Centralized RFID Reader Control and Coordination

• US 20090102675A1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Arteaga, Carlos, Martin, Franky
• Granted Patent: US 8,390,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/670
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for the centralized control of radio frequency identification (RFID) readers are described herein. An input event control embodiment operates by receiving a signal from a non-RFID input device and commanding an RFID reader associated with the non-RFID input device to begin reading. According to an alternative time coordination embodiment, non-overlapping time slots are assigned to a plurality of RFID readers, and the RFID readers read only during their respective non-overlapping time slots. According to an alternative combined input event control/time coordination embodiment, non-overlapping time slots are assigned to a plurality of RFID readers. A signal from a non-RFID input device is received, and an RFID reader associated with the non-RFID input device is commanded to begin reading. However, such RFID reader only begins to read at the beginning of its next assigned time slot.

Claims

1. A method of controlling radio frequency identification (RFID) readers, comprising:

receiving a signal from a non-RFID input device; and

commanding an RFID reader associated with said non-RFID input device to begin reading.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-RFID input device is a motion sensor, heat sensor, or sound sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said commanding step comprises:

commanding said RFID reader associated with said non-RFID input device to begin reading only if said RFID reader has a priority higher than any interfering RFID reader.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

commanding said first RFID reader to stop reading if a second RFID reader with a priority higher than said first RFID reader needs to read.

5. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to control radio frequency identification (RFID) readers, said computer program logic comprising:

receiving means for enabling a processor to receive a signal from a non-RFID input device; and

commanding means for enabling a processor to command an RFID reader associated with said non-RFID input device to begin reading.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said non-RFID input device is a motion sensor, heat sensor, or sound sensor.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein said commanding means comprises:

means for enabling a processor to command said RFID reader associated with said non-RFID input device to begin reading only if said RFID reader has a priority higher than any interfering RFID reader.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, said computer program logic further comprising:

means for enabling a processor to command said first RFID reader to stop reading if a second RFID reader with a priority higher than said first RFID reader needs to read.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to control radio frequency identification (RFID) readers, said computer program logic comprising:

means for enabling a processor to assign non-overlapping time slots to a plurality of RFID readers; and

means for enabling a processor to cause said RFID readers to begin reading, wherein said RFID readers read during their respective non-overlapping time slots.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said RFID readers were previously determined to interfere with one another.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to control radio frequency identification (RFID) readers, wherein said RFID readers were previously assigned non-overlapping time slots, said computer program logic comprising:

receiving means for enabling a processor to receive a signal from a non-RFID input device; and

commanding means for enabling a processor to command an RFID reader associated with said non-RFID input device to begin reading;

wherein said RFID reader begins reading at the beginning of its next assigned time slot.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said non-RFID input device is a motion sensor, heat sensor, or sound sensor.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said commanding means comprises:

means for enabling a processor to command said RFID reader associated with said non-RFID input device to begin reading only if said RFID reader has a priority higher than any interfering RFID reader.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, said computer program logic further comprising:

means for enabling a processor to command said first RFID reader to stop reading if a second RFID reader with a priority higher than said first RFID reader needs to read.

15. A system for controlling radio frequency identification (RFID) readers, said system comprising:

a plurality of non-RFID input devices;

a plurality of RFID readers respectively associated with said non-RFID input devices, wherein said RFID readers were previously assigned non-overlapping time slots;

a control module that, upon receiving a signal from one of said non-RFID input devices, commands a RFID reader associated with said one of said non-RFID input devices to begin reading;

wherein said commanded RFID reader begins reading at the beginning of its next assigned time slot.