Centralized optical-fiber-based RFID systems and methods
First Claim
1. An optical-fiber-based radio-frequency identification (RFID) system for tracking one or more RFID tags each having information stored therein, comprising:
- a picocellular coverage area made up of an array of one or more picocells formed by corresponding one or more transponders each having an antenna and each adapted to convert electrical RF signals to optical RF signals and vice versa;
one or multiple RFID readers each optically coupled to the one or more transponders via corresponding one or more optical fiber RF communication links; and
wherein each transponder is optically coupled to one of the one or multiple RFID readers and is adapted to receive and relay information stored in each RFID tag located within the corresponding picocell to the corresponding RFID reader over the corresponding optical fiber RF communication link.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The optical-fiber-based radio-frequency identification (RFID) system includes one or multiple RFID readers optically coupled to one or more transponders via respective one or more optical fiber RF communication links. The transponders are each adapted to receive electromagnetic RF tag signals from RFID tags within the associated picocell and transmit optical RF tag signals to the corresponding RFID reader over the corresponding optical fiber RF communication link. The RFID reader then converts the optical RF tag signals to electrical RFID tag signals, and extracts the RFID tag information from the RFID tag signals. The transponders can be arranged spaced apart along the length of one or more optical fiber cables made up of pairs of downlink and uplink optical fibers that constitute the optical fiber RF communication links.
128 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical-fiber-based radio-frequency identification (RFID) system for tracking one or more RFID tags each having information stored therein, comprising:
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a picocellular coverage area made up of an array of one or more picocells formed by corresponding one or more transponders each having an antenna and each adapted to convert electrical RF signals to optical RF signals and vice versa; one or multiple RFID readers each optically coupled to the one or more transponders via corresponding one or more optical fiber RF communication links; and wherein each transponder is optically coupled to one of the one or multiple RFID readers and is adapted to receive and relay information stored in each RFID tag located within the corresponding picocell to the corresponding RFID reader over the corresponding optical fiber RF communication link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An optical-fiber-based radio-frequency identification (RFID) system for tracking one or more RFID tags that emit electromagnetic RFID tag signals, comprising:
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one or more RFID readers; one or more transponders each adapted to convert optical RF signals to electromagnetic RF signals and vice versa over a picocell formed by the corresponding transponder; one or more optical fiber RF communication links that optically couple each of the one or more transponders to the one or more RFID readers; and wherein the one or more RFID readers send RF interrogation signals to one or more transponders over the one or more optical fiber RF communication links to cause the one or more transponders to electromagnetically interrogate RFID tags within a given picocell, and relay RFID tag information emitted by the RFID tags over the optical communication link back to the corresponding RFID reader. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) method, comprising:
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locating one or more RFID tags having information stored therein within a picocellular coverage area made up of one or more picocells formed by corresponding one or more transponders; sending an interrogation signal from a RFID reader to each transponder over a corresponding optical fiber in order to elicit RFID tag signals from any RFID tags located in the corresponding transponder picocell; detecting in the corresponding transponder electromagnetic RFID tag signals emitted within each picocell by RFID tags therein; and transmitting the received RFID tag signals to the corresponding RFID tag reader over an optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification