RFID PET DOOR

• US 20100328030A1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SureFlap Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Resonant Technologies Ltd. (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Hill, Nicholas Patrick Roland
• Granted Patent: US 9,715,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/32 Serving doors; Passing-through doors ; Pet-doors
• 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: G07C 2009/00849 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed

Abstract

An RFID reader for use in a pet door to control access for a pet bearing an RFID tag or implant. The RFID reader incorporates and is operable in two modes, a learn mode and a normal mode. In learn mode, the reader stores the ID code of an RFID transponder in the vicinity of the reader and also derives additional reader information corresponding to the RFID transponder. In normal mode, the reader compares the ID codes stored in memory to the RFID signal returned from an RFID transponder in the vicinity of said the reader. The RFID reader behavior is at least in part determined by the additional reader information corresponding to said ID codes stored in memory. We also describe a confidence threshold for acceptance of an ID code in learn mode and normal mode. The confidence threshold in normal mode may be less than in learn mode.

Claims

1-34. -34. (canceled)

35. An RFID reader wherein said RFID reader incorporates a learn mode, wherein said learn mode stores the ID code of an RFID transponder in the vicinity of the reader and wherein said RFID reader also derives additional reader information corresponding to said RFID transponder.

36. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35 wherein said learn mode incorporates at least two frequency modes, a first frequency mode at a first frequency and a second frequency mode at a second, different frequency, wherein when the RFID reader is generated in said learn mode it first reads said RFID transponder in said first frequency mode, and then reads said RFID transponder in said second frequency mode.

37. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35 wherein said learn mode incorporates at least two frequency modes, a first frequency mode at a first frequency and a second frequency mode at a second different frequency, wherein when the RFID reader is generated in said learn mode it first reads said RFID transponder in said first frequency mode, and then reads said RFID transponder in said second frequency mode if no valid ID code is derived from said first frequency mode.

38. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35 wherein said additional reader information is derived at least in part from information read during said learn mode or said ID code or wherein said additional reader information is at least in part stored in memory.

39. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35 wherein said additional reader information includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

the operating frequency of said RFID transponder;

the amplitude of said RFID reader required to reliably read said RFID transponder;

the modulation scheme of said RFID transponder;

the presence of corruption in the return code of said RFID transponder when read at low reader fields;

the presence of at least one sensor in said RFID transponder;

the presence of encryption in the ID code of said RFID transponder;

the time required for said RFID transponder to return a complete ID code; and

whether the transponder is full duplex or half duplex.

40. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35 wherein said RFID reader incorporates a normal mode, wherein said normal mode compares at least one ID code stored in memory of said RFID reader to the signal returned from an RFID transponder in the vicinity of said RFID reader, wherein a behavior of said RFID reader is at least in part determined by the additional reader information corresponding to at least one ID code stored in memory.

41. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 40 wherein said RFID reader behavior includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

the number of frequency modes used by said RFID reader;

.

the amplitudes of said RFID reader in each frequency mode;

the modulation schemes used to determine the ID code from the signal returned by said RFID transponder;

the use of a known data corruption applied to said ID codes stored in memory for comparison—

with the signal returned by said RFID transponder;

the acquisition time used by said RFID reader to acquire the signal returned by said RFID transponder; and

the use of said RFID reader as a full duplex reader or a half duplex reader.

42. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 40 wherein said reader behavior reduces the average power required to reliably read said RFID transponders corresponding to said ID codes stored in memory as compared to the average power required to reliably read all types of RFID transponder that may be stored by the learn mode.

48. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35, wherein said reader attempts to read the ID code from a set of stored transponder types, and compares said ID code to a set of stored ID codes, wherein the order in which the different transponder types are tested for increases the likelihood that a valid transponder is read with a reduced number of reads.

49. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35 wherein said reader incorporates a learn mode, wherein when operated in said learn mode the reader stores the encrypted ID code of an encrypted transponder in the vicinity of the reader, and wherein said reader incorporates a normal mode, wherein said normal mode compares the at least one encrypted ID code stored in memory of said RFID reader to the RFID signal returned from an RFID transponder in the vicinity of said RFID reader.

50. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35, wherein said RFID reader has two modes, a first mode that stores an ID code from a population of different types of transponder, and a second mode that reads the W code from a population of the stored transponder types only.

51. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 35 incorporated into a pet door wherein said RFID transponder is an implant in an animal or a tag on an animal collar.

43. An RFID reader wherein said RFID reader incorporates a learn mode, wherein said learn mode stores the ID code of an RFID transponder in the vicinity of the reader and wherein said RFID reader also applies error checks to confirm that said ID code is a valid ID code.

44. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 43 wherein said error checks include at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a CRC check;

a parity check;

a check for a valid header sequence; and

a signal to noise check.

45. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 43 wherein said RFID reader incorporates a normal mode, wherein when operated in said normal mode the reader reads the ID code of an RFID transponder in the vicinity of the reader for comparison with one or more stored ID codes, and where said RFID reader also applies error checks to confirm that said measured ID code is a valid ID code, and where the confidence threshold to pass said error checks is below that used in said learn mode.

46. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 43 wherein said RFID reader incorporates a normal mode, wherein when operated in said normal mode the reader reads the ID code of an RFID transponder in the vicinity of the reader for comparison with one or more stored ID codes, and where said RFID reader applies no error checks on the measured ID code.

47. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 43 wherein said RFID reader incorporates a normal mode, wherein when operated in said normal mode the reader measures the signal returned by an RFID transponder in the vicinity of the reader, and wherein said signal is compared with one or more stored ID codes, and wherein it is determined whether said stored ID codes are consistent with said signal.

52. An RFID reader for reading an RFID transponder in the vicinity of the RFID reader, the apparatus comprising a processor or circuitry to:

read the ID code of said RFID transponder in a learn mode;

store said ID code in memory;

derive additional reader information corresponding to said RFID transponder;

measure the return signal from said RFID transponder in a normal mode, where the behavior of said RFID reader is at least in part determined by the additional reader information corresponding to at least one ID code stored in memory; and

compare said measured return signal to at least one ID code stored in memory of said RFID reader to determine a match.

53. An RFID reader for reading an RFID transponder in the vicinity of the RFID reader, the apparatus comprising a processor or circuitry to:

read the ID code of said RFID transponder in a learn mode;

apply error checks to verify said ID code;

store said ID code in memory;

read the ID code of said RFID transponder in a normal mode;

apply error checks to verify said ID code, wherein the confidence threshold to pass said error checks is below that used in said learn mode; and

compare said ID code in normal mode to at least one ID code stored in memory of said RFID reader to determine a match.

54. An RFID reader having two modes, a first, learn mode and a second, operational mode, wherein when operated in said learn mode said reader is configured to interrogate a tag using a plurality of different interrogation methods and responsive to a result of said reading, to store interrogation data defining a method of interrogating of said tag;

and

wherein in said operational mode said reader is configured to use said interrogation data to read a said tag.

55. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 54, wherein said interrogation data defines data for a plurality of different interrogation methods.

56. An RFID reader as claimed in claim 54, wherein when operated in said learn mode said reader is configured to learn an ID code of said transponder and store said learnt code in said memory, and wherein in said operation mode said reader is configured to read said ID code and to selectively perform an action responsive to said ID code with a said stored code.