METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING A RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION NETWORK

• US 20080157923A1
• Filed: 12/31/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coty, Constance, Jana, Rittwik, Zaifman, Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 8,610,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• 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 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/26 using historical data, averaging values or statistics

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring one or more wireless channels of an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) network are disclosed. For example, the method reads one or more RFID reference tags periodically to obtain RFID reference tag reading results for each time interval. The method then processes the RFID reference tag reading results for monitoring the one or more wireless channels of the RFID network.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring one or more wireless channels of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) network, comprising:

reading one or more RFID reference passive or active tags periodically to obtain RFID reference tag reading results for each time interval; and

processing said RFID reference tag reading results for monitoring said one or more wireless channels of said RFID network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said reference RFID tags are deployed in fixed locations within said RFID network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said RFID reference tags are read via an RFID antenna by an RFID reader.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said time interval is a configurable parameter set by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing comprises:

processing said RFID reference tag reading results within a time series; and

identifying failed readings and successful readings from said RFID reference tag reading results within said time series.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said processing further comprises:

deriving a motion sequence of an entity traversing through said RFID network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said processing further comprises:

raising an alarm if said reading results indicate receipt of a predefined number of successive failed readings associated with one or more of said RFID reference tags.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing comprises:

retrieving a long term set of said RFID reference tag reading results;

retrieving a short term set of said RFID reference tag reading results;

comparing said long term set of said RFID reference tag reading results with said short term set of said RFID reference tag reading results; and

raising an alarm if said comparison indicates a deviation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing comprises:

identifying the RFID reader that provides a last known location of a lost RFID tagged object being tracked;

calculating an average reading confidence levels over a predefined time interval of one or more RFID readers located near said RFID reader that provides the last known location of said lost RFID tagged object being tracked; and

identifying the RFID reader with a worst said average reading confidence level calculated to determine a potential path taken by said lost RFID tagged object.

10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for monitoring one or more wireless channels of an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) network, comprising:

reading one or more RFID reference passive or active tags periodically to obtain RFID reference tag reading results for each time interval; and

processing said RFID reference tag reading results for monitoring said one or more wireless channels of said RFID network.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said reference RFID tags are deployed in fixed locations within said RFID network.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said RFID reference tags are read via an RFID antenna by an RFID reader.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said time interval is a configurable parameter set by a user.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said processing comprises:

processing said RFID reference tag reading results within a time series; and

identifying failed readings and successful readings from said RFID reference tag reading results within said time series.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said processing further comprises:

deriving a motion sequence of an entity traversing through said RFID network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said processing further comprises:

raising an alarm if said reading results indicate receipt of a predefined number of successive failed readings associated with one or more of said RFID reference tags.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said processing comprises:

retrieving a long term set of said RFID reference tag reading results;

retrieving a short term set of said RFID reference tag reading results;

comparing said long term set of said RFID reference tag reading results with said short term set of said RFID reference tag reading results; and

raising an alarm if said comparison indicates a deviation.

18. A system for monitoring one or more wireless channels of an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) network, comprising:

a plurality of RFID reference passive or active tags deployed within said RFID network;

a RFID reader for reading said plurality of RFID reference tags periodically to obtain RFID reference tag reading results for each time interval; and

a server for processing said RFID reference tag reading results for monitoring said one or more wireless channels of said RFID network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said server processes said RFID reference tag reading results within a time series, and identifies failed readings and successful readings from said RFID reference tag reading results within said time series.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said server derives a motion sequence of an entity traversing through said RFID network.