RFID System and Method for Wirelessly Interfacing With an Interrogator
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of adjusting the 2-way communication range of an RFID system to assist a human operator to individually handle and interrogate a plurality of tagged objects, such as suitcases, that each include an RFID tag transceiver. An RFID interrogator transceiver is mounted on the human operator. The 2-way communication range between the interrogator transceiver and the tag transceivers is adjusted to only slightly exceed the closest distance between the interrogator and the tag while the operator is handling the tagged object. Preferably, the 2-way communication range is short enough that other tagged objects will remain outside the communication range and will not respond to messages from the interrogator. Another aspect of the invention is a method of verifying whether an object to be transported has reached its intended destination. In this aspect, an interrogator transceiver at a first destination interrogates an RFID tag transceiver on the object, and in response the tag transmits its intended destination.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1-27. -27. (canceled)
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28. :
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a person to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged objects, each tagged object having an RFID tag transceiver, the method comprising;
mounting on the person an RFID interrogator transceiver having an antenna configured to be worn by the person;
mounting on each tagged object an RFID tag transceiver, wherein each tag transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control a reliable two-way communications range between that tag transceiver and the interrogator transceiver, and the interrogator transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and any of the tag transceivers; and
adjusting at least one of the interrogator performance parameters so that the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and the tag transceiver of each of the tagged objects only slightly exceeds the closest distance, during times when the person handles that tagged object, between the antenna of the interrogator and the tag transceiver mounted on that tagged object. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 54, 55, 56, 57, 65)
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a person to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged objects, each tagged object having an RFID tag transceiver, the method comprising;
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34. :
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a person to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged objects, each tagged object having an RFID tag transceiver, comprising;
supporting on the person a portable RFID interrogator transceiver;
mounting on each tagged object an RFID tag transceiver, wherein each tag transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control a reliable two-way communications range between that tag transceiver and the interrogator transceiver, and the interrogator transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and any of the tag transceivers;
iteratively transmitting an interrogation signal via the RFID interrogator;
determining at the RFID interrogator, based either on one or more response messages sent by the RFID tag transceivers to the interrogator in response to the interrogation signal or on the absence of a response to the interrogation signal, which of the tagged objects are within the reliable two-way communications range; and
adjusting at least one of the interrogator performance parameters or the transceiver performance parameters;
until the RFID tag transceiver of one of the tagged objects being individually handled by the person is within the reliable two-way communications range and the tag transceivers of the tagged objects not being individually handled are not within the reliable two-way communications range; and
wherein, in operation, the interrogator presents to the person an audio indication of data received from an interrogated tag. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a person to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged objects, each tagged object having an RFID tag transceiver, comprising;
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37. :
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a person to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged objects, each tagged object having an RFID tag transceiver, comprising the steps of;
mounting on the person an RFID interrogator transceiver having an antenna, with the antenna being configured to be worn by the person;
mounting on each tagged object an RFID tag transceiver, wherein each tag transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control a reliable two-way communications range between that tag transceiver and the interrogator transceiver, and the interrogator transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and any of the tag transceivers, and adjusting at least one of the interrogator performance parameters so that the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and the tag transceiver of each of the tagged objects exceeds the closest distance, during times when the person handles that tagged object, between the antenna of the interrogator and the tag transceiver mounted on that tagged object;
wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting said at least one of the performance parameters so that said reliable two-way communications range is short enough so that, when the person handles a tagged object, no other tagged object is within reliable two-way communication range of the interrogator. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 58, 59, 66)
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a person to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged objects, each tagged object having an RFID tag transceiver, comprising the steps of;
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40. :
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a person to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged objects, each tagged object having an RFID tag transceiver, comprising the steps of;
mounting adjacent the person an RFID interrogator transceiver having an antenna;
mounting on each tagged object an RFID tag transceiver, wherein each tag transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control a reliable two-way communications range between that tag transceiver and the interrogator transceiver, and the interrogator transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and any of the tag transceivers; and
adjusting at least one of the interrogator performance parameters so that the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and the tag transceiver of each of the tagged objects only slightly exceeds the closest distance, during times when the person handles that tagged object, between the antenna of the interrogator and that tagged object. - View Dependent Claims (41, 60)
