Method and system for reading and identifying RFID tag

• US 20080129454A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Kuo, Cheng-I, Chang, Leii H., Luo, Yi-Fei, Chen, Jian-Ren
• Granted Patent: US 7,768,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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

A method and system for reading and identifying RFID tags of the invention is disclosed. The invention is capable of registering and storing information of a plurality of RFID tags attached to objects of the same group into a memory block of at least a specified RFID reader or RFID tag. The invention is also capable of enabling at least a specified RFID reader/tag in response to a first inquiry of an interrogator by transmitting each identification code of the plurality of RFID tags to the interrogator for acknowledgement. The method is capable of achieving the objective of reducing the overall communication time as the reader does not have to inquire one by one to the RFID tags to save the number of times of communication between the inquiry of the reader and the response of the RFID tags. In addition, the reading rate of the RFID system can be improved effectively since at least one of the RFID tags can function as a spokesman for those RFID tags hidden deeply inside a pile of the objects of the group.

Claims

1. A method for reading and identifying RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

enabling at least a reading unit to acquire information stored in a plurality of RFID tags, whereas the RFID tags are of the same group;

registering the acquired information into a memory block of the reading units; and

enabling the reading units in response to an inquiry of an interrogator by transmitting the information stored in the memory block thereof to the interrogator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

enabling each of the reading units to back up the information stored therein onto at least a backup unit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the backup unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader, an active RFID tag and a passive RFID tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reading unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader and an active RFID tag.

5. A method for reading and identifying RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

enabling at least one reading unit to acquire information stored in a plurality of RFID tags;

comparing the information acquired by the reading units with one another in a reciprocal manner;

enabling each of the reading units to register information of a portion of the plurality of RFID tags, specified especially and respectively thereof by a distribution algorithm; and

enabling each of the reading units to respond to an inquiry of an interrogator by transmitting the information stored therein to the interrogator

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

enabling each of the reading units to back up the information stored therein onto at least a backup unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the backup unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader, an active RFID tag and a passive RFID tag.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the reading unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader and an active RFID tag.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the distribution algorithm further comprises the steps of:

comparing the free memory block size of each of the reading units with one another; and

dividing and distributing the information of the plurality of RFID tags to be registered by each reading unit in accordance with the free memory block size thereof while the free memory block sizes are not the same.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the distribution algorithm further comprises the steps of:

comparing the free memory block size of each of the reading units with one another; and

evenly dividing and distributing the information of the plurality of RFID tags to be registered by each reading unit in accordance with a numbering sequence of the reading units where the capacity of the free memory blocks thereof are the same.

11. A method for reading and identifying RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

enabling an interrogator to inquire information stored in a plurality of RFID tags;

using a distribution algorithm to specify and distribute information of a specific portion of the plurality of RFID tags to at least a reading unit; and

enabling each of the reading units to respond to an inquiry by transmitting the information stored therein.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

enabling each of the the reading units to back up the information stored therein onto at least a backup unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the backup unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader, an active RFID tag and a passive RFID tag.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the reading unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader and an active RFID tag.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the distribution algorithm further comprises the steps of:

comparing the free memory block size of each reading unit with one another; and

dividing and distributing the information of the plurality of RFID tags to be registered by each reading unit in accordance with the free memory block size while the free memory block sizes thereof are not the same.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein

comparing the free memory block size of each reading unit with one another;

and

evenly dividing and distributing the information of the plurality of RFID tags to be registered by each reading unit in accordance with a numbering sequence of the reading units where the capacity of the free memory blocks thereof are of the same size.

17. A system for reading and identifying RFID tag, comprising:

a plurality of RFID tags, being respectively attached to a group of objects placed on a storage platform; and

at least a reading unit being disposed on the storage platform is capable of accessing the information of the plurality of RFID tags and comparing the acquired information with one another while using the comparison as basis to select a portion of the RFID tags to be registered.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the reading unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader and an active RFID tag.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the storage platform is an article selected from the group consisting of a shopping cart, a pallet, a container, a rack, a box, a cage, and a chassis with a specific enclosure for storage.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

an interrogator, connected to an external computer system, capable of accessing information stored in the reading units.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the interrogator is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader and an active RFID tag.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the storage platform is an article selected from the group consisting of a shopping cart, a pallet, a container, a rack, a box, a cage, and a chassis with a specific enclosure for storage.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising an interrogator being connected to an external computer system is capable of accessing the information stored in each of the plurality of RFID tags when the group of objects is stacked on the storage platform, and is capable of dividing and distributing the information to at least a reading unit.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the interrogator is a device selected from the group consisting of a RFID reader and an active RFID tag.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the storage platform is an article selected from the group consisting of a shopping cart, a pallet, a container, a rack, a box, a cage, and a chassis with a specific enclosure for storage.