Item finding using radio frequency and optical signaling

• US 20080297323A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Barkan, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,552,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.31
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system for, and method of, locating a particular item from among a plurality of items identifiable by radio frequency identification (RFID) tags associated with the items, includes an interrogator for radio frequency (RF) signaling the tags to detect unique identifiers associated with the tags in a field of view of the interrogator; and an optical signaler for optically signaling one of the tags in the field of view to designate the particular item to be located.

Claims

1. A system for locating a particular item from among a plurality of items identifiable by radio frequency identification (RFID) tags associated with the items, comprising:

an interrogator for radio frequency (RF) signaling the tags to detect unique identifiers associated with the tags in a field of view of the interrogator; and

an optical signaler for optically signaling one of the tags in the field of view to designate the particular item to be located.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an antenna coupled to the interrogator for transmitting an interrogation signal to, and for receiving response signals from, the tags;

and a processor for processing the response signals to detect the unique identifiers.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a mobile housing in which the interrogator is supported for movement.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the optical signaler includes an optical sensor on each tag, and an optical designator supported by a user for aiming and directing a light beam to the sensor on the one tag to designate the one tag.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the optical designator is a laser source for emitting the light beam as a laser beam to the sensor on the one tag, and wherein the optical sensor is a laser light detector for detecting the laser beam incident on the one tag.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a modulator for modulating the light beam.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein only the one tag designated by the light beam generates a response signal to be processed by the processor.

8. The system of claim 3, further comprising a battery supported by the housing for supplying electrical power to the interrogator.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the optical signaler includes an indicator light associated with each tag, and wherein the indicator light is illuminated in response to the interrogation signal to designate the one tag.

10. A system for locating a particular item from among a plurality of items identifiable by radio frequency identification (RFID) tags associated with the items, comprising:

means for radio frequency (RF) signaling the tags to detect unique identifiers associated with the tags in a field of view; and

means for optically signaling one of the tags in the field of view to designate the particular item to be located.

11. A method of locating a particular item from among a plurality of items identifiable by associating radio frequency identification (RFID) tags with the items, comprising the steps of:

radio frequency (RF) signaling the tags to detect unique identifiers associated with the tags in a field of view; and

optically signaling one of the tags in the field of view to designate the particular item to be located.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of transmitting an interrogation signal to, and receiving response signals from, the tags;

and the step of processing the response signals to detect the unique identifiers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of moving a mobile housing in which the RF signaling step is performed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the optically signaling step is performed by mounting an optical sensor on each tag, and the steps of aiming and directing a light beam to the sensor on the one tag to designate the one tag.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the steps of aiming and directing a light beam is performed by aiming a laser beam to the sensor on the one tag, and wherein the optically signaling step is performed by detecting the laser beam incident on the one tag.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of modulating the light beam.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein only the one tag designated by the light beam generates a response signal to be processed.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of supplying electrical power within the housing in which the RF signaling step is performed.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of optically signaling includes associating an indicator light with each tag, and the step of illuminating the indicator light in response to the interrogation signal to designate the one tag.

20. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with an item to be identified, comprising:

an RFID circuit including an antenna for transmitting a response signal having a unique identifier in response to radio frequency (RF) interrogation of the tag; and

an optical signaler on the tag to designate the item to be identified.

21. The tag of claim 20, wherein the signaler is an optical sensor on the tag, for detecting when a designating light beam is incident on the sensor on the tag.

22. The tag of claim 20, wherein the signaler is an indicator light on the tag, for emitting light in response to RF interrogation of the tag.