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a person to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged objects, each tagged object having an RFID tag transceiver, comprising the steps of;
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42. :
- An RFID interrogator apparatus having an adjustable reliable two-way communication range so as to permit a person to individually interrogate the closest one of a plurality of nearby tagged objects, wherein each tagged object has a respective RFID tag transceiver attached thereto, comprising;
an RFID interrogator transceiver, configured to communicate with any of the RFID tag transmitters, including a transmitter and receiver and having adjustable transmitter power and adjustable receiver sensitivity;
an antenna coupled to the interrogator transceiver and which is adapted to be worn by a person, on the person'"'"'s torso; and
a control logic circuit, connected to the interrogator transceiver, for iteratively transmitting an interrogation signal via the transmitter;
determining, based either on one or more response messages sent by the RFID tag transceivers to the RFID interrogator transceiver in response to the interrogation signal or on the absence of a response to the interrogation signal, which of the tagged objects are within the reliable two-way communications range; and
adjusting the transmitter power or receiver sensitivity;
until the RFID tag transceiver of the closest one of the tagged objects is within the reliable two-way communications range and the tag transceivers of the other tagged objects are not within the reliable two-way communications range. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 61)
- An RFID interrogator apparatus having an adjustable reliable two-way communication range so as to permit a person to individually interrogate the closest one of a plurality of nearby tagged objects, wherein each tagged object has a respective RFID tag transceiver attached thereto, comprising;
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45. :
- An RFID interrogator apparatus having an adjustable two-way communication range so as to permit a person to individually interrogate the closest one of a plurality of nearby tagged objects, wherein each tagged object has a respective RFID tag transceiver attached thereto, comprising;
an RFID interrogator transceiver characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control a reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and any of the RFID tag transceivers;
an antenna coupled to the interrogator transceiver and which is adapted to be worn by a person; and
a control logic circuit, connected to the interrogator transceiver, for adjusting at least one of the interrogator performance parameters so that the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and the tag transceivers exceeds the closest distance, during times when said person handles a tagged object, between the antenna and the tag transceiver attached to that tagged object;
wherein the interrogator transceiver includes circuitry for detecting signal strength and circuitry for rejecting a signal whose strength is below a threshold signal strength. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 62)
- An RFID interrogator apparatus having an adjustable two-way communication range so as to permit a person to individually interrogate the closest one of a plurality of nearby tagged objects, wherein each tagged object has a respective RFID tag transceiver attached thereto, comprising;
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50. :
- A method comprising;
mounting on an airplane cargo door an RFID interrogator transceiver;
mounting on pieces of luggage respective RFID tag transceivers, wherein each tag transceiver has adjustable sensitivity, and the interrogator transceiver has adjustable power output; and
iterativelytransmitting an interrogation signal via the RFID interrogator transceiver;
determining at the RFID interrogator transceiver, based either on one or more response messages sent by the RFID tag transceivers to the interrogator in response to the interrogation signal or on the absence of a response to the interrogation signal, which of the pieces of luggage are within a reliable two-way communications range; and
adjusting the RFID interrogator transceiver power output or the sensitivity of the tag transceiver;
until the RFID tag transceiver of one of the pieces of luggage passing through the cargo door is within the reliable two-way communications range and the pieces of luggage not passing through the cargo door are not within the reliable two-way communications range. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49)
- A method comprising;
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51. :
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a baggage handler to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged luggage items, each tagged luggage item having an RFID tag transceiver, the method comprising;
mounting on the baggage handler an RFID interrogator transceiver having an antenna configured to be worn by the person;
mounting on multiple tagged luggage items an RFID tag transceiver, wherein respective tag transceivers are characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control a reliable two-way communications range between that tag transceiver and the interrogator transceiver;
tag transceivers respectively include memory configured to store data representing the intended destination of the luggage item to which the tag is mounted; and
the interrogator transceiver is characterized by a set of one or more performance parameters which control the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and any of the tag transceivers;
the interrogator transceiver includes a memory configured to store data representing the airport at which the interrogator is being used;
adjusting at least one of the interrogator performance parameters so that the reliable two-way communications range between the interrogator transceiver and the tag transceiver of each of the tagged objects only slightly exceeds the closest distance, during times when the person handles that tagged object, between the antenna of the interrogator and the tag transceiver mounted on that tagged object; and
comparing the data stored in the interrogator transceiver with data stored in a tag transceiver to determine if an item of luggage is at its destination. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 63, 64, 67, 68)
- A method of adjusting the two-way communication range of an RFID system to permit a baggage handler to individually handle and interrogate each one of a plurality of tagged luggage items, each tagged luggage item having an RFID tag transceiver, the method comprising;
Specification