MULTISTATIC ANTENNA CONFIGURATION FOR RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) SYSTEMS

• US 20070262872A1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RUIZHANG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED COMPANY
• Original Assignee: Curtis Carrender, John Price
• Inventors: Price, John, Carrender, Curtis
• Granted Patent: US 7,554,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.700
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/44 varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for configuring antennae of radio frequency identification reader systems. In one aspect of an embodiment, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader system, includes: a receiver: a radio frequency (RF) source for signal transmission; and a switch matrix coupled with the receiver and the radio frequency sources to selectively couple the receiver and the radio frequency source to a plurality of non-collocated antennae. When in a first mode, the switch matrix connects the radio frequency source to a first one of the antennae for signal transmission and the receiver to a second one of the antennae for signal reception; and when in a second mode, the switch matrix connects the first one of the antennae for signal reception and, in one example, the second one or another one of the antennae to the RF source for signal transmission.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) source for signal transmission; and

a receiver to receive, during a first mode of the reader, a backscattered modulated signal from an RFID tag; and

a signal modulator to provide, during a second mode of the reader, a modulated signal emulating an RFID tag, the modulated signal communicating information to another RFID reader.