RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION READER

• US 20100259364A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Megabyte Limited (Aptean Superior Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Megabyte Limited (Aptean Superior Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Man, Chun Sing Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,558,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• 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 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

A RFID reader includes a radio frequency (RF) multiplexer having a plurality of antenna ports for connecting with a plurality of antennas respectively, a reader module having a first internal port and second internal port and being configured for communicating with a tag proximate to the RFID reader through one of the first and the second internal ports, a network module for connecting the RFID reader to a network, and a micro-controller module being connected to the RF multiplexer, the reader module and the network module. The micro-controller module is configured for controlling the reader module to communicate with the tag through a selected antenna port of the RF multiplexer or an external antenna device and for controlling the network module to communicate with the network. The first internal port of the reader module is connected to the RF multiplexer for the reader module to utilize the antennas connected to the antenna ports of the RF multiplexer. The second internal port of the reader module is configured for connecting to the external antenna device so that the reader module can utilize an external antenna connected to a selected antenna port of the external antenna device.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) multiplexer, the RF multiplexer comprising a plurality of antenna ports for connecting with a plurality of antennas respectively;

a reader module, the reader module comprising a first internal port and second internal port and being configured for communicating with a tag proximate to the RFID reader through one of the first and the second internal ports;

a network module for connecting the RFID reader to a network; and

a micro-controller module being connected to the RF multiplexer, the reader module and the network module, the micro-controller module being configured for controlling the reader module to communicate with the tag through a selected antenna port of the RF multiplexer or an external antenna device and for controlling the network module to communicate with the network;

wherein;

the first internal port of the reader module is connected to the RF multiplexer for the reader module to utilize the antennas connected to the antenna ports of the RF multiplexer; and

the second internal port of the reader module is configured for connecting to the external antenna device so that the reader module can utilize an external antenna connected to a selected antenna port of the external antenna device.

2. The RFID reader of claim 1 further comprising a power over Ethernet (PoE) module, the PoE module being connected to the network module and configured for supplying power transferred from the network to the RFID reader.

3. The RFID reader of claim 1, wherein the micro-controller module is configured to provide a UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter) to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) conversion for data communication and to control the first and the second internal ports in feeding data.

4. The RFID reader of claim 1 further comprising a processor, the processor being embedded in the micro-controller module and configured to monitor any changes in the detection of the RFID tag so as to determine whether the data associated with the tag has changed since a previous detection.

5. The RFID reader of claim 1, wherein the RF multiplexer comprises a plurality of RF switches, a plurality of co-planar waveguides for connecting the RF switches and each having an interior cavity, a first set of RF ports being configured to be the antenna ports for connecting to the antennas, a second RF port connected to the first internal port of the reader module, and an RF switch controller for selectively enabling a communication path between one of the first set of RF ports and the second RF port.

6. The RFID reader of claim 5, wherein the RF switches are TX/RX (transmitting/receiving) RF switches.

7. The RFID reader of claim 5, wherein the waveguides respectively comprise an RF trace, the width of each trace being about 1.778 mm.

8. The RFID reader of claim 1, wherein the RF multiplexer further comprises a dedicated RF port and the second internal port of the reader module is configured for connecting to the external antenna device through the dedicated RF port.

9. The RFID reader of claim 1, wherein the second internal port of the reader module is connected to an external antenna device, the external antenna device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) multiplexer, the RF multiplexer comprising a plurality of antenna ports for connecting with a plurality of antennas respectively;

a network module for connecting the external antenna device to a network; and

a micro-controller module being connected to the RF multiplexer and the network module of the external antenna device, and being configured for enabling the reader module to communicate with the tag through a selected antenna port of the RF multiplexer of the external antenna device and for controlling the network module to communicate with the network.

10. The RFID reader of claim 9, wherein the second internal port of the reader module is connected to the RF multiplexer of the external antenna device through an RF cable.

11. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader system comprising:

a plurality of RFID readers as claimed in claim 1;

a network being connected with the RFID readers; and

a backend processing unit being connected with the network;

wherein;

the RFID readers are configured for respectively sending identification data to the backend processing unit through the network and the backend processing unit is configured for processing the identification data.

12. The RFID reader system of claim 11, wherein each of the RFID readers further comprises a power over Ethernet (PoE) module, the PoE module being connected to the network module of the RFID reader and configured for supplying power transferred from the network to the RFID reader.

13. The RFID reader system of claim 11, wherein the RF multiplexer in each RFID reader comprises a plurality of RF switches, a plurality of co-planar waveguides for connecting the RF switches and each having an interior cavity, a first set of RF ports, a second RF port, and an RF switch controller for selectively enabling a communication path between one of the first set of RF ports and the second RF port.

14. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) multiplexer, the RF multiplexer comprising a plurality of antenna ports for connecting with a plurality of antennas respectively;

a reader module, the reader module comprising a first internal port and second internal port and being configured for communicating with a tag proximate to the RFID reader through one of the first and the second internal ports;

a network module for connecting the RFID reader to a network;

a power over Ethernet (PoE) module, the PoE module being connected to the network module and configured for supplying power transferred from the network to the RFID reader; and

a micro-controller module being connected to the RF multiplexer, the reader module and the network module, and being configured for controlling the reader module to communicate with the tag through a selected antenna port of the RF multiplexer or an external antenna device and for controlling the network module to communicate with the network;

wherein;

the RF multiplexer comprises a plurality of RF switches, a plurality of co-planar waveguides for connecting the RF switches and each having an interior cavity, a first set of RF ports being configured to be the antenna ports, a second RF port, and an RF switch controller for selectively enabling a communication path between one of the first set of RF ports and the second RF port;

the first internal port of the reader module is connected to the second RF port of the RF multiplexer for the reader module to utilize the antennas connected to the first set of RF ports of the RF multiplexer; and

the second internal port of the reader module is configured for connecting to the external antenna device so that the reader module can utilize an external antenna connected to a selected antenna port of the external antenna device.

15. The RFID reader of claim 14, wherein the micro-controller module is configured to provide a UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter) to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) conversion for data communication and to control the first and the second internal ports in feeding data.

16. The RFID reader of claim 14 further comprising a processor, the processor being embedded in the micro-controller module and configured to monitor any changes in the detection of the RFID tag so as to determine whether the data associated with the tag has changed since a previous detection.

17. The RFID reader of claim 14, wherein the RF switches are TX/RX (transmitting/receiving) RF switches and the waveguides respectively comprise an RF trace, the width of each trace being about 1.778 mm.

18. The RFID reader of claim 14, wherein the RF multiplexer further comprises a dedicated RF port and the second internal port of the reader module is configured for connecting to the external antenna device through the dedicated RF port.

19. The RFID reader of claim 14, wherein the second internal port of the reader module is connected to an external antenna device, the external antenna device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) multiplexer, the RF multiplexer comprising a plurality of antenna ports for connecting with a plurality of antennas respectively;

a network module for connecting the external antenna device to a network; and

a micro-controller module being connected to the RF multiplexer and the network module of the external antenna device, and being configured for enabling the reader module to communicate with the tag through a selected antenna port of the RF multiplexer of the external antenna device and for controlling the network module to communicate with the network.

20. The RFID reader of claim 19, wherein the second internal port of the reader module is connected to the RF multiplexer of the external antenna device through an RF cable.