Scheduling in an RFID system having a coordinated RFID tag reader array

• US 20060022800A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quake Global, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reva Systems Corp. (Quake Global, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fischer, Jeffrey H., Husak, David J., Stephenson, Robert A., Krishna, Pattabhiraman
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02525 Gathering the radio frequency fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0029 the arrangement being specially adapted for wireless interrogation of grouped or bundled articles tagged with wireless record carriers
• 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 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

A system and method of scheduling RFID tag interrogations by a plurality of RFID readers so as to mitigate the effects of interference within an RFID environment in which the readers are deployed, and to enhance the efficiency and reliability of the overall RFID system. The system includes a plurality of RFID receivers for receiving RFID tag data, a plurality of RFID tag interrogators for transmitting RF interrogation signals for interrogating RFID tags, and a controller for providing to at least one interrogator, at least one receiver, and at least one tag, a parameter associated with operational characteristics of the interrogator, the receiver, and the tag, respectively. The interrogator, the receiver, and the tag are operative, in response to receipt of the respective parameter, to modify its operational characteristics in accordance with the respective parameter, thereby avoiding interference at the receivers and the tags.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag data acquisition system including at least one RFID tag and at least one RFID receiver for receiving RFID tag data from said at least one RFID tag, said apparatus comprising:

a controller operative to generate at least one parameter associated with operational characteristics of at least one of said at least one RFID receiver and said at least one RFID tag and to forward to said at least one of said at least one RFID receiver and said at least one RFID tag the respective at least one parameter, the respective at least one parameter being selected to avoid interference at at least one of said at least one RFID receiver and said at least one RFID tag.