, by a first one of said tag antennae, a tag signal indicating a tagged item bearing a given tag is passing said first one of said antennae;

receiving, by a second one of said tag antennae, a tag signal indicating a tagged item bearing a given tag is passing said second one of said antennae; and

determining, based on said given tag readings, whether said given tag has traveled in a direction matching said at least one defined tag direction.

44. The method of claim 43 including the step of, upon determining that said tag has traveled in a direction matching said at least one defined tag direction, recording information indicative of said tag having traveled in said defined direction.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein said at least two tag antennae are associated with a single tag reader.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein said at least two tag antennae are associated with a respective individual tag reader.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein said maximum traversal time is a measurement of how quickly a tag must pass all listed waypoints to be considered as moving in said direction.

48. The method of claim 43 including the step of determining speed of movement of said given tag by reading and writing time information corresponding to said tag information.

49. The method of claim 43 wherein said step of configuring at least two tag antennae includes configuring at least one of said tag antennae as a bonded logical reader comprising multiple antennae and sharing a common logical position.

50. The method of claim 43 wherein said common logical position is geospatial.

51. A method of determining travel direction of a tagged item, comprising the steps of:

defining waypoints in conjunction with a plurality of antennae associated with at least one tag reader;

defining a plurality of waypoint vectors through a facility using said waypoints; and

comparing actual tag readings with said waypoint vectors.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein at least a portion of said plurality of antennae comprise a single logical reader.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein said waypoints comprise RFID tag reader identifications and antenna numbers.

54. The method of claim 51 wherein said step of defining waypoints includes defining waypoints for use by multiple readers.

55. A numbering system for use in managing data in an RFID system, comprising:

a definition file including at least one numbering format rule; and

means for decomposing or constructing a number using said at least one numbering format, such that multiple numeric data values can be encoded or decoded.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein said means for decomposing is a parse link for receiving a number, accessing said at least one format rule via said resource, and decomposing the received number into smaller components based on said format rule.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein said components are recorded in system, tag or event properties.

58. The system of claim 55 wherein said means for constructing is a build link for receiving component values of a system, tag or event, receiving at least one property associated with said values, accessing said at least one format rule via said resource, and constructing the received values into a single enveloping number based on said at least one format rule.

59. The system of claim 55 wherein said means for decomposing and constructing includes a parse file and a build file.

60. The system of claim 55 further including a resource within a configuration for reading and storing said definition file;

61. A method for developing user interfaces for use in an RFID system, comprising the steps of:

defining a functional configuration for an RFID system;

activating an internal HTTP server;

creating at least one script file, said script file having a combination of static text and program code, said code being executable so as to interact with said RFID system or an external computing system;

providing a graphical user interface capable of receiving a request for said at least one script file; and

providing a script engine for interpreting, compiling and executing said at least one script file and sending script file output to said graphical user interface, said output being indicative of a user interface for use in said RFID system.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein said script file is created to enable said user interface to receive instructions for configuring hardware in said RFID system, sending RFID data to external computer programs, and introducing instructions and additional RFID data into said RFID system.