SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

• US 20110193958A1
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Stepniewicz, Peter Andrew, Martin, Ernest Lloyd, Worrall, John David
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A system for determining radio frequency identification (RFID) performance includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising at least one antenna and at least one reader configured to receive an RF indication from an RFID tag, the RFID system configured to provide RFID data and an RFID time stamp relating to the at least one antenna. The system also includes a motion capture video system comprising at least one camera and a processing system. The motion capture video system also includes a recognizable element located proximate to the RFID tag, the motion capture video system also configured to provide position data relating to the position of the recognizable element and a motion capture time stamp. The system also includes an RFID/motion capture system configured to receive the RFID data and the RFID time stamp from the RFID system, the RFID/motion capture system also configured to receive the position data relating to the position of the recognizable element and the motion capture time stamp from the motion capture video system. The RFID/motion capture system is also configured to correlate the RFID data from the RFID system and the position data relating to the position of the recognizable element from the motion capture video system and provide a correlated RFID and motion capture signal.

Claims

1. A system for determining radio frequency identification (RFID) performance, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising at least one antenna and at least one reader configured to receive an RF indication from an RFID tag, the RFID system configured to provide RFID data and an RFID time stamp relating to the at least one antenna;

a motion capture video system comprising at least one camera and a processing system, the motion capture video system also comprising a recognizable element located proximate to the RFID tag, the motion capture video system configured to provide position data relating to the position of the recognizable element and a motion capture time stamp; and

an RFID/motion capture system configured to receive the RFID data and the RFID time stamp from the RFID system, the RFID/motion capture system also configured to receive the position data relating to the position of the recognizable element and the motion capture time stamp from the motion capture video system, the RFID/motion capture system also configured to correlate the RFID data from the RFID system and the position data relating to the position of the recognizable element from the motion capture video system and provide a correlated RFID and motion capture signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the correlated RFID and motion capture signal is developed by comparing the RFID time stamp associated with the RFID data with the motion capture time stamp associated with the motion capture video system when the RFID time stamp associated with the RFID data occurs within a predetermined time of the motion capture time stamp associated with the motion capture video system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID data comprises RFID tag read information, tag identification information, and RFID receive signal strength indication (RSSI) information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the correlated RFID and motion capture signal is used to develop a virtual realization of at least one performance parameter of the RFID system by presenting to a user visual and graphical information on the at least one performance parameter of the RFID system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one performance parameter is chosen from the RFID tag read information, and the RFID receive signal strength indication (RSSI) information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the virtual realization displays RF performance for each of a plurality of antennas.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the virtual realization displays a history of RF performance for each of a plurality of antennas.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the virtual realization displays RF performance for a definable region relative to the at least one antenna.

9. A system for visualizing the performance of a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising at least one antenna and at least one reader configured to receive an RF indication from an RFID tag, the RFID system configured to provide RFID data and an RFID time stamp relating to the at least one antenna;

a motion capture video system comprising at least one camera and a processing system, the motion capture video system also comprising a recognizable element located proximate to the RFID tag, the motion capture video system configured to provide position data relating to the position of the recognizable element and a motion capture time stamp;

an RFID/motion capture system configured to receive the RFID data and the RFID time stamp from the RFID system, the RFID/motion capture system also configured to receive the position data relating to the position of the recognizable element and the motion capture time stamp from the motion capture video system, the RFID/motion capture system also configured to correlate the RFID data from the RFID system and the position data relating to the position of the recognizable element from the motion capture video system and provide a correlated RFID and motion capture signal; and

a user interface configured to develop a virtual realization of at least one performance parameter of the RFID system by presenting to a user visual and graphical information on the at least one performance parameter of the RFID system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the correlated RFID and motion capture signal is developed by comparing the RFID time stamp associated with the RFID data with the motion capture time stamp associated with the motion capture video system when the RFID time stamp associated with the RFID data occurs within a predetermined time of the motion capture time stamp associated with the motion capture video system.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the RFID data comprises RFID tag read information, and RFID receive signal strength indication (RSSI) information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface displays RF performance for each of a plurality of antennas.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface displays a history of RF performance for each of a plurality of antennas.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface displays RF performance for a definable region relative to the at least one antenna.

15. A method for determining radio frequency identification (RFID) performance, comprising:

providing RFID data relating to at least one RFID tag;

providing position data relating to an RFID tag;

receiving the RFID data and the position data; and

correlating the RFID data and the position data to determine a location of the RFID tag.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the correlating comprises comparing an RFID time stamp associated with the RFID data with a motion capture time stamp associated with the position data when the RFID time stamp occurs within a predetermined time of the motion capture time stamp.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the performance parameter presented to a user comprises RFID tag read information, and RFID receive signal strength indication (RSSI) information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying RF performance for each of a plurality of antennas.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying a history of RF performance for each of a plurality of antennas.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying RF performance for a definable region relative to the at least one antenna.