Method and system for testing RFID devices

• US 20060145710A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J., Kingston, Benjamin John, Puleston, David John
• Granted Patent: US 7,164,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/754.310
• 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 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10465 the interrogation device being capable of self-diagnosis, e.g. in addition to or as part of the actual interrogation process testing of electrical circuits in general G01R31/28

Abstract

A method and system for testing a plurality of RFID devices disposed on a common carrier. In one embodiment, the RFID devices are evenly spaced along the length of the carrier, and the system comprises a short-range tester, a long-range tester and a computer, the short-range tester being coupled to the computer and having a short-range testing position, the long-range tester being coupled to the computer and having a long-range testing position, the long-range testing position being spaced downstream from the short-range testing position by a known number of device positions. In use, an RFID device of interest is first positioned at the short-range testing position, and the short-range tester reads a unique identifier for that RFID device and communicates the identifier to the computer. The carrier is then advanced so that subsequent RFID devices are read by the short-range tester. When the RFID device of interest has advanced to the long-range testing position, the long-range tester conducts a performance test and communicates any detected results to the computer. Because the distance between the two testing positions is known, the computer knows when the RFID device of interest is at the long-range testing position and uses the identifier to distinguish the results for that device from the results of any other devices.

Claims

1. A system for testing at least one of a plurality of RFID devices spaced closely together, said system comprising:

(a) a short-range tester for reading/writing a unique identifier for an RFID device positioned at a short-range testing position;

(b) a first long-range tester for testing an RFID device positioned at a first long-range testing position, said first long-range testing position being spaced apart from said short-range testing position by a predetermined distance;

(c) means for moving an RFID device from one to the other of said short-range testing position and said first long-range testing position; and

(d) means for distinguishing the results of the long-range testing of an RFID device positioned at the first long-range testing position from the results of any other simultaneously detected RFID devices.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said moving means positions an RFID device first at the short-range testing position and then at the first long-range testing position.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said moving means positions an RFID device first at the first long-range testing position and then at the short-range testing position.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of RFID devices are evenly spaced along a length of a common carrier and wherein the short-range testing position and the first long-range testing position are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to one or more RFID device positions on the common carrier.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means, coupled to said distinguishing means, for printing a marking on an RFID device found to be defective.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a first specimen positioned proximate to said first long-range testing position to simulate an object with which the RFID device may be associated when in use.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second long-range tester for testing an RFID device positioned at a second long-range testing position, said second long-range testing position being spaced apart from and positioned between said short-range testing position and said first long-range testing position, and wherein said distinguishing means further distinguishes the results of the long-range testing of an RFID device positioned at the second long-range testing position from the results of any other simultaneously detected RFID devices.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a second specimen positioned proximate to said second long-range testing position to simulate an object with which the RFID device may be associated when in use, said second specimen differing from said first specimen.

9. A system for testing at least one of a plurality of RFID devices spaced closely together, said system comprising:

(a) a short-range tester for reading/writing a unique identifier for an RFID device positioned at a short-range testing position;

(b) a first long-range tester for testing an RFID device positioned at a first long-range testing position, said first long-range testing position being spaced apart from said short-range testing position by a predetermined distance;

(c) means for moving an RFID device from said short-range testing position to said first long-range testing position; and

(d) means for causing the first long-range tester to interrogate only the RFID device positioned at the first long-range testing position.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising means for printing a marking on an RFID device found to be defective

11. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the plurality of RFID devices are evenly spaced along a length of a common carrier and wherein the short-range testing position and the first long-range testing position are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to one or more RFID device positions on the common carrier.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said moving means moves the common carrier in an indexing fashion, one RFID device position at a time.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said moving means moves the common carrier in a continuous fashion.

14. The system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a specimen positioned proximate to said first long-range testing position to simulate an object with which the RFID device may be associated when in use.

15. The system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a second long-range tester for testing an RFID device positioned at a second long-range testing position, said second long-range testing position being spaced apart from and positioned between said short-range testing position and said first long-range testing position, and wherein said causing means further causes the second long-range tester to interrogate only the RFID device positioned at the second long-range testing position.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a second specimen positioned proximate to said second long-range testing position to simulate an object with which the RFID device may be associated when in use, said second specimen differing from said first specimen.

17. A method of testing at least one of a plurality of RFID devices, the RFID devices being spaced along a length of a common carrier, each of the RFID devices having a unique identifier, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a testing system, the testing system comprising a short-range tester for reading a unique identifier for an RFID device positioned at a short-range testing position, a long-range tester for testing an RFID device positioned at a long-range testing position, the short-range testing position and the long-range testing position being spaced apart by a known distance, and a computer coupled to each of the short-range tester and the long-range tester;

(b) positioning the common carrier so that a first RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position;

(c) while the first RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position, using the short-range tester to read the unique identifier for the first RFID device;

(d) transmitting to the computer the identity of the unique identifier for the first RFID device;

(e) positioning the common carrier so that the first RFID device is positioned at the long-range testing position;

(f) while the first RFID device is positioned at the long-range testing position, using the long-range tester to test the first RFID device for performance;

(g) transmitting any results read by the long-range tester to the computer; and

(h) using the computer to distinguish the results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device from the results of any other simultaneously detected RFID devices on the basis of the unique identifier for the first RFID device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein steps (b) through (d) are performed prior to steps (e) through (g).

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein steps (e) through (g) are performed prior to steps (b) through (d).

20. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising, after said distinguishing step, the step of writing onto the first RFID device the results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the written results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device are encrypted.

22. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising, after said distinguishing step, the step of writing onto the first RFID device the results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device and positional information regarding the first RFID device.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the written results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device are encrypted.

24. A method of testing at least one of a plurality of RFID devices, the RFID devices being spaced along a length of a common carrier, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a testing system, the testing system comprising a short-range tester for writing a unique identifier onto an RFID device positioned at a short-range testing position, a long-range tester for testing an RFID device positioned at a long-range testing position and a computer coupled to each of the short-range tester and the long-range tester, the short-range testing position and the long-range testing position being spaced apart by a known distance;

(b) positioning the common carrier so that a first RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position;

(c) while the first RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position, using the short-range tester to write a unique identifier onto the first RFID device, the identity of the unique identifier for the first RFID device being known to the computer;

(d) positioning the common carrier so that the first RFID device is positioned at the long-range testing position;

(e) while the first RFID device is positioned at the long-range testing position, using the long-range tester to test the first RFID device for performance;

(f) transmitting any results read by the long-range tester to the computer; and

(g) using the computer to distinguish the results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device from the results of any other simultaneously detected RFID devices on the basis of the unique identifier for the first RFID device.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24 wherein steps (b) through (c) are performed prior to steps (d) through (f).

26. The method as claimed in claim 24 wherein steps (d) through (f) are performed prior to steps (b) through (c).

27. The method as claimed in claim 24 further comprising, after said distinguishing step, the step of writing onto the first RFID device the results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27 wherein the written results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device are encrypted.

29. The method as claimed in claim 24 further comprising, after said distinguishing step, the step of writing onto the first RFID device the results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device and positional information regarding the first RFID device.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29 wherein the written results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device are encrypted.

31. A method of testing a plurality of RFID devices, the RFID devices being evenly spaced along a length of a common carrier, each of the RFID devices having a unique identifier, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a testing system, the testing system comprising a short-range tester for reading the unique identifier for an RFID device positioned at a short-range testing position, a long-range tester for testing an RFID device positioned at a long-range testing position and a computer coupled to each of the short-range tester and the long-range tester, the short-range testing position and the long-range testing position being spaced apart by one or more RFID device positions on the common carrier;

(b) positioning the common carrier so that a first RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position;

(c) while the first RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position, using the short-range tester to read the unique identifier for the first RFID device;

(d) transmitting to the computer the identity of the unique identifier for the first RFID device;

(e) repositioning the common carrier so that a second RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position, the second RFID device being positioned consecutively to the first RFID device on the common carrier;

(f) while the second RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position, using the short-range tester to read the unique identifier for the second RFID device;

(g) transmitting the unique identifier for the second RFID device to the computer;

(h) repeating steps (e) through (g) as needed for one or more RFID devices consecutive to the second RFID device until the first RFID device is positioned at the long-range testing position;

(i) while the first RFID device is positioned at the long-range testing position, using the long-range tester to test the first RFID device for performance;

(j) transmitting to the computer any results read by the long-range tester with the first RFID device in the long-range testing position; and

(k) using the computer to distinguish the long-range testing results of the first RFID device from any other detected RFID devices on the basis of the unique identifier of the first RFID device.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31 further comprising, after said distinguishing step, the step of writing onto the first RFID device the results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein the written results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device are encrypted.

34. The method as claimed in claim 31 further comprising, after said distinguishing step, the step of writing onto the first RFID device the results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device and positional information regarding the first RFID device.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the written results of the long-range testing of the first RFID device are encrypted.

36. The method as claimed in claim 31 further comprising the steps of positioning the second RFID device at the long-range testing position, using the long-range tester to test the second RFID device for performance while the second RFID device is at the long-range testing position, transmitting to the computer any results read by the long-range tester with the second RFID device at the long-range testing position and using the computer to distinguish the long-range testing results of the second RFID device from any other detected RFID devices on the basis of the unique identifier of the second RFID device.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36 further comprising storing in a file the results of the long-range testing for the first and second RFID devices, as well as positional information for the first and second RFID devices.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37 wherein said file is encrypted.

39. The method as claimed in claim 36 further comprising the step of writing the results of the long-range testing of the first and second RFID devices, as well as positional information regarding the first and second RFID devices, onto at least one of the first and second RFID devices.

40. The method as claimed in claim 39 wherein said writing is encrypted.

41. The method as claimed in claim 31 further comprising the step of positioning a specimen proximate to said long-range testing positioning while said long-range test is conducted.

42. A method of testing at least one of a plurality of RFID devices, the RFID devices being spaced along a length of a common carrier, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a testing system, the testing system comprising a short-range tester for reading a unique identifier for an RFID device positioned at a short-range testing position, a long-range tester for testing an RFID device positioned at a long-range testing position, the short-range testing position and the long-range testing position being spaced apart by a known distance, and a computer coupled to each of the short-range tester and the long-range tester;

(b) positioning the common carrier so that a first RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position;

(c) while the first RFID device is positioned at the short-range testing position, using the short-range tester to read/write a unique identifier for the first RFID device;

(d) transmitting to the computer the identity of the unique identifier for the first RFID device;

(e) positioning the common carrier so that the first RFID device is positioned at the long-range testing position;

(f) while the first RFID device is positioned at the long-range testing position, using the long-range tester to test the first RFID device for performance, the long-range tester interrogating only the first RFID device; and

(g) transmitting any results read by the long-range tester to the computer.