RFID PORTAL SYSTEM WITH RFID TAGS HAVING VARIOUS READ RANGES

• US 20110050400A1
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: HO, Wing Kei, ALEXIS, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• 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 7/10029 the collision being resolved in the time domain, e.g. using binary tree search or RFID responses allocated to a random time slot

Abstract

A system and method selectively reads radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tags within an RFID interrogation zone. A portion of the RFID tags have a first operating range and a portion of the RFID tags have a second operating range that is different from the first operating range. Each RFID tag is programmed with an identifier associated with the operating range of the RFID tag. A first interrogation signal is transmitted which has sufficient power to activate RFID tags that are located within the RFID interrogation zone and have the first operating range. A response signal is received from each RFID tag capable of receiving the first interrogation signal. Each response signal indicates the identifier of the associated RFID tag. Each RFID tag that has an identifier associated with the first operating range is selected.

Claims

1. A method for selectively reading radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tags within an RFID interrogation zone, a portion of the RFID tags having a first operating range and a portion of the RFID tags having a second operating range different from the first operating range, each RFID tag being programmed with an identifier associated with the operating range of the RFID tag, the method comprising;

transmitting a first interrogation signal having sufficient power to activate RFID tags located within the RFID interrogation zone which have the first operating range;

receiving a response signal from each RFID tag capable of receiving the first interrogation signal, each response signal indicating the identifier of the associated RFID tag; and

selecting each RFID tag having an identifier associated with the first operating range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operating range is smaller than the second operating range.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising reading each selected RFID tag.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting a second interrogation signal having sufficient power to activate RFID tags located within the RFID interrogation zone having the first operating range and not enough power to activate RFID tags located outside the RFID interrogation zone.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selecting each RFID tag having an identifier associated with the second operating range; and

reading each selected RFID tag having an identifier associated with the second operating range.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising reading each RFID tag responding to the second interrogation signal.

7. A radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader for selectively reading RFID tags within an RFID interrogation zone, a portion of the RFID tags having a first operating range and a portion of the RFID tags having a second operating range different from the first operating range, each RFID tag being programmed with an identifier associated with the operating range of the RFID tag, the RFID reader comprising;

a transceiver operable to;

transmit a first interrogation signal having sufficient power to activate RFID tags located within the RFID interrogation zone having the first operating range; and

receive a response signal from each RFID tag capable of receiving the first interrogation signal, each response signal indicating the identifier of the associated RFID tag; and

a processor electrically connected to the transceiver, the processor operable to select each RFID tag having an identifier associated with the first operating range.

8. The RFID reader of claim 7, wherein the identifier is a tag model number.

9. The RFID reader of claim 7, wherein the identifier is at least one electronic article surveillance (“

EAS”

) bit.

10. The RFID reader of claim 7, wherein the first operating range is smaller than the second operating range.

11. The RFID reader of claim 10, wherein the transceiver is further operable to read each selected RFID tag.

12. The RFID reader of claim 11, wherein the transceiver is further operable to transmit a second interrogation signal having sufficient power to activate RFID tags located within the RFID interrogation zone having the first operating range and not enough power to activate RFID tags located outside the RFID interrogation zone.

13. The RFID reader of claim 12, wherein:

the processor is further operable to select each RFID tag having an identifier associated with the second operating range; and

the transceiver is further operable to read each selected RFID tag having an identifier associated with the second operating range.

14. The RFID reader of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operable to read each RFID tag responding to the second interrogation signal.

15. A radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) system comprising;

a plurality of RFID tags, a portion of the RFID tags having a first operating range and a portion of the RFID tags having a second operating range, the first operating range being smaller than the second operating range, each RFID tag programmed with an identifier associated with the operating range of the RFID tag; and

an RFID reader operable to;

transmit a first interrogation signal having sufficient power to activate RFID tags located within an interrogation zone having the first operating range;

receive a response signal from each RFID tag capable of receiving the first interrogation signal, each response signal indicating the identifier of the associated RFID tag;

select each RFID tag having an identifier associated with the first operating range; and

read each selected RFID tag.

16. The RFID system of claim 15, wherein the identifier is a tag model number.

17. The RFID system of claim 16, wherein each RFID tag includes an RFID chip having a memory, the identifier is programmed at a transponder ID (“

TID”

) memory location of the RFID chip.

18. The RFID system of claim 15, wherein the identifier is at least one electronic article surveillance (“

EAS”

) bit.

19. The RFID system of claim 18, wherein the RFID reader is further operable to:

transmit a second interrogation signal having sufficient power to activate RFID tags located within the interrogation zone having the first operating range and not enough power to activate RFID tags located outside the interrogation zone;

select each RFID tag having an identifier associated with the second operating range; and

read each selected RFID tag having an identifier associated with the second operating range.

20. The RFID system of claim 18, wherein the RFID reader is further operable to:

transmit a second interrogation signal having sufficient power to activate RFID tags located within the interrogation zone having the first operating range and not enough power to activate RFID tags located outside the interrogation zone; and

read each RFID tag responding to the second interrogation signal.