Method and System for Networking Radio Tags in a Radio Frequency Identification System

• US 20100045443A1
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axcess International, Inc. (Amphion Innovations PLC)
• Original Assignee: Axcess International, Inc. (Amphion Innovations PLC)
• Inventors: Steeves, Wayne E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,232,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.500
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00

Abstract

A radio frequency tag for a radio frequency identification system is provided that includes an antenna and a receiver coupled to the antenna. The receiver receives and demodulates a message received on at least one frequency. A retransmit controller receives the message, determines a retransmit status for the message, and if the retransmit status is positive, initiates retransmission of the message for reception by another radio tag.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A device, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a first signal on a first frequency, the first signal including information identifying a further device; and

a transmitter operable to transmit a second signal on a second frequency based on the receipt of the first signal, the second signal including the information identifying the further device.

33. The device of claim 32 wherein the further device transmits the first signal.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein the further device is an intended recipient of a reply to one of the first signal and the second signal.

35. The device of claim 32, wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit the second signal over a distance substantially greater than a transmission range of the first signal.

36. The device of claim 32, wherein the second frequency is substantially higher than the first frequency.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein the first frequency is substantially 132 KHz.

38. The device of claim 36, wherein the second frequency is substantially 433 MHz.

39. The device of claim 32, wherein the first frequency is in the range of one of very low frequencies (VLF) and low frequencies (LF).

40. The device of claim 32, wherein the second frequency is in the range of one of very high frequencies (VHF) and ultra high frequencies (UHF).

41. The device of claim 32, wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit the second signal using time slot allocation.

42. The device of claim 32, further comprising:

a battery.

43. The device of claim 32, wherein the first signal further includes a message requesting the device to perform an action.

44. The device of claim 32, further comprising:

a processor controlling operation of the transmitter based on the receipt of the first signal.

45. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a receiver, a first signal on a first frequency, the first signal including information identifying a device; and

transmitting, by a transmitter, a second signal on a second frequency based on the receipt of the first signal, the second signal including the information identifying the device.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the device transmits the first signal.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the device is an intended recipient of a reply to one of the first signal and the second signal.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the first frequency is in the range of one of very low frequencies (VLF) and low frequencies (LF).

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the second frequency is in the range of one of very high frequencies (VHF) and ultra high frequencies (UHF).

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

controlling, by a processor, operation of the transmitter based on the receipt of the first signal.

51. A system, comprising:

a first device transmitting a first signal at a first frequency, the first signal including an identification of the first device;

a second device receiving the first signal and processing the first signal to generate a second signal including the identification of the first device, the second device transmitting the second signal at a second frequency; and

a third device receiving the second signal.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the first device is a base station transmitting the first signal in the range of one of very low frequencies (VLF) and low frequencies (LF).

53. The system of claim 51, wherein the second device is a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) tag transmitting the second signal in the range of one of very high frequencies (VHF) and ultra high frequencies (UHF).