SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING AN OPERATING STATE USING RFID

• US 20090231097A1
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Brand, John William
• Granted Patent: US 8,400,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2066/003 Position, angle or speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/00 Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature
• 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 7/10019 resolving collision on the communication channels between simultaneously or concurrently interrogated record carriers. collision between the communication channels used by wireless communication devices, where the solution is not particularly adapted for RFIDs or the like, H04W74/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining a binary status of a device are provided. A method for detecting an operating status of a device using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is provided. The method includes coupling a first portion of the RFID tag to a first portion of the device and coupling a second portion of the RFID tag to a second portion of the device, wherein the first portion of the device is moveable with respect to the second portion of the device, changing a position of the first portion of the device with respect to a position of the second portion of the device, detecting the change in position of the first device portion based on the movement of the first RFID tag portion, wherein the movement causes a change in a status of an RFID signal emitted by the RFID tag, and determining the status of the device based on the change in the RFID signal status.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an operating status of a device using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, said method comprising:

coupling a first portion of the RFID tag to a first portion of the device;

coupling a second portion of the RFID tag to a second portion of the device, wherein the first portion of the device is moveable with respect to the second portion of the device;

changing a position of the first portion of the device with respect to a position of the second portion of the device;

detecting the change in position of the first device portion based on the movement of the first RFID tag portion, wherein the movement causes a change in a status of an RFID signal emitted by the RFID tag; and

determining the status of the device based on the change in the RFID signal status.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein changing a position of the first portion of the device with respect to the second portion of the device comprises separating the first portion of the device from the second portion of the device using at least one of a mechanical force, a hydraulic force, and a pneumatic force.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein detecting the change in position of the first device portion comprises detecting an interruption in the RFID signal using an RFID reader, wherein the RFID signal interruption is caused by the separation of the first RFID tag portion from the second RFID tag portion.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 further comprising interrupting the RFID signal by one of breaking an antenna loop within the RFID tag and shielding the antenna loop from such that the RFID reader is unable to read the RFID signal, wherein the interrupted RFID signal corresponds to an “

off”

state of the device.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein changing a position of the first portion of the device with respect to the second portion of the device comprises joining the first portion of the device and the second portion of the device using at least one of a mechanical force, a hydraulic force, and a pneumatic force.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein detecting the change in position of the first portion of the device comprises detecting an induced RFID signal using an RFID reader, wherein the RFID signal is induced by the joining of the first RFID tag portion and the second RFID tag portion.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising inducing the RFID signal by one of closing an antenna loop within the RFID tag and removing a shielding device from antenna loop such that the RFID reader reads the RFID signal, wherein the induced RFID signal corresponds to an “

on”

state of the device.

8. A system for detecting a status of a device including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the device is moveable with respect to the second portion of the device, said system comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising a first portion coupled to the first portion of the device and a second portion coupled to the second portion of the device;

an RFID reader configured to read an RFID signal emitted by said RFID tag; and

a controller communicatively coupled to said RFID reader, said controller configured to;

detect a change in a position of the first portion of the device with respect to a position of the second portion of the device, wherein the change in the position of the first portion of the device causes a change in a status of the RFID signal;

determine the status of the device based on the change in the RFID signal status;

generate a signal representative of the status of the device; and

transmit the generated signal to a display device for display to an operator.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8 further comprising a separator configured to separate the first portion of the device from the second portion of the device, said separator uses at least one of mechanical power, hydraulic power, and pneumatic power.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said controller is further configured to detect a change in the position of the first portion of the device by detecting an interruption in the RFID signal, wherein the interruption is caused by the separation of said first RFID tag portion from said second RFID tag portion when the first portion of the device is moved a distance from the second portion of the device.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said first RFID tag portion and said second RFID tag portion define an antenna loop, said antenna loop is broken when said first RFID tag portion is separated a distance from said second RFID tag portion, the break in said antenna loop corresponds to an “

off”

state of the device.

12. A system in accordance with claim 8 further comprising a joining component for joining the first portion of the device to the second portion of the device, said joining component uses at least one of mechanical power, hydraulic power, and pneumatic power.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said controller is further configured to detect a change in a position of the first portion of the device by detecting an induced RFID signal, wherein the induced signal is created by the joining of said first RFID tag portion to said second RFID tag portion.

14. A system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said first RFID tag portion and said second RFID tag portion define an antenna loop, said antenna loop is closed when said first RFID tag portion is joined with said second RFID tag portion, such that said closed antenna loop corresponds to an “

on”

state of said device.

15. A method for detecting a binary status of a device using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, said method comprising:

coupling a first portion of the RFID tag to a first portion of the device;

coupling a second portion of the RFID tag to a second portion of the device, wherein the first portion of the device is moveable with respect to the second portion of the device;

changing a position of the first portion of the device with respect to the second portion of the device by applying at least one of a mechanical force, a hydraulic force, and a pneumatic force to the first device portion;

detecting the change in the position of the first portion of the device based on the movement of the first RFID tag portion, wherein the movement causes a change in a status of an RFID signal emitted by the RFID tag; and

determining the status of the device based on the change in the RFID signal status.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein causing movement of the first portion of the device with respect to the second portion of the device comprises applying a force to the first portion of the device that causes one of a separation of the first RFID tag portion from the second RFID tag portion and a joining of the first RFID tag portion to the second RFID tag portion.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein detecting the change in position of the first portion of the device comprises detecting an interruption in the RFID signal using an RFID reader, wherein the RFID signal interruption is caused by the separation of the first RFID tag portion from the second RFID tag portion.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising interrupting the RFID signal by one of breaking an antenna loop within the RFID tag and shielding the antenna loop from such that the RFID reader is unable to read the RFID signal, wherein the interrupted RFID signal corresponds to an “

off”

state of the device.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein detecting the change in position of the first device portion comprises detecting an induced RFID signal using an RFID reader, wherein the RFID signal is induced by the joining of the first RFID portion to the second RFID portion.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising inducing the RFID signal by one of closing an antenna loop within the RFID tag and removing a shielding device from antenna loop such that the RFID reader reads the RFID signal, wherein the induced RFID signal corresponds to an “

on”

state of the device.