System and method for relaying RFID data

• US 20060145815A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scanpak Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Scanpak Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Koon Hung, Lanzieri, Valerio, Nguyen, The Vinh, Hoang, Dang Tue
• Application Number:
  US11/128,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20060145815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.200
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items is provided. The system comprises a passive tag and a transceiver. The passive tag comprises data associated with an inventory item and a transmission module to transmit a message containing the data in an passive tag frequency. The transceiver receives the message, transfers the data into another message and transmits the other message as an active tag message. It may further comprise an active tag, an application server and an active reader. The active tag is associated with another inventory item, has data associated with it and has a transmission module to transmit an active tag message. The server stores and processes data associated with the active tag and the passive tag. The active reader receives the active tag message and communicates the active tag message to the application server.

Claims

1. A system for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items, said system comprising:

a passive tag comprising first data associated with a first inventory item, a first

transmission module to transmit a first message containing said first data in a

passive tag frequency; and

a transceiver for receiving said first message, transferring said first data into a

second message and transmitting said second message as an active tag

message.

2. The system for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an active tag associated with a second inventory item and comprising second

data associated with said second inventory item and a second transmission

module to transmit an active tag message;

an application server for storing and processing data associated with said

active tag and said passive tag; and

an active reader for receiving said active tag message from said transceiver

and for communicating said active tag message to said application server.

3. The system for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said transceiver periodically sends request messages to identify neighbouring

transceivers, tags and active readers.

4. The system for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

if said transceiver cannot contact said active reader, said transceiver attempts

to identify a neighbouring transceiver having contact with said active reader and

then transmit said second message to said neighbouring transceiver.

5. The system for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said second message is a request to said neighbouring transceiver to forward

said second message to said active reader.

6. The system for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said transceiver stores said first data in a buffer and periodically transmits

stored data relating to received messages in active tag messages.

7. The system for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 6, wherein said transceiver comprises

a transmitter for active frequency communications;

a transmitter for passive frequency communications;

a microprocessor;

said buffer; and

a program operating on said microprocessor to control generation and

transmission of transmitted messages and receipt and analysis of received

messages.

8. A method for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items, said method comprising:

at a transceiver, receiving a first message from a passive tag in a passive tag

frequency containing first data associated with an inventory item; and

at said transceiver transferring said first data into a second message and

transmitting said second message to an active reader as an active tag

message.

9. The method for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

at said transceiver

storing said first data;

periodically transferring said first data into a second message; and

transmitting said second message as an active tag message.

10. The method for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

if said transceiver cannot contact said active reader, attempting to identify a

neighbouring transceiver having contact with said active reader and then

transmitting said second message to said neighbouring transceiver.

11. The method for relaying data from tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

requesting said neighbouring transceiver to forward said second message to

said active reader.

12. A system for tracking tags associated with inventory items, said system comprising:

a collection of active tags, each active tag in said collection comprising data

associated with an inventory item and a first transmission module to transmit a

first message containing said data;

a collection of passive tags, each passive tag in said collection comprising data

associated with another inventory item and a second transmission module to

transmit a second message containing said data;

a network of transceivers for reading passive tag messages from any passive

tag in said collection of passive tags and for broadcasting transceiver

messages containing data from said passive tag messages to an active reader;

an application server for storing and processing data associated with said

collections of active and passive tags; and

said active reader for receiving any of said first and transceiver messages,

extracting encoded data therefrom and providing said encoded data to said

application server.

13. The system for tracking tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 12 wherein, transceivers within said network of transceivers store data contained within received passive tag messages before broadcasting said transceiver messages.

14. The system for tracking tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 13, wherein a transceiver in said network of transceivers periodically sends request messages to identify neighbouring transceivers, tags and active readers.

15. The system for tracking tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 14, wherein if said transceiver cannot contact any active reader, said transceiver attempts to identify a neighbouring transceiver having contact with said active reader and then transmits any transceiver messages to said neighbouring transceiver.

16. The system for tracking tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 15, wherein

said neighbouring transceiver provides an acknowledgement message to said

transceiver upon receipt of said any transceiver messages;

and

said transceiver clears its buffer of any data related to said any transceiver

messages upon receipt of said acknowledgement signal.

17. The system for tracking tags associated with inventory items as claimed in claim 16, further comprising

a second active reader also for receiving any of said first and transceiver

messages, extracting encoded data therefrom and providing said encoded data

to said application server, wherein

said active reader and said second active reader each periodically check whether it can contact said application server and if it cannot, it attempts to contact the other active reader to transmit any encoded data to said application server.