System and Method to Automate Placement of RFID Repeaters

• US 20080001758A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Walers, Timothy M., Boss, Gregory J., Polozoff, Alexandre, Hamilton, Rick A., Bhogal, Kulvir S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,561,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• 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 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794

Abstract

The Automatic RFID Tuner has one or more RF repeaters that can travel in the x, y and z axes through a densely packed pallet of goods. The RF repeater identifies dead spots where RF signals from an RFID transceiver do not penetrate the dense packaging. The RF repeater calculates a position that ensures the RF signal will reach all passive RFID tags in the dense packaging. The RF repeater moves to the calculated position so that the RFID transceiver'"'"'s signal will read all passive RFID tags in the dense packaging.

Claims

1. A process for automatically determining the placement of RFID repeaters for reading passive RFID tags in a dense packaging, the process comprising:

moving an RF repeater along a track through the dense packaging;

measuring RF signals from a RFID transceiver with the RF repeater;

identifying a dead spot in the dense packaging;

determining a location to place the RF repeater to ensure the RF signal reaches all passive RFID tags in the dead spot;

moving the RF repeater to the location; and

reading all passive RFID tags located in the dead spot.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein a telescoping mast moves the RF repeater in a vertical direction.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein a motorized carriage on a track move the RF repeater in a horizontal direction.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein a robotic arm moves the RF repeater within the dense packaging.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein a computer manages the process.

6. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying all passive RFID tags located throughout the dense packaging while measuring the RF signal from the RFID transceiver.

7. The process of claim 6 further comprising:

verifying that all identified passive RFID tags located throughout the dense packaging are read by the RFID transceiver.

8. An apparatus for automatically determining the placement of an RFID repeater to read passive RFID tags located in a dead spot in a dense packaging, the apparatus comprising:

a RFID transponder;

a plurality of passive RFID tags positioned in the dense packaging and near the RFID transponder;

a means for moving the RFID repeater along the x, y and z axis within the dense packaging;

a computer with a processor and a memory in communication with the RFID repeater and the motor means; and

an automatic RFID tuning program in the memory operable to direct the motor means to move the RFID repeater through a predefined search routine within the dense packaging, record the RF signal strength measured by the RFID repeater at positions within the dense packaging, calculate a position for the RFID repeater to ensure the RF signal reaches all passive RFID tags in the dense packaging, and direct the motor means to move the RF repeater to the calculated optimal position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the motor means for moving the RFID repeater comprises a telescoping mast.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the motor means for moving the RFID repeater comprises motorized carriages on a track.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the motor means for moving the RFID repeater comprises a robotic arm.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the computer is integral with the RFID repeater.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the automatic RFID tuning program in the memory is further operable to identify all passive RFID tags located throughout the dense packaging while measuring the RF signal from the RFID transceiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the automatic RFID tuning program in the memory is further operable to verify that all identified passive RFID tags located throughout the dense packaging are read by the RFID transceiver.

15. A computer program product for automatically determining the optimal placement of a RFID repeater for reading passive RFID tags in a dense packaging, the computer program product comprising a computer-useable medium having a computer-readable program, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

direct a mechanical means to move the RFID repeater through a predefined search routine along the x, y and z axis within the dense packaging;

record a RF signal strength measured by the RFID repeater at positions within the dense packaging;

calculate a position for the RFID repeater to ensure the RF signal reaches all passive RFID tags in the packaging; and

direct the mechanical means to move the RF repeater to the calculated optimal position.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer is integral with the RFID repeater.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to identify all passive RFID tags located throughout the dense packaging while measuring the RF signal from the RFID transceiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to verify that all identified passive RFID tags located throughout the dense packaging are read by the RFID transceiver.