FRAMEWORK FOR FAST RFID TAG READING IN STATIC AND MOBILE ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20100039237A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malla Reddy Devarapalli, Sridhar Radhakrishnan, Venkatesh Sarangan
• Original Assignee: Malla Reddy Devarapalli, Sridhar Radhakrishnan, Venkatesh Sarangan
• Inventors: Sarangan, Venkatesh, Devarapalli, Malla Reddy, Radhakrishnan, Sridhar
• Application Number:
  US12/492,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039237A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.400
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10029 the collision being resolved in the time domain, e.g. using binary tree search or RFID responses allocated to a random time slot
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10435 the interrogation device being positioned close to a conveyor belt or the like on which moving record carriers are passing conveying in accordance with bodily destination marks, see B65G47/46, sorting of objects carrying identity markings, see B07C5/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An RFID reader for reading RFID tags is disclosed. The RFID reader is provided with a clock generating clock signals; a transceiver; a control unit receiving the clock signals; and a memory accessible by the control unit and storing computer executable instructions to cause the control unit to generate a communication schedule based upon confirmed reservation requests, and to read RFID tags employing the communication schedule. A RFID tag is also disclosed. The tag is provided with transmit/receive circuitry; a clock; a control unit; powering up circuitry including a power source; and memory storing an electronic product code (EPC). The memory also stores computer executable instructions that cause the control unit to receive a broadcast from a reader; synchronize the clock of the tag with the reader; generate and transmit a reservation request; receive a reservation summary including a reserved time to transmit; transmit the EPC; and receive an acknowledgement.

Claims

1. An RFID reader for reading RFID tags, the RFID reader comprising:

a clock generating clock signals;

a transceiver;

a control unit receiving the clock signals; and

a memory accessible by the control unit and storing computer executable instructions that when executed by the control unit cause the control unit to generate a communication schedule based upon confirmed reservation requests, and to read the RFID tags employing the communication schedule.

2. The RFID reader of claim 1, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions that when executed by the control unit cause the control unit to transmit an acknowledgement upon reading of the RFID tags.

3. The RFID reader of claim 1, wherein the communication schedule is a stored bit stream that indicates when particular RFID tags will transmit data to the RFID reader.

4. The RFID reader of claim 1, wherein the communication schedule has a plurality of time slots synchronized with the clock signals.

5. An RFID tag, comprising:

transmit/receive circuitry;

a clock;

a control unit;

powering up circuitry including a power source to supply power to the control unit and the transmit/receive circuitry; and

memory storing an electronic product code, and computer executable instructions that when executed by the control unit cause the control unit to;

receive a broadcast during an advertisement phase from a reader via the transmit/receive circuitry, and in response thereto;

synchronize the clock of the RFID tag with a clock of the reader;

generate a reservation request;

transmit the reservation request via the transmit/receive circuitry;

receive a reservation summary including a reserved time to transmit via the transmit/receive circuitry;

transmit the electronic product code at the reserved time via the transmit/receive circuitry; and

receive an acknowledgement from the reader via the transmit/receive circuitry.

6. The RFID tag of claim 5, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions that when executed by the control unit cause the control unit to generate a random number when generating the reservation request.

7. The RFID tag of claim 5, wherein the power source of the powering up circuitry includes an AC/DC source.

8. The RFID tag of claim 5, wherein the power source of the powering up circuitry utilizes power harvested from RF waves from the reader.

9. A method for fabricating an RFID tag, comprising the steps of:

storing an electronic product code in a memory of the RFID tag;

storing computer executable instructions in the memory of the RFID tag that when executed by a control unit of the RFID tag cause the control unit to;

receive a broadcast during an advertisement phase from a reader via transmit/receive circuitry of the RFID tag, and in response thereto;

synchronize a clock of the RFID tag with a clock of the reader;

generate a reservation request;

transmit the reservation request via the transmit/receive circuitry;

receive a reservation summary including a reserved time to transmit via the transmit/receive circuitry;

transmit the electronic product code at the reserved time via the transmit/receive circuitry; and

receive an acknowledgement from the reader via the transmit/receive circuitry.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of storing the computer executable instructions is performed during the fabrication of hardware forming the memory.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions are in the form of software and the step of storing is performed after hardware forming the memory is fabricated.

12. A method for fabricating an RFID reader, comprising the step of:

storing computer executable instructions in a memory of the reader that when executed by a control unit of the reader cause the control unit to generate a communication schedule based upon confirmed reservation requests, and to read the RFID tags employing the communication schedule utilizing a transceiver of the reader.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of storing is performed during the fabrication of hardware forming the memory.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the computer executable instructions are in the form of software and the step of storing is performed after the hardware forming the memory is fabricated.