RFID reader to select code modules

• US 20060145855A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Diorio, Christopher J., Sundstrom, Kurt E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,304,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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

An RFID reader comprising an antenna, a memory adapted to store a plurality of code modules, a selector for selecting one of the code modules, and a modulator adapted to operate the antenna in accordance with the selected code module.

Claims

1. An RFID reader comprising:

an antenna;

a memory to store a plurality of code modules;

a selector to select one of the code modules; and

a modulator to operate the antenna in accordance with the selected code module.

2. The reader of claim 1, wherein

the selector is to operate responsive to a manual input.

3. The reader of claim 1, wherein

the memory, the selector and the modulator are accommodated in a single housing.

4. The reader of claim 1, wherein

the selector is to operate responsive to an input generated automatically and which indicates at least one of a plurality of conditions pertaining to an environment of the reader.

5. The reader of claim 4, further comprising:

an interface for the selector to receive the input.

6. The reader of claim 5, wherein

the interface is a network interface to a further computer system, and

the input is received via a network from the further computer system.

7. The reader of claim 4, wherein

the environmental condition is related to a geography, and

the selected code module results in operating the antenna in accordance with regulations applicable at the geography.

8. The reader of claim 4, wherein

the environmental condition is related to a presence of other RF transmissions.

9. The reader of claim 4, wherein

the condition is whether or not a number of tags in the environment exceeds a threshold;

and

a different one of the code modules is selected depending on whether or not the number exceeds the threshold.

10. The reader of claim 4, wherein

the condition is whether or not a number of readers in the environment exceeds a threshold;

and

a different one of the code modules is selected depending on whether or not the number exceeds the threshold.

11. The reader of claim 4, wherein

the antenna is operated at a frequency that belongs in a channel,

the condition is whether or not another reader has a frequency in the channel, and

a different one of the code modules is selected depending on whether or not the other reader has a frequency in the channel.

12. The reader of claim 1, wherein

the selected code module determines accordingly one of a plurality of formats for operating the antenna.

13. The reader of claim 12, wherein

the determined format includes one of a group of configuration parameters including a bit rate, cycles per symbol, subcarrier frequency, and symbol assignment.

14. The reader of claim 1, further comprising:

a demodulator; and

wherein

the selected code module determines accordingly one of a plurality of backscattering formats for an RFID tag, and

the demodulator is set to demodulate signals encoded in received radiation according to the determined backscattering format.

15. The reader of claim 14, wherein

the backscattering formats include a baseband modulation mode, and a non-baseband modulation mode.

16. The reader of claim 14, wherein

the backscattering formats include at least two of a FMØ

, a Manchester, a pulse width modulation (PWM), a frequency shift key (FSK), an amplitude shift key (ASK), and a phase shift key (PSK) modulation format.

17. The reader of claim 14, wherein

the determined format includes one of a group of configuration parameters including a bit rate, cycles per symbol, subcarrier frequency, symbol assignment, and backscatter duration.

18. An RFID reader comprising:

an antenna;

storage means for storing a plurality of code modules;

selector means for selecting one of the code modules; and

modulator means for operating the antenna in accordance with the selected code module.

19. The reader of claim 18, wherein

the selector is for operating responsive to a manual input.

20. The reader of claim 18, wherein

the storage means, the selector means and the modulator means are accommodated in a single housing.

21. The reader of claim 18, wherein

the selector means is for operating responsive to an input generated automatically and which indicates at least one of a plurality of conditions pertaining to an environment of the reader